Open Space Technology is an approach for hosting
meetings, conferences, corporate-style retreats and
community summit events, focused on a specific and
important purpose or task - but beginning without any
formal agenda, beyond the overall purpose or theme.
Harrison Owen, the originator of the Open Space
Technology, has articulated "Four Principles" and
"One Law":
1. Whoever comes is the right people.
2. Whenever it starts is the right time.
3. Whatever happens is the only thing that could
have.
4. When it's over, it's over.
Owen explains his one "Law", called the "Law of Two
Feet", as follows:
If at any time during our time together you find
yourself in any situation where
you are neither
learning nor contributing, use your two feet, go
someplace else.
Depending on the behavior of the person, Owen
says, he / she then will turn into a bumble bee or a
butterfly.
In my opinion any opening in the art context follows
more or less the same rules - and could therefore
polemically be interpreted as "free open space
conferences".
When I was invited to participate in uqbars 3rd
anniversary show Celebration!, I turned the
showroom into such a free open space conference:
The four principles were mounted onto the door of
the project space. Inside two boards would inform
about the social behavior of butterflies and bumble
bees.
2010
