»Journalism is already dark, but we were the most evil.« Netro, the Internet agency from Berlin, will be joining the Solitude network as fellows for web development within the Akademie’s new online program in 2016. In a short interview they give a witty insight into their projects, from online armies to interactive sitcoms…
CH: In 2014, you founded the Berlin web agency netro.cc. You have all worked in many different fields before such as art, graphic design, new media, architecture. How does this multifaceted mix of professional experience influence your work together in your projects?
Netro: We see most of our projects as a challenge. We want to create something new, and therefore the most important attribute in our team is curiosity. We constantly learn new techniques, use new tools, and do a lot of research. Experience is important but what you don’t know yet is much more interesting.
CH: You are currently collaborating with the NRW Forum, the Kunsthalle Wien, and the Federal Agency for Civic Education, among others: What are you working on with them?
Netro: For the Kunsthalle Wien, we created personalized exhibition catalogs. We created an online army for the Federal Agency for Civic Education. And we created an interactive online sitcom about a typical multi-ethnic family living in a virtual version of today, supported by NRW Forum Düsseldorf. At the moment, we are working on an exhibition, 900/1800MHz, opening on 07.11.2015 at BSMNT Gallery, Leipzig.
CH: What role does humor play in your work?
Netro: Latest findings in ant research show that only 27% of the ants of a tribe are working. The rest is just Netflix and chill.
CH: As developers in the newsroom, you have worked in the field of digital journalism before, for example in collaboration with the German online newspaper Zeit Online. What were your experiences like?
Netro: Journalism is already dark, but we were the most evil. All of our ideas have been rejected. In the end, the only halfway useful one was Das Orakel von Erdoǧan.
CH: What was the motivation for your application for Akademie Schloss Solitude?
Netro: We love motivation. It means a lot to us. You can probably take motivation and turn it into something else. We use it a lot to boil water, to watch television, or to create beautiful art.