SOFT CONTROL: Art, Science and the Technological Unconscious by KIBLA KIBLA

SLOVENJ GRADEC I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR/PART I: BOTTOM-UP MARIBOR II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL/PART II: TOP-DOWN

14. 11.−15. 12. 2012 SLOVENIJA

Produkcija / Production KGLU Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti Koroška Art Gallery (SI) Slovenj Gradec, Slovenija Marko Košan, direktor / Director KID / ACE KIBLA Kulturno izobraževalno društvo KIBLA Association for Culture and Education KIBLA (SI) Maribor, Slovenija Aleksandra Kostič, predsednica / President V sodelovanju z / With the participation by NCCA Nacionalni center za sodobno umetnost The National Centre for Contemporary Arts (RU) Kaliningrad, Rusija Elena Tsvetaeva, direktorica / Director Projektna skupina / Project Team: Direktorica projekta / Director of the project: Aleksandra Kostič Kurator projekta / Curator of the project: Dmitry Bulatov Pomočnica kuratorja / Assistant curator: Elena Ryabkova Izvršni producenti / Executive producers: Lidija Pačnik Awais, Jernej Kožar, Dejan Pestotnik, Snežana Štabi Stiki z javnostmi, promocija, trženje / Public relations, promotion, marketing: Dejan Pestotnik Vodstva po razstavi / Guided tours: Maja Vuksanovič Pardeilhan, Žiga Dobnikar, Jernej Kožar Spremljevalni pedagoški in andragoški program / Accompanying pedagogical and andragogical program: Tanja Grosman, Brigita Galun Idejna zasnova postavitve razstave / Concept exhibition installation: Dmitry Bulatov, Aleksandra Kostič, Snežana Štabi, Samo Lajtinger Arhitekturno načrt / Architectural plan: Janko J. Zadravec Vodja tehnične izvedbe / Head of technical implementation: Simon Sedmak Tehnična ekipa / Technical team: Simon Sedmak, Rafael Kurnik, Metod Baloh, Jani Bogša, Jure Vekjet, Nikola Stojanović, Sebastjan Vačun, Uroš Indihar, Bogdan Muršič, Jure Pajer, Jaka Kotnik Administracija / Administration: Maja Kotnik Praštalo, Mirjana Predojevič, Biserka Šegula, Barbara Santner, Anča Maček, Lepa Perič Sprejem / Reception: Dejan Pestotnik, Nikola Stojanović Informatorji / Informators: Nikola Stojanović, Bernard Cvetko, Jasmina Završnik, Zenel Bejta, Sabrina Cuder Prostovoljci / Volunteers: Štefan Simončič, EPEKA Oblikovanje elektronskih in tiskanih medijev / Layout of electronic and printed media: Snežana Štabi, Aleksandra Kostič, Samo Lapajne, Samo Lajtinger Soft Control logo: Jurij Vasiliev Spletna stran / Website: Samo Lajtinger Urejanje / Editing: Snežana Štabi, Aleksandra Kostič Prevodi / Translation: Helena Fošnjar Lektura / Proof reading: Cameron Bobro, Mirjana Predojevič, Snežana Štabi

Koledar dogodkov Calendar of events

Prizorišča Venues

Razstava Exhibition SOFT CONTROL: UMETNOST, ZNANOST IN TEHNOLOŠKO NEZAVEDNO SOFT CONTROL: ART, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL UNCONSCIOUS

I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR (SLOVENJ GRADEC) PART I: BOTTOM-UP

II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL (MARIBOR) PART II: TOP-DOWN

Konferenca Conference UMETNOST, ZNANOST IN TEHNOLOŠKO NEZAVEDNO ART, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL UNCONSCIOUS

Izobraževalni program Educational program KONSTRUKCIJA SODOBNOSTI: ORIS PRIHODNOSTI CONSTRUCTING CONTEMPORANEITY: SKETCHING THE FUTURE

OTVORITEV OPENING

KONFERENCA CONFERENCE

14. 11. November 14, 19:00 I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR PART I: BOTTOM-UP Slovenj Gradec Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti (KGLU)

16. 11. November 16, 14:00 Prvi dan / Day 1 Tehnološka snov in novo stanje živega / Technological Matter and the New State of the Living Portal, Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor

15. 11. November 15, 19:00 Louis Philippe Demers: Tiller Girls / Tillerjeva dekleta

Umetna inteligenca, robotski performans AI robots preformance

20:00 II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL PART II: TOP-DOWN Maribor Portal, Valvazorjeva 40

DELAVNICE WORKSHOPS 27. 11. November 27 Monika Pocrnjić, Špela Petrič, Marc Dusseiller (SI/CH) Delavnica / Workshop

BioCyberKidzz MMC KIBLA, Maribor

29. 11.–30. 11. November 29–30 10:00–18:00 Maja Smrekar Špela Petrič (SI) Delavnica / Workshop

DNA zaporedje: Referenčne verjetnostne strukture DNA Sequencing: Referential Probability Structures Portal, Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor

13. 12.–15. 12. December 13–15 10:00–17:00 Andrei Smirnov (RU) Delavnica tereminova kuhinja The theremin kitchen workshop MMC KIBLA, Maribor

17. 11. November 17, 14:00 Drugi dan / Day 2 Tehnološko nezavedno kot medij The Technological Unconscious as a Medium Portal, Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor

PROJEKCIJE SCREENINGS PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA (AT) 19.–21. 11./November 19–21 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 20.–22. 11./November 20–22 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec IMPAKT (NL) 26. 11. / November 26 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 27. 11. / November 27 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec MEDIAARTLAB (RU) 27. 11. / November 27 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 29. 11. / November 29 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec EVOLUTION HAUTE COUTURE 3. 12. / December 3 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 4. 12. / December 4 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec THE PROMETHEUS CENTER (RU) 4. 12./ December 4 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 6. 12./ December 6 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec E.A.T. (US) 10. 12.–11. 12./December 10–11 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 11. in 13. 12./December 11, 13 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec

PREDAVANJA PUBLIC LECTURES

PRIZORIŠČA VENUES MARIBOR PORTAL Valvazorjeva 40 SI-2000 Maribor Odpiralni čas / Opening hours: vsak dan 10.00–20.00 every day 10 am—8 pm

23. 11. November 23, 18:00 Pier Luigi Capucci (IT) Naproti tretjemu življenju Towards the Third Life MMC KIBLA, Maribor

MMC KIBLA Ulica kneza Koclja 9 SI-2000 Maribor T: +386 (0)59 076 371, -377 kibla@kibla.org www.kibla.org Odpiralni čas / Opening hours: pon–sob: 9.00–22.00 Mon–Sat: 9 am—10 pm

PREDAVANJA PUBLIC LECTURES 07. 12. December 7, 18:00 Alla Mitrofanova (RU) Neidentificirani objekti in strukture nezavednega Unidentified Objects and Structures of the Unconscious KGLU, Slovenj Gradec

PRIZORIŠČA VENUES SLOVENJ GRADEC Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti (KGLU) Glavni trg 24 SI-2380 Slovenj Gradec T: +386 (0)2 88 22 131 galerija@glu-sg.si www.glu-sg.si Odpiralni čas / Opening hours: vsak dan 10.00–19.00 every day 10 am—7 pm

KIT – info točka / info point Soft Control Glavni trg 14, SI-2000 Maribor Odpiralni čas / Opening hours: pon–sob: 9.00–20.00 Mon–Sat: 9 am—8 pm www.kiblix.org

to VIENNA

KIBLA

GRADEC (GRAZ)

Portal

(AT) CELOVEC (KLAGENFURT)

MURSKA SOBOTA

DRAVOGRAD

LENDAVA

SLOVENJ GRADEC

KGLU

(HU)

MARIBOR

VELENJE A1 A2

SLOVENJSKE KONJICE

(CRO)

LJUBLJANA ZAGREB

Soft Control: umetnost, znanost in tehnološko nezavedno Soft Control: Art, Science and the Technological Unconscious mednarodna razstava International Art Exhibition Znanost in tehnologija vidno utelešata naše sposobnosti odkrivanja in uporabe naravnih zakonov s pomočjo delovanja našega razuma. Toda zakaj smo izbrali to smer? Za katere metode se odločamo in kako lahko to potencialno ogroža naš obstoj? Čeprav načeloma znanost in tehnologija veljata za orodji, ki slonita na praktični in uporabni vrednosti, so motivacije kot gonila tehnološkega napredka veliko manj premočrtne. Preden se ta orodja in tehnike vtkejo v tkivo družbenega življenja, se morajo logične sodbe, ki tičijo v njihovih temeljih (izvirajoč iz naših razumskih sposobnosti), prebiti skozi zamotan labirint psihe. Do kakšne mere so diskurz in konteksti sodobne tehno-kulture odvisni od antropološke matrice, ki tradicionalno združuje prepričanja in rituale, resnično in izmišljeno, subjekt in objekt? Razstava SOFT CONTROL: umetnost, znanost in tehnološko nezavedno nam razkriva današnje “tehnološko nezavedno”, ki zajema mitološko domišljijo, apokaliptične vizije in utopične sanje. SOFT CONTROL predstavlja, kako lahko jezik in ideje v moderni post-biološki družbi spreminjajo in znova konfigurirajo meje naše resničnosti in celo naših identitet. Z osredotočenjem naše pozornosti na umetniška dela, ki so nastala s pomočjo najnovejših medijev 21. stoletja – robotike, informacijske tehnologije, biomedicine in nanotehnologije – si na razstavi predstavljeni umetniki prizadevajo razkriti izvor sodobnega tehnološkega mita, ki temelji na trajni vrednosti učinkovitosti, nadzora, neomejenega tehnološkega razvoja in ekonomske širitve. Pričnimo z aksiomom, da znanost in tehnologija nista le orodji za doseganje določenih ciljev. Nasprotno, avtonomija tehnoloških sistemov in njihovo aktivno prodiranje v vse sfere človeškega življenja nam dovoljuje, da opredelimo tehnologijo kot samo-namerno ontološko entiteto, ki ima vedno večjo

RAZSTAVA

vlogo pri razmejitvi človeškega razvoja. Vprašanje je, kako razumeti naravo nadzora, naravo pritiska, ki ljudi spodbuja k sodelovanju pri vzpostavitvi tehnoloških sistemov, ki bodo sčasoma postali ne samo neločljivi del biološkega organizma, temveč ga bodo dolgoročno tudi presegli. Ali je strukturiranje s tehnologijami dokaz za specifično, abstraktno “strojništvo”, ki polni naše nezavedno, ali pa gre za skriti oblikujoči vpliv osnovnih elementov običajnih nosilcev, ki imajo svojo lastno materialnost in resničnost? V tem okolju določene umetniške strategije postanejo pomembnejše: to so strategije, ki so usmerjene k oblikovanju nove človekove pravice, pravice do ponovnega izuma in ponovnega zapisa samih temeljev tehnološkega mita. Pravica vključuje možnost ustvarjanja novih oblik in novih identitet s popolnoma suverenim, umetniškim pristopom – ne z umetniki kot protagonisti zgodovinsko določene naracije, temveč kot ustvarjalci te naracije. Tak pristop je dokaz sposobnosti umetnikov – in v končni fazi, tudi gledalcev – da postanejo avtorji svoje lastne konstruirane preteklosti. S prikazom logike prisvajanja in spreminjanja tehnološkega mita oblikuje SOFT CONTROL prvobitno nalogo posameznika, živečega v dobi novih tehnologij: konstrukcijo žive prihodnosti (torej prihodnosti, ki nam podeljuje svobodo) namesto mrtve, mehanizirane prihodnosti, zgrajene brez našega sodelovanja. ENG

Science and technology constitute the visible embodiment of our ability to discover and make use of the laws of nature through the workings of our rational mind. But why have we chosen this path? What methods do we turn to, and how might this pose a potential threat to our existence? Although science and technology are usually considered tools dependent on practical and utilitarian concerns, in fact the motivations driving technological progress are much less straightforward. Before these tools and techniques are woven into the fabric of social life, the logical judgements lying at their foundation (generated by our rational capabilities) must pass through the complex labyrinth of the psyche. To what extent do the discourse and contexts of contemporary techno-culture depend upon the anthropological matrix that has traditionally united belief and ritual, the real and the imagined, the subject and the object? The SOFT CONTROL: Art, Science and the Technological Unconscious exhibition reveals to us today’s “technological unconscious”, which encompasses mythological imagination, apocalyptic visions and utopian dreams. SOFT CONTROL shows how the language and ideas of our modern post-biological society are capable of altering and reconfiguring the boundaries of our reality and our very identities. By focusing EXHIBITION

our attention on works of art created using the latest 21st century media – robotics, IT, biomedicine and nanotechnology – the artists featured in this exhibition attempt to reveal the sources of the modern technological myth, which insists on the permanent value of efficiency, control, unrestrained technological development and economic expansion. We begin with the axiom that science and technology are not simply instruments to be used in the achieving of certain designated goals. On the contrary, the autonomy of technological systems and their active penetration into all spheres of human life allow us to conceptualize technology as an autotelic ontological entity that plays an ever-greater role in defining human development. The question arises of how one should understand the nature of control, the nature of the compulsion that forces the human to participate in the making of technological systems that, with time, will become not only inseparable from the biological organism, but, in the long term, will surpass it. Is structuring by technologies a manifestation of distinct, abstract “machinisms” that fill our unconscious, or is it a hidden “formatting” influence of the basic elements of medial carriers that possess their own materiality and reality? In this environment, certain artistic strategies acquire increased significance: those strategies directed towards the formation of a new human right, the right to reinvent and rewrite the very foundations of the technological myth. This right assumes the possibility of creating new forms and new identities in a completely sovereign, artistic manner – not, however, as the protagonists of a historically determined narrative, but as the creators of that narrative. This practice bears witness to the capacity of the artists – and in the final account, of the viewers as well – to become the authors of their own constructed past. By demonstrating the logic of the appropriation and alteration of the technological myth, SOFT CONTROL articulates the primary task of the individual living in an age of new technologies: the construction of a living future (that is, a future that endows us with freedom), rather than a dead and mechanised future being built without our participation. Dmitry Bulatov

Koncept za razstavo, konferenco in izobraževalni program je razvil Dmitry Bulatov, 2011. / Concept for the exhibition, conference and the educational program is developed by Dmitry Bulatov, 2011.

RAZSTAVA

Razstavljajoči umetniki Artists in exhibition Marina Abramović (RS/US), Suzanne Dikker, Matthias Oostrik (NL) James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau (UK) Tuur Van Balen (BE) Brandon Ballengee (US) Guy Ben-Ary, Kirsten Hudson (AU) Boredomresearch Vicky Isley, Paul Smith (UK) David Bowen (US) Ursula Damm (DE) Joe Davis (US) Louis-Philippe Demers (SG) Stefan Doepner, Lars Vaupel (SI/DE) Arthur Elsenaar, Remko Scha (NL) Andrew Gracie (UK/ES) Floris Kaayk (NL) Kuda begut sobaki (RU) Seiko Mikami (JP) Neurotica (AU-US) Leo Peschta (AT) Maja Smrekar (SI) Stelarc (AU) The Tissue Culture & Art Project Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr (AU) Polona Tratnik (SI) Bill Vorn (CA)

EXHIBITION

I. del: Z dna navzgor Part I: Bottom-Up Otvoritev / Opening 14. november / November 14 19:00 Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti (KGLU) Slovenj Gradec Kuda begut sobaki Fields 2.1 The Tissue Culture & Art Project Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr Surova snov / Crude Matter Floris Kaayk Izvor bitij / The Origin of Creatures Polona Tratnik et al. Iniciacija / Initiation Leo Peschta Razparač / Der Zermesser Seiko Mikami Informatika očesnega sledenja Eye-Tracking Informatics Ursula Damm Toplogredni pretvornik / Greenhouse Converter Andrew Gracie Deep Data Prototype_1 Andrew Gracie Drosophila Titanus Bill Vorn DSM-VI James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau Onostranstvo / Afterlife James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau Mesojedi hišni roboti Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots

RAZSTAVA

Kuda begut sobaki Alexey Korzukhin, Vladislav Bulatov, Natalia Grekhova, Olga Inozemtseva

Fields 2.1 2009–12 Mešana medijska instalacija (prirejeni objekti, servomotorji, magneti, mikro kontroler, senzorji, mikro kamere, magnetna tekočina) / Mixed media installation (custom objects, servomotors, magnets, microcontroller, sensors, micro-cameras, ferrofluid)

Fields 2.1 je poskus ustvarjanja iluzije zavesti v neživi snovi. Premikajoče se oko je lastnost, ki gledalcu omogoči, da zaznava “neživo” kot “zavestno”. S pomočjo magnetnega polja in tehnologije magnetne tekočine umetniki zgradijo model razvoja nežive snovi, ki vsebuje naravno organsko lastnost doživljanja naključnih specifičnih sprememb v točno določenih trenutkih. Tako se v projektu zavest (ali njene prepoznavne značilnosti) pojavi kot reakcija na drugo zavest (ali njene prepoznavne značilnosti) in tako ustvarja različne odnose med snovmi – od opazovanja do interakcije. ENG

Fields 2.1 is an attempt to create an illusion of consciousness in non-living matter. A moving eye is a property that allows the viewer to perceive the “inanimate” as the “conscious”. Using magnetic fields and ferrofluid technologies the artists build up a model of how non-living matter evolves which has an inherent organic characteristic to undergo random specific changes at specific moments of time. In the project consciousness (or its signatures) appears as a reaction to another consciousness (or its signatures) and comprises various relations between matters – from observation to interaction. Credits: Programming Denis Perevalov. In collaboration with Dr. Prof. Vladimir Shur at the Ural Center of Shared Use “Modern Nanotechnology”, Ural State University and Artpolitika Creative Agency, Ekaterinburg, Russia Zahvala: Programiranje Denis Perevalov, v sodelovanju s prof. dr. Vladimirjem Shurjem iz Centra Ural za skupno rabo moderne nanotehnologije, Univerza v Uralu in kreativne agencije Artpolitika, Ekaterinburg, Rusija

EXHIBITION

The Tissue Culture & Art Project Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr

Surova snov Crude Matter 2012 Instalacija (lokalno blato, keramika, sintetična trava, celice na PDMS, mikro-kanali, natisnjeni na Pyrex steklu) / Installation (local mud, ceramics, synthetic grass, cells over PDMS, micro-channels printed on Pyrex)

Surova snov je umetniška meditacija o konceptu substrata kot glavnem življenjskem kontekstu. Bežno naslanjajoč se na zgodbo o Golemu raziskuje “alkemične” transformacije različnih materialov v substrate, ki podpirajo in vplivajo na življenje. Delo destabilizira prevladujočo inženirsko logiko transformacije življenja v surovi material; in postavlja pod vprašaj logiko, ki daje prednost zapisom, vsebovanim v DNK, pred kontekstom, v katerem življenje nastaja. Surova snov zadeva stvaritve življenja na osnovi surove snovi in človeškega znanja, ko se človeško precenjevanje in življenje ne smeta mešati. ENG

Crude Matter is an artistic meditation into the notion of the substrate as the main context for life. Loosely based on the story of the Golem we explore the “alchemical” transformation of materials into substrates that support and act on life. The piece destabilises the engineering logic of the transformation of life into raw material; to question the logic that seems to privilege the information embedded in DNA over the context in which life operates. Crude Matter is touching upon the creation of life from crude matter and human knowledge; when human hubris and life should not mixed. The Tissue Culture & Art Project is hosted in SymbioticA, The Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts, School of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia. / Tkivno kulturo in umetniški projekt gosti center SymbioticA, Center odličnosti bioloških umetnosti, Oddelek za anatomijo in človeško biologijo Univerze Western Australia.

I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR

Floris Kaayk

Izvor bitij The Origin of Creatures 2010 Animirani film, 11’ 40”, NL, barva, stereo, DVD Animation film, 11’ 40”, NL, color, stereo, DVD

Navdih za The Origin of Creatures (Izvor bitij) je biblijska zgodba o babilonskem stolpu, ki se odvija v namišljeni prihodnosti, ko svet prizadene katastrofa. Med ostanki uničenega mesta živi to, kar je ostalo od človeštva. Človeška telesa so ločena na posamezne dele in spojena v posebna bitja. Skupaj ta bitja oblikujejo kolonijo. V ruševinah uničenih stavb skušajo zgraditi dovolj veliko in dovolj visoko gnezdo, da bi njihova kraljica lahko dobila dovolj sončne svetlobe za reprodukcijo. ENG

The Origin of Creatures is inspired by the biblical story of the Tower of Babel and is set in an imaginary future where the world is hit by a catastrophe. Among the remains of a devastated city lives that what is left of humanity. Human bodies are divided into separated parts of the body and are fused to special beings. Together, these creatures form a colony. In the rubble of destroyed buildings they are trying to build a nest as large and as high as possible, so that their queen gets enough sunlight to reproduce. Credits: Director: Floris Kaayk, Producer: SeriousFilm / Marc Thelosen, Director of Photography: Reinier van Brummelen, Composer: Lennert Busch, Sound design: Bart Jilesen Režija: Floris Kaayk, produkcija: SeriousFilm / Marc Thelosen, direktor fotografije: Reinier van Brummelen, skladatelj: Lennert Busch, oblikovanje zvoka: Bart Jilesen

PART I: BOTTOM-UP

Polona Tratnik et al.

