TUT Y TAM 2008

Tut Y Tam is a russian locution which means «here and there », in Polish tu ty tam means « here you there ». The twoo possibilities are perfectly matching the nature of the web.

As a tribute to Sir Henry Cole who realised the first Universal Exhibition, the principle of the virtual planetary exhibition is an application of his phrase “Learn to see ans see thru comparison” .

1. The lessons of history

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations opened on the first of may 1851 at the Crystal Palace in London. As it’sname says, the place was made mainly of glass witch, long before the new technologies of information were invented, was allying materiality to non materiality. It was organised by the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce but the true architect was Sir Henry Cole. This first of a lot to come Universal Exhibition allowed evaluating the rate of industrialisation and the accomplishments of the participating countries. But the organisers as well as the visitors were highly surprised to see that after all the rate of industrialisation wad not whatsoever an accurate indication of the level of culture. With this experience, Sir Henry Cole taught us that is was important to “Learn how to see and see through comparison”. It is from the far and exotic east that were coming the most precious lesson with new form of arts and new inspirations. The Virtual Planetary Exhibition took it’s inspiration from this venerable example that is the 1851 Universal Exhibition witch have so much contributed to the development of science and culture in the world.

2. What is the Virtual Planetary Exhibition?

The Virtual Planetary Exhibition (VPE) is actually a double event witch is mixing the real and the virtual world in a single manifestation. In each country where real events showing the local know-how techniques in the domains of arts, culture, science, industry or craftsmanship, will be organised. Each of these events will be broadcast, in real time, to an central operational headquarter, a sort of outpost set to witness the whole media communication within the VPE in favour of a new vision of the multi media (Media Hub Club). The Central Headquarter will be located in a capital city yet to be determined.

3. The goals

The first goal of the VPE is to collect the creative and prospective work of all the participants and to organise it’s exhibition within the pavilion’s twelve universal topics. One or several pavilions, witches are the virtual equivalents of those build in the Universal Exhibitions of old times will accommodate the exhibited realisations. The initiatives proposed within the Virtual Planetary Exhibition shall be exhibited in one or several topic pavilions witch have been conceived to make easier for the visitors to find them among the profusion of projects presented. These pavilions will provide one with the easiest way to see everything one is interested in and they will allow each contributor to exhibit their endeavours. Every pavilion has it's own curator subordinate to the commissioners of the Virtual Planetary Exhibition. The curator of each pavilion is in charge of the general organisation of this virtual space devoted to creativity and interaction.

4. A vision of the world through actuality

According to the Telecommunication International Union, nowadays, two persons out of five in the northern hemisphere have an easy access to cyberspace. This rate falls brutally to one out of fifty in the rest of the world. The VPE have the ambition to become an international observatory for the survey of the evolution of the technologies of interactive information and communication. The VPE shall display the human aspect of these technologies. It shall as well initiate a methodology providing a new form of comprehension and use of these technologies without cultural, economical or geographic boundaries. The Virtual Planetary Exhibition shall be eventually an interactive bond between peoples.