Occupy Earth course explores the polarized discussions of climates

Occupy Earth, a collaborative course by Aalto University and Parsons School of Design, explores the polarized discussions of climates, both political and ecological, we now face as an earth-bound species in the 21st century. Occupy Earth examines how spheres of technology, ecology, and human society form a complex system that inter-operates at varied scales of time and cultural representation.

Students originating from 16 different countries but currently living and studying in the United States or Finland, gave serious consideration to the current state of global war and climate disruption, and their resulting interrelated effects on migration, political speech, assembly and negotiation.

During 2018-19 17 students explored the course thematics from multiple perspectives, and developed their artistic and research trajectories into a series of diverse projects that exist across physical and virtual domains.

Aalto University visited Parsons in New York for a multi-day research and prototyping workshop in early October 2018, and the course now culminates with the Parsons group visiting Finland to mount an exhibition at the Aalto Campus in Otaniemi in March 2019.

Participating students:
Tuomas Lehtomaa
Yang Xu
Eerika Jalasaho
Miradonna Sirkka
Verna Kuusniemi
Marjolein van der Loo
Olga Kornilova
Jennifer Greb
Liisi Soroush
Bogyeong Kim
Reishab Kailey
Adrian Mc Grath
Tomas Correa
Carmela Wilkins
Carolina Melo
Shirley Leung
Allison Ing

The exhibitions will run until the 28th of March and can be visited on weekdays.
There is no entrance fee.

Learning Center (Otaniementie 9, 02150 Espoo, Finland)
Mon to Thu 9–20; Fri 9–18; Sat 10–15

Väre Galleries I & II (Otaniementie 15, 02510 Espoo, Finland)
Mon–Thu 7:45–20:00, Fri 7:45–18:00

About the Collaborating Universities

Aalto University

Aalto University is a multidisciplinary community where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future.

ViCCA

Visual Cultures, Curating and Contemporary Art (ViCCA) is a transdisciplinary Master’s Degree Programme at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Finland. The program explores emerging knowledges and practices at the intersections of visual cultures, curating and contemporary art. We facilitate students to develop and contextualize their own practices within and in between these contexts.

MediaLab

The mission of the Media Lab is to explore, discover and comprehend the new digital technology and its impact in society; to find and exploit the possibilities it opens to communication, interaction and expression and to evaluate, understand and deal with the challenges it poses to design and creative production.

The New School - Parsons School of Design

Parsons School of Design enables students to develop the knowledge and Parsons School of Design enables students to develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing society. Students collaborate with peers throughout The New School, industry partners, and communities around the world and in New York City, a global center of art, design, and business.

Parsons Design and Technology (MFA)

Designers today face two fundamental challenges: the expanding influence of design within society and the increasing role of technology within design. The Master of Fine Arts in Design and Technology program provides a dynamic, challenging, and idea-driven environment in which to address these challenges.