In character, our eighth Yslandbook, sloths in late, enjoy.

Friday smiles and says: “Perhaps the sloth is not a fossil, but the future” — and Robinson nods: “Or at least our only chance to understand the present.”

was one of many conclusions the deadly sin and internet sensation slowly presented.

So without further ado – we are very happy to announce that
“Sloth” is now available to order.

As always with no charge, just production.

Thanks to our supporters. May the sloth be with you.

Take a slow look and get lost, calmly.  Most of Sloth is in German, even though the English texts are growing in weighted average ever since we started in 2008 with no plan, tried hard to get better, saw the algorithm in horses, were fearful of righteous men in WAR, wished to blame someone and found its futility in Sündenbock, questioned tradition and storytelling and the Blood they bring, finding naive hope in deceleration: Sloth

We want to thank all our outstanding contributors

Sloth is a cowritten book by

Dr. Bernhard Georg Förg, Gregor Ladenhauf, Gudrun Thaler, Dr. Herbert Limberger, Jana Kaminski, Luigj Malsijaj, Manuel Tozzi, Miriam Schmidtke, Monique Besten, Rüdiger Wassibauer, Stephanie Meisl, Thomas Grusch, Volksschule Gablitz.

Sloth circles around speed, deceleration and our space in the future.
Sloth was accompanied by AkademieAIR 2024

The Impulstext given to the contributors is the text written for Schmiede24: Sloth 

“We don’t know where we’re going, but we’ll get there quicker”

Helmut Qualtinger

The Schmiede is a late child of the 90s and an early offspring of the 00s. In this field of tension, we were at the brilliant end of history, from a northwestern perspective. We were optimistic about the emerging new beginning. There was only one direction and the Internet would make us better cooperating people. The democratization of tools and access will make everything possible for everyone, creativity and content will set the tone. Yesterday was yesterday. Locations are secondary. We just have to learn, communally and fairly, but the Internet would solve that too. The Golem was ready and continued its work. A seemingly optimal time to shape a cultural initiative. It couldn’t go fast enough for us. We wanted to bring big ideas, the spirit of the times and people to Hallein. 

In a letter from November 1825 to his great-nephew Nicolovius in Berlin, Goethe complained that the “Veloziferic” was the “greatest disaster of our time, which allows nothing to ripen … and so always lives from hand to mouth”. (fremdwort.de) New technologies not only make our lives faster, but also seemingly more comfortable. But why then does everything seem to be falling apart and anything but comfortable? All of this naturally leads us to the topic of the Schmiede24: Sloth.

It is 2024 and the acceleration does not stop. We also had to discover the obvious for ourselves. At the moment all demons seem to be pushing into the real world, the artificial creation of man, the consequences of globalization, the ever faster technological progress, loneliness, the pillory, the trolls, simple solutions, the clash of cultures and the list goes on. But what can we do? We look back nostalgically at something that never existed. Schmiede has fallen out of the Zeitgeist and that is precisely why we think it is ahead of it and as strong as it is influential.

The first step against the centrifugal force of acceleration is about slowing down. Not just theoretically, but very practically, steadfastness against the current. Schmiede has always motivated our network to take its time. Even today, things need time and space to develop. It is not possible to quickly pull culture and relationships out of the ground without soil. It is not enough to nurture hope in flowers. So that not everything tastes the same, it makes sense to let character and identity mature. A clear contradiction to the spirit of the times, growth and speed, interchangeability and standardized individualism. Uniqueness and sustainable community are the core of Schmiede.

In 2024, we will distill all of these topics and more into a pill of meaning, the sloth. In addition to optics, acoustics and brevity, the English word for sloth has another advantage: Sloth, also inertia and laziness, is one of the seven deadly sins. How can an animal be named after a deadly sin? What does that say about us, or about our worldview? Instead of accelerating, we want to prevent reversing. So we are left with the crucial (Gretchen/Faust I) question: Now tell me, how do you feel about slowing down? You are a very good company, but I don’t think you think much of it.

In its 22nd year, the Schmiede will once again create a contemporary, inclusive, sustainable, participatory island of something special between science and art.