Iniciacija / Initiation 2012 Performativna instalacija, mešani mediji (konstruirano človeško srce, tkivni inženiring in električni inženiring, inkubator, bioreaktor in laminar) Performative installation, mixed media (engineered human heart, tissue engineering and electrical engineering, bell incubator, bioreactor and hood)

Iniciacija izvaja regeneracijo funkcionalne mišice človeškega srca z razvijanjem sposobnosti samostojnega pulziranja. Regeneracija vključuje poselitev vpojne organske matrice, tj. decelulariziranega srčnega organa, s kardiomiociti, diferenciranimi iz matičnih celic, pridobljenih iz človeškega maščobnega tkiva. Iniciacija pospeši zorenje tkiva ter stremi k dosegu mišičnega odziva – izvaja iniciacijo celic v funkcionalno, tj. krčljivo tkivo ter iniciira pulziranje in vitro konstruiranega organa. ENG

Initiation conducts regeneration of a functional human heart muscle developing the capacity of autonomous pulsation. Regeneration involves implantation of a resorbable organic matrix, i.e. decellularized heart organ, with cardio-myocytes differentiated from human adipose derived stem cells. Initiation accelerates the maturation of the tissue and aims to achieve muscle response – it performs the initiation of the cells into functional i.e. contractive tissue and initiates the pulsation of an “in vitro” engineered organ. Concept: Polona Tratnik (project leader), tissue engineering: Biobanka, d.o.o., Educell, d. o. o. (Ajda Marič, Miomir Knežević and his team), electrical engineering: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering (Damijan Miklavčič and his team). Support: The Slovenian Ministry of Culture, European Capital of Culture Maribor 2012. Production: Horizonti, co-production: Biobanka, d. o. o., Educell, d. o. o. Koncept: Polona Tratnik (vodja projekta), tkivni inženiring: Biobanka, d. o. o., Educell, d. o. o. (Ajda Marič, Miomir Knežević z ekipo), električni inženiring: Univerza v Ljubljani, Fakulteta za elektrotehniko (Damijan Miklavčič z ekipo). Podpora: Ministrstvo za kulturo Republike Slovenije, Evropska prestolnica kulture Maribor 2012. Produkcija: Horizonti, koprodukcija: Biobanka, d. o. o., Educell, d. o. o.

I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR

Leo Peschta

Razparač Der Zermesser 2007–2010 Robot (aluminij, jeklo, motorji, elektronika, baterije) Robot (aluminium, steel, motors, electronics, batteries)

“Razparač” je fizični objekt, ki občuti prostor okrog sebe ter artikulira odnos med svojo lastno obliko in okolico. S spreminjanjem dolžine svojih stranic objekt poruši svojo lastno popolno simetrijo ter na ta način občuti prostor, ki ga obkroža, s pomočjo senzorjev, nameščenih na vsakega izmed njegovih vogalov. Poznavanje pozicije in podaljškov posameznih modulov ter medsebojnih odnosov med njihovimi pripadajočimi pozicijami omogoča robotu, da se prosto giblje po prostoru, tako da spreminja svoje težišče. ENG

Der Zermesser is a physical object whose purpose is to feel its way around and to articulate the relation between its own shape and its surroundings. By changing the length of its sides, this object breaks its own perfect symmetry and can feel the surrounding room with sensors attached to each of its corners. The knowledge of the position and the extension of the individual modules and of the interrelationship among their respective positions enables the entire object to move freely within the space by shifting its center of gravity.

PART I: BOTTOM-UP

Seiko Mikami

Informatika očesnega sledenja Eye-Tracking Informatics 2011–2012 Različica z dvema sodelujočima: po naročilu Yamaguchi centra za umetnost in medije (YCAM) / Two participants version: Commissioned by Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM)

Na podlagi idej “opazovanja dejanja opazovanja” in “zavestno in nezavedno postavljenih vidnih linij” ustvarja ta instalacija sledove vidnih linij dveh udeležencev. Sodelujoča pri tem izkusita skoraj “haptično” (taktilno) komunikacijo na podlagi vizualizacije njunih lastnih vidnih linij v tridimenzionalnem virtualnem prostoru. Skozi proces njuni vidni liniji gradita kompleksni, organski arhitekturni konstrukt, ki bi ga lahko poimenovali “bio-arhitektura”. Prvo različico projekta sledenja očem (Molekularna informatika) je Seiko Mikami realizirala leta 1996. ENG

Based on the ideas of “observing the act of observation” and “consciously and unconsciously established lines of vision”, this installation generates traces of two participants’ respective lines of sight. The participants experience an almost “haptic” kind of communication based on their own visualized lines of sight in a three-dimensional virtual space. In this process, their respective lines of vision enact a complex, organic architectural construct that could be considered as “bioarchitecture”. The first version of eye-tracking project (Molecular Informatics) was realised by Seiko Mikami in 1996. Credits: Takayuki Ito and Richi Owaki (YCAM InterLab), evala (sound), Norimichi Hirakawa (programming), Kazunao Abe (YCAM), “The EyeWriter ver.2.0”, photo: Ryuichi Maruo / Zahvale: Takayuki Ito in Richi Owaki (YCAM InterLab), evala (zvok), Norimichi Hirakawa (programiranje), Kazunao Abe (YCAM), The EyeWriter ver. 2.0, foto Ryuichi Maruo

I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR

Ursula Damm

Toplogredni pretvornik Greenhouse Converter 2010 Interaktivna instalacija (akvarij, diodni prikazovalniki, operacijski terminal, vodna fontana) / Interactive installation (aquarium, custom made LED-Displays, operating terminal, water fountain)

Iz fontane se v akvarij črpa voda, obogatena z atmosferskimi plini, še posebej z ogljikovim dioksidom. Na ta način se hrani kultura alg, ki pod vplivom svetlobe proizvaja biomaso in kisik iz ogljikovega dioksida. Svetlobni napis v akvariju je v obliki besede “beloved” (ljubljena) v modri barvi in simbolizira teorije endosimbioze avtorice Lynn Margulis. Vodne bolhe za svojo hrano izberejo alge, ki so najbližje napisu, tako napis ostane zmeraj viden. Če pa se alge vendarle preveč namnožijo, se lahko poruši ekološko ravnovesje v akvariju. Berljivost besede “ljubljena” služi kot indikator stanja tega majhnega ekosistema, oziroma njegovega razmerja do obkrožajoče zunanje biosfere. ENG

Water enriched with atmospheric gases, especially carbon dioxide, is pumped from a fountain via an air supply into an aquarium. This aerated water feeds an algal culture which – influenced by light – produces biomass and oxygen from the carbon dioxide. The blue light in the aquarium reads as the word “beloved”, which is a reference to the endosymbiosis theories of Lynn Margulis. The water fleas eat the algae adhering to the display. The word therefore remains visible. If the algae growth is excessive though, the ecological balance is likely to tip over. The legibility of the word “beloved” serves then as the index of this little ecosystem’s state or rather of its relationship with the greater external biosphere.

PART I: BOTTOM-UP

Andrew Gracie

Deep Data Prototype_1 2009 Mešana medijska instalacija (posebna PDMS magnetna naprava, mikroskop s kamero, softver, elektronika, počasniki) / Mixed media installation (custom PDMS magnetic device, microscope with camera, software, electronics, tardigrades)

Projekt Deep Data prototype_1 predstavlja prvo stopnjo dolgoročnega projekta Deep Data, ki uporablja podatke sond iz oddaljenega vesolja za poustvarjanje elementov sončnega sistema znotraj kultur organizmov, ki jih trenutno uporabljajo v astrobioloških raziskavah. Delo tako uporablja podatke magnetometrov iz sond Pioneer in Voyager ter z njihovo pomočjo v magnetnem polju poustvarja eksperimente na kulturah poliekstremofilnih počasnikov, organizmov, ki so že dokazali, da lahko preživijo v neprijaznih vesoljskih razmerah. ENG

Deep Data prototype_1 forms the first stage of the long term Deep Data project, which uses data from deep space probes to recreate elements of solar system environments within cultures of organisms currently used in astrobiology research. The piece uses magnetometer data from the Pioneer and Voyager probes to recreate magnetic field experiments on cultures of polyextremophile tardigrades, an organism which has already proven it can survive the harsh space environment.

I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR

Andrew Gracie

Drosophila Titanus 2010 – v trajanju / ongoing Mešana medijska instalacija (mikroskop, video, preparat mušice drosophila, tiskan material, izbrani objekti in naprave) / Mixed media installation (microscope, video, preserved drosophila, printed material, assorted objects and devices)

Drosophila titanus je poskus vzgojitve posebne vrste vinske mušice, ki bi bila teoretično sposobna živeti na največji Saturnovi luni Titanu, doslej najbolj Zemlji podobnemu prostoru, kar jih poznamo. Narava projekta narekuje uporabo rigorozne znanstvene metodologije, kljub takšnim na prvi pogled utesnjujočim ustvarjalnim omejitvam pa si prizadeva vanj vnesti umetniško metaforo, pridih poezije in večpomenskost. Delo istočasno zajema več prepletenih pripovedi in konceptov, povezanih z vprašanji vrst, umetno ustvarjenih organizmov ter vznemirjujočega iskanja biološke popolnosti. ENG

Drosophila titanus is an attempt to breed a species of fruit fly that would be theoretically capable of living on Saturn's largest moon Titan, so far the most 'Earth-like' place that we know. By necessity the project needs to adhere to a rigourous scientific methodology, however it endeavours to extract artistic metaphor, poetry and ambiguity from these apparent creative restrictions. Concurrently the work embraces several interwoven narratives and concepts related to issues of species, artificially created organisms and the disquieting quest for biological perfection.

PART I: BOTTOM-UP

Bill Vorn

DSM-VI 2012 Robotska umetniška instalacija Robotic art installation

DSM-VI je robotska umetniška instalacija z bitji, ki izražajo simptome “nenormalnega” psihološkega vedenja in z resnimi “psihičnimi težavami”, kot so nevroza, psihoza, osebnostne motnje, preganjavica, shizofrenija, depresija, delirij in druge oblike vedenjskih in mentalnih motenj. Naslov projekta je navdihnil slavni priročnik ameriškega združenja za psihiatrijo, DSM-IV. Roboti so abstraktne strukture iz aluminija, plastike in silikona, predvsem njihovo obnašanje je tisto, zaradi česar delujejo organsko in živo. ENG

DSM-VI is a robotic art installation that stages creatures expressing symptoms of “abnormal” psychological behaviors and stuck with some serious “mental health” problems, such as neurosis, psychosis, personality disorders, paranoia, schizophrenia, delirium, and other forms of behavior and mental disorders. The project title is inspired by the famous reference manual published by the American Psychiatric Association, the DSM-IV. The robots are abstract structures made of aluminum, plastic and silicone it is mainly their behaviors that give them an organic and living aspect. Produced with the help of Le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Projekt je izveden ob podpori Le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

I. DEL: Z DNA NAVZGOR

James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau

Onostranstvo Afterlife 2009 Instalacija (lesena krsta in jekleni podstavek, gorivna celica iz akrilnih, najlonskih in jeklenih komponent) / Installation (wooden coffin and steel stand, fuel cell made from acrylic, nylon and steel components)

Projekt Afterlife (Onostranstvo) spodbuja metafizični dialog, ki raziskuje kulturni preskok med obstoječim sistemom religioznih prepričanj ter stvarnejšimi temelji znanosti in tehnologije. Projekt predlaga ohranjanje človekovega kemičnega potenciala po biološki smrti s pomočjo mikrobne gorivne celice; njen električni potencial se shranjuje v bateriji. Pri tem s pomočjo tehnologije dobimo neizpodbiten dokaz o obstoju življenja po smrti, življenje, shranjeno v bateriji. “Spraševali smo se, kako bi lahko takšno baterijo uporabili sami, hkrati pa smo prosili tudi druge, da posredujejo predloge za predmete Onostranstva.” ENG

The Afterlife project is intended to instigate a metaphysical dialogue, examining the cultural shift from belief systems upheld by organized religion to the more factual basis of science and technology. The project proposes the harnessing of our chemical potential after biological death through the application of a microbial fuel cell, harvesting its electrical potential in a dry cell battery. Here, technology acts to provide conclusive proof of life after death, life being contained in the battery. “We have speculated on how we might use this battery ourselves, and asked people to give us their proposals for Afterlife objects.”

PART I: BOTTOM-UP

James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau

Mesojedi hišni roboti Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots 2009 Robotska svetilka, robotska namizna mišelovka, robotski UV muholovec – parazit, robotska ura muholovka / Lampshade Robot, Mousetrap Coffee Table Robot, U.V. Flykiller Parasite Robot, Flypaper Robotic Clock

Kakšna bi bila videz in obnašanje robotov, če bi bil njihov model ločen od normativnih sistemov, ki jim določajo obliko in funkcijo? Za pričujoči projekt smo osvežili idejo hišnega robota ter se premaknili od prijateljskih, ljubljenčkom podobnih napravic k zloveščemu in kompleksnejšemu načinu interakcije. Roboti črpajo energijo iz letečih insektov in glodavcev preko mikrobne gorivne celice. V uprizorjenem procesu lova tako prikažejo spletke, pričakovanja ter eksistencialni spektakel življenja in smrti. Nastali roboti predstavljajo novo vrsto objekta, ki obstaja nekje med naravnim in umetnim. ENG

What would robots look and behave like if their design was decoupled from the normative systems that inform their form and function? For this project we have re-imagined the entertainment robot, shifting away from the friendly pet-like device towards a sinister and more complex mode of interaction. The robots rely on flying insects and rodents for energy (via a microbial fuel cell). It is in the staged hunting process that they manufacture intrigue, anticipation and an existential spectacle of life and death. The resultant robots represent a new class of object existing somewhere between the natural and the artificial.

II. del: Z vrha navzdol Part II: Top-Down Otvoritev / Opening 15. november / November 15, 19:00 PORTAL, Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija Arthur Elsenaar, Remko Scha Morfologija – premik obraza / Morphology – Face Shift Maja Smrekar MaSm Metatransformacija /MaSm Metatransformation Brandon Ballengée Malamp: pojav deformacij pri dvoživkah The Occurrence of Deformities in Amphibians Louis-Philippe Demers Umetna mi(s)toza / Artificial Mi(s)tosis David Bowen Mušji tweet / Fly tweet David Bowen Mušji cepelini / Fly blimps Boredomresearch: Vicky Isley, Paul Smith Prava polžja pošta / Real Snail Mail Stelarc Protetična glava / Prosthetic Head Joe Davis Kako narediti ogenj / Making Fire Louis-Philippe Demers Tillerjeve plesalke / The Tiller Girls Neurotica Tihi plaz / Silent Barrage Marina Abramović, Suzanne Dikker, Matthias Oostrik Merjenje magičnosti skupinskega strmenja Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze Guy Ben-Ary, Kirsten Hudson In potēntia Tuur Van Balen Zlati golob / Pigeon d’Or Stefan Doepner, Lars Vaupel The Drill Bot – Robot Partner 3.0

Louis-Philippe Demers

Tillerjeve plesalke / The Tiller Girls 2010 Umetna inteligenca – robotski performans AI robots performance

Projekt Louisa-Philipa Demersa raziskuje fenomen nezavedne telesne materije. Programi so izvedeni z enako mehansko natančnostjo ne glede na to, ali so izvedeni kot kompleksne figure na stadionih in med vojaškimi paradami ali kot demonstracija povezanosti korporativnega dela. Predhodnice projekta so bile članice slavne skupine Tillerjevih plesalk z začetka dvajsetega stoletja, kjer so nastopajoče plesalke morale “izraziti svoje tehnične sposobnosti, ne pa tudi interpretativnih”. Demersov performans sestavlja skupina dvanajstih majhnih, samostojnih robotov. Razviti so bili s pomočjo laboratorija za umetno inteligenco z namenom proučevanja načinov hoje ob minimalni svobodi gibanja. Cilj projekta Tillerjeve plesalke je raziskati dihotomijo človek-stroj. Roboti lahko lovijo ravnotežje samo s pomočjo trupa in ramen, kljub temu pa lahko prikažejo raznolikost izražanja in vedenja. Glasba: Phillip Schulze Osvetlitev: Armin Purkrabek

OTVORITVENI PERFORMANS

ENG

Louis-Philip Demers’s project explores the phenomenon of unconscious bodily matter. Whether it makes up complex figures at stadiums and during military parades, or demonstrates cohesion in corporate labor – its programs are executed with the same mechanical precision. The precursor was the famous early 20th century dance troupe “Tiller Girls”, in which human performers are ‘called upon to exercise their technical skills but not their interpretive skills’. Demers’s performance is a group of 12 small autonomous robots. These robots were developed in Artificial Intelligence for the study of gaits given minimal freedom of movements. The rationale behind the Tiller Girls is to explore the dichotomy of the man-machine. The robots can only balance their torsos and shoulders but they can yet achieve a large variety of expressions and behaviours. Music: Phillip Schulze Lighting: Armin Purkrabek Četrtek, 15. november, ob 20. uri Thursday, November 15, at 8 pm Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija OPENING PERFORMANCE

Arthur Elsenaar, Remko Scha

Morfologija – premik obraza Morphology – Face Shift projekt še traja / project in progress Video dokumentarni film, 40 minut, NL, v angleškem jeziku, stereo zvok, DVD Video documentary film, 40 min, NL, in English, color, stereo, DVD

Morfologija – premik obraza predstavlja človeški obraz, podvržen zaporedju neprostovoljnih mišičnih krčenj, sproženih s pomočjo digitalnega računalnika. Prvi del prikazuje t.i. morfing (neopazno pretapljanje) med nepovezanimi konfiguracijami mišičnih krčenj. Drugi del pa prikaže običajne vzorce na obeh straneh obraza, ki so postopoma vse manj usklajeni, kar povzroči nenavadne asimetrične konfiguracije. ENG

Morphology – Face Shift presents a human face as it goes through a sequence of involuntary muscle contraction configurations, triggered by a digital computer. The first part of the piece shows continuous morphings between unrelated muscle contraction configurations. The second part shows regular patterns on both sides of the face, which become gradually out of sync and give rise to unusual anti-symmetric configurations. Credits: Face-Interface technology, hardware design, display device: Arthur Elsenaar. Word processing, MIDI Software: Remko Scha. Generous support: The Institute of Artificial Art (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Zahvale: Face-Interface tehnologija, hardver dizajn, prikazovalna naprava: Arthur Elsenaar. Urejanje besedila, MIDI softver: Remko Scha. Velikodušna podpora: The Institute of Artificial Art (Amsterdam, Nizozemska).

II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL

Maja Smrekar

MaSm Metatransformacija MaSm Metatransformation 2011 Začasno mobilno laboratorijsko okolje A mobile temporary laboratory environment

Zaradi posledic potencialnega globalnega primankljaja hrane in drastičnega zmanjšanja vrednosti materialnih dobrin projekt izhaja iz teze oziroma možnosti, da bi človeška molekularna proizvodna zmogljivost v DNA – kot eden redkih nekoloniziranih biotehnoloških materialov – lahko postala blagovno sredstvo, utemeljeno na sistemu genetskega posojila, kar bi bila lahko ena od naslednjih stopenj evolucije. Na presečišču znanosti, umetnosti in civilne družbe se torej sprašujemo, kdo nosi odgovornost za naša telesa. Smo lastniki ali zgolj prebivalci naših teles? ENG

In this project the question is posed if there is a possibility, considering the consequences of potential global food deficit and drastic reduction of the value of material goods, that human molecular production capacity in the DNA, as one of the few uncolonized biotechnological materials, could become a trade tool (based on a system of genetic credit), which could become one of the next stages of evolution. By setting up the intersections of science, art and civil society, we therefore wonder who bears responsibility for our body? Are we the owners or just inhabitants of our bodies? Credits: In collaboration with Špela Petrič, Marko Žavbi. With special thanks to the Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana. Production: Kapelica Gallery – Zavod K6/4. The project has been executed within the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia and Culture Department of the Municipality of Ljubljana. / V sodelovanju z dr. Špelo Petrič in Markom Žavbijem. Posebna zahvala Inštitutu za biokemijo medicinske fakultete Univerze v Ljubljani. Produkcija: Galerija Kapelica – Zavod K6/4. Projekt je bil izveden s finančno podporo Ministrstva za izobraževanje, znanost, kulturo in šport RS ter Oddelka za kulturo Mestne občine Ljubljana.

