WORKSHOP DECAYING DATA

Collect polluted mud from the Houtdok in Ghent for Decaying Data: an installation and workshop by artist Rodrigo Cardoso.

Wintercircus is looking for 15 Ghent residents to head out on the evening of September 1 with artist Rodrigo Cardoso. His installation Decaying Data lets visitors chat with an old, glitching computer to entrust it with a piece of personal data: a word, a memory, a thought. That data is then temporarily stored, but fades away again once the power runs out. The work runs entirely on polluted mud cells, with the bacteria present generating electricity.

From October 24 to November 9, Decaying Data will be exhibited at Wintercircus, during 'CONSENT: between the human and the system', an expo about the boundaries and the role of technology in our lives.

For this occasion, the installation will be powered by polluted mud collected from the Houtdok in Ghent. During this workshop, you'll learn exactly how that works and help collect the mud on-site yourself.

PRACTICAL

When? September 1, from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Where? Bulb VZW in Meulestedekaai 1, 9000 Gent

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

WELCOME (15 min)

📍 Bulb VZW (indoor location)

Participants gather at Bulb VZW in Meulestedekaai 1, 9000 Gent. While everyone arrives, there's time to get to know each other and ease into the evening with a coffee.

INTRODUCTION (30 min)

📍 Bulb VZW (indoor location)

Rodrigo gives a short presentation on the science behind bacteria that generate electricity, and the idea behind it. Using a few example artworks and technical projects, he sketches out the context. We'll wrap up with a demonstration of a working mud cell.

COLLECTING MUD (90 min)

📍 Houtdok Ghent

The group walks to the Houtdok and the surrounding quays. Along the way, Rodrigo frames the activity with research on the historical use of the docks and pollution data. Mud is collected from about three different spots around the Houtdok, so the electricity values can later be compared with one another.

BREAK

After the walk, there's time to rest and enjoy a drink.

GENERATING ELECTRICITY (60 min)

📍 Bulb VZW (indoor location)

Together, 2-3 mud cells are built using everyday materials that Rodrigo prepares and brings along in advance, after which the generated voltage is measured with a multimeter. Participants also receive a DIY guide so they can build their own mud cell at home.

Q&A (30 min)

Space for questions, conversations, and any new ideas that emerged from the workshop.

WHO IS RODRIGO CARDOSO

Rodrigo Cardoso is a designer, programmer, and researcher interested in the ecological and social dimensions of digital technology. His work raises questions about how we build digital tools, by examining how the values embedded in them — together with their infrastructure and energy consumption — shape people and the planet.