TED talks’ younger, hipper brother is coming to downtown Gainesville.
PechaKucha 20x20 is a presentation that shows 20 images for 20 seconds, giving speakers six minutes and 40 seconds to talk about whatever they want.
The event will take place at 7 p.m. Friday at Volta Coffee, Tea & Chocolate, 48 SW Second St.
With short presentations, PechaKucha gets its name from the Japanese onomatopoeia for chitchat. It creates an informal setting for people to share their personal stories, projects and art.
The idea began in Tokyo in 2003 as a way to connect to the creative community.
Friday’s event will bring together presentations by students, faculty members, an “American Ninja Warrior” competitor, a jazz singer and someone involved in the Higgs boson particle project, according to Anthony Rue, the owner of Volta and organizer of the event.
“You really get a sense for how much fascinating life there is in Gainesville,” Rue wrote in an email.
Past presentations have ranged from coffee and climate change, to the relationship between heat waves and murder rates, to how to build a backyard chicken coop.
“Our hope is that (PechaKucha) provides a portrait in motion of the intellectual, social and artistic life of Gainesville,” he wrote.
Michael Espinosa of Gainesville, 28, who spoke about building a home gym at a previous event, said the atmosphere is “crowded, in a good way.”
“Lots of interesting people and exchange of ideas, even among the audience,” he said.
The event will feature seven to eight of the short speeches and anticipates to go until 9 p.m.
Rue believes people should attend PechaKucha to get involved in their community, “to find out what life in Gainesville is really about.”
