Thursday took its toll, at least on the most persistent ravers and the drink supplies. The PIFlogger didn’t spare any energy either, so she’s using visual materials to help her gather her impressions today. So what did Friday looks like at PIFcamp? Friday is the day when PIFers have one last time to try out new approaches, wrap up their projects (and side-projects) or come to terms with a (non)working prototype and get ready for Open Saturday, which was back on the schedule after another round of negative tests. But first, it’s time for the mandatory! hike and a close encounter with the freezing Soca (this year’s river temperature is a noticeably lower 12 degrees).
Swimming in the Soča is one of the best ways to reset, so most participants managed to get back to their normal rhythm after lunch. For those who wanted to take it easy while developing their handcraft skills, Becca and Margo’s animal embroidery workshop was a perfect choice.
“Follow the cable” could be the guiding principle of the next activity organised by Simon, a member of the Octosens team, who invited participants to explore the underground installations around PIFcamp with dowsing rods. Judging by the happy expressions on their faces, one could dare to say that you make a PIF person happy in an instant if you put a piece of metal in their hands.
Shortly afterward, Theun invited the participants to a unique mix of exploring the surroundings of PIFcamp and a walk through the history of record-keeping. During the workshop, the participants learned how people have stored memories and knowledge, inscribed them in the landscape as we walked, and thus passed them on from one generation to the next.
After dinner, all cam took time to reflect and talk about recent events/processes, and to plan for the Open Saturday. How did the work on the PIFprojects go? How many side-projects did the PIFers create? Are prototypes working? What will we present to the visitors of Open Saturday and how will we pack more than 30 different projects into one afternoon? Difficult questions, but not at all unsolvable for PIFers. The programme took shape smoothly and seamlessly, while we found solutions to technical, conceptual and nutritional mysteries and relaxed into the relaxed rhythm of Friday night.
According to the PIF criteria, calm does not mean idleness, just a slightly lower volume of activity. Polona organized the traditional tarot game under the tent (finally!), and Bernhard and Katja – our PIFlog writer, learned about Bernhards laser and modular systems (she mentioned it was inspiring!) and experimented with visualizations projected on the tree. Meanwhile, a group of both new and die-hard live coding enthusiasts had gathered behind us, brought together by Julien. This time it was the turn of the Foxdot environment in combination with Troop, a tool that allows the connection of multiple coders and thus one of the most important PIFthings, the jam. The PIFcamp started to empty soon after, and the participants had to recharge their batteries before Saturday’s event. Good night!