PART II: TOP-DOWN

Brandon Ballengée

Malamp: pojav deformacij pri dvoživkah The Occurrence of Deformities in Amphibians Malamp relikvariji, 1996 – še traja

Visoko-resolucijski skenirani portreti kemično očiščenih in razbarvanih primerkov. Unikatni IRIS odtisi na vodno-barvnem papirju. Z dovoljenjem družbe Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York in Verbeke Galley, Antwerpen.

Styx, 2010–12

Očiščeni in obdelani primerki pacifiške drevesne žabe z več okončinami (Hyla regilla), zbrani v Aptosu v Kaliforniji. V znanstvenem sodelovanju z dr. Stanleyjem K. Sessionsom. Z dovoljenjem družbe Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York.

ENG

Že več kot desetletje je bila osrednja praksa Ballengéejevih primarnih bioloških raziskav ter predmet njegovih umetniških del razkrivanje skrivnosti razvojnih anomalij pri dvoživkah v naravnem okolju. Dvoživke so pomemben okoljski indikator, njihova populacija pa je v zadnjih letih doživela zaskrbljujoč upad po vsem svetu. Umetnik in biolog Brandon Ballengée je opravil številne mednarodne raziskave, pri tem pa sodeloval z vrsto drugih raziskovalcev in stotinami sodelujočih pripadnikov širše javnosti. Malamp Reliquaries, 1996-ongoing

High-resolution scanner portraits of chemically cleared and stained specimens. Unique IRIS prints on water-colour paper. Courtesy Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, NYC and Verbeke Galley, Antwerp

Styx, 2010–12

Cleared and stained multi-limbed Pacific treefrogs / Hyla regilla collected from Aptos, California. In scientific collaboration with Stanley K. Sessions. Courtesy Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, NYC

For more than a decade, a central praxis of Brandon Ballengée’s primary biological research and subject of his artworks has been unraveling the mystery of developmental abnormalities among amphibians found in nature. Amphibians are important environmental indicators and populations globally have declined in recent years at alarming rates. As an artist and biologist, Ballengée has conducted this research internationally involving collaborations with numerous other researchers and hundreds of participating members of the public.

II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL

Louis-Philippe Demers

Umetna mi(s)toza / Artificial Mi(s)tosis 2010 Robot, video, hitri prototipski materiali, gonilniki Robot, video, rapid prototyping materials, actuators

Umetna mi(s)toza je umetniški komentar na iskanje znanstvene verodostojnosti pri geminoidih in humanoidih. Spominja na neke vrste noro znanost in možnost napačnih zaključkov na področjih biotehnološke, nanotehnološke in umetno-inteligenčne evgenike. Paradoksalno je ta robotski artefakt neposredno izpeljan iz naravnega primerka. Gre za živo žabo z več zadnjimi okončinami, ki so rezultat zajedavske infekcije in simptom degradacije okolja. Umetna mi(s)toza predstavlja utelešenje nekoč že obstoječega naravnega fenomena, ki ga posledično dojemamo kot fiktivno, skoraj zunajzemeljsko vrsto. Projekt predlaga pravo, realno vizualizacijo umetnega življenja tega skrivnostnega, v naravi živečega organizma. ENG

Artificial Mi(s)tosis is an artistic comment on the quest of verisimilitude found in geminoids and humanoids. It is reminiscent of some kind of mad science and the potential of biotech, nanotech, and artificial intelligence eugenics gone wrong. Paradoxically, this robotic artifact is directly derived from a specimen found in nature. It is a living frog found with multiple hind limbs as a product of parasitic infection and symptomatic of environmental degradation. Artificial Mi(s)tosis is an embodiment of an existing natural phenomena that, in turn, is perceived as a fictitious, almost otherworldly, species. It proposes a real artificial-life visualization of an uncanny naturallife living organism. Concept: L.-P. Demers, Brandon Ballengee. Mechatronics: L.-P. Demers, Dennis Low, Royston Phang, Patrick Liew. Producers: Interaction and Entertainement Research Centre, Digital Realities StartUp Grant (NTU). / Koncept: L.-P. Demers, Brandon Ballengee. Mehatronika: L.-P. Demers, Dennis Low, Royston Phang, Patrick Liew. Produkcija: Interaction and Entertainement Research Centre, Digital Realities StartUp Grant (NTU).

PART II: TOP-DOWN

David Bowen

Mušji tweet Fly Tweet 2012 Mešana medijska skulptura Mixed media sculpture

Instalacija omogoča pošiljanje twitter sporočil na osnovi aktivnosti velikega roja muh. Muhe živijo v akrilni krogli, v kateri je računalniška tipkovnica. Med svojim gibanjem in interakcijo preletavajo tipke na tipkovnici. Njihovi premiki so zbrani v realnem video prenosu. Ko preletijo določeno tipko, je ustrezen znak vpisan v twitter tekstovno polje. Ko je polje polno oziroma vsebuje 140 znakov ali ko muhe preletijo tipko 'enter', je sporočilo poslano. Twitter sporočila so poslana v realnem času glede na vedenje muh. ENG

This installation will send twitter messages based on the activities of a large swarm of houseflies. The houseflies will live inside an acrylic sphere along with a computer keyboard. As the flies move and interact inside their acrylic sphere home they will fly over the keys on the keyboard. These movements will be collected in real-time via video. As a particular key is flown over by the flies the key’s corresponding character is entered into a twitter text box. When 140 characters are reached in the text box or the flies fly over the “enter” key the message containing the accumulated characters is tweeted. Thus twitter messages are sent in real-time based on the predilections of the flies. Credits: Thanks to Andrew Spitz for the Max to Twitter tutorial, Christopher Baker for help with Java Script / Zahvala Andrewu Spitzu za učne ure iz Twitterja in Christopherju Bakerju za pomoč z Java Scriptom

II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL

David Bowen

Mušji cepelini Fly Blimps 2010 Mešana medijska skulptura Mixed media sculpture

Instalacijo sestavlja serija samostojnih, s helijem napolnjenih balonov – cepelinov, njihovo gibanje pa določajo majhni roji hišnih muh. Muhe so pravzaprav možgani vsake posamične naprave, ki določajo njihovo medsebojno interakcijo in odziv na prostor in ostale naprave. V vsaki izmed komor, pritrjenih na balone, živi do petdeset muh. Komore vsebujejo hrano, vodo in senzorje, ki zaznavajo gibanje muh. V realnem času senzorji pošiljajo informacijo do motoriziranih propelerjev, ki usmerjajo naprave v balonu. Cepelini so tako posamična, vendar med seboj povezana sredstva javnega prevoza. Muhe živijo v lastnih, samozadostnih svetovih, kjer poudarjeno izražajo skupinsko vedenje. ENG

This installation consists of a series of autonomous heliumfilled blimps whose movements are determined by small communities of houseflies. The flies are the brain of each of the devices, determining how they interact and respond to the space and the other devices. Up to 50 houseflies live within chambers attached to each blimp unit. These chambers contain food, water as well as sensors that detect the movements of the flies. In real-time this information is sent to motorized propellers that direct the devices within the space. The wandering blimps are separate but intersecting community vehicles. The flies exist in their own self-contained worlds creating an amplified expression of group behavior.

PART II: TOP-DOWN

Boredomresearch Vicky Isley, Paul Smith

Prava polžja pošta Real Snail Mail 2008 – še traja / ongoing

Instalacija, zasnovana na omrežju z RFID tehnologijo Network-based installation with RFID Technology

Storitev Prava polžja pošta uporablja žive polže za prenos elektronske pošte preko fizičnega prostora in na glavo obrne najtrdovratnejše, vseprisotne družbeno-ekonomske paradigme o hitrosti in učinkovitosti. V trenutku, ko kliknete “pošlji”, sporočilo potuje s svetlobno hitrostjo do strežnika, kjer čaka na polža. Ko polži dosežejo točko za sprejem ali oddajo, s pomočjo mikročipa in antene, s katero so opremljeni, sporočila sprejmejo, prenašajo in oddajajo. ENG

Reversing the most enduring and ubiquitous, social economic paradigms of speed and efficiency, the Real Snail Mail webmail service, uses live snails to carry emails across physical space. Once you click ‘send’ your email travels at the speed of light to the server where it waits to be collected by a live snail. These snails are equipped with a tiny antenna and microchip, allowing assignment of emails if they pass over a ‘collect’ interrogator and delivery if they reach a ‘forward’ interrogator. Credits: Advisors: Mark Segal, Josepha Sanna (Artsway) & Helen Sloan (SCAN), Engineers: Tim Orman & Chris Brown (DEC, Bournemouth University), SnailCAM Support: David Bell & Peter Dodds (Hoptic, Edinburgh). Zahvale svetovalcem: Mark Segal, Josepha Sanna (Artsway) in Helen Sloan (SCAN), inženirjem: Tim Orman in Chris Brown (DEC, Bournemouth University), SnailCAM podpora: David Bell in Peter Dodds (Hoptic, Edinburgh).

II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL

Stelarc

Protetična glava Prosthetic Head 2003 Izvirna programska oprema Original software

Konverzacijski agent je utelešen v protetični glavi, avtomatizirani, animirani, informirani, logično inteligentni glavi, ki se pogovarja z izpraševalcem. 3D model je poligonska mreža 3000, prevlečena s podobo umetnikovega obraza. Oči, jezik in zobje so ločeni gibljivi elementi. Glava vsebuje podatkovno bazo in konverzacijsko strategijo, ki je v dvojcu s človeškim izpraševalcem sposobna primernih verbalnih izmenjav. Možne so nastavitve obraznih izrazov in čustev. Zna skladati in recitirati lastne poetične verze in pesmim podobnim zvoke, ki se razlikujejo glede na različna vprašanja. ENG

The Prosthetic Head is an embodied conversational agent – an automated, animated, informed and reasonably intelligent head that speaks to the person who interrogates it. The 3D model is a 3000 polygon mesh, skinned with the artist’s face. The eyeball, tongue and teeth are separate moving elements. It has a data-base and a conversational strategy that when coupled to a human head is capable of appropriate verbal exchanges. Facial expressions and emotions can be scripted. It can compose and recite its own poetry-like verse and songlike sounds, which are different each time it is asked. Credits: Original software: Karen Marcelo, Sam Trychin, Barrett Fox. New version: Martin Luerssen, Trent Lewis with Associate Professor David Powers, Flinders University. From Talking Heads to Thinking Heads: (ARC/NH&MRC Thinking Systems). Leader: Prof. Denis Burnham, MARCS Labs, University of Western Sydney. Originalna programska oprema: Karen Marcelo, Sam Trychin, Barrett Fox. Nova verzija: Martin Luerssen, Trent Lewis skupaj s profesorjem Davidom Powersom, Flinders University. From Talking Heads to Thinking Heads: (ARC/NH&MRC Thisnking Systems). Vodja: profesor Denis Burnham, MARCS Labs, University of Western Sydney.

PART II: TOP-DOWN

Joe Davis

Kako narediti ogenj Making Fire 2008 Video dokumentarec, 10’ 25”, US, angleščina, barva, stereo, DVD Video documentary film, 10’ 25”, US, in English, color, stereo, DVD

“Sem gojitelj magnetotaktičnih bakterij. Z laboratorijskimi vrstami lahko delam samo znotraj nadzorovanih okolij, zato zbiram v naravi prisotne organizme, ki jih lahko brez težav uporabim tudi v napravi zunaj laboratorija. Po naključju sem odkril, da določen sev bakterij v anaerobnih kulturah ob prisotnosti katalitičnih železovih opilkov proizvaja vodik. Takšne bakterije lahko izkoriščamo za pridobivanje goriva in elektrike. Pravzaprav ti živi organizmi vsebujejo tudi glavne komponente nihajnega električnega kroga.” ENG

“I grow magnetotactic bacteria. I can only work with laboratory strains in controlled environments, so I collect wild-type organisms that I can freely incorporate into apparatus outside the lab. By chance, I found that one wild strain produced hydrogen gas in anaerobic cultures with catalytic iron filings. These can be used to make fuel and electricity. They also happen to contain principal components of LC circuits ‘in vivo’.”

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Louis-Philippe Demers

Tillerjeve plesalke The Tiller Girls 2010 Roboti, video, navadna strojna oprema, navadna programska oprema Robots, video, custom hardware, custom software

Tillerjeve plesalke so skupina dvanajstih majhnih, samostojnih robotov. Razvili so jih s pomočjo laboratorijev umetne inteligence za proučevanje načina hoje ob minimalni svobodi gibanja. Roboti lahko lovijo ravnotežje samo s pomočjo trupa in ramen, kljub temu pa lahko prikažejo zelo raznolike izraze in obnašanja. Nastopajoči v tradicionalnih uprizoritvenih umetnostih kot glasba, ples in gledališče bi načeloma naj posedovali oboje – tehnične in interpretativne sposobnosti, pri čemer slednje pojmujemo kot specifično človeške sposobnosti. ENG

The Tiller Girls is a group of twelve small autonomous robots. These robots were developed in Artificial Intelligence for the study of gaits given minimal freedom of movements. The robots can only balance their torsos and shoulders but they can yet achieve a large variety of expressions and behaviors. Performers in the traditional performing arts such as music, dance and theatre are generally thought to have both technical skills and interpretive skills, where the latter skills are regarded as specific human skills. Robotics: Raja Dravid, Max Lungarella, Dynamic Devices (CH). In collaboration with AI Lab Zürich. Producers: Interaction and Etertainement Research Centre, Digital Realities StartUp Grant (NTU). Robotika: Raja Dravid, Max Lungarella, Dynamic Devices (CH). V sodelovanju z: AI Lab Zürich. Produkcija: Interaction and Etertainement Research Centre, Digital Realities StartUp Grant (NTU).

PART II: TOP-DOWN

Neurotica

Tihi plaz Silent Barrage 2009 Video dokumentarec, 5’ 39”, AU, angleščina, barva, stereo, DVD Video documentary film, 5’ 39”, AU, in English, colour, stereo, DVD

Dokumentarec prikazuje robotsko instalacijo: roboti se premikajo vzdolž navpičnih stebrov ter pri tem za seboj puščajo sledi. Te so pravzaprav prikaz digitalnega obstreljevanja z in vitro gojenimi nevroni, na tisoče kilometrov oddaljenih od same instalacije. Vzporedno s tem dogajanjem senzorji nameščeni okrog objekta ujamejo gibanje občinstva, ki prav tako vpliva na gibanje robotov. Kolektiv Neurotica sestavljajo umetniki Guy Ben-Ary in Philip Gamblen ter Peter Gee, dr. Steve Potter in Riley Zeller-Townson, nevroznanstveniki iz laboratorijev za nevroinženiring na inštitutu Georgia Tech v Atlanti, ZDA. ENG

Robots move vertically along various columns, leaving traces that are actually the representation of the firings of neurons cultivated in a glass dish located thousands of kilometers away. Parallel to this, sensors located around the installation capture the movements of the public, which stimulate back the neurons. Neurotica is made up of artists Guy Ben-Ary and Philip Gamblen and Peter Gee, as well as Dr Steve Potter and Riley Zeller-Townson, neuroscientists from the laboratory of neuroengineering at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, United States.

II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL

Marina Abramović, Suzanne Dikker, Matthias Oostrik*

Merjenje magičnosti vzajemnega strmenja Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze 2011 – še traja / ongoing Možganska instalacija v realnem času, EEG tehnologija Real-time brain installation, EEG technology

V tej realno-časovni možganski instalaciji in znanstvenem eksperimentu zavzame občinstvo vlogo nastopajočega in znanstvenega subjekta. Prostovoljci sodelujejo pri skupnem molčečem strmenju, njihova možganska aktivnost se med tem prikazuje v realnem času in razkriva vpogled v njihovo razvijajočo se notranjo izkušnjo, kot tudi v trenutne nevralne časovne usklajenosti. Z instalacijo se nadaljuje avtoričino raziskovanje človeške povezanosti z neverbalno komunikacijo. Projekt sledi trajajočemu performansu “umetnik je prisoten” v MoMA 2010 in raziskuje transfer energije med performerjem, občinstvom in sodelujočim. ENG

In this real-time brain installation and science experiment, the audience takes on the role of performer and scientific subject. Volunteers engage in silent mutual gaze while their brain activity is displayed in real time, giving insight into their evolving internal experience as well as moments of neural synchrony. The installation continues Abramović’s exploration of human connectedness through non-verbal communication. Following her durational performance The Artist is Present (MoMA 2010), it investigates the transfer of energy between performer, public, and participant. * Marina Abramović, Suzanne Dikker, Matthias Oostrik & participants of Art & Science: Insights into Consciousness (Watermill Center, NY) * Marina Abramović, Suzanne Dikker, Matthias Oostrik in sodelujoči pri projektu Umetnost in znanost: vpogledi v zavest (Watermill center, NY)

PART II: TOP-DOWN

Guy Ben-Ary, Kirsten Hudson

In potēntia 2012 Mešani mediji (tkivni inženiring, elektro-fiziološki posnetki, iPS, računalniško nadzirane naprave in zvok, celice prepucija, izvorne celice, nevroni) Mixed media (tissue engineering, electrophysiological recordings, iPS, computer controlled devises and sound, foreskin cell, stem cells, neurons)

In potēntia je navidezen človeški hibrid, ki problematizira vpliv biotehnologij na razumevanja “življenja”. Po nakupu celic prepucija iz on-line kataloga uporabimo inducirano tehnologijo pluripotentnih izvornih celic za vzvratni inženiring teh celic prepucija nazaj v zarodne (ali njim podobne) celice, te pa nato transformiramo v nevrone. Rezultat je funkcionalna nevronska mreža, ki ni samo kritika dogajanja pri poigravanju s človeško biološko materijo na družbeno neavtorizirane načine, pri tem se moramo vprašati tudi, kaj pomeni narediti žive biološke možgane iz celic prepucija. ENG

In potēntia is a quasi-human hybrid that problematises biotechnologies’ influence on understandings of “life”. Beginning with foreskin cells purchased on-line, we use induced pluripotent stem cell technology to reverse engineer these foreskin cells into embryonic (like) stem cells and then further transform them into neurons. What results is a functioning neural network that not only challenges what it means to play with biological human matter in culturally unauthorised ways, but also makes us wonder what it means to make a living biological brain from foreskin cells. Credits: In collaboration with Mark Lawson, Stuart Hodgetts, Anne Kramer, and Mark Brims. / Zahvale za sodelovanje: Mark Lawson, Stuart Hodgetts, Anne Kramer in Mark Brims.

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Tuur Van Balen

Zlati golob / Pigeon d’Or 2010 Mešana medijska instalacija (posebne bakterije, akrilni objekti, barvne tiskane fotografije, video) / Mixed media installation (bespoke bacteria, acrylic objects, c-type print photographs, video)

Mesto je ogromen, izjemno zapleten metabolizem, v katerem je človeška vrsta samo miniaturni delček; majhen, pa vendarle neuničljivo povezan z organskim tkivom bolj, kot si lahko predstavljamo. Prav znotraj tega zapletenega tkiva bodo končale biotehnologije (prihodnosti). Projekt Zlati golob predlaga uporabo mestnih golobov kot platformo in vmesnik za sintetično biologijo znotraj urbanega okolja; doseči želi, da bi golobi izločali milo. Zasnovali in ustvarili smo posebno vrsto bakterije: če z njo krmimo golobe, se njihovi iztrebki lahko spremenijo v detergent, medtem ko je sama bakterija popolnoma neškodljiva za golobe, podobno kot jogurt za ljudi. ENG

The city is a vast and incredibly complex metabolism in which the human species is the tiniest of fractions; tiny and yet intrinsically linked into an organic embroidery beyond our understanding. It is within this complex fabric that (future) bio-technologies will end up. Pigeon d’Or proposes the use of feral pigeons as a platform and interface for synthetic biology in an urban environment by attempting to make a pigeon defecate soap. A special bacterium is designed and created that, when fed to pigeons, could turn faeces into detergent and is as harmless to pigeons as yoghurt is to humans. Credits: In collaboration with James Chappell at the Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London. Thanks to Pieter Baert, Jan Boelen, Rob Culverhouse, Simon Delobel, Cate Edgar, Toby Hadden, Keith Plastow, Albert Stratton, Kasper Van Rompay & Joep Verburg. Supported by the Flemish Authorities. / Projekt je nastal v sodelovanju z Jamesom Chappellom iz Centra za sintetično biologijo, Imperial College London; zahvale: Pieter Baert, Jan Boelen, Rob Culverhouse, Simon Delobel, Cate Edgar, Toby Hadden, Keith Plastow, Albert Stratton, Kasper Van Rompay in Joep Verburg. Podprto s strani flamskih oblasti.

