Hubweek 2018 marks their fourth year journey of bringing together all innovators and the most creative minds in 5 days festival. This year, they brought up the theme of “We the Future” while keep focusing in the intersection between art, science, and technology. By collaborating all entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, artists, academics, and up-and-comers, Hubweek has been successfully break the boundaries between industries. This event is created as a platform to connect, network, share ideas, get inspired, and of course with a hope to build the future.
“HUBweek is designed to inspire curiosity, break down silos, and spark bold solutions for a more inclusive future.” -Hubweek
This year, HUBweek showcased the developments in arts, science, and technology through their 360 degrees Dome, immersive containers and massive mural art exhibitions, and hands-on experiences with new technology such as VR and Robot. They’re bringing visioners and innovators to speak and share their experiences while having best Boston’s DJs at night to perform in their main stage, immersive dome, and silent disco.
HUBweek brought current topics and issues on the table and giving the opportunity for all attendees to participate and suggest solutions that might work. All exhibitors have different creative approaches to engage with their audience in order to explain their ideas and what they do.
MilliporeSigma’s Curiosity Cube, a research laboratory and innovation, created a series of activities for people who visited their cubicle. They designed the space like an aquarium with a bright pink accent. At the front of the door, they have a wall dedicated for people to write their answer for “What do you want to know from the future?”
Once you entered their space, their staff are very friendly and will lead you to the first activities where they give you a set of 4 color markers and instruction of what color combinations represent what actions. They give you a background story that we’re trying to help someone to fix their muscle. This activity explains their project of this new machine to heal ill muscle/cell. At the end of this activity, if you put the right color combinations, the machine will be able to travel along the muscle and will be able to go back to the starting point.
Their next activity requires you to guess what is the cell depicted in microscopes’ screen. They have hints for each object, the list and description of body part options for people to guess the answer. And at the end of the tour, people will get the opportunity to experience what’s inside of human cell through VR.
By introducing the audience about the merging of science and technology, these activities educate and implicitly telling the audience about the current issues and projects that they’re working specifically focus in muscle, cell, and DNA.
Blue Cross Blue Shield is one of the biggest players in HUBweek 2018. Ideas Dome is the space sponsored by BCBS to run events and talk shows. Apart from that, BCBS also owns their private container in collaboration with Design Museum Boston which showcase art, technology, and healthcare to deliver a message of empathy in facing current issues. One of the exhibitions they have are this futuristic-designed robot which will replace body part that are missing of people with limb differences. They explain to you the story behind and the idea to solve disability issue in our society. And at the end, they will show you how these robots work and let you interact with it. Beginning of 2019, they are going to hold an exhibition “Bespoke Bodies” to demonstrate spanning DIY-inventions to the development of mind-controlled bionic limbs through inspirational stories from professional athletes, veterans, kids, and more.
On the other side, BCBS have this comfortable couch on one end while having interactive ideas shelf with a voting box and balls on the other end. The main issue that they’re talking about is the opioid overdose crisis that has been the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. with an increasing rate since 2015 (Buzzfeed). BCBS suggests an idea to solve this issue by creating this kit which works as a first-aid-kit in case someone is experiencing overdose. BCBS try to educate the users too on how to use which tool in what situation.
Apart from that, they also try to educate the society to be “empathetic” on this crisis. We live in a community where this problem will not be solved if we still think about it as a taboo topic to talk about. Banning and avoiding will not solve and it might lead to a worse case scenario. By raising this topic, people will be more aware and ready to face this issue instead of fighting it. Therefore, BCBS also invited couple of experts to speak and share their ideas and opinions in facing these epidemics. One of them is Dr. Joseph Shrad, a psychiatrist who works on issues relating to addiction, bullying and at-risk behaviors; which will talk about further in our “Theory of Mind” article.
Immigration in Full Frame is an interactive exhibitions which incorporates 360 degrees VR from 1620 to present days. This project is done by Brookline Interactive Group & the Public VR Lab and still developing through immersive journalism and community storytelling. The message is “to show the inequity of American public policy over 400 years of immigration and how that has impacted each generation of immigrants differently”
A Father’s Lullaby, a social art project by Rashin Fahandej which portrays the absence of father figures in community of colors as a direct result of incarceration. In her art containers she created a space where people could hear the voice of dads and see their face on the screen who are singing a lullaby for their kids. On one side, they provide 4 headphones where the audience will be able to listen to a story from a father, the voice from his bottom of his heart, and their desire to meet their children.
This exhibition give us a different perspective that we have rarely seen. A voice that we barely heard from the other side of the story. It’s an honest and vulnerable exhibitions that will touch people’s heart.
Art Exhibits
Phillippe Morvam has been successfully won visitor’s heart from his unique art cubicle as one of the most popular photos roaming around in social media. He created a space filled with giant white light bulbs combined with the voices of schizophrenic people inside the cubicle. Since his exhibition in “the festival of lights” of Lyon in 2009, his creation have been enriched by incorporating lights and sound machines. His art is inspired by his experience in theater and cinema while maintaining his DNA of creating luminous atmospheres that tell stories, dreams, astonish and gather people. His work globally always send message to the society by partnering with local community.
Neon Dream’s Crystal Cave is one of the art installations in HUBweek 2018 which gives the visitor an experience of futuristic nature glow in the dark. Trifecta Editions inspired by Go to the Light on going project, is teaming up with AntiDesign, Steex Design, and Cyrille Conan. They use bold and vibrant neon color in the black painted container which create the glowing cave atmosphere. It’s dark and spooky, peaceful yet astonishing, while give the people a little break from the windy Boston weather. This art is showcases a very detail and meticulous work where they hide some small surprises behind the cave walls. They have pictures, upside-down mirror, fish in an aquarium, and many more.
Air Sea Land by Okuda San Miguel is a beautiful arts that will remind you of walking down the Wynwood street in Miami. Except, the shape of animal that we’re not really sure about. He’s a contemporary artist from Spain that is known for his arts in abandoned spaces that send a strong, critical, and sarcastic messages about the wrath between human and himself. The art that he brings for HUBweek 2018 depicts his thoughts of evolution, coexistence, and harmony through combining geometric, vibrant and multicolore painted in a surface; this case the container. This art is created to remind us about the creation of this universe, and hence human. How lights and darkness can turn in to the world that we live in today. It tells the audience about the balance of life and fair comes from your judgements.
Written by: Raissa Anasthasia (@sasanatashia)
Edited by: Gabriella Glady (@gabriellaglady)