|
|
 |
EUROPE'S MOST VISITED SF/F WEB SITE |
|
An Allen Key for Science Fiction?
Why Microsoft's co-founder, Paul G. Allen, has announced plans
for a new cultural project dedicated to science fiction and the ways
it captures our imagination.
A separate nonprofit institution to be co-located with Seattle’s Experience Music Project museum at Seattle Center, the new science fiction museum will open in summer 2004. Temporarily named The Science Fiction Experience, the project will provide exhibit experiences that inspire appreciation of science fiction’s history, creativity and contributions, while at the same time recognizing notable science fiction creators and their creations.
Included in the exhibit will be works by Isaac Asimov, Ursula Le Guin, H.G. Wells, George Lucas , Chesley Bonestell, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Gene Rodenberry, James Cameron, Octavia Butler and Steven Spielberg, to name a few. From Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein" (first published in 1818) and "The Birthmark" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, to H.G. Wells’ "War of the Worlds" and George Orwell’s "1984," to the hit TV series "The Jetsons," the BBC’s "Doctor Who" and the Warner Bros. film The Matrix Reloaded, our Paul is putting his money where his mouth is and arguing that science fiction remains one of the most compelling, popular and intriguing genres of human expression. "Science fiction has always been a vehicle for entertainment, but more importantly it's a genre that is forward-looking by nature, expanding people’s views of science, technology and the future - and their exciting possibilities," Paul G. Allen commented to the 'Nest. "Whether presented in literature, films, comic books or the visual arts, science fiction reflects and comments on humankind’s hopes, dreams and fears. It considers the implications of imagined science and technology on humanity - and sometimes that imagination dovetails with reality. Co-locating the new museum at EMP leverages the ability of both projects to encourage critical thinking about culture and society - one through the lens of music, and the other through the lens of science fiction." "Science fiction is the broadest and most dynamic genre of our time," added hard SF author Greg Bear, who chairs The Science Fiction Experience’s advisory board. "It's the only branch of literature that teaches that change is constant and that the future holds a limitless range of possibilities. Along with being one of the most popular flavors of entertainment, science fiction inspires people young and old to learn from science and technology - and it's one of the very best ways to keep an adult brain fit and flexible." The project’s advisory board is a veritable "Who’s Who" of the science fiction community. The board includes such authors, artists, scientists, educators, filmmakers and media experts such as Ray Bradbury,, Arthur C. Clarke, Donna Shirley (manager of Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars Exploration program), Lawrence Krauss - the theoretical physicist and author of "The Physics of Star Trek" - Octavia Butler, the author of the "Xenogenesis" trilogy, and Dennis Muren, the senior visuals effects supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic and winner of eight Academy Awards. A collection of rare artifacts and memorabilia from around the world will be featured along with hands-on and interpretive exhibits intended to explore SF, promote critical thinking and encourage awareness and appreciation of science fiction’s significance and value. The five key areas in The Science Fiction Experience’s 13,000 square feet of exhibit space are designed to show visitors a variety of science fiction stories, concepts and social commentary.
A gallery that introduces visitors to science fiction and creates opportunities to explore science fiction’s icons, its reflection on science, society and the human spirit, and its influence on invention and discovery. In addition, this exhibit offers a look at not-so-weird science: the many real life inventions that were suggested, or even directly inspired, by science fiction (from the communications satellite to the waterbed). Central to Homeworld is a SF hall of fame which would like to honor both the creators and creations of science fiction.
Whether a literal voyage across space and time, or a symbolic metaphor for transformation, in this gallery visitors will find themselves standing aboard a starship where they investigate the technology and gadgetry of science fiction, discover why journeys are launched and learn how they are accomplished. From various modes of travel - space ships, time machines, inner journeys, scale change -to the motivations behind travel: curiosity, conquest, profit, self-preservation and happenstance, this exhibit highlights how journeys can span the cosmos with adventure and heroics, or simply reflect complex themes central to humanity. Designed to resemble a classic spaceship interior such as the Millennium Falcon or Nostromo, this space will offer a spaceship drydock, a phaser test bench and the highlights of real-life technologies and their SF counterparts.
Whether utopias or post-apocalyptic nightmares, here visitors experience what it might be like to live in a variety of possible futures - with artifacts from futures such as Bladerunner, Metropolis or The Matrix. Each era of science fiction has served as a reflection of the concerns, aspirations and predictions of the time in which it was created; the fictional accounts of future societies provide a venue for commentary on the role of government, politics, society and culture.
An environmentally immersive area featuring creatures, strange beings and bug-eyed monsters from literature, movies and television. With a range of video, graphics, artifacts and special effects, this area explores how our fear of aliens, as well as admiration of more advanced species, are really an examination of our own potential for good or evil. Sometimes "the other" represents our own sense of alienation from the familiar, or from those who are different from us. Other times, it represents who we want to become. This exhibit area offers an experience with other species and ourselves.
This area forms the basis of a local and national outreach program to make the content and experiences of The Science Fiction Experience accessible to teachers, students, families, after-school groups, and science and technology museums worldwide. On a personal level, it also offers various opportunities for visitors to build on their experiences by finding the latest information on local and global events, gatherings and clubs, and connecting with others who share their science fiction interests. Destined to become a major tourist destination in Seattle? Well, only time will tell. It will be interesting to see if they come up with a little more inspired title than the 'temporarily named' Science Fiction Experience though. Isn't there a Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas, or am I imagining that? If you've got any ideas for a more zappy moniker for Paul, post them on our bulletin board system across here. To get more details of the project, you can visit The Science Fiction Experience online over at www.sciencefictionexperience.com Jessica
|
OTHER CONTENT - June 2003
|
|||||||||
Philanthropist
Paul G. Allen has announced plans for a new cultural project dedicated
to science fiction and the ways it captures our imagination, offers
us new perspectives on society and culture.
Investor
and philanthropist, good old Paul G. Allen is best known as the
co-founder of Microsoft with Bill Gates in 1976, with his multibillion
dollar investment portfolio now encompassing large stakes in DreamWorks
and various other technology, media and content companies.
 |
|
| nest home | search engine | site directory | shop | library | tools | about us | | |
|
|
... www.sfcrowsnest.com © 2004 CWant a ? Then send an email to: hologramtales-subscribe@topica.com