PART II: TOP-DOWN

Stefan Doepner, Lars Vaupel

The Drill Bot – Robot Partner 3.0 2009 Vrtalni in plezalni robot (elektronika, mehanika, pnevmatika) Drilling and climbing Robot (electronics, mechanics, pneumatics)

Laboratoriji f18labs se posvečajo raziskavam in razvoju robotov za praktično rabo v prizadevanju, da postanejo roboti spremljevalci ljudi v vsakdanjem življenju in povečajo življenjsko udobje. Na podlagi strokovnega znanja in preteklih izkušenj pri razvoju robotov za osebne aplikacije je bil naslednji korak inštituta razvoj robota, ki lahko živi z ljudmi in jim zagotavlja storitve na različnih mestih: v pisarni, doma, v javnem prostoru. Novi robot sestoji iz štirih vrtalnih glav, ki se lahko gibljejo v treh smereh, sedmih pnevmatičnih prožil za gibanje in centralne procesne enote, ki nadzira celotnega robota. ENG

f18labs are conducting R&D on robots for practical use, in the quest for robots to support people and make their lives more convenient. Building on its past expertise in developing robots for personal-use applications, f18 went further to the next level by developing a robot that can co-exist with people and provide services in a variety of places such as offices, homes and public facilities. The robot is comprised of four drill-heads, moving in three dimensions, seven pneumatic actuators for the movement and a CPU that controls the entire robot.

II. DEL: Z VRHA NAVZDOL

Mednarodna interdisciplinarna konferenca International interdisciplinary conference UMETNOST, ZNANOST IN TEHNOLOŠKO NEZAVEDNO ART, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL UNCONSCIOUS Glavni dogodek izobraževalnega programa projekta SOFT CONTROL bo mednarodna konferenca s teoretiki in umetniki iz Evrope, ZDA, Kanade, Japonske, Avstralije, Rusije in Singapurja, ki se bo odvijala med 16. in 17. novembrom 2012. Med udeleženci konference bodo priznani strokovnjaki s področja sodobne umetnosti in novih tehnologij, znani umetniki in filozofi. Osrednji poudarek konference je predstavitev novih strategij v sodobni tehnološki umetnosti, usposabljanje in izobraževanje na tem področju ter praktične predstavitve. Dvodnevna konferenca sestoji iz dveh tematskih sklopov: “Tehnološka snov in novo stanje živega” in “Tehnološko nezavedno kot medij”. V letu 2013 je predviden izid publikacije, ki bo zaokrožila celoten projekt. 1. DAN: TEHNOLOŠKA SNOV IN NOVO STANJE ŽIVEGA

Moderator: Dr. Prof. Dmitry Galkin, Tomsk State University, Rusija Tematski sklop “Tehnološka snov in novo stanje živega” je posvečen debati o tehnološkem nezavednem kot fizičnem pogoju za izkušnjo. Ali lahko govorimo o tehnologiji kot samo-namerni ontološki entiteti, ki poseduje svojo lastno materialnost in stvarnost? Ali je ta tehnološka snov sposobna v strukturnem smislu vplivati na človeško življenje? Ali tehnologija krši pravila živega sveta ali je morda neposredno nadaljevanje naravnega razvoja, v katerem je človek le eden izmed mnogih instrumentov samo-organizacije? Sodelujoči na razstavi Soft Control in vodilni strokovnjaki na področjih umetnosti, znanosti in tehnologije bodo skušali odgovoriti na ta vprašanja.

KONFERENCA

Glavni govorci: Dr. Prof. Andrew Pickering, Univerza Exeter, Velika Britanija Stelarc, Univerza Brunel London, Velika Britanija in Univerza Western Sydney, Avstralija Govorci omizja: Prof. Oron Catts, dr. Ionat Zurr, SymbioticA – Center odličnosti bioloških umetnosti, Oddelek za anatomijo in človeško biologijo, Univerza Western Australia Dr. Polona Tratnik, Univerza na Primorskem, Slovenija Predstavitve umetnikov: Leo Peschta (AT), Ursula Damm (DE), Andy Gracie (UK/ES), Bill Vorn (CA), James Auger in Jimmy Loizeau (UK), Polona Tratnik, Miomir Knežević, Marko Strbad in Ajda Marič (SI), Kuda begut sobaki (RU) 2. DAN: TEHNOLOŠKO NEZAVEDNO KOT MEDIJ

Moderator: Dr. Prof. Dmitry Galkin, Univerza Tomsk, Rusija Tematski sklop “Tehnološko nezavedno kot medij” je posvečen antropocentričnim variantam tehnološkega razvoja. Raziskujoč tehnološko nezavedno kot medij, torej kot obliko in ustvarjalni princip čisto nove generacije idej, se udeleženci diskusije sprašujejo, kako se oblikuje jezik, ki gradi in opisuje svet tehnologij. Katere izmed diskurzov tehnološkega nezavednega lahko izpostavimo danes in katere bomo neizbežno morali rekonstruirati jutri? Ali je umetnik sposoben ponovno izumiti in zapisati same temelje tehnološkega mita? Znani pripadniki in teoretiki sodobne umetnosti bodo govorili o različnih vidikih ustvarjanja novih oblik in novih identitet. Glavni govorci: Dr. Prof. Roy Ascott, Univerza Plymouth, Velika Britanija Dr. Prof. Erkki Huhtamo, Univerza v Los Angelesu, ZDA Govorci omizja: Prof. Louis-Philippe Demers, Tehnološka Univerza Nanyang, Singapur Jurij Krpan, Galerija Kapelica, Slovenija Predstavitve umetnikov: Brandon Ballengee (US), Stefan Doepner in Lars Vaupel (SI, DE), Vicky Isley in Paul Smith (UK), Suzanne Dikker in Matthias Oostrik (NL), David Bowen (US), Guy Ben-Ary in dr. Kirsten Hudson (AU), Tuur Van Balen (BE) Prvi dan: petek, 16. november, od 14. do 20. ure Drugi dan: sobota, 17. november, od 14. do 20. ure Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija

KONFERENCA

ENG

The showpiece event of the educational program of the SOFT CONTROL project will be an international conference involving theoreticians and artists from Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Russia and Singapore, to be held 16–17 November 2012. Conference participants invited include recognised experts in the field of contemporary art and new technologies, famous artists and philosophers. The conference will place special emphasis on the presentation of new strategies in contemporary technological art and education in the field, as well as practical presentations. 2-day conference consists of 2 thematic sections: “Technological Matter and the New State of the Living” and “The Technological Unconscious as a Medium”. A publication forthcoming in 2013 will sum up the project. DAY 1: TECHNOLOGICAL MATTER AND THE NEW STATE OF THE LIVING

Moderator: Dr. Prof. Dmitry Galkin, Tomsk State University, Russia The thematic section “Technological Matter and the New State of the Living” is devoted to discussion of the technological unconscious as a physical condition of experience. Can we talk about technology as an autotelic ontological entity that possesses its own materiality and its own reality? Is this technological matter capable of having a structuring influence on human life? Does technology break the rules of the living world, or is it a direct continuation of the development of nature, in which the human is only one of many instruments of self-organization? The participants in our international exhibition “Soft Control,” as well as leading experts in the spheres of art, science, and technology, will attempt to find answers to these questions. Keynote speakers: Dr. Prof. Andrew Pickering, University of Exeter, United Kingdom Stelarc, Brunel University London, UK and University of Western Sydney, Australia Panel speakers include: Prof. Oron Catts, Dr. Ionat Zurr, SymbioticA – The Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts, School of Anatomy and Human Biology, the University of Western Australia Dr. Polona Tratnik, University of Primorska, Slovenia Day 1: Friday, November 16, 2 pm–8 pm Day 2: Saturday, November 17, 2 pm–8 pm Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenia CONFERENCE

Artist presentations: Leo Peschta (AT), Ursula Damm (DE), Andy Gracie (UK/ES), Bill Vorn (CA), James Auger and Jimmy Loizeau (UK), Polona Tratnik, Miomir Knežević, Marko Strbad and Ajda Marič (SI), Kuda begut sobaki (RU) DAY 2: THE TECHNOLOGICAL UNCONSCIOUS AS A MEDIUM

Moderator: Dr. Prof. Dmitry Galkin, Tomsk State University, Russia The thematic section “The Technological Unconscious as a Medium” is devoted to anthropocentric variants of technological development. Examining the technological unconscious as a medium, i.e., as a form and generative principle of a whole new generation of ideas, the discussion participants raise the question of how the language that constructs and describes the world of technologies forms. Which discourses of the technological unconscious can be singled out today, and which will it be essential to reconstruct tomorrow? Is the artist capable of reinventing and rewriting the very foundations of the technology myth? Well-known practicians and theoreticians of contemporary art will talk about different aspects of the creation of new forms and new identities. Keynote speakers: Dr. Prof. Roy Ascott, Plymouth University, United Kingdom Dr. Prof. Erkki Huhtamo, University of California Los Angeles, USA Panel speakers: Prof. Louis-Philippe Demers, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Mr. Jurij Krpan, Kapelica Gallery, Slovenia Artist presentations: Brandon Ballengee (US), Stefan Doepner and Lars Vaupel (SI, DE), Vicky Isley and Paul Smith (UK), Suzanne Dikker and Matthias Oostrik (NL), David Bowen (US), Guy Ben-Ary and Dr. Kirsten Hudson (AU), Tuur Van Balen (BE)

KONFERENCA

Andrew Pickering

Univerza Exeter / University of Exeter, UK

Umetnost, delovanje in tehnološko nezavedno Art, Agency and the Technological Unconscious Naše tehnološko nezavedno je problem, morda celo “problem”. Sanjamo o obvladovanju vesolja, od kvarkov in najprimitivnejših plasti materije pa vse do ekosistemov in globalne ekonomije, vendar se naše sanje vedno bolj spreminjajo v srhljive nočne more, kjer nas preganjajo sprijeni mehanizmi. Zanimam se za umetniška dela, ki skušajo naše sanje vrniti na pravi tir in jih približati resničnosti – dela, ki prikličejo neo-taoistično ontologijo decentraliziranih tokov in vzajemnih transformacij, v katere smo ujeti brez možnosti nadzora. Če je zahodna tradicija govorila o upodabljajočem realizmu, potem dela, ki jih imam v mislih, govorijo o nečem, kar bi lahko imenovali delujoči realizem – ne gre za prikaz videza stvari, temveč za način delovanja. Govorim o primerih del, ki poudarjajo delovanje narave in strojev in ki delujejo kot tehnologije jaza, preobražajo naše notranje bitje; prikazujejo ples delovanja med človeškimi in ne-človeškimi igralci. Skupna osrednja nit teh primerov je obuditev začasnega odkritja, nastajanja, pojav nepredvidljive novosti v svetu. Sanje o obvladovanju zanikajo odkritje in se spremenijo v grozo, ko se neizogibno prikaže. Le nekaj umetniških del nas sooča s tem, številna druga so tematiziranje namesto eksperimentalne odprtosti odkritjem; bolj prilagoditev kot nadzor. Seveda sanje same po sebi niso nikakršen problem, težava je v tem, da jih največkrat želimo izživeti pri belem dnevu. Petek, 16. november / Friday, November 16 Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija CONFERENCE – KEYNOTE #1

ENG

Our technological unconscious is a problem, perhaps the problem. We dream of mastering the cosmos, from quarks and the most primitive layers of matter up to ecosystems and the global economy, but our dreams turn increasingly into grim nightmares stalked by mechanisms gone bad. I am interested in artworks that help straighten out our dreams and bring them closer to reality—works that evoke a neo-Taoist ontology of decentred flows and reciprocal transformations, that we are caught up in, by no means in control. If the Western tradition aimed at representational realism, the works I have in mind aim at what one could call agency realism—not the portrayal of how things look but how things go. I discuss examples of works that foreground the agency of nature and machines; that function as technologies of the self, transforming our inner being; and that stage dances of agency between human and nonhuman actors. One thread that runs through these examples is an evocation of temporal emergence, becoming, the appearance of unpredictable novelty in the world. Dreams of mastery deny emergence and lapse into horror when it inevitably shows up. We can find a few examples of artworks that confront us with this, and many examples of works that thematise instead an experimental openness to emergence, and adaptation rather than control. Of course, dreams themselves are not the problem, but we tend to act them out in broad daylight.

Stelarc

Univerza Brunel, London / Brunel University London, UK Univerza Western Sydney / University of Western Sydney, AU

Liminalne želje: truplo, nezavest in himera Liminal desires: The Cadaver, the Comatose and the Chimera Telo je evolucijska arhitektura, ki deluje in se zaveda sveta. Spremeniti njegovo arhitekturo pomeni prilagoditi njegovo zavest. Vsekakor moramo spodkopati poenostavljeno idejo delovanja in individualnega. Telo je bilo vedno protetično telo – povečano, ojačano in enakomerno izpostavljeno svojim instrumentom in strojem. Zmeraj je obstajala nevarnost, da se bo telo obnašalo neprostovoljno in avtomatsko pogojeno. Zombi je telo, ki se obnaša neprostovoljno in nima svoje pameti. Kiborg je sistem človeka-stroja, ki postaja vse bolj avtomatiziran. Zmeraj sta obstajala strah pred neprostovoljnim in tesnoba pred avtomatiziranim; pred zombijem in pred kiborPetek, 16. november / Friday, November 16 Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija

KONFERENCA – OSREDNJA TEMA #2

gom. Toda bojimo se tega, kar smo zmeraj bili in kar smo že postali. Biti inteligenten akter v svetu pomeni oboje: biti primerno utelešen in globoko zasidran v njem. Ampak zakaj ne bi gledali na telo kot na mobilen, nadzorni in oddajni sistem, kamor se lahko prijavimo (in da, tudi vdremo lahko vanj) in je dostopno fiziološko in fenomenološko? ENG

The body is an evolutionary architecture that operates and becomes aware in the world. To alter its architecture is to adjust its awareness. We certainly need to undermine the simplistic idea of agency and the individual. The body has always been a prosthetic body, one augmented, amplified and equally exposed by its instruments and machines. There has always been a danger of the body behaving involuntarily and of being conditioned automatically. A Zombie is a body that performs involuntarily, which does not have a mind of its own. A Cyborg is a human-machine system that becomes increasingly automated. There has always been a fear of the involuntary and an anxiety of the automated. Of the Zombie and the Cyborg. But we fear what we have always been and what we have already become. To be an intelligent agent one has to be both adequately embodied and intimately embedded in the world. But why not see the body itself as a mobile, monitoring and transmitting system that can be logged onto (and yes, hacked into) and accessed physiologically and phenomenologically?

CONFERENCE – KEYNOTE #2

Roy Ascott

Univerza Plymouth / Plymouth University, UK

Tehnoetična ustvarjalnost Technoetic Creativity Zanima me gradnja učnih in raziskovalnih organizmov, ki lahko izzovejo in razvijejo tehnoetično ustvarjalnost, sinkretično in vseprisotno hkrati. Na kratko bom predstavil nekatere dinamične modele, pri katerih oblikovanju sem sodeloval v preteklih desetletjih v Angliji, Kanadi, Avstriji ter trenutno na Kitajskem. V vseh primerih gre za vprašanja analognih in digitalnih procesov in sistemov, s poudarkom na vprašanjih vedenja, multiple identitete in povezljivosti. Ne glede na uporabljeno metodo, nematerialno ali zamegljeno, so vprašanja zavesti ključnega pomena za napredek umetnosti. Sam zagovarjam stališče, da je zavest, tako kot prostor, prvobitna. Zamisel, da je zavest produkt možganov, je zame ravno tako nesprejemljiva kot ideja o prostoru kot produktu telesa. Tako kot so se vidni in slušni organi razvili za zaznavanje in obdelavo prostora, so se možgani razvili za dostop do zavesti. Znanost nam pove, da vidimo manj kot odstotek elektromagnetnega spektra in slišimo manj kot odstotek akustičnega. Za doseženo stopnjo zavesti sicer nimamo merila, toda skozi tisočletja so bile razvite številne somatske in kemične tehnologije za razširjanje ali povečanje intenzivnosti tega dostopa. Znanost ne more ponuditi odgovorov na vprašanja, kako in zakaj imamo izkušnje, da so stvari takšne kot so (qualia) ali nenavadnih izkušenj – nasprotno pa tehnoetična umetnost zagovarja usmerjanje zavesti preko vrste različnih, arhaičnih in sodobnih tehnologij. Kar pa zadeva osebno identiteto – kaj pomeni biti Jaz – se izolirani, samotni jaz zahodne kulture od razsvetljenSobota, 17. november / Saturday, November 17 Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija

KONFERENCA – OSREDNJA TEMA #3, 4

ENG

stva naprej uklanja prihodu generativnega jaza. Priča smo razvoju organizma z enim jazom v multipli-jaz, ki sodeluje pri evoluciji variabilnega polja multiplih realnosti. My interest is in the building of organisms of learning and research that can elicit and develop a technoetic creativity that is at once syncretic and ubiquitous. I shall briefly examine a number of dynamic models in whose design I have been centrally involved over the past several decades in England, Canada, Austria, and currently China. In every case, both analogue and digital processes and systems are addressed, prioritizing issues of behaviour, multiple identity, and connectivity. Whether media employed is immaterial or moist, questions of consciousness are central to the advancement of art. I take the position that consciousness, like space, is primordial. The suggestion that it is generated by the brain is as unlikely to me as the idea that space is generated by the body. Just as visual and auditory organs have evolved to register and negotiate space, so the brain has evolved to access consciousness. Science tells us that we see less than 1% of the electromagnetic spectrum, and hear less than 1% of the acoustic spectrum. We have no measure of the degree of consciousness that can be reached, but many technologies over the millennia have been developed to widen or intensify the access, both somatic and chemical. Science cannot provide an explanation of how and why we have qualia or phenomenal experiences; technoetic art, by contrast, argues for the navigation of consciousness through a diversity of technologies, both archaic and contemporary. As for personal identity what it is to be a Self – the isolated, solitary self of western culture since the Enlightenment is giving way to the emergence of the generative self. We see that the single-self organism is evolving into the multiple-self, which participates in the evolution of a variable field of multiple realities.

Erkki Huhtamo

Univerza v Kaliforniji, Los Angeles / University of California Los Angeles, US

Arheologija medijev kot študija toposa Media Archaeology as Topos Study Predavanje predstavlja poseben način izvajanja medijske arheologije z razvojem teoretično-historične kontekstualizacije toposa – pojem je bil prevzet po literarnem teoretiku Ernstu Robertu Curtiusu in spremenjen v “orodje” za pojasnilo ponavljajočih se klišejev in banalnosti v medijski kulturi. Huhtamo idejo prenese na razne oblike medijev, od t. i. “peep medijev” in premične panorame do mobilnih medijev. V tej intervenciji bo pristop razdelan teoretično, z razpravo o predhodnikih CONFERENCE – KEYNOTE #3, 4

toposa in s prikazom, kako se lahko nanaša na različne vidike medijske kulture. Naloga je identificirati teme, analizirati njihove krivulje in transformacije ter razložiti kulturno 'logiko', ki je pogoj za njihovo 'potovanje' v času in prostoru. Teme kot sestavni deli toposa so diskurzivni “motorji”, ki posredujejo motive, oblike in domišljijo preko kulturnih tradicij. Nič čudnega, da si jih je po svoje prikrojila tudi kulturna industrija. ENG

This lecture will introduce a certain way of doing media archaeology by developing a theoretical-historical contextualization of the topos, a notion adopted from the literary scholar Ernst Robert Curtius and turned into a “tool” for explaining the recurrence of clichés and commonplaces in media culture. Huhtamo has applied the idea to various media forms ranging from “peep media” and the moving panorama to mobile media. In this intervention the approach will be delineated theoretically, discussing its predecessors and demonstrating how it can be applied to various facets of media culture. The task is identifying topoi, analyzing their trajectories and transformations, and explaining the cultural ‘logics’ that condition their ‘wanderings’ across time and space. Topoi are discursive “engines” that mediate themes, forms, and fantasies across cultural traditions. Predictably, they have also been appropriated by the culture industry.

