On the festival forecourt, the IkWin lift cages are branded up with snazzy signage and a maverick Dutchman in a pink brocade jacket has been let loose with a megaphone to pull in the first punters. The bell rings and the google rating battle begins.
An Ik banner festoons the pristine camp balcony, behind which the gnome industry is prospering as red and blue hats are being cut, glued, sewn and ik-tagged in a production line. A team of volunteers sweep away the last memories of sawdust and stray drill bits with the vigour of people who have slept.
Meanwhile inside the camp, impromptu deodorant spraying and makeup application in front of macbooks betray those who are sleep deprived.
In the Gashouder, the PICNIC digerati munch on mussels in the restaurant area as the hackers hide cables, transfer fiddly stencils and clarify user instructions on their installations. Cute 6" monitors atop wooden stakes in turf-covered planters start to play video loops of Nanko's short introduction to each project.
The curiosity of the first PICNICkers is stirred. Let interaction commence!