Tim Boykett
Until the reliability of coal and oil powered motors increased, the transport of goods across oceans, along coastlines as well as estuaries was largely accomplished by sail. The boats and ships that were used for this transport were highly refined, technologically developed machines for efficient and speedy transport. This industry had all but disappeared in the west. For a number of reasons, there is a strong interest in applying these ideas again, utilising a century of sailing technology development. In this talk, we will look at some of the last gasps of sail cargo in the 20th century and its legacy. We will then look at the sail and other wind assisted shipping work that has arisen in the 21st century, starting with the Tres Hombres of Fair Transport through to the high tech ships that are currently emerging. We will look at some of the ships that are currently planned, stalled projects and perhaps even some of the ideas about what could be relevant locally. Tim Boykett is a founding member of Time’s Up, an Austrian based and globally active arts and culture group with strong ties to applied futures thinking, technology as well as experiential, explorative and playful immersive installations. He grew up playing on the Jolly Roger and other boats on the Swan River and divides his time between Cowaramup in WA and Linz in Austria. He has published widely as a mathematician, arts-based researcher and computer scientist. http://timesup.org
Video recording of Tim’s presentation on 25th September 2024