Sobota, 17. november / Saturday, November 17 Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija

KONFERENCA – OSREDNJA TEMA #4

Izobraževalni program / Educational program KONSTRUKCIJA SODOBNOSTI: ORIS PRIHODNOSTI / CONSTRUCTING CONTEMPORANEITY: SKETCHING THE FUTURE Kaj imajo skupnega umetnost, znanstveno raziskovanje in tehnološke inovacije? Kakšna so možna razmerja med njimi? Kako lahko te realnosti vplivajo druga na drugo in spremenijo našo vizijo prihodnosti? Odgovorov na ta in številna druga vprašanja preprosto ni mogoče dobiti, ne da bi se dotaknili koncepta “znanstvene umetnosti” – trenda v sodobni umetnosti, katere predstavniki v svoji praksi uporabljajo znanstveni in tehnični inventar. Znanstvena umetnost poziva z vprašanji o možnostih in implikacijah tehnoloških inovacij ter njihove vodilne vloge v sodobni družbi h kulturnemu komentarju in umetniški pozornosti, namenjeni tehnološkemu razvoju. Sodelujoči pri izobraževalnem programu “Konstrukcija sodobnosti: Oris prihodnosti” se v svojih predavanjih, predstavitvah in delavnicah ukvarjajo z različnimi informativnimi, etičnimi ali estetskimi pogledi na sodobno umetnost, znanost in tehnologije. Izobraževalni program prav tako vključuje video prenose največjih mednarodnih festivalov medijske umetnosti in drugih institucij. ENG

What do art, scientific inquiry, and technological innovation have to do with each other? What kinds of relationships are possible among them? How might these realms mutually inform each other and change our vision of the future? Studying these and many other questions cannot possibly be done without addressing “science art” – a trend in contemporary art whose representatives use a scientific and technical inventory in their practice. Asking questions about the possibilities and implications of technological innovation and its leading role in contemporary society, science art calls for cultural commentary and artistic attention to technological developments. The participants of the educational program “Constructing Contemporaneity: Sketching the Future” will address different aspects of contemporary art, science and technologies – either information, ethic or aesthetic – in their lectures, presentations and workshops. The educational program will also include video screenings from major international media-art festivals and institutions. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

PREDAVANJA /PUBLIC LECTURES

PROJEKCIJE/SCREENINGS

Pier Luigi Capucci (IT) Naproti tretjemu življenju Towards the Third Life 23. 11. / November 23 18:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor

PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA (AT) 19.–21. 11./November 19–21 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 20.–22. 11. November 20–22 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec

Alla Mitrofanova (RU) Neidentificirani objekti in strukture nezavednega Unidentified Objects and Structures of the Unconscious 7. 12. / December 7 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec DELAVNICE/WORKSHOPS Monika Pocrnjić, Špela Petrič, Marc Dusseiller (SI/CH) BioCyberKidzz 27. 11. / November 27 9:00–12:00, 17:00–20:00 MMC KIBLA, Maribor Maja Smrekar, Špela Petrič (SI) DNA zaporedje: Referenčne verjetnostne strukture DNA Sequencing: Referential Probability Structures 29.–30. 11. November 29–30 10:00–18:00 Portal, Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor Andrei Smirnov (RU) Delavnica tereminova kuhinja The Theremin Kitchen Workshop 13.–15. 12. December 13–15 10:00–17:00 MMC KIBLA, Maribor

IMPAKT (NL) 26. 11. / November 26 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 27. 11. / November 27 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec MEDIAARTLAB (RU) 27. 11. / November 27 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 29. 11. / November 29 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec EVOLUTION HAUTE COUTURE 3. 12. / December 3 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 4. 12. / December 4 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec THE PROMETHEUS CENTER (RU) 4. 12./ December 4 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 6. 12./ December 6 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec E.A.T. (US) 10. 12.–11. 12. December 10–11 19:00, MMC KIBLA, Maribor 11. in 13. 12./December 11, 13 18:00, KGLU, Slovenj Gradec

IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM

Pier Luigi Capucci

NABA Mednarodna akademija za umetnost in oblikovanje, Milano, Italija NABA International Academy of Arts and Design, Milan, Italy

Naproti tretjemu življenju Towards the Third Life

ENG

Znanosti in tehnologije imajo pomemben vpliv na človeško življenje. V stari Grčiji je bila povprečna življenjska doba ljudi trideset let, prav tako v času Rimskega imperija, nato pa se je proti koncu 19. stoletja zvišala na štirideset let. Danes, približno stoletje kasneje, v t.i. “tehnološkem svetu” se je pričakovana življenjska doba podvojila. Ljudje so razvili širok spekter artefaktov, strojev in stvari, ki postajajo vse vplivnejše, kompleksnejše, bolj avtonomne ter neodvisne. Do neke mere bi jih lahko označili kot “žive stvari”, ki širijo idejo življenja in življenjskih oblik. Vsi ti procesi očitno premikajo človekove biološke, kulturne in tehnične meje. Kako pa se zgodijo? Na čem so zasnovane tehnologije? Ali nam lahko ti procesi razkrijejo delček vpogleda v morebitno evolucijo? Sciences and technologies deeply influenced human life. In ancient Greece the average lifespan was 30 years, in the Roman era it was about the same, and by the end of the XIX century it reached 40 years. Today, in roughly one century, in the so called “technological world”, lifespan expectation has doubled. Humans also developed a wide range of artefacts, machines, entities that are quickly becoming more and more powerful, complex, autonomous, and independent. These could be defined to a certain extent as “living entities”, expanding the idea of life and of life forms. All these processes seem pushing forward the human biological, cultural, technical boundaries. How do they happen? What are technologies based on? Can these processes give any glimpses of a possible evolution? Petek, 7. december, ob 20. uri / Friday, December 7, at 6 pm Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti (KGLU), Slovenj Gradec

Alla Mitrofanova

Galerija Experimental Sound Free Culture Foundation, Sankt Peterburg, Rusija Gallery of Experimental Sound Free Culture Foundation, St Petersburg, Russia

Neidentificirani objekti in strukture nezavednega / Unidentified Objects and Structures of the Unconscious V moderni evropski kulturi obstajata dve glavni vrsti nezavednih struktur. Ena priznava vrednost individualnega obstoja ter stavi na princip ugodja; znanost naj služi humanizmu ter naredi življenje bolj udobno, nesmrtno in neboleče. Druga PUBLIC LECTURES

ENG

tradicija pa je osnovana na neenakosti subjekta samemu sebi in zahteva trajno transformacijo realnosti s pomočjo novega znanja. Resničnost je v tem primeru delujoči sistem, ki vzpostavlja subjekt sočasno z ustvarjanjem objekta. Ta tradicija zahteva nove znanstvene objekte, kjer se bo subjekt pojavljal v dinamičnem procesu. Obe tradiciji druga drugo izključujeta kot nemogočo in neresnično. Neklasična filozofija ponuja nekaj teoretičnih orodij kot spodbudo za rešitev problema. Zato predavateljica uporabi terminologijo neklasičnega poznega sovjetskega marksizma in Lacanove psihoanalize. In modern European culture there are two main types of unconscious structures. One accepts the value of individual existence, and staking on the pleasure principle, forces science to serve humanism, to make life more comfortable, immortal and painless. The other tradition is based on inequality of the subject to itself and demands permanent transformation of a reality by new Knowledge. The reality in this case represents an operative system making the subject simultaneously with object manufacture. This tradition demands new scientific objects to perform the subject as a dynamic process. Each of these traditions forces out the other as impossible and not true. Non-classical philosophy offers some theoretical tools to advance a solution of the problem. That is why I will speak in terminology of non-classical late Soviet Marxism and Lacanian psychoanalysis.

Petek, 23. november, ob 18. uri / Friday, November 23, at 6 pm Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija

JAVNA PREDAVANJA

BioCyberKidzz Delavnica / Workshop

Monika Pocrnjić, Špela Petrič (SI), Marc Dusseiller (CH) Delavnica BioCyberKidzz je nastala kot rezultat kolektivnega brainstorminga mnogih posameznikov in skupnosti, ki svoje bogate izkušnje posvečajo ustvarjanju alternativnih presečišč med umetnostjo in znanostjo. Platforma BioTehna želi zbuditi radovednost ter spodbuditi eksperimentiranje in raziskovanje na področju znanosti o življenju, skozi kreativne in inovativne kombinacije med naravo in tehnologijo ter pod navdihujočim okriljem umetnikov in znastvenikov. ENG

The BioCyberKidzz workshop has been developed as a result of collective brainstorms of many individuals and communities that are devoting their rich experiences in creating the alternative crossovers between arts and science. BioTehna is a platform to initiate curiosity and encourage experimentation and research in the field of life sciences. Through creative and innovative combinations between nature and technology and the inspiring guidance of artists and researchers. Credits: The workshop is presented as part of the BioTehna project initiated in 2012 by Kapelica Gallery and Hackteria – Open Source Biological Art. The BioTehna project is supported by a grant through the Swiss Contribution to the enlarged European Union. Zahvale: Delavnico predstavljamo v sklopu projekta BioTehna, ki sta ga leta 2012 pričela izvajati Galerija Kapelica in Hackteria – Open Source Biological Art. Projekt BioTehna podpira štipendija Swiss Contribution za razširjeno Evropsko unijo.

Torek, 27. november / Tuesday, November 27 9:00–12:00 (šole), 17:00–20:00 (širša javnost) 9 am–12 pm (schools), 5 pm–8 pm (wider audience) Torek, 27. november / Tuesday, November 27 Trajanje 3 ure / Duration: 3 hours MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija WORKSHOPS

Maja Smrekar, Špela Petrič (SI) Delavnica / Workshop

DNA zaporedje: Referenčne verjetnostne strukture DNA Sequencing: Referential Probability Structures Na delavnici se z uporabo forenzičnega pribora, popularnim orodjem, izvede kolekcija vzorcev sline, ki jo sicer rutinsko uporabljajo pri obdelavi forenzičnih vzorcev na področju molekularne biologije. Vsebina delavnice se torej osredotoča na razkritje specifičnega gena kot enega izmed virov dešifriranja lastnega telesa, z namenom razumeti določene posledice delovanja njegovega operacijskega sistema. Vendar pa so rezultati genetskih testiranj zakodirani znotraj specifičnega sistema znanja, ki temelji na principih referenc in verjetnosti. ENG

Using one of the popular maneuvers in a workshop by executing the saliva collection which is routinely being used for forensic identity samples at the field of molecular biology, the workshop content is focused on a disclosure of the specific gene as one of the source files of decoding one’s own body to understand certain consequences of its operational system. However, the genetic profiling test results are coded within the specific system of knowledge which is based on the principles of references and probability. Četrtek 29. 11. / Thursday 29. 11., 10:00–18:00 Petek 30. 11. / Friday 30. 11., 12:00–15:00

29.–30. november / November 29–30 Portal – Valvazorjeva 40, Maribor, Slovenija

DELAVNICE

Andrey Smirnov (RU) Delavnica / Workshop

Tereminova kuhinja The Theremin Kitchen Workshop Intenzivna delavnica ponuja praktični uvod v interaktivne sisteme, osnovane na različnih metodah sledenja gibanja, gibalnih vmesnikov, nadzorovanja manjših variacij električnih parametrov različnih prevodnih materialov, med drugim človeškega telesa, tekočin, rastlin itd. Na začetku bodo udeleženci delavnice spremenili svoje prenosnike v digitalne večkanalne 'teremine'. Z njimi bodo razvijali nenavadne gibalne vmesnike in unikatne glasbene inštrumente, podobne dobro znanemu elektronskemu inštrumentu teremin, ki ga je iznašel ruski izumitelj Leon Theremin leta 1919. ENG

This intensive workshop offers hands-on introduction to interactive systems, based on various methods of motion tracking, gestural interfacing, monitoring of small variations of electrical parameters of different conductive materials including a human body, liquids, plants, etc. As a starting point of the workshop participants will convert their laptops into digital multichannel theremins to develop further during the workshop unusual gestural interfaces and unique musical instruments, based on principles similar to the well known electronic musical instrument – the theremin, invented by the Russian inventor Leon Theremin in 1919. Četrtek 13. 12. / Thursday, 10:00–17:00 Petek 14. 12. / Friday, 10:00–17:00 Sobota 15. 12. / Saturday, 10:00–17:00

13.–15. december / December 13–15 MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija WORKSHOPS

PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA Ars Electronica – Linz (AT) S posebno projekcijo predstavlja projekt SOFT CONTROL izbor nekaterih najbolj inovativnih kratkih animiranih filmov z vsakoletnega festivala Ars Electronica v Linzu. Ars Electronica je eden najvplivnejših festivalov medijske umetnosti v Evropi. Je tisti, ki postavlja nove smernice na področjih računalniške animacije ter digitalne, hibridne in zvočne umetnosti. Vsako leto se avstrijski Linz spremeni v pravo Meko za vse tiste, ki pri svojih umetniških projektih uporabljajo računalniško tehnologijo. Ti pa, mimogrede, prihajajo iz sedemdesetih držav. Na ogled bo predstavitveni izbor najboljših del festivala PRIX Ars Electronica. Za nekatere bodo prikazana dela navdih, da naslednjo jesen sami obiščejo Linz, drugi pa bodo tako razširili svoje znanje o progresivnih težnjah v eksperimentalni umetnosti. Ars Electronica Animation zajema izbor najboljših filmov, ki se vsako leto prijavljajo na festival Prix Ars Electronica. Sto dvajset vizualnih vrhuncev je razdeljenih v dvanajst sklopov. Ars Electronica predstavlja za projekt SOFT CONTROL: Umetnost, znanost in tehnološko nezavedno program, zasnovan na raznovrstnih tematikah, kot so Naracija, Vzporedni svetovi, Kaos, Kratki rezi, Temne zgodbe, Digitalne basni, Stališče & sporočilo in Transformacije. Kuratorja programa sta Christine Schöpf in Jürgen Hagler (Ars Electronica). ENG

In this special screening the SOFT CONTROL project presents a selection of some of the most innovative animated short films from the annual Ars Electronica festival held in Linz every year. Ars Electronica is one of the most influential media art festivals in Europe. It establishes new trends in computer animation, digital, hybrid and sound art. It transforms the Austrian city of Linz into a Mecca for all those using computer technology in their art projects. And these, incidentally, are artists from seventy countries all over the world. The visitors will see the

IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM – PROJEKCIJE

screening of PRIX Ars Electronica best works selection. For some, the work shown will provide an incentive to go to Linz next autumn, for others to broaden their knowledge on the progressive tendencies in experimental art. The Ars Electronica Animation Festival screens a selection of outstanding films submitted to the Prix Ars Electronica. These 120 visual highlights have been divided into 12 lineups. For the “SOFT CONTROL: Art, Science and the Technological Unconscious” project The Ars Electronica presents a program based around various themes such as Narration, Parallel Worlds, Chaos, Short Cuts, Dark Stories, Digital Bestiary, Position & Message and Transformations. The program is curated by Christine Schöpf and Jürgen Hagler (Ars Electronica). http://www.aec.at Under support of Austrian Cultural Forum Moscow Ob podpori Avstrijskega kulturnega foruma Moskva

Ponedeljek–torek–sreda, 19.–21. november, ob 19. uri Mon–Tue–Wed, November 19–21, at 7 pm Trajanje / Duration: 180 min (vsaka projekcija/every screening) MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija

Torek–sreda–četrtek, 20.–22. november, ob 18. uri Tue–Wed–Thu, November 20–22, at 6 pm Trajanje / Duration: 180 min (vsaka projekcija/every screening) KGLU, Slovenj Gradec

IMPAKT Impakt – Utrecht (NL) Impakt predstavlja kritične in kreativne poglede na sodobno medijsko kulturo ter inovativno interdisciplinarno avdio-vizualno umetnost. S tem namenom Impakt organizira vsakoletni Impakt festival. Z letošnjo temo No More Westerns (Nič več zahodnjakov) se 24. izdaja festivala Impakt osredotoča na vpliv nastajajočih ekonomij na globalno vizualno kulturo. Poleg vsakoletnega festivala organizatorji prirejajo tudi mesečne Impakt dogodke: kratke projekte ali projekcije, povezane z določeno tematiko, gibanjem ali umetnikom. Impakt je prav tako naročnik in izvajalec letnih spletnih umetniških projektov pod imenom Impakt Online. Na njihovi spletni strani je na voljo Impakt Channel – izbrani filmi, umetniški videi ter poročanja o dogodkih, ki jih lahko obiskovalci spletne strani spremljajo od doma. Ne nazadnje je tukaj še Impakt Works, rezidenčni program, namenjen medijskim umetnikom in ustvarjalcem s področja digitalnih medijev, videa, zvoka, interaktivnih tehnologij, itd. V sklopu projekta SOFT CONTROL Impakt predstavlja program z dvema najboljšima deloma, ki so nedavno nastala v EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM – SCREENINGS

okviru rezidenčnega programa Impakt Works. Obiskovalcem bosta na ogled The Third Man (Tretji človek) Erika Bungerja in You as an Anarchistic Dynamo in the Coordinate System (Ti kot anarhistični dinamo v koordinatnem sistemu) Linde Franke. Kurator programa je Arjon Dunnewind, direktor Impakta. ENG

Impakt presents critical and creative views on contemporary media culture and innovative audiovisual arts in an interdisciplinary context. To this end Impakt organizes the annual Impakt Festival. With this year’s No More Westerns theme Impakt (24th edition) focuses on the influence of the emerging economies on our global visual culture. Next to the annual festival Impakt also organizes monthly Impakt Events: short projects or screenings centering a certain theme, movement or artist. Impakt commissions and launches annual net art projects on their web site under the header Impakt Online. Their website also features the Impakt Channel where curated selections of film and video art and reports of events are available for home viewing. Finally they run Impakt Works: a residency program for media artists, artists working with digital media, video, sound, interactive technologies, etc. For the SOFT CONTROL project Impakt presents a program with two of the best works that have been produced recently during residencies in the Impakt Works program. The visitors will see The Third Man by Erik Bunger and You as an Anarchistic Dynamo in the Coordinate System by Linda Franke. The program is curated by Arjon Dunnewind (General Director Impakt). http://www.impakt.nl Ponedeljek, 26. 11., ob 19. uri / Monday, November 26, at 7 pm Trajanje / Duration: 120 min MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija Torek, 27. 11., ob 18. uri / Tuesday, November 27, at 6 pm KGLU, Slovenj Gradec

IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM – PROJEKCIJE

CENTER FOR ART AND CULTURE MEDIAARTLAB MediaArtLab – Moskva / Moscow (RU) MediaArtLab je bil leta 1999 ustanovljen kot neodvisna organizacija, da bi zgradil most med dejavnostmi na področju kulture ter novih informacijskih in komunikacijskih tehnologij. Danes je MediaArtLab med vodilnimi ruskimi organizacijami na področju medijske umetnosti. Njihove prednostne naloge so razvoj interdisciplinarnih izobraževalnih projektov v polju umetnosti novih tehnologij in kulture medijev, z organizacijo dogodkov popularizirajo nove metode in ideje, ki uporabljajo nove tehnološke možnosti ter predstavitev posameznih obdobij in trendov v prisvajanju medijske kulture. Seznam najpomembnejših projektov vključuje medijski forum mednarodnega moskovskega filmskega festivala, mednarodni simpozij za medijsko kulturo “Pro&Contra” ter mnoge druge. V preteklih trinajstih letih je MediaArtLab izvajal izobraževalne programe v Rusiji ter številne obsežne razstave na različnih partnerskih prizoriščih (Moskovska MOMA, Center za sodobno kulturo Garage, Kulturna fundacija Ekaterina in druga). V okviru projekta SOFT CONTROL: Umetnost, znanost in tehnološko nezavedno bo MediaArtLab predstavil dela, ki prikazujejo različne vidike novega vizualnega jezika. Kuratorki programa sta Olga Shishko, direktorica MediaArtLab in Elena Rumyantseva, programski vodja MediaArtLab. ENG

MediaArtLab was founded as an independent organization in 1999 with the intention to build a bridge between activities in the fields of culture and new information and communication technologies. At the present date MediaArtLab is one of the leading organizations in Russia in the field of media art. Our main priorities are to develop interdisciplinary educational projects in the art of new technologies and media culture and to organize events popularizing new methods and EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM – SCREENINGS

ideas in exploiting new technologies’ potential or presenting separate periods and trends in media culture appropriation. The list of main projects includes: Media Forum of the Moscow International Film Festival, International symposium for media culture “Pro&Contra” and many others. For the past 13 years MediaArtLab conducted educational programs allover Russia, as well as numerous large-scale exhibitions at various partner venues (Moscow MOMA, Center for contemporary culture Garage, Ekaterina cultural Foundation and others). In the frames of the “SOFT CONTROL: Art, Science and the Technological Unconscious” project MediaArtLab will present works which demonstrate different aspects of new visual language. The program is curated by Olga Shishko (Director MediaArtLab) and Elena Rumyantseva (MediaArtLab Head of Programs). http://www.mediaartlab.ru Torek, 27. 11., ob 19. uri Tuesday, November 27, at 7 pm, Duration: 60 min MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija Četrtek, 29. 11., ob 18. uri / Thursday, November 29, at 6 pm KGLU, Slovenj Gradec

