waiting_for_cows: Field Trip

On 25 April affect lab will make a one-of-a-kind field trip to Friesland. You are warmly invited to join us.

We will welcome you into the fascinating world of cows and their technology rituals.

The day will start with a viewing of our work waiting_for_cows at art space VHDG in the beautiful city centre of Leeuwarden. Then we will travel directly to the source – Okkingstate, an organic dairy farm in the heart of Friesland. We have been given unique access for *one day only* to bring a group of our friends and interested thinkers, makers and doers to this farm where we have been filming and working (on and off) for the past 2 years. Here we will meet the 3 main characters of our latest work waiting_ for_cows. Robina, Margo and Aergentina are all mixed breed dairy cows. We will see first hand how their milking robot operates at the centre of the farm yard. And we will be in direct conversation with our collaborators: dairy farmers Fokke Terpstra & Tineke de Groot. We have invited culinary artist Asli Hatipoğlu to create a unique food experience on site. Bites will be served in the barn alongside the herd.

Why now?

What happens to cows right now in this highly automated environment can tell us a lot about our own position as humans. Stories about cows on tech-driven farms reveal a lot about the systems that exert unseen pressure on us, but we feel that pressure all the same. Cows (and all the quantified data about them), hold up a mirror to us. They reflect back at us our very human condition. They tell us something about what we find valuable and important.

affect lab is on a unique mission to bring different (sometimes unlikely!) people into conversation with one another. Artists and farmers will share this same space and break bread together. There is no subject that is off limits in this field trip.

FULL PROGRAMME 25 April (subject to change)

11:00-12:00 Meet at VHDG in Leewarden to visit waiting_for_cows exhibition at VHDG

12:00-12:30 Transport from VHDG to Okkingstate farm (transport is organised by affect lab)

12:30-13:15 Tour of the farm, discussions with Tineke and Fokke

13:15-15:00 Vegetarian lunch by culinary artist Asli Hatipoğlu

15:30 Transport from farm back to Leeuwarden CS

Important to know:

Warm clothing and an extra pair of shoes (it’s hard to avoid cow poop in the barn!)

This Field Trip has limited space. We would love to see you there. This is a timed event, kindly arrive on time at our first location (VHDG) at 11am.

Ticket price: €15 students / €20 regular (includes lunch and transport to farm)

Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions by emailing bWFyaWEgfCBhZmZlY3RsYWIgISBvcmc=

Background /Dutch dairy farms have become high-tech environments. They are filled with different kinds of software, data collection points and robots - cleaning robots, feed robots and milking robots. This technology-in-the-countryside feels odd, especially for those of us living in urban environments who tend to have a sentimental view of nature. But, the reality is that both human and animal are entangled in systems of efficiency, productivity and time management, mediated by technology. Even cows are assigned a key performance indicator by agri-tech companies.

Fokke Terpstra - Organic farmer, owner of Okkingastate farm and our collaborator in the waiting_for_cows project.

Also check out other Arts events in Leeuwarden, Trips & Adventurous Activities in Leeuwarden, Exhibitions in Leeuwarden.