War is upon us.
With the tensions raised and now exploding in Ukraine, it can seem hopeless and very distant from the peace we are experiencing here in the Netherlands. So what can we do about it? How are we attached within this conflict and can we play a role in it?
Yes! We can! Apart from frontline jobs that seem far away from here, Putin’s influence is still very much present around us, especially in the winter months.
What presence is this you may ask? Well, it is the heat you get from your radiator on a typical raining winter day, it is the warmth you get from your water heater when you run yourself a welcoming hot bath, and it is the time saved when drying your socks upon the heater by the window.
Almost 20% of our gas is bought from Russia through . Because of this, Mediamatic is turning down all heaters starting now! We will all be wearing sweaters for Ukraine in an attempt to reduce our dependency on Putin's gas.
The gas used in our heating systems (around 15-20% of it) is coming from Russia transported through the Yamal-europe pipeline and the Nord Stream pipeline as seen below. The European Union has a large dependency on Russian gas and oil, with a quarter of all European oil comes from Russia, and half of the gas (BBCnews). Russia sends gas to Europe through several pipelines, the Nord stream 2 has been shut off by Germany already (BBCnews), creating tensions about rising gas and oil prices.
We will be hosting various textile artists and designers who will guide you as you start your journey to warmth for our fellow Ukrainians. It is time to make some fuzzy socks and warm sweaters as a community. The workshops will be lead by a team of 3 artists and designers: Vita Buivid, Conny Groenewegen and Kristin Maurer. the first meetings will be on March 6, 9 and 11 from 14:00h on. Mediamatic provides materials and warm tea. Check our event calendar for updates!
Sources: BBC News: "Ukraine conflict: how reliant is Europe on Russia for oil and gas?"
NL Times: "Gas price shoots up 30% on Russian invasion of Ukraine: Amsterdam stocks facing drop"