VISOKA MODA EVOLUCIJE: UMETNOST IN ZNANOST V POST-BIOLOŠKI DOBI EVOLUTION HAUTE COUTURE: ART AND SCIENCE IN THE POST-BIOLOGICAL AGE Nacionalni center za sodobno umetnost – Baltik National Centre for Contemporary Arts – Baltic Branch (RU) Za projekt SOFT CONTROL predstavlja Nacionalni center za sodobno umetnost – Baltik (Kaliningrad, Rusija) izbor dokumentarnih filmov o nedavnih umetniških delih, ustvarjenih s pomočjo najnovejših tehnologij 21. stoletja: umetnega življenja, robotike, biološkega in genskega inženiringa. Omenjena dela za svoj medij uporabljajo živo ali živi podobno snov, pri čemer se lastnosti živih organizmov in tehnološko poustvarjenih artefaktov združujejo v skupno metodo. Eksplicitna tema umetnosti, ustvarjene pod takšnimi novimi post-biološkimi pogoji – torej pogoji umetno ustvarjenega življenja – je neizogibno prav ta izumetničenost. Znova smo torej soočeni z vprašanjem odnosa med umetnostjo in življenjem v popolnoma novem kontekstu, ki ga določajo biološke in abiološke stvaritve, dela in bitja. Pričujoči izbor je prva pregledna zbirka trenutnega stanja sodobne, tehno-biološke umetnosti. Na ogled nam ponuja panoramo umetniških strategij, namenje-

IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM – PROJEKCIJE

nih dajanju in jemanju daru avtentičnosti. Analiza teh strategij pa odpira nove možnosti za ustvarjalno produkcijo in kulturni komentar. ENG

For the SOFT CONTROL project the National Center for Contemporary Arts – Baltic Branch(Kaliningrad, Russia) presents a collection of documentary films about artworks recently created using the latest twenty-first century technologies: artificial life, robotics, bio and genetic engineering. The medium in these artworks is living or lifelike matter, and the properties of living organisms and technologically reproduced artefacts are combined to produce the method. Art created under these new conditions of postbiology – that is, under conditions of artificially generated life – cannot avoid making this artificiality its explicit theme. We are thus again confronted with the question of the relationship between art and life in a completely new context defined by biological and abiological creations, works, and beings. This collection is the first comprehensive overview of the current stage of contemporary techno-biological art. It provides a panorama of artistic strategies for granting and withdrawing the gift of authenticity. The analysis of these strategies opens up new possibilities for creative production and cultural commentary. www.videodoc.ncca-kaliningrad.ru Kurator programa je Dmitry Bulatov (BB NCCA, Rusija) The program is curated by Dmitry Bulatov (BB NCCA, Russia)

Ponedeljek, 3. 12., ob 19. uri / Monday, December 3, at 7 pm Trajanje / Duration: 120 min MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija Torek, 4. 12., ob 18. uri / Tuesday, December 4, at 6 pm KGLU, Slovenj Gradec EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM – SCREENINGS

CENTER PROMETHEUS THE PROMETHEUS CENTER Prometheus – Kazan (RU) Leta 1962 je bila simfonija Prometheus skladatelja A. Skryabina premierno predstavljena v Sovjetski zvezi v mestu Kazan, vključno z osvetlitvijo, kakor si je v originalu zamislil avtor na začetku 20. stoletja. Odtlej je ideja združevanja glasbe in luči postala ključna za umetnike in inženirje, prvotne snovalce inženirske pisarne, kasneje raziskovalnega inštituta eksperimentalne estetike Prometheus. Bulat Galeev (1940–2009) je bil vodja in začetnik vseh projektov skupine ter so-urednik revije Leonardo (MIT Press). Stvaritve umetniških del na presečišču umetnosti in znanosti je dojemal kot povsem razvit trend, kjer se lahko domišljija avtorjev brezmejno širi s pomočjo najnovejših inženirskih dosežkov. Multimedijski koncerti in performansi, svetlobni in zvočni filmi ter video instalacije, projekti svetlobne arhitekture – umetniki iz Kazana so nenavadne rešitve za svoje eksperimente iskali in našli na vseh teh področjih. Strokovnjaki po vsem svetu dobro poznajo Galeevo in Prometheusovo pionirsko izkušnjo v razvoju temeljev multimedijske umetnosti (projekcije na festivalih Ars Electronica, ISEA, EMAF, itd.) in filmi skupine iz obdobja 1960–80 so upravičeno upoštevani kot klasiki avantgardne kinematografije. Trenutno center Prometheus nadaljuje s svojimi aktivnostmi – v Kazanu se vsaki dve leti odvijajo interdisciplinarne konference in festivali na temo umetnosti in eksperimentalne estetike. Izobraževalni program SOFT CONTROL bo premierno predstavil film o delu Bulata Galeeva ter najpomembnejše projekte centra Prometheus v zadnjih 50 letih. Scenarij: L. Zagidullina, A. Maksimova, režija: A. Bikbulatov.

IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM – PROJEKCIJE

ENG

In 1962, for the first time in the Soviet Union, the symphony Prometheus by the composer A.Skriabin was performed in Kazan, with the section of light included, as was originally intended by the author at the beginning of the XX century. Since then the idea of the synthesis of music and light came to be essential for the artists and engineers who first formed the engineering bureau, and then research institute of experimental aesthetics, Prometheus. Bulat Galeev (1940–2009) was the head and initiator of all the projects of the group and co-editor of the Leonardo journal (MIT Press). He regarded the creation of art works at the intersection of art and science as a full-fledged trend where the fantasy of authors can be unlimitedly extended with the use of the latest engineering developments. Multi-media concerts and performances, light and sound films and video installations, projects on light architecture – artists from Kazan were searching and finding unusual solutions for their experiments in all of these fields. Today the pioneering experience of Dr. Prof. Galeev and the Prometheus Institute in the development of the foundations of multi-media art is wellrecognized by experts from all over the world (screenings at Ars Electronica, ISEA, EMAF, etc.), and films of the group from the 1960’-80’s are duly regarded as classics of the avantgarde cinema. Currently the Prometheus Centre carries on its activities – once in two years interdisciplinary conferences and festivals on art and experimental aesthetics are held in Kazan. The SOFT CONTROL educational program will premiere a film on the work of Bulat Galeev and the most prominent projects of the Prometheus Centre that were carried out over the last 50 years. Written by: L. Zagidullina, A. Maksimova, directed by: A. Bikbulatov. http://prometheus.kai.ru Under support of Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan (Russia), TV and Radio Company Tatarstan / S podporo ministrstva za kulturo republike Tatarstan (Rusija), TV in radijske družbe Tatarstan

Torek, 4. december, ob 19. uri Tuesday, December 4, at 7 pm Trajanje / Duration: 60 min MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija Četrtek, 6. december, ob 18. uri Thursday, December 6, at 6 pm Trajanje / Duration: 60 min KGLU, Slovenj Gradec EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM – SCREENINGS

E.A.T. EKSPERIMENTI V UMETNOSTI IN TEHNOLOGIJI / EXPERIMENTS IN ART AND TECHNOLOGY E.A.T. (US) 9 večerov: gledališče & inženiring 9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering 1966, NY Dokumentarec o nastopih Johna Cagea, Davida Tudorja, Roberta Rauschenberga in Öyvinda Fahlströma / Documentary about the performances by John Cage, David Tudor, Robert Rauschenberg and Öyvind Fahlström

Zgodovina 9 večerov se je pričela, ko sta Robert Rauschenberg in Billy Klüver angažirala skupino umetnikov za skupno delo z inženirji, za serijo performansov z novimi tehnologijami. V skupini so bili John Cage, Lucinda Childs, Öyvind Fahlström, Alex Hay, Deborah Hay, Steve Paxton, Yvonne Rainer, Robert Rauschenberg, David Tudor in Robert Whitman. Poleti leta 1966 je preko trideset inženirjev, večina iz podjetja Bell Laboratories, posamično sodelovalo s posameznimi umetniki, narava sodelovanja je bila odvisna od umetnikovega projekta in inženirjeve specializacije. 9 večerov: gledališče & inženiring je otvoritev doživela 13. oktobra 1966 v veliki stavbi na 69 Regiment Armory na aveniji Lexington v New Yorku. Umetniška skupnost iz New Yorka je postala del projekta: umetniki, plesalci, glasbeniki in performerji so delali kot prostovoljci, kasneje pa tudi nastopali. Za tem je bila ustanovljena fundacija E.A.T. Foundation, ki je promovirala sodelovanje med umetniki in inženirji. Nastopi so bili posneti in predvajani v barvni in črno-beli tehniki. Sredi devetdesetih sta Billy Klüver in Julie Martin (iz fundacije E.A.T.) filme opremila še z intervjuji s sodelujočimi. Oba video predvajanja bo predstavila Maria Punina, umetnostna in gledališka zgodovinarka z oddelka za interdisciplinarne programe akademije NCCA v Moskvi. Produkcija:

IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM – PROJEKCIJE

ENG

E.A.T. v sodelovanju z Artpix. Distribucija: Microcinema International. The history of the 9 Evenings began when Robert Rauschenberg and Billy Klüver organized a group of artists to work together with engineers on a series of performances involving new technology. The group included John Cage, Lucinda Childs, Öyvind Fahlström, Alex Hay, Deborah Hay, Steve Paxton, Yvonne Rainer, Robert Rauschenberg, David Tudor, and Robert Whitman. During the summer of 1966 more than 30 engineers, most of whom were from Bell Laboratories, worked in one-to-one collaboration with individual artists, depending on the artist’s project and engineer’s area of expertise. 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering opened on October 13, 1966, at the 69th Regiment Armory, a huge space on Lexington Avenue at 25th Street in NYC. The art community in New York became involved in the project: artists, dancers, musicians, and performers worked as volunteers and later took part in the performances. Afterwards, the E.A.T. Foundation was established to promote the collaboration between artists and engineers. The performances were recorded and filmed both in color and in black &white. In the mid 90’s Billy Klüver and Julie Martin (E.A.T. Foundation) accompanied these films by interviews of the participants. Both screenings will be presented by Maria Punina, art and theatre historian, interdisciplinary programs department of NCCA, Moscow. Films produced by E.A.T. in collaboration with Artpix. Distributed by Microcinema International. http://www.9evenings.org S podporo E.A.T. Fundacije (ZDA), Nacionalnega centra za sodobno umetnost (Rusija) Under support of E.A.T. Foundation (USA), National Centre for contemporary arts (Russia)

Ponedeljek, 10. 12., ob 19. uri / Monday, December 10, at 7 pm Trajanje / Duration: 80 min Torek, 11. 12., ob 19. uri / Tuesday, December 11, at 7 pm Trajanje / Duration: 105 min MMC KIBLA, Maribor, Slovenija Torek, 11. 12., ob 18. uri / Tuesday, December 11, at 6 pm Trajanje / Duration: 80 min Četrtek, 13. 12., ob 18. uri / Thursday, December 13, at 6 pm Trajanje / Duration: 105 min KGLU, Slovenj Gradec EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM – SCREENINGS

Dmitry Bulatov Dmitry Bulatov (r. 1968, Kaliningrad, Rusija) je umetnik, raziskovalec in umetnostni teoretik. V svojem raziskovalnem delu se osredotoča na različne vidike interdisciplinarnih umetniških medijev (sci-art, tehno-biološke umetnosti, itd.) in estetiko submedialnosti. Bulatov je avtor številnih člankov na temo umetnosti in novih tehnologij ter urednik knjig in antologij, kot so Ex-poetry (Malbork, 1996), Point of View (Olsztyn, 1998), Homo Sonorus (Kaliningrad, 2001), BioMediale: Contemporary Society and Genomic Culture (Kaliningrad, 2004), Evolution Haute Couture: Art and Science in the Postbiological Age (I. del, Kaliningrad, 2009). Njegova dela so bila predstavljena po številnih mednarodnih prizoriščih, med drugim na razstavah Bunker Poetico (49. Beneški bienale, 2001), Davaj! Russian Art Now (Berlin–Dunaj, 2002), Brain Academy Apartment (50. Beneški bienale, 2003), 3durch3 (Kassel, 2004), Eastern Neighbours (Utrecht, 2006), Technology Expanding the Horizon (Columbus, 2007), Senses Alert (Berlin, 2008), Corpus Extremus LIFE+ (New York, 2009), Russian Utopias (Moskva, 2010), Life. Version of Science (Moskva, 2011) in drugod. Bulatov se je udeleževal tudi številnih festivalov, naj omenimo Mednarodni filmski festival (Moskva, 2001, 2007, 2008), Radiotopia (ORF, Ars Electronica, 2002), Berliner Festspiele (Berlin, 2003), SKIF-8 (Sankt Peterburg, 2004), Up to date (Santiago, 2006), SciArtFest (Moskva, 2009), The Unheard Avantgarde (Kopenhagen, 2011), Pro&Contra (Moskva, 2011), Global Future 2045 (Moskva, 2012) ter drugod. Predaval je na več akademskih institucijah po Rusiji (Muzej Hermitage, Državna galerija Tretyakov), ZDA, Kanadi, Nemčiji, Nizozemskem, Mehiki, Singapurju in Hong Kongu. Leta 2007 je revija Wired uvrstila eno izmed njegovih umetniških del na lestvico najboljših 10 svetovnih inovacij. Je prejemnik širokega spektra nagrad in štipendij, med drugim državne nagrade za inovativnost na področju sodobnih vizualnih umetnosti (National Innovation Award for Contemporary Visual Arts, 2008). Dmitry Bulatov je trenutno zaposlen kot višji kustos Baltskega oddelka Nacionalnega centra za sodobne umetnosti, deluje pa tudi kot vodilni strokovnjak Središča za inovacije na Baltski zvezni univerzi (Kaliningrad, Rusija). ENG Dmitry Bulatov (b. 1968, Kaliningrad, Russia) is an artist, researcher and art theorist. His

research focuses on different aspects of interdisciplinary art media (sci-art, techno-biological arts, etc.), as well as on submediality aesthetics. Bulatov is the author of many articles on art and new technologies published; he has also edited books and anthologies such as Ex-poetry (Malbork, 1996), Point of View (Olsztyn, 1998), Homo Sonorus (Kaliningrad, 2001), BioMediale: Contemporary Society and Genomic Culture (Kaliningrad, 2004), Evolution Haute Couture: Art and Science in the Postbiological Age (part I, Kaliningrad, 2009). His artworks have been presented internationally, including such exhibitions as the Bunker Poetico (49th Venice Biennale, 2001), Davaj! Russian Art Now (Berlin–Vienna, 2002), Brain Academy Apartment (50th Venice Biennale, 2003), 3durch3 (Kassel, 2004), Eastern Neighbours (Utrecht, 2006), Technology Expanding the Horizon (Columbus, 2007), Senses Alert (Berlin, 2008), Corpus Extremus LIFE+ (New York, 2009), Russian Utopias (Moscow, 2010), Life. Version of Science (Moscow, 2011) and others. Dmitry Bulatov has taken part in numerous festivals, including the International Film Festival (Moscow, 2001, 2007, 2008), Radiotopia (ORF, Ars Electronica, 2002), Berliner Festspiele (Berlin, 2003), SKIF-8 (Saint Petersburg, 2004), Up to date (Santiago, 2006), SciArtFest (Moscow, 2009), The Unheard Avantgarde (Copenhagen, 2011), Pro&Contra (Moscow, 2011), Global Future 2045 (Moscow, 2012) and others. Bulatov has lectured at numerous academic institutions in Russia (including The State Hermitage Museum, The State Tretyakov Gallery), USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico, Singapore and Hong Kong. In 2007 one of his artworks was selected by Wired magazine as the world’s 10 top innovations. He has received numerous grants and awards including the National Innovation Award for Contemporary Visual Arts (2008). Dmitry Bulatov is currently a Senior curator at the Baltic Branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts and the leading expert at the Innovation Park of the Baltic Federal University (Kaliningrad, Russia).

BIOGRAFIJE

Marina Abramović (b. 1946, Belgrade, YU) is without question one of the seminal artists of our time. Since the beginning of her career, Abramović has pioneered the use of performance as a visual art form. The body has always been both her subject and medium. Exploring the physical and mental limits of her being, she has withstood pain, exhaustion, and danger in the quest for emotional and spiritual transformation. As a vital member of the generation of pioneering performance artists, Abramović created some of the most historic early performance pieces and is the only one still making important durational works. Her performance work has been featured in major retrospectives in New York (MoMa 2010), where she performed her durational piece The Artist is Present for more than 700 hours, and Moscow (GCCC, 2011), where she performed in Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze. Roy Ascott (b.1934, Bath, England) is an artist, researcher and art theorist who, since the 1960’s, has worked progressively towards an art that is cybernetic, telematic, technoetic, and syncretic. He is the author of over 200 articles on art and new technologies in journals, catalogues and anthologies. His books are translated into Korea, Japanese, and Chinese, and include The Telematic Embrace (Berkeley, 2003) and The Future is Now (Beijing, 2012). He is the founding president of the Planetary Collegium, and the DeTao Master of New Media Art at the Beijing De Tao Masters Academy in Shanghai. James Auger (b. 1970, Derby, England) and Jimmy Loizeau (b. 1968, St. Asaph, Wales) have been collaborating on projects since the Audio Tooth Implant concept was conceived whilst at the Royal College of Art in 2001. Post R.C.A. they worked at Media Lab Europe in Dublin as research associates. Auger and Loizeau have taken part in group exhibitions in the UK and abroad, including Don’t tempt me (ICA, London; MoMA, New York, 2001), Future products (London, 2002), Mobilise (Dublin, 2003), Open Borders (Lille, 2004), Betes de style (MUDAC, Lausanne, 2006), Philips Design exhibition (Eindhoven, 2007), Design and the Elastic Mind (MoMA, New York, 2008), What If (Dublin, 2009), Action! Design over Time (MoMA, New York, 2010–2012), New Energy in Art and Design (Rotterdam, 2012). They have participated in festivals such as Experimenta (Lisbon, 2003), ISEA (San Jose, 2006), Transmediale (Berlin, 2010) and Tech Fest (Mumbai, 2011) as well as art and design conferences in Basel, Seoul, Berlin and New York. They were awarded Designer of the Year from the Köln School of Design and Top 100 designs of 2002 from Time magazine, and received honorary mention at Ars Electronica (Linz, 2004). Auger and Loizeau are currently based in London and lecture at the Royal College of Art and Goldsmiths University. Tuur Van Balen (b. 1981, Leuven, Germany) uses design to explore the political implications of emerging technologies. Through designing and experimenting with new interactions, he constructs thought-provoking new realities. Both the process of creating these objects and the interventions and narratives as the resulting physical presence aim to confuse, question and confront different publics with the possible (and impossible) roles of technologies in our everyday lives. Since 2008, Tuur has been working on bringing design into the world of synthetic biology and vice versa. His works have been presented in various contemporary art exhibitions and festivals, such as Beijing International Design Triennial (the National Museum of China, Beijing), Design Directors (Vlaanderen Gallery, Brussels), Synth-ethic (the Natural History Museum, Vienna), Human + (the Science Gallery, Dublin), Alter Nature: The Unnatural Animal (Z33, Hasselt), Meta.Morf (the Biennale for Art and Technology, Trondheim), Further Instructions (The Arts Catalyst, London) and Examples to Follow! (Uferhallen, Berlin). In 2011 he won an Award of Distinction in the Hybrid Art category at Prix Ars Electronica (Linz). Van Balen lives and works in London. Brandon Ballengée (b. 1974, Sandusky, Ohio, USA) creates trans-disciplinary artworks inspired from his ecological field investigation and laboratory research. He has exhibited widely, including recent solo exhibitions at Ronald Feldman Fine Arts (New York), PAV Centro d’Arte Contemporanea (Turin) and The Royal Institution of Great Britain (London). His works have been included in several biennales and festivals including: Geumgang Nature Art Biennale (2004, South Korea); Venice Biennale (2005, Italy); Biennale for Electronic Arts Perth (2007, Australia); 3rd Moscow Biennale (2008, Russia); Transmediale 11 (2011, Germany); Prospect 2 New Orleans (2011, USA) and others. Three recent books have debuted on the Ballengée’s projects: Malamp: The Occurrence of Deformities in Amphibians (pub. Arts Catalyst & Yorkshire Sculpture Park, UK); Praeter Naturam (pub. PAV Centro d’Arte Contemporanea, Italy); From Scales to Feathers. (pub. Lafayette College, USA, Shrewsbury Museum, UK & Verkebe Gallery, Belgium). He currently is co-founding an urban ecology laboratory in his Manhattan art studio and finalizing his PhD through a collaborative program between the University of Plymouth (UK) and the ZHDK (Switzerland). Guy Ben-Ary (b. 1967, Los Angeles, USA) is an artist and a researcher whose work uses emerging media, in particular biologically related technologies (tissue engineering, electrophysiology and optics). Ben-Ary is an artist in resident in SymbioticA at the University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, since 2000. He is a member of the core SymbioticA Research Group and spent 2006 working as a Research Fellow in the NeuroLab, Georgia tech (Atlanta, USA). Guy is a member of the Biokino collective that is developing the “living screen” project, collaborated with the Tissue Culture & Art Project for 4 years (1999–2003) and a member of the team that developed the award winning Silent Barrage. His work has been exhibited and presented internationally.

