Plutopia:
Interactive
Tech Gathering
of the Tribes
Interactive
Tech Gathering
of the Tribes
Executive Production
Austin, Texas
March 10, 2008
Austin, Texas
March 10, 2008
Plutopia 2008: Interactive Tech Gathering of the Tribes was an official SXSW afterparty themed on envisioning a Utopian future for all people. What if the nanobots don’t eat us and the giant robots don’t attack? What if Global Warming doesn’t cook us and our garbage doesn’t bury us? What kind of sci-fi future do WE, the people, envision?”
The event was an interactive, experiential trip to a new world where you could immerse yourself in a Plutopian sci-fi view of the future as envisioned by a brilliant multidisciplinary collaboration of artists, geeks, musicians, performers, and speakers. As much an arts and education show as an amazing party, attendees were amped up, inspired, and enlightened.
We embraced the hyperreal and kitsch of Sci-fi and B-movies as our framework, inviting our collaborators to transform the dystopian feel of these films into a more utopian world. The result was a transformative experience that turned the preeminent party extravaganza of SXSWi into a beacon of hope for a better future.
We brought together the brilliant and wholly other minds of The Austin Robot Group, AGA, and others, creating a true DIY masterpiece. Partygoers were thrilled to listen to Theremins, otherworldly music, incredible recycled/found object art, Tesla coils, and other surprises, and they felt like they were part of a vibrant and diverse community of visionaries.
We also featured a talk by Bill McKibben, author, educator, activist, and environmentalist whose focus includes global warming, alternative energy, and the risks associated with human genetic engineering. His talk addressed what the author saw as shortcomings of the growth economy and expressed his vision for a transition to more local-scale enterprise.