Brothers Gonna Work it Out at Roskilde Festival 2008

Roskilde is the town in Denmark where the Danes bury their Kings (and one Queen) and still build Viking ships as if it was not going out of style. They have have a rather large cathedral with twin towers that can be seen from miles away.

You actually see them quite well when you stand inside of the huge area called Dyrskuepladsen (trans. the animal viewing place) in the outskirts of Roskilde. It is here the farmers come to buy, sell and look at animals. It is also here thousands of people from all over the world gather for about a week every year since 1971. Inspired by the Woodstock Festival that took place three years earlier, some young kids decided to make their own festival, and it worked. The big Orange stage (below) of the festival, also has the three peaks, as the cathedral.

Roskilde Festival has now become one of the most respected music festivals on earth. Artists are delighted to perform for the loving audience that sees their time at the Roskilde Festival as part of their life and education. 

The above album cover is from the Chemical Brothers 10 year old remix album where they released classic tunes such as Block Rockin' Beats and Mother Earth. The brothers--that are not from the same mother--will also perform at 2008's festival, and they say its gonna be funky.

humantohuman - the 2008 theme

Above art by Lee "Scratch" Perry, who donated his work to humantohuman. humantohuman is the idea behind Roskilde Festival’s humanitarian focus. The festival audience help people in need all over the world. From one person to another – human to human.

Each year Roskilde Festival chooses an overall theme – and within this framework the audience gets an opportunity to reflect upon a contemporary humanitarian concern. This year (2008) the theme is "Fair Phone – Fair Future" which focuses on large electronics companies' responsibility for a sustainable development in this area.

Any profits from Roskilde Festival are donated directly to the Roskilde Festival Charity Society which, in turn, donates the money to humanitarian projects. Throughout the past 34 years, Roskilde Festival has donated more than € 13 million to, among many others, War Victims in Irak, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Save the Children and WWF World Wildlife Foundation.

So how do you get there? Try this.

UPDATE 2010

In connection to Roskilde Festival 2010, the CO2 E - Race/CO2 Green Drive produced a version of the project in the city of Roskilde and at Roskilde Festival.



Above video about the project was made by Roskilde City.

The Danish Climate Minster at the time Lykke Friis, jumped up on a Green Electric Scooter 

The Black Glassed Triangle Pyramid!

...AND IN 2009

In 2009, The CO2 E - Race in collaboration with We Collaborate and Roskilde Festival, brought Muhammad Yunus to the festival, in a electric Jaguar. He was on Orange stage 15 minutes before Coldplay went on, in front over 40.000 people.

There was also a small exhibition of Electric vehicles and such.

OLD SCHOOL AND NEW SCHOOL GREEN ART

Morten Flyverbom is one of Denmark's best "Green Artists" having created green art for decades. He also happens to be the father of Copenhagen DJ Mikkel Flyverbom, and his name translated means "Flying Boom". All I hope is that his art has a boom, because if green art is the next big thing, he deserved some serious respect. 

The above Wooden Bike by Morten Flyverbom

The above Electric Wooden Bike by Dutch Bough Bikes

The City of Philadelphia, who is known to support street art, grafitti, murals and public art has lately had Edina Tokodi doing her moss graffiti and urban guerrilla tactics in the city of brotherly love. Tokodi was commissioned by SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) to encourage Philadelphia’s commuters to ‘Go Green’ with her navigable moss icons and green walls in the Market East Station’s passenger service area, ticketing area, and on the exterior of the station building and Transportation Museum. The initiative is part of SEPTA’s mission to help commuters become more aware of the positive environmental impact of using mass transit regularly.

Philly’s effort to ‘Go Green’ via ‘moss transit’ will hopefully make the random commuter think of how goos it is that they actually use public transportation, instead of a their car. The ticket prices of a train ticket does not hurt as much everyday, as it does when pumping your tank full of black blood. I found a great post on inhabitat.com. Read on!



In a recent interview with Edina, the artist described that the ‘Go Green’ project took approximately one month of materials preparation. The installation’s opening coincided with the Philadelphia Flower Show, a popular time for increased traffic to and from the city. The artist and her collaborator, Jozsef Valyi-Toth, used “100% natural sheet moss”, turf-like plant matter grown explicitly for decoration and design purposes.

The actual installation of the moss icons and signage took one week of working non-stop, around the clock. This included creating custom-fitted moss inserts for 32 SEPTA posters (10 inches by 10
inches) and 40 pieces that fit into the SEPTA logos throughout the site. Edina and Jozsef also made two ‘Go Green’ signs with each letter measuring 2 feet by 3 feet. Red Tettemer, the very hip advertising agency, also lent a hand in the communication design details for the project
(check out the very cute video of the project’s installation process on their website).



The ‘Go Green’ project seems to already have won over the hearts and minds of day-to-day commuters at Market East Station. According to SEPTA, the feedback thus far has been extremely positive with Tokodi’s moss icons being one of the most creative projects they have helped sponsor
in a very long time. It might be a while before we are able to grow vertical gardens and vegetable walls ala Patrick Blanc

Patrick Blanc lets plants grow on any vertical surface: Marché des Halles in Avign

...in ‘the underground’ or along the train tracks so to speak, but eco-minded public works are here to stay, and there may soon come a time when being on the ‘go-green-go’ may be one of the most-energy efficient and civic minded activities that we can collectively participate in.

LINKS:
+ Mosstika - Edina Tokodi

+ Urban Moss Graffiti by Edina Tokodi

+ SEPTA’s ‘Go Green’ in the Philadelphis Inquirer



Personally, I think the "Go Green" concept could have been done a little more organic and interactive, but as long as it works and Philly's people "Goes Green", its all good! 

2010 UPDATE!

THE CO2 E - RACE PROJECT (AKA CO2 GREEN DRIVE)

A Project first produced in connection to the Copenhagen Climate Summit COP15 in 2009,
that now has gone worldwide and maybe soon in a City near you!

Read more about the project on their Blog HERE

Or on their site HERE