Approach to Medialab-Prado: Keyvan Minoukadeh

My first experience of Medialab-Prado was the Interactivos'09 workshop. My project proposal had been accepted along with a number of others. As a student studying Interaction Design, I was somewhat familiar with the type of work carried out at Medialab-Prado (although it was thanks to one of my teachers that I heard about Medialab-Prado itself).

My experience at the workshop exceeded my expectations. Coming from a university environment where we studied similar technologies, carried out projects and had roughly the same number of people that fill the Medialab space, I was expecting a little more of the same. Despite the similarities, however, being at the Medialab feels different. The reasons why are, of course, very subjective but I'll share them anyway (these will likely resonate more with students who are studying or have studied a similar programme at university):

* There is a sense that everyone who is participating wants to be there and wants to get involved. That might sound banal but, compared to a university course which has to be completed as part of a larger programme, it makes a big difference. Having to do something affects your motivation. At university you encounter students who simply want to pass the course and move on. If they're motivated by something, there's a good chance it's the final grade or a fear of failing the course – I've felt that way too. It's much nicer to be somewhere with people showing real enthusiasm and interest.

* It's not a competition and it's not graded. You do not have to worry about pleasing your tutor or examiner and mutual aid arises naturally.

* Collaborators can come from anywhere. Everyone is free to enter the Medialab to see what is being developed and to participate or discuss ideas. You are also free to seek out collaborators and invite them to participate. Compare that to university where you must pick your collaborators from students already enrolled on the course, all usually of a similar age and educational background and who have been vetted and selected for the programme.

On the whole, the atmosphere is very friendly and inviting. The mix of collaborators and the support from the staff really help in pushing ideas forward and makes it a great place to get started on a project or help others on theirs. I have been to the Medialab three times now and hope to participate again.

As for improvements, I would like to see more time set aside for skill-sharing. There are many talented people participating in Medialab events so it would be nice to have more mini-workshops (e.g. like Miguel's Actionscript workshop during Visualizar). As for the new space, maybe it will have room for a quiet work area away from the noise. :)

Good luck with the move and hope to see you all at a future event. :)