the catastrophe institute

developed during a residency at iaska during september – october 2005, the catastrophe institute was an international think-tank that experimented with disaster – exploring changing perceptions of catastrophe in relation to the places we live and people we know.

during a residency period, a number of catastrophe experiments were attempted in the local environment, exploring catastrophe in its widest contexts from natural disasters, to local man-made catastrophes and catastrophe prevention. each experiment was documented using video, audio and photography with the results exhibited in a gallery based exhibition with the local community invited.

global catastrophic risks are those that pose serious threats to human well-being on a global scale. an immensely diverse collection of events could constitute global catastrophes: they range from volcanic eruptions to pandemic infections, nuclear accidents to worldwide tyrannies, out-of-control scientific experiments to climatic changes, and cosmic hazards to economic collapse.