River Symposium on Art, Ecopower and the Liberation of Energy

The River Symposium on Art, Ecopower and the Liberation of Energy considers the political, social and ecological proportions of the river and examines it as a site of power. While appreciating the natural strength, kinetic energy and resilience of rivers, the discussion also takes into account political struggles over their use, as well as schemes to control and harness their flows. The presentations reconstruct the environmental history of rivers and the role of human agency in shaping them, with the social, political and artistic histories of the River Danube forming a particular focus of the symposium. Along with examining critical approaches to energy policy and the ecopower associated with rivers, the symposium also introduces innovative attempts from outside the technocratic mainstream to visualize and bring about the liberation of energy. The River Symposium provides a setting for artists, environmental historians, scientists and activists to bridge their
fields and investigate the inter-streaming of ecology, energy and power. The symposium also takes a boat trip on the Danube for more fluid discussions.