BIOGRAPHIES

boredomresearch is a collaboration between Southampton UK based artists Vicky Isley (b. 1974, Bedford) and Paul Smith (b. 1975, Bedford). They are greatly inspired by the diversity that exists in nature. Using computational technology they explore this diversity to simulate natural patterns, behaviours and intricate forms that gradually change over time. All their artwork is computer-generated and includes interactive and public works of art, online projects, prints and generative objects. Their work has been exhibited worldwide in festivals, galleries and museums such as the KUMU Art Museum (Tallinn, 2011); Today Art Museum (Beijing, 2010); LABoral Centro de Arte y Creacion Industrial (Gijón, 2010); STRP Festival (Eindhoven, 2009); SIGGRAPH (Los Angeles, 2008); Haifa Museum of Art (Haifa, 2007); Netherlands Media Art Institute (Amsterdam, 2006); Transmediale.05 (Berlin, 2005); VIDA 7.0 (Madrid, 2004) and Garage Festival (Stralsund, 2002), among other venues. Their work has been featured in various arts and science publications/media including TIME Magazine, El Pais, Artinvestor, PAGE, Weave, Discovery Channel Canada and BBC World Services. boredomresearch are represented by [DAM]Berlin/Cologne. David Bowen (b. 1975, Indianapolis, IN) received his BFA from Herron School of Art in 1999 and his MFA from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis in 2004. His work has been featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions including: ArtBots (New York, NY, 2003), New Media Art Festival (Bangkok, 2005), Robotix (Brussels, 2006), On Growth and Form (Rochester, MN, 2007), Brainwave (New York, 2008), if/then (Philadelphia, PA, 2009), Data+Art (Pasadena, CA, 2009), Aesthetic Data (Moscow, 2010), SIGGRAPH (Vancouver, 2011), Transmediale (Berlin, 2012). His work has been featured in publications such as: Art in America, Leonardo and Sculpture Magazine. He was recently awarded Grand Prize in The Japan Media Art Festival (Tokyo), 3rd Prize in the Vida 12.0 Art and Artificial Life International Awards (Madrid) and a best in show award in Alternative Now: The 14th Media Art Biennale (Wroclaw). He has given lectures in various educational institutions, namely: Washington University (St. Louis), California State University (Sacramento), the University of Washington (Seattle), Arts and Intercommunication Center (Tokyo). He is currently an Associate Professor of Sculpture and Physical Computing at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Pier Luigi Capucci (b.1955, Lugo, Italy) is a researcher and art theorist. Since the early ‘80 he has been concerned with the communication’s studies, the new media and the new art forms, and with the relations among arts, sciences and technologies. He extensively published texts in books, magazines, catalogues and proceedings and he has written the books Reality of the Virtual (1993), The Technological Body (1994), Art and Technologies (1996). In 1994 he founded the first Italian online magazine and in 2000 he founded NoemaLab, a web magazine on culture-sciences-technologies interrelations. He has participated to international conferences and has delivered lectures in universities and institutions in Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, UK, Brazil, France, Turkey, USA, Greece, Norway, etc. He has been a professor at the Universities of Rome “La Sapienza”, Bologna, Florence, at the SUPSI – University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland and at the University of Urbino. Currently he is professor at the NABA International Academy of Arts and Design, Milan and he is a supervisor in the M-Node PhD Research Programme of the Planetary Collegium (University of Plymouth). Oron Catts (b. 1967, Helsinki, Finland) is director of SymbioticA, The Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts, School of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia. Catts is an artist, researcher and a curator at the forefront of the emerging field of biological arts. He was a Research Fellow at the Tissue Engineering and Organ Fabrication Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, and has worked with numerous other bio-medical laboratories around the world. In 1996, he founded (together with Ionat Zurr) the TC&A Project to explore the use of tissue technologies as an art medium. In 2000, he co-founded SymbioticA; an artistic research laboratory within a biological science department. SymbioticA become a Centre of Excellence in 2008 and has a thriving residency, academic and workshops programme. His work has been exhibited and presented internationally. Ursula Damm (b. 1960, Boppard, Germany) is an artist and a researcher. She has become known for her installations dealing with geometry and its social impact on public space. Since 1995 these installations became interactive, dealing with architectural aspects on the basis of tracking technology of closed circuit video cameras (www. inoutsite.de) from public places. Aside she developed numerous installation on the relationship of nature, science and civilization like Venus I–IV (part of the collection of the Ludwig-Museum Koblenz) or double helix swing (honorary mention Ars Electronica 2006). Ursula Damm has had solo exhibitions at the Goethe House in New York, at NeuerAachenerKunstverein, Aachen and at the Kunstsammlung NRW Düsseldorf, K20 Germany (at the fountain wall). Currently she works on an interactive installation and setting for a public place at the Metro-Station Schadowstrasse in Düsseldorf, Germany. Since 2008 she holds the chair of Media Environments (Media Arts&Design) at the Media Faculty of the Bauhaus-University Weimar. Joe Davis (b. 1950, Delaware, USA) is an artist and researcher. He graduated in 1973 with a BA in Creative Arts from Mt. Angel College (Oregon, USA). His works incorporate diverse media, including laser and electron beam applications, optical telecommunications and robotics and microfabrication systems to search for extraterrestrial intelli-

BIOGRAFIJE

gence. Davis has performed extensive research in molecular biology, microbiology and bioinformatics, producing genetic databases and new biological art forms. Between 1980 and 1982 he worked at the German Technical High School in Bremen. From 1982–1992, Davis taught graduate students in the Master of Science in Visual Studies Department at the MIT Center for Advanced Visual Studies and undergraduate students in painting and mixed media at the Rhode Island School of Design. For over 25 years, he has held academic and research positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 1990, Davis has been a Research Affiliate at the MIT Laboratory of Molecular Structure, MIT Department of Biology (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA). In 2012 he was awarded the Golden Nica for Hybrid Arts in the Prix Ars Electronica (Linz, Austria). Louis-Philippe Demers (b. 1959, Montreal, Canada) makes large-scale interactive installations, so far realizing more than 300 machines and participating in more than 70 stage productions. His works have been featured at major venues such as Lille 2004, Expo 1992 and 2000, Sonambiente, ISEA, SIGGRAPH and Sonar. He received four mentions at Ars Electronica, the Distinction of Prix Ars 96, the first prize of Vida 2.0, a mention at Vida 12.0, the prize for Lightforms 98 and six prizes for Devolution in 2006. He was Professor at the scenography department of the HfG/ZKM then he joined the Nanyang Technological University as PI at the Interaction and Entertainment Research Centre and Associate Professor at the School of Art, Design and Media. Suzanne Dikker (b. 1979, Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a cognitive neuroscientist with the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology (Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York). Her work, which has been published in scientific journals such as Psychological Science and Cognition, uses a variety of neuroimaging techniques to examine the human brain’s ability to anticipate language and other sensory stimuli in our environment. Her most recent research investigates the cognitive factors that influence shared brain responses between individuals. Suzanne Dikker received her PhD from New York University in 2010. Stefan Doepner (b. 1966, Bremen, Germany) studied at the University of Arts (Bremen). His focus is on the artistic exploration of today’s use, reception and rules of technology, to analyze and understand contemporary systems and techniques he acquires the method of reinvention. Co-founded several art groups and initiatives, including the f18institute in Hamburg, Cirkulacija2 and kud Obrat in Ljubljana. In 1992 he participated at the Documenta 9 project Van Gogh TV; since 1998 collaborates with Stelarc; in 2004 presented with f18institut Playground Robotics in Basel, Bern, Solothurn and Ljubljana; 2006 he participated at Steirischer Herbst, Graz and Smart 2006, Bremen; 2008 at Synthetic Times, Beijing and at Ars Electronica, Linz; 2009 he co-realized Prototype 11 within Cirkulacija2 at Kunsthaus Graz; 2010 he exhibited at Cabaret Voltaire in Zürich. Marc Dusseiller (b. 1975, Schaffhausen), PhD, is a transdisciplinary scholar, lecturer for micro- and nanotechnology, cultural facilitator and artist. He works in an integral way to combine science, art and education. He is Co-Founder of SGMK (Zürich) and Hackteria – Open Source Biological Art, a global community bridging bioart, DIYbio, hackerspaces and science. Arthur Elsenaar (b. 1962, Naarden, Netherlands) is an artist, electrical engineer and facial hacker. Since 1993, Elsenaar has investigated the computer-controlled human face as a site for artistic expression. He holds a PhD in Art and Design from Nottingham Trent University in the UK for his thesis entitled Facial Hacking: The Twisted Logic of ElectroFacial Choreography. Currently he is a lecturer at the ArtScience Interfaculty of the Royal Academy of Art and the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Netherlands. Elsenaar’s work has been shown at many internationally renowned conferences, festivals and institutes such as Ars Electronica, ISEA, DEAF, SIGGRAPH and MIT Media Lab. In 2008, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam acquired the algorithmic facial choreography work Face Shift for their permanent collection. He has been a core member of the Institute of Artificial Art in Amsterdam whose work received several awards; a Prix Ars Electronica honorary mention (1997), the Leonardo Award for Excellence (2003) for a paper on the history of electric performance art. For his most recent work, Elsenaar received the Technarte Best Speaker Award (2012) in Bilbao, Spain. Dmitry Galkin (b. 1975, Omsk, Russia) is a researcher and art theorist. He received his MA in Philosophy (1998) and PhD from Tomsk State University, Department of History and Theory of Culture (2002). In his research he focuses on techno-art hybridization and analyzes the history and aesthetics of technology based art practices. He has published extensively on the history and theory of cybernetic revolution and technological art in journals, catalogues and anthologies. Dmitry Galkin was a research fellow at the George Washington University (USA), University of California (USA) and Lancaster University (UK). Galkin has been actively collaborating with the American Society for Cybernetics (Washington, DC), and has taken part in the European Meetings on Cybernetics and System Research (EMCSR, Vienna, Austria). Currently he’s preparing his monograph entitled Digital Culture: Towards Artificial Life (Tomsk University Press, forthcoming, 2012). He is currently Associate Professor at the Institute of Art and Culture and at the Department of Philosophy in Tomsk State University (Tomsk, Russia). Andrew Gracie (b. 1967, Taplow, England) works across various disciplines including installation, robotics, sound, video and biological practice. This work is situated in the fuzzy and problematic trianglebetween the arts, technology and the sciences, creating

BIOGRAPHIES

situations of exchange between natural and artificial systems. Recently his work has begun to reflect cultural associations with the science of astrobiology. Often fusing a DIY approach to scientific practice his work fuses metaphor, poetry and investigation into pieces that probe ideas of systems, otherness and the future of life. His work has been shown across Europe as well as the USA, Japan, Mexico, China and Australia and has included special commissions for new works. His installation Autoinducer_ph-1 has received honorable mentions from VIDA (2007) and Ars Electronica (2007). He has also presented at numerous conferences and seminars internationally, has written and published a number of articles and papers for books and magazines, and continues to provide a range of teaching, lecturing and workshop activities internationally. He is one of three founder members of Hackteria, an online resource and workshop program for the DIY bio-artist and enthusiast. Kirsten Hudson, PhD, is a practicing artist and academic based in Western Australia. She is currently employed as a lecturer in the School of Design and Art and the School of Media, Cultural and Creative Arts at Curtin University as well as being an artist in resident at SymbioticA located in the University of Western Australia. Interested in critiquing dominant paradigms and ideologies associated with modern western cultural discourses surrounding subjectivity, embodiment and sociality, Hudson’s research to date has focused on disrupting historical and classical western cultural constructs of femininity. Erkki Huhtamo (b. 1958, Helsinki, Finland) works as Professor of Media History and Theory at the Department of Design Media Arts at the University of California (Los Angeles, USA). Since the early 1990’s, Huhtamo has pioneered media archaeology, an emerging approach to media studies. His most recent books are Media Archaeology: Approaches, Applications, and Implications (ed. with Jussi Parikka, University of California Press, 2011) and Illusions in Motion: Media Archaeology of the Moving Panorama and Related Spectacles (The MIT Press, 2012). His current book project is From Illusions to Interactions: Media Archaeology of Interactive Media (The MIT Press, under contract). As a curator Huhtamo has created many media art exhibitions, including The Interactive Garden (1993), Toshio Iwai (1994), The ISEA 94 Exhibition (1994), Digital Mediations (1995), Unexpected Obstacles: Perry Hoberman (1997), Paul DeMarinis (2000), Alien Intelligence (2000), Bernie Lubell (2002), and others. He has also written and directed television programs about media culture, and served in media art exhibition and festival juries worldwide. Floris Kaayk (b. 1982, Tiel, Netherlands) graduated cum laude at the animation department of the St. Joost Academy and received his Master of Fine Arts degree at the Sandberg Institute. During these studies he developed a fascination for the world of insect, evolution, technology and dark futuristic visions. These themes form the basis for, his first film, the animated nature documentary The Order Electrus he made in 2005. A year later Kaayk completed his second shortfilm, Metalosis Maligna (2006), a fictional documentary about a disease which happens to people with a medical implant in their bodies. Both films were rewarded with several awards. In 2010 he finished The Origin of Creatures, in which Kaayk presents post-apocalyptic world, with silent mutated body parts as residents. A group of fingers find an eye ball, and soon they come bundled with legs. As Industrious insects they try to build a new structure of the ground to get order in the chaos. The Origin of Creatures won 9 festival awards and was picked as the Dutch entry for the Academy Awards 2011. Kuda begut sobaki Alexey Korzukhin (b. 1974), Vladislav Bulatov (b. 1975), Natalia Grekhova (b. 1976), Olga Inozemtseva (b. 1977). The group was formed in 2000 in Yekaterinburg, Russia. It represents a wide range of contemporary multimedia arts (sound, video, installation, public performances). In its artworks the group addresses spontaneous bodily experiences and mythological narrations, as well as optical and language illusions. The group’s artwork has been presented at various festivals and exhibitions of contemporary art, including On the resort (Baden-Baden, 2004), 9th and 11th Art Forums of Artistic Initiatives (Moscow, 2004, 2005), 8th International Festival of Independent Artists Break 2.3 (Ljubljana, 2005), 10th Contemporary Sculpture Triennale (Fellbach, 2007), The Young Aggressive (Tokyo, 2008), 8th and 9th Krasnoyarsk Biennale (Krasnoyarsk 2009, 2011), Russian Utopia (Moscow, 2010), Aesthetics vs Information (Klaipeda, 2010), Moscow International Biennale of Contemporary Art (Moscow, 2005, 2007, 2009), and at exhibitions at the Second Nanotechnology International Forum (Moscow, 2009), the State Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow, 2005), Moscow House of Photography (Moscow, 2011), National Centre for Contemporary Arts (Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, Saint Petersburg, 2011). Seiko Mikami (b. 1961, Shizuoka, Japan) has been showing large-scale installations themed on information society and the human body since the 1980s. In 1990s, most of works are interactive media art installations incorporating human perception, eye tracking project molecular informatics at Canon Artlab (1996), about acoustic sense and an inner body sound at NTT Intercommunication Center’s permanent collection (1997), gravicells on the theme of the gravity called the 6th consciousness in YCAM (2004). Her works have been exhibited and presented internationally, including Miro Museum (Spain, 1999), Musee des Beaux Arts de Nantes (France, 2000), Kulturhuset (Sweden, 2006), Kuenstlerhaus Vienna (Austria, 2010), National Art Museum of China/

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NAMOC (2011) and others. She also has exhibited works in the field of media art festivals around the world such as DEAF (Holland, 1995, 1996, 2004), transmediale Berlin (Germany, 2002, 2005, 2007), Share Festival (Italy, 2005), Ars Electronica (Austria, 2005), OOH Festival (Spain, 2006), MoiMulti Quebec (Canada, 2007), TESLA Berlin (Germany, 2007), Digital Culture Festival (UK, 2008). Published “Seiko Mikami Art works” at Diputacion Provincial De Malaga (Spain, 2004). Mikami is currently Professor of Media Art Lab at Tama Art University (Japan). Alla Mitrofanova (1959, St Petersburg, Russia) is a philosopher, art curator, theorist of new-media arts. With a background of art history and philosophy from St Petersburg University, she focuses on the interactions between art and technology, as well as on trans-genre and contextual aesthetics. She has curated and co-curated exhibitions such as Individual body in the epoch of late totalitarianism (Museum of Modern Art, Mexico), Geopolitics (Museum of Ethnography, St Petersburg), 40 years of contemporary art (Expocenter, St Petersburg), etc. She was editor of Virtual Anatomy e-zine on media theory in 1996–98. Mitrofanova organizes interdisciplinary conferences and guest lectures at universities and international art academies. Her interest ranged from media theory, post-marxism, psychoanalysis to neurophysiology. In her current research she investigates the conception of semiotic chaos and technological art. Mitrofanova is also a co-founder of Media Gallery 21 (1994), Cyberfemin Club (1994), Philosophical cafe (2002) in St Petersburg. She published in n.paradoxa (intenational feminist art journal), Variantology 2 (Research on archaeology of the media, Cologne 2006) and catalogues. She is currently a moderator of Philosophical cafe in St Petersburg (Gallery of Experimental Sound Free Culture Foundation). Neurotica (AU/US) Philip Gamblen, Guy Ben-Ary, Peter Gee, Dr. Nathan Scott & Brett Murray, Dr. Steve Potter, Douglas Swehla, Stephen Bobic & Riley Zeller-Townson. This project was researched and developed at SymbioticA, The Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts at The School of Anatomy & Human Biology, University of Western Australia and Dr. Steve Potter’s lab within the Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology. SymbioticA is an artistic laboratory dedicated to the research, learning, critique and hands-on engagement with the life sciences. Crossing the disciplines of art and the life sciences, SymbioticA encourages better understanding and articulation of cultural ideas around scientific knowledge and informed critique of the ethical and cultural issues of life manipulation. SymbioticA was established in 2000 and won the inaugural Golden Nica in Hybrid Arts at Prix Ars Electronica in 2007. The Potter Lab is a research group that was established in 1999 (Los Angeles, USA). It is directed by Dr. Steve Potter. It operates in the Neuroengineering Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, USA). The Potter Lab applies multi-electrode array culture dishes, 2-photon time-lapse microscopy, and high-speed imaging of neural activity to study dissociated cultures of mammalian neurons. They are especially interested in distributed activity patterns and information processing of these cultured networks. In Matthias Oostrik’s (b. 1980, Amsterdam, Netherlands) work the audience is always present. Sometimes as object, sometimes as subject, but always as a starting point for a visual dialogue. He specializes in techniques for visual interaction, resulting in temporary video installations across the world (e.g., Mapping Festival, Geneva / TodaysArt, The Hague), as well as more permanent interactive installations for public spaces (e.g., the Bijlmer Moodwall, which received the Dutch Design Award). He received a degree in Interactive Media and Visual Effects at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy in 2004. Leo Peschta (b. 1978, Vienna, Austria) is an artist and a researcher. After studies of photography and graphic design, Leo Peschta graduated in digital media arts from the Academy of Applied Arts Vienna in 2007. During his studies he worked in all different fields of media-arts including sound, installations and software, developing over the years a special interest in the subject of robotics and machinery, which became the main field of his work. After his studies, he also started to work with the vienna based group “research center for shared incompetence” working on the messy and heterogeneous interfaces between science and society. His works have been exhibited at museums, festivals and galleries worldwide, including a solo exhibition at Ars Electronica - Tabakfabrik (Linz, 2010), Translife – The National Art Museum of China (Bejing, 2011), NIME (Oslo, 2011), Process as Paradigm, Museum Laboral (Gijon 2010), Artbots – Science Gallery (Dublin, 2008), un_space – Museum for Applied Arts Vienna (Vienna 2007). Leo Peschta has won several awards such as the robots choice award at Artbots 2008; honorary mention at VIDA13, an international competition on Art & Artificial Life; the Heinrich Klotz Stipendium ZKM Karlsruhe. Špela Petrič (b. 1980, Ljubljana), PhD, is a researcher and artist, currently studying Transmedia at Sint Lukas School of Art and Design. Until recently she was employed as an assistant at the Institute for Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana. Her creative practice takes shape at the interface of science and art. She collaborates with Kapelica Gallery and several Slovenian and international artists and is an active member of Hackteria (hackteria.org).

