An ice cream made of artificial meat in the flavour bacon or meatfruit: would you dare to eat it? Impakt presents a preview of the theme of Impakt Festival 2016: Authenticity? during the Uitfeest. Writer Ruben Jacobs investigates the development of authenticity in everyday life in two lectures. To cool down before and after the lectures, you can get an ice cream at the ice cream cart of the ‘Bistro in Vitro’ at de Neude. With his ice creams made of artificial meat, artist Koert van Mensvoort will give us a taste of what the future may hold. To conclude we will show a short film to introduce the final film of the Dutch Film Festival at the Stadhuisplein.

Ruben Jacobs: Everyone is an Artist

Sociologist, writer for the Volkrant newspaper and teacher at the HKU Ruben Jacobs created a fascinating analysis of the value of authenticity for the contemporary artist and creative industry, with his new book ‘Everyone is an Artist’ (V2, 2016). “Personal authenticity was once the primary domain of the arts. Artistic expression was seen as “the most individual expression of the most individual emotion,” in the works of the Dutch poet Willem Kloos. Today, a century later, authenticity – “being yourself” – has become a societal ideal. It has also become an economic good, something we buy and sell. The creative industries play a central role in this commercial context. As a generator of artificial scarcity, it creates the desire for unique products, experiences and lifestyles, and promotes the permanent renewal of our living and working environment. What does all this mean for contemporary art? Is it a blessing, or does it merely make the artist’s role more complicated? And how can artists distinguish themselves when everyone is expected to be creative and authentic in work and in life?” (V2/Ruben Jacobs)

14:45-15:30 lecture by Ruben Jacobs: The Ideal of Authenticity
15:45-16:30 lecture by Ruben Jacobs: Authenticity as Technological Imagination

NB: The lectures will take place in Dutch

Koert van Mensvoort: the mobile artificial meat ice cream cart

What is real and authentic in our world? In laboratories a great deal of research is being done on artificially grown meat: meat that has been grown from a test tube. Will the eating of artificial meat be normalized in 20 years? Is it an environmentally friendly and animal cruelty free alternative to the bio industry? Artist Koert van Mensvoort fired up the discussion with his cookbook for artificially grown meat and his ‘Bistro in Vitro’. During a later Impakt Event on the 7th of October van Mensvoort will tell us more about his work. The media art festival Impakt will present his latest project at the Uitfeest: an ice cream cart with ice cream made of artificially grown meat. Various exciting flavours are available: meatfruit, polar bear, bacon, ice queen, dragon and chocolate panda. Who can handle the future?

13:30-20:30 ice cream cart with artificially grown meat ice creams. Location: Stadhuisplein

Human Birdwings by Floris Kaayk, introducing the final film at the Netherlands Film Festival

21:00-21:30 short film Human Birdwings by Floris Kaayk

NB. All events during the Uitfeest will be accessible for free