Slum Sessions #1

In preparation of Freezing Favela

6 Nov 2012

Our location for public exhibitions, events, workshops and parties is the monumental Van Gendthallen. But it's getting colder and the roof is leaking harder and harder. Also art budgets are being cut. We are preparing for the winter!

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Discussions during Slum Sessions #1 - This picture was taken at Mediamatic Fabriek during Slum Sessions #1, part of Freezing Favela. Aleksandra Kalashnikova

Discuss with Mediamatic how to build a Freezing Favela: a settlement of workspaces that enables Mediamatic to overwinter. Artists and designers who want to experiment with new ways of building, growing, surviving, isolating, building communities, energizing and programming in winter conditions are invited to participate in building the “favela”.

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Mediamatic Fabriek - Building to isolate the aquaponic system, Mediamatic fabriek Willem Velthoven

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Dinner during Slum Sessions #1 - This picture was taken at Mediamatic Fabriek during Slum Sessions #1, part of Freezing Favela. Aleksandra Kalashnikova

During Slum Sessions # 1 Ekim Tan, architect and urban designer at Play the City and researcher at the Delft University of Technology [DUT] and the International New Towns Institute [INTI] spoke about gecekondu areas, districts in Turkey where houses are put up without proper permissions. Architect Carolina Zabas Roelandt discussed slum infrastructure design in Ahmedabad, India. Willem Velthoven, Chairman of Mediamatic Foundation will give an introduction about the program of Mediamatic Fabriek. Afterwards there was time to discuss ideas.

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Eating soup and brainstorming during Slum Sessions #1 - This picture was taken at Mediamatic Fabriek during Slum Sessions #1, part of Freezing Favela. Aleksandra Kalashnikova

With: Jans Possel

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Brainstorm during Slum Sessions #1 - This picture was taken at Mediamatic Fabriek during Slum Sessions #1, part of Freezing Favela. Aleksandra Kalashnikova


Building a favela is a street-oriented, cultural practice. It’s an informal way of urbanism. Favela design is not based on slick final images. Builders work without master plans. They seek solutions for basic survival tasks as: 'how do I get warm?’, ‘how do I keep it dry’ or ‘where can I poop?’ and ‘who wants to help me?’.

Freezing Favela

Freezing Favela is a small city within Mediamatic Fabriek. Builders, cooks and other makes have been given the possibility to claim a part of the big industrial hall as their own. They work on their projects autonomously, but like in any other community, materials, space and functions have to be shared. Favela citizens are making tosti's from scratch, paper from cow shit, furniture from cardboard, and food from our very own aquaponics farm. And everyone is welcome to contribute. Build this city with us.