BIOGRAPHIES

Andrew Pickering (b.1948, Coventry, England) studied physics as an undergraduate at Oxford University and he has a PhD in theoretical particle physics from University College London and a PhD in science studies from Edinburgh University. He taught for many years at the University of Illinois in the USA, but since 2007 he has been professor of sociology and philosophy at Exeter University in England. Pickering has been a leading figure in the turn towards studying practice and materiality in science & technology studies (STS), and in developing the ontological implications of this approach more generally. He has held fellowships at MIT, the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, Princeton University, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Center for Advanced Study at Stanford, and the Universities of Durham, Konstanz and Weimar. He is the author of many books and articles including, most recently, The Cybernetic Brain: Sketches of another Future. Cybernetic Brain explores topics as diverse as brain science, robotics, antipsychiatry, the arts, Eastern spirituality and the counterculture of the 1960s, and Pickering’s current research focuses on art, agency and the environment. Monika Pocrnjić (SI) is a student of visual art education in Maribor. She is also a tutor and works as an assistant and organizer of visual art workshops for youth with special needs (cerebral paralysis). Lately she’s been actively connected to Biomodd team, which combines live biology and computer waste. In her projects she explores the interaction and impact of organic substances. Armin Purkrabek (b. 1978, Schwarzach/PG, Austria) is a stage designer, researcher and digital media artist. Various exhibitions and performances in Europe, USA and Asia e.g. solo exhibition „iShow“, Gallery The Space, Seoul, South Korea (2006). Senior researcher at Korean German Institute of Technology (KGIT), Seoul, South Korea (2006– 2007). Research associate at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Interaction and Entertainment Research Centre (IERC), Singapore (2008–2009). Remko Scha (b. 1945, Eindhoven, Netherlands) studied physics and computer science at the Technological University of Eindhoven from 1962–1970. Scha has organized a number of anarchistic music performances as member of The New Electric Chamber Music Ensemble and The Machines, his own electric guitar band. He designed an art generation algorithm named, Artificial and developed a model of human languageprocessing called, Data-Oriented Parsing. Scha is currently a professor of Computational Linguistics at the University of Amsterdam. Phillip Schulze (b. 1979, Herdecke-Ruhr, Germany) is a media artist, composer and improviser. Having developed much of his work in a visual art context, Schulze creates sound environments, installations, and extended concert situations with an aim at finding intersection points between visual and auditory experience as well as relations among participants, objects and site. Schulze’s work has been performed or installed in Germany, Austria, France, China, Japan, Singapore and the USA. Andrey Smirnov (1956, Moscow, Russia) is an interdisciplinary artist, independent curator, composer, author, educator, researcher and developer of interactive computer music techniques. He is a founding director and the senior lecturer of the Theremin Center at Moscow State Conservatory and the lecturer at the Rodchenko School of Photography and Multimedia where he teaches courses on the basics of Electroacoustic Music, recent Computer Music technologies and Physical Computing. He has conducted numerous workshops and master classes, curate a number of exhibitions in Russia, Europe and the U.S., attended various festivals and conferences. He is collecting and keeping unique archives on the history of Music Technology and Sound Art in the early 20th century Russia as well as original historical electronic musical instruments, combining deep research into the history of music technology with extensive experience of computer assisted composition and interactive performance. Maja Smrekar (b. 1978, Brežice, Slovenia) in 2005 graduated at the Sculpture Department of Fine Art and Design Academy in Ljubljana, currently finishing MA at the Video & New Media Department. Her main interest is based on the phenomenology of perception which she first started researching through space phenomena by composing live video among various collaborations in interactive sound/visual projects with other artists. Her main artistic focus remains at the intermedia art field. She has been collaborating with Kapelica Gallery in Ljubljana for the last five years and the Aksioma Institute in Ljubljana for the last three years where she has executed projects by researching frequency phenomena through biofeedback and thelematic presence, molecular biology and neuroscience in relations to body and (inter)subjective perception of space. During the last two years she has been developing projects within the field of bioart. In 2010 she organised International Intermedia Art Festival HAIP10/New Nature which took place at Multimedia Centre Kiberpipa (Cyberpipe) in Ljubljana where she has been active as an artistic director (2008–2010). Stelarc (b. 1946, Limassol) is an Australian artist who has used prosthetics, robotics, VR systems, the Internet and biotechnology to explore alternate, intimate and involuntary interfaces with the body. His earlier work includes making 3 films of the inside of his body, amplifying body signals and 25 body suspensions with hooks into the skin. Some of his projects include the third hand, virtual arm, stomach sculpture, exoskelton, extended arm, movatar, prosthetic head, muscle machine, partial head and walking head. He is surgically constructing and stem cell growing an extra ear on his arm that will be internet enabled, making it a publicly accessible acoustical organ for people in other places.

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He has also been performing as his avatar from his Second Life site, exploring Second Life as a second skin. In 1997 he was appointed Honorary Professor of Art and Robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2003 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Monash University. In 2010 he was awarded the Golden Nica for Hybrid Arts in the Prix Ars Electronica. He is currently Chair in Performance Art at Brunel University West London. His artwork is represented by the Scott Livesey Galleries in Melbourne. Polona Tratnik (b. 1976, Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia) is research associate and docent at University of Primorska, Science and Research Centre & Faculty of Humanities in Slovenia, in 2012 Fulbright Visiting Scholar and Guest Professor at University of California Santa Cruz. She is director of Horizonti institute, president of Slovenian Society of Aesthetics, and was art director of the Break 2.3 festival New Species (2005). Her monographs include: Hacer-vivir más allá del cuerpo y de los medios (2012), In Vitro. The Living Beyond Body and Art (2010), Transart. Culture and Art in Global Conditions (2010), The End of Art. Genealogy of Modern Discourse: from Hegel to Danto (2009), Art: Resistance, Subversion, Madness (ed., 2009). She is a pioneer bio artist working mainly with human living material, showed at: Ars Electronica (Linz, 2008), Bios 4 (Sevilla, 2007), Vit<a>rti (Antwerpen, 2007), In Vivo in Vitro (Athens, 2006), Biennial for Electronic Arts (Perth, 2004), L’Art Biotech (Nantes, 2003). Lars Vaupel (b. 1962, Hamburg, Germany) studied electric engineering at the Technical College of Hamburg. His research focuses on the link between art and robotics, creating interactive systems. Vaupel is Co-founder of the f18institut (Hamburg), an artistic association for art, information and technology research. He has participated in exhibition tours with own artistic projects and artistic contract works in Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Japan. He has given lectures and workshops in various institutions, namely: Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe (Hamburg), the Designskolen (Kolding), Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (Aarau), Muthesius-Kunsthochschule (Kiel), University of the Arts ZHdK (Zürich). Bill Vorn (b. 1959, Montreal, Canada) has worked as an artist and researcher in Interactive and Robotic Art for 20 years. His installation and performance projects involve robotics and motion control, sound, lighting, video and cybernetic processes. He pursues research and creation on Artificial Life and Agent Technologies through artistic work based on the Aesthetics of Artificial Behaviors. He holds a PhD degree in Communication Studies from UQAM (Montreal) for his thesis on Artificial Life as a Media. He teaches Electronic Arts in the Department of Studio Arts at Concordia University (Intermedia/Cyberarts program) where he holds the rank of Full Professor. He is responsible of the alab, a Robotic Art research-creation lab part of the Hexagram Institute. His work has been presented in many international events, including Ars Electronica, ISEA, DEAF, Sonar, Art Futura, EMAF and Artec. He has been awarded the Life 2.0 award (1999, Madrid), the Leprecon Award for Interactivity (1998, New York), the Prix Ars Electronica Distinction award (1996, Linz) and the International Digital Media Award (1996, Toronto). He was cofounder of the electronic pop music band Rational Youth with Tracy Howe in 1981. Ionat Zurr (b. 1970, London, UK), PhD, is an artist, researcher and a curator as well as the Academic Coordinator of SymbioticA, The Centre of Excellence in Biological Arts, School of Anatomy and Human Biology, the University of Western Australia. Ionat is considered a pioneer in the field of biological arts and her work has been exhibited internationally. Ionat has been a fellow in the InStem Institute, NCBS, Bangalore (2010) and a visiting scholar at The Experimental Art Centre, Stanford University (2007) and The Tissue Engineering & Organ Fabrication Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School (2000–2001). She has exhibited in places such as the MoMA NY, Mori Museum Tokyo, Ars Electronica, Linz, GOMA Brisbane and more. Slovenski prevod biografij umetnikov / Biographies in Slovene language: http://kiblix.org/kiblix2012/softcontrol/?cat=4&lang=sl

Zahvala / Special credits Laboratorijski center Univerze v Mariboru Laboratory center of the University of Maribor Avrelija Cenčič, vodja Katedre za mikrobiologijo, biokemijo, molekularno biologijo in biotehnologijo Fakultete za kmetijstvo in biosistemske vede in Katedre za biokemijo in nutricistiko Medicinske fakultete Univerze v Mariboru / head of the Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry, Molecular biology and Biotechnology, University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences; head of the Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, University of Maribor, Faculty of Medicine. Ivan Kranjc, dekan Medicinske fakultete Univerze v Mariboru / dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor. Danijel Rebolj, rektor Univerze v Mariboru / rector of the University of Maribor. Za sodelovanje pri posameznih projektih se zahvaljujemo sodelavcem Laboratorijskega centra Lidiji Gradišnik in Tomažu Langerholcu / We wish to thank Lidija Gradišnik and Tomaž Langerholc, collaborators of the Laboratory center, for their contributions to individual projects.

BIOGRAPHIES

FOTOGRAFIJE / PHOTO CREDITS 11 Kuda begut sobaki (RU). Fields 2.1, 2009–12. Mixed media installation, image courtesy the artists. 2012 Photo by Juri Plastinin 12 The Tissue Culture & Art Project: Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr (AU). Crude Matter, 2012. Mixed media installation, image courtesy the artists. 2012 Photo by Krzysztof Miekus 13 Floris Kaayk (NL). The Origin of Creatures, 2010. Sketch for movie, image courtesy the artist. 2010 Floris Kaayk 14 Polona Tratnik et al. (SI). Initiation, 2012. Mesenchymal stem cells marked with Vimentin (PE). Production: Horizonti, co-production: Biobanka, d. o. o., Educell, d. o. o. 2012. Photo by Marko Strbad 15 Leo Peschta (AU). Der Zermesser, 2007–2010. Autonomous robot, image courtesy the artist. 2010 Leo Peschta 16 Seiko Mikami (JP). Eye-Tracking Informatics, 2011–2012. Interactive installation, Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM), image courtesy the artist. 2010 Photo by Ryuichi Maruo 17 Ursula Damm (DE). Greenhouse Converter, 2010. Interactive installation, image courtesy the artist. 2010 Ursula Damm 18 Andrew Gracie (UK/ES). The Deep Data prototype_1, 2009. Research project in progress, image courtesy the artist. 2012 Photo by Andrew Gracie 19 Andrew Gracie (UK/ES). Drosophila titanus, 2010-ongoing. Research project, image courtesy the artist. 2012 Photo by Andrew Gracie 20 Bill Vorn (CA). DSM-VI, 2012. Robotic art installation. 2012 Photo by Csenge Kolozsvari 21 James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau (UK). Afterlife, 2009. Research project, photo courtesy the artists. 2009 James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau 22 James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau (UK). Carnivorous Domestic Entertainment Robots, 2009. Photo courtesy the artists. 2009 James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau & Aleksandar Zivanovic 24 Louis-Philippe Demers (SG). The Tiller Girls, 2010. An autonomous AI robots installation, image courtesy the artist. 2010 Photo by Ed Jansen 26 Arthur Elsenaar and Remko Scha (NL). Morphology / Face Shift, research project in progress, still from a color video. 2005 Arthur Elsenaar 27 Maja Smrekar (SI). MaSm Metatransformation, 2011. A mobile temporary laboratory environment, image courtesy the artist. 2011 Photo by Miha Fras 28 Brandon Ballengée (US). Malamp Reliquaries, 1996-ongoing. Unique IRIS prints on water-colour paper. 2003–07 Courtesy Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, NYC and Verbeke Galley, Antwerp 29 Louis-Philippe Demers (SG). Artificial Mi(s)tosis, 2010, 2010. An autonomous AI robots installation, image courtesy the artist. 2010 LouisPhilippe Demers 30 David Bowen (US). Fly tweet, 2012. Mixed media sculpture, photo courtesy the artist. 2012 Photo by David Bowen 31 David Bowen (US). Fly blimps, 2010. Mixed media sculpture, photo courtesy the artist. 2010 Photo by David Bowen 32 Vicky Isley and Paul Smith (UK). Real Snail Mail, 2008-ongoing. Network-based installation with RFID Technology. Courtesy of boredomresearch and [DAM] Berlin/Cologne. 2011 Photo by Kaupo Kikkas 33 Stelarc (AU). Prosthetic Head (Construction), 2003. An embodied conversational agent, image courtesy the artist, 3D modelling: Barrett Fox. 2009 Photo by Amy Youngs 34 Joe Davis (US). Making Fire, 2008. Still from a color video, image courtesy the artist. 2008 Joe Davis 35 Louis-Philippe Demers (SG). The Tiller Girls, 2010. An autonomous AI robots installation, image courtesy the artist. 2010 Photo by Ed Jansen 36 Neurotica (AU/US). Silent Barrage, 2011. Mixed media installation, image courtesy the artists. 2009 Photo by Philip Gamblen 37 Marina Abramović (RS/US) with Suzanne Dikker and Matthias Oostrik

FOTOGRAFIJE

(NL). Measuring the Magic of Mutual Gaze, 2011. Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, 2011 Copyright Marina Abramović, 2011. Photo by Maxim Lubimov, Garage Center for Contemporary Culture 38 Guy Ben-Ary and Kirsten Hudson (AU). In potēntia, 2012. Mixed media installation, photo courtesy the artists. 2012 Photo by Guy Ben-Ary 39 Tuur Van Balen (BE). Pigeon d’Or, 2010. Mixed media installation. 2010 Photo by Pieter Baert 40 Stefan Doepner and Lars Vaupel (SI/DE). DrillBot – Robot Partner 3.0, 2009. Autonomous robotics installation, image courtesy the artists. 2009 Photo by f18institute 45 SymbioticA (AU) and The Potter Lab (USA). MEART – The Semi-Living Artist, ongoing project. 2004 SARG and The Potter Lab. Photo by Phil Gamblen 47 Stelarc (AU). Extra Ear: Ear on Arm, 2006, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne. 2006 Photo by Nina Sellars 48 Philip Ross (USA). Junior Return, 2005, photo courtesy the artist. 2008 Photo by Philip Ross 50 James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau (UK). Iso-Phone, 2003–04. Research project, photo courtesy the artists. 2003 James Auger, Jimmy Loizeau 52 Hiroshi Ishiguro at al (JP). Telenoid, 2010. Tele-Presence Android for Communication. Courtesy of Osaka University and ATR Intelligent Robotics and Communication Laboratories 54 Organogenesis (US). Apligraf, 2009. Tissue sample, model (cow collagen, human fibroblasts and keratinocyte stem cells). Courtesy of Michael Timmons 55 Monika Pocrnjić (SI), Špela Petrič (SI), Marc Dusseiller (CH). Discoon-a-Fingertip, 2012. BioCyberKidzz Workshop. Image courtesy of the artists. 56 Maja Smrekar & Špela Petrič (SI). DNA Sequencing workshop. Photo by Miha Fras 57 Andrey Smirnov (RU). The Theremin Kitchen Workshop. Image courtesy the artist. Copyright Andrey Smirnov 58 Alessandro Bavari (IT). Metachaos, 2010, still from a video. Copyright Alessandro Bavari, Ars Electronica 60 Erik Bünger (NL). The Third Man, 2010, still from a video. Copyright Erik Bünger, Impakt 61 Boris Debackere (NL). Probe, 2008, an interactive installation in the frames of XIII MIFF Media Forum exhibition The Immersion: Towards the Tactile Cinema at Ekaterina cultural foundation, Moscow, 2012 63 The Tissue Culture & Art Project: Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr (AU). NoArk, 2007, still from a video. Photo courtesy of the artists. 64 Bulat Galeev and Prometheus Institute (RU). Crystal, 1965, a light music Instrument. Copyright Prometheus Institute 66 John Cage and the audience on the platform constructed for the Variations VII, 1966, still from a video. Copyright E.A.T. Foundation Cover: Brandon Ballengée. Hadēs, 2012. Photograph of Cleared and Stained Multi-limbed Pacific Tree frog from Aptos, California in Scientific Collaboration with Dr. Stanley K. Sessions. Unique Digital Chromogenic print on watercolor paper. Courtesy the Artist and Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, NY, NY Avtorji fotografij v slovenskem jeziku / Photo Credits in Slovene language: http://kiblix.org/kiblix2012/softcontrol/?cat=4&lang=sl

PHOTO CREDITS

Smer Dravograd

Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti (KGLU) Glavni trg 24 Slovenj Gradec

Slovenj Gradec

Smer Gradec (AT)

Smer Zagreb (CRO)

Smer Ljubljana (SI)

KIT - info Glavni trg 14

PORTAL Valvazorjeva 40

Maribor

MMC KIBLA Ul. kneza Koclja 9

PODPORA / SUPPORT S podporo Programa Kultura Evropske unije. With the support of the programme Culture of the European Union. Ministrstvo za izobraževanje, znanost, kulturo in šport Republike Slovenije Ministry for education, science, culture and sport of the Republic of Slovenia MARIBOR 2012 – Evropska prestolnica kulture MARIBOR 2012 – European Capital of Culture Mestna občina Slovenj Gradec Municipality of Slovenj Gradec Mestna občina Maribor Municipality of Maribor Ministrstvo za gospodarski razvoj in tehnologijo v okviru OP IPA SI-HR 2007–2013 Ministry of economic development and technology in the framework of OP IPA SI-HR 2007–2013 Deutsche Botschaft Laibach / Nemško veleposlaništvo Ljubljana EU Japan Fest Japan Committee Urad za mladino RS Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth Javni sklad Republike Slovenije za kulturne dejavnosti Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities S pomočjo programa javnih del Zavoda Republike Slovenije za zaposlovanje. With support of Employment Service of Slovenia (public works). Zahvale / Credits: Iskra Pio Mikro+Polo Biobanka Domel Tehtnica Intereuropa Soundbiro Europlakat Kommunio Terme Maribor Posebna zahvala za sodelovanje Laboratorijskega centra Univerze v Mariboru / Special credits: Laboratory center of the University of Maribor, for their cooperation

JAVNI SKLAD REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE ZA KULTURNE DEJAVNOSTI

PARTNERJI SOFT CONTROL SOFT CONTROL PARTNERS

PRIDRUŽENI PARTNERJI ASSOCIATED PARTNERS

www.softcontrol.info KID KIBLA / ACE KIBLA Maribor, Slovenia (SI) www.kibla.org Koroška galerija likovnih umetnosti Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia (SI) www.glu-sg.si Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto Porto, Portugal (PT) sigarra.up.pt Centre for new media culture RIXC Riga, Latvia (LV) www.rixc.lv International Centre for Art and New Technologies CIANT Prague, Czech Republic (CZ) www.ciant.cz Hangar, Centre for research and production for the visual arts Barcelona, Spain (ES) hangar.org/en MMSU, Muzej moderne i suvremene umjetnosti Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Rijeka Rijeka, Croatia (HR) www.mmsu.hr Dom omladine Beograd Beograd, Serbia (RS) www.domomladine.org

Univerza v Mariboru University of Maribor Medicinska fakulteta Faculty of Medicine Maribor, Slovenia www.mf.uni-mb.si

O3ONE Beograd, Serbia (RS) www.o3one.rs

Univerza v Novi Gorici University of Nova Gorica Nova Gorica, Slovenia www.ung.si/en Kmetijski inštitut Slovenije Agricultural Institute of Slovenia Ljubljana, Slovenia www.kis.si Multidisciplinarni raziskovalni inštitut Maribor / Multidisciplinary research Institute Maribor Maribor, Slovenia www.institute.si/en Tehno center Univerze v Mariboru Techno Center at University of Maribor Maribor, Slovenia www.tehnocenter.si Znanstvenoraziskovalni center Slovenske akademije znanosti in umetnosti / Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Ljubljana, Slovenia www.zrc-sazu.si

www.kiblix.org

Izvedba tega projekta je financirana s strani Evropske komisije. Vsebina publikacije je izključno odgovornost avtorja in v nobenem primeru ne predstavlja stališč Evropske komisije. / This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

MEDNARODNA RAZSTAVA > KONFERENCA > IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM > PREDAVANJA > DELAVNICE > PROJEKCIJE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION > CONFERENCE > EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM > PUBLIC LECTURES > WORKSHOPS > SCREENINGS SLOVENJ GRADEC MARIBOR SLOVENIJA Izdajatelj / Publisher: KID / ACE KIBLA Ulica kneza Koclja 9, