PECHA KUCHA GLOBAL DAY FOR HAITI TO BE HELD AT THE WOLFSONIAN–FIU FEBRUARY 20, 2010
Global Conference Will Be Streamed Live From 276 Cities Around the World
In a matter of seconds, thousands of lives and dreams were destroyed in Haiti on January 12, 2010. Following the tragedy, aid came from many quarters, in all shapes and forms. On Saturday, February 20 from 4-6pm The Wolfsonian–Florida International University will join the PechaKucha global community and the Miami Chapter of Architecture for Humanity (AFH) to assist in the rebuilding of Haiti by taking part in a continuous 24-hour edition of PechaKucha Night.
PechaKucha Night was devised in Tokyo on February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and showcase their work in public. It has turned into a massive celebration, with events happening in hundreds of cities around the world, inspiring creatives worldwide. Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of “chit chat”, it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It’s a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace.
Kicking off the series of events at the SuperDeluxe in Tokyo, where PechaKucha was first conceived seven years ago, the presentation wave will travel eastward, with cities presenting one after the other. Crossing all times zones and cultures, the events will be streamed live online and then finish in Tokyo the following day. Presentations are already being prepared, some intended to offer hope and encouragement through stories of past disaster relief projects; others as simple inspiration by showing the power of creative thinking. All of the 2,000 presentations generated from the one-day event—in what could be the world’s biggest single-day globally distributed conference—will be posted on the PechaKucha website, where visitors will also be able to make monetary donations to the project. In organizing this event, PechaKucha intends to not only raise funds through pledges from host cities and contributions from individuals, but also illustrate the power of innovative minds, creative passion, and most of all, sharing ideas for change and sustainability.
The event, which takes place at The Wolfsonian, is co-presented with PechaKucha Miami and AFH. There is a minimum ten dollar donation per person requested and all proceeds will go to AFH’s Earthquake Reconstruction in Haiti project. AFH operates globally, and was instrumental in getting projects built after the Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. The design costs for the new buildings in Haiti have been already covered so all donations will go directly toward the construction of much needed schools, health clinics and community structures.
For more information about the event, visit http://www.pecha-kucha.org/pechakucha-for-haiti
About PechaKucha
PechaKucha was conceived in Tokyo in February 2003 by architects Mark Dytham and Astrid Klein as an event where young designers could meet, network and show their work in public. Over time, it has evolved into a massive celebration of creativity, with events regularly being held in over 270 cities including Miami. Last year, more than 6,000 presentations were hosted at over 600 PechaKucha events. Drawing its name from the Japanese phrase for the sound of conversation (“chit chat”), the PechaKucha format is simple—20 images x 20 seconds—and designed to keep presentations concise and moving at a rapid pace.
About Architecture for Humanity
A volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to building a more sustainable future through the power of professional design. Founded in 1999, this design services firm channels the resources of the global funding community to meaningful projects that make a difference locally. The local Miami Chapter, founded in 2007, channels these services to our local communities.
About The Wolfsonian–Florida International University
The Wolfsonian is a museum, library, and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design, to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, historical, and technological changes that have transformed our world. The collections comprise approximately 120,000 objects from the period of 1885 to 1945—the height of the Industrial Revolution to the end of the Second World War—in a variety of media including furniture; industrial-design objects; works in glass, ceramics, and metal; rare books; periodicals; ephemera; works on paper; paintings; textiles; and medals.
The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors, students, and children age 6 -12; and free for Wolfsonian members, State University System of Florida staff and students with ID, and children under six. The museum is open Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-6pm; Thursday and Friday from noon-9pm; and is closed on Wednesday. Contact us at 305.531.1001 or visit us online at www.wolfsonian.org for further information.
The Wolfsonian receives ongoing support from The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; the William J. and Tina Rosenberg Foundation; Continental Airlines, the Official Airline of The Wolfsonian–FIU; Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.
