Midsummer with YKON

The YKON collective is exploring practical utopias in residence in London. The residency will culminate in the YKON game and the UK premiere of Archipelago Science Fiction.

Helsinki-based YKON collective has taken up the first international artist residency in The White Building, a new Olympic edge cultural venue run by SPACE. During their residency, YKON will continue their research into ‘practical utopias' and develop the YKON game. The residency will culminate in a special event called Midsummer with YKON.

As part of the event, the audience will have a chance to play the YKON game and see the UK premiere of Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen's newest participatory film Archipelago Science Fiction where the fears and fantasies of islanders off Finland's west coast turne into four tantalising future scenarios – acted out by the inhabitants themselves. There will also be an exhibition on display and refreshing spirits will be served. A hot surprise can be expected.

The YKON game, developed in 2009 and inspired by Buckminster Fuller's World Game, is based upon a simple thought experiment: imagine the world is brought to a complete halt. Everything stops. No more business as usual. With the world being frozen, you and your fellow players can tinker with the world as you please. What will you change? How do you convince others to go along with your changes? And what about the consequences? The YKON game is used as a tool for anyone wanting to practice utopian envisioning within a playful setting. In short: the YKON Game is a workshop, party and therapy session in one.

YKON is a Helsinki-based not-for-profit organisation. Its members include artists, designers, game developers and art historians who share a deep interest in current utopian thought and practice. Utopia is seen as a myriad of bottom-up processes and initiatives with a strong DIY attitude. Since 2005 YKON has worked on themes such as micro nations, social architecture, alternative economies, scenario developments, participatory processes, mapping and game design. YKON are: Ulu Braun, Tellervo Kalleinen, Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, Pekko Koskinen, Christina Kral and Tomas Träskman.

Midsummer with YKON takes place under the umbrella of the PERMACULTURES residency programme at SPACE. The residency is kindly supported by Bloomberg, Arts Council England and The Finnish Institute in London.

Midsummer with YKON is the first event of the Practical Utopias series of artistic programmes on current utopian thought and practice around the world. The series is a collaboration between YKON (Finland), Electra (UK) and Drugo More (Croatia).

Midsummer with YKON
Saturday 23 June
The White Building, White Post Lane, Hackney Wick, London E9 5EN
4–7 pm YKON Game. Limited places, booking required: bookings@electra-productions.com
7–12 pm Exhibition featuring YKON, Tellervo Kalleinen & Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen and Ulu Braun
9.30 pm Open air screening: Born In Flames (Lizzie Borden, USA 1983, 90 min) with Ottica Zero (Maja Borg, Sweden 2007, 13 min)

More info:
YKON
The White Building
Electra Productions