It was hard to realise today that my previous lab is closing down. Media Lab Europe failed in applying its financial model and to achieve its self sustainability. What are the causes that brought it to this point are difficult to say. Even for a person like me, an ex-employee, it is difficult to analyse all the variables. However it is (and it was) possible to see something on the surface of the project that was kind of shaky: the idea of implementing an american business model into a different continent.

I read already lots of comments on this story. Some of them were kind of rude against ML culture. Well, I can be sincere with you and say that is true that some work is vapour-ware, that some is brochure-ware and all is demo-ware BUT it just happens like that that Media Lab is one of the only place on earth where cool things gets invented just for the sake of re-thinking media and technology with different eyes.

This is far from most old, acquitted, stable, and standing academic institution and it is difficult to understand if you did not live the feeling in being in one of the most eccentric, energetic and COOL laboratory ever. The tone on which people sometimes speak about things they do not know makes me think they are envious!

However, I wont forget MLE! Even if in a difficult shape, tiring, surviving and fighting to stay there … that was one of the best periods of my life! I will miss MLE.

Other comments: RTE news; David Reitter; Antoin O Lachtnain; Michael Cunningham; Jonah B. Cohen; Jamie Lawrence; Karlin Lillington has a short opinion piece in the Guardian about MLE.

The official press relase, dated 14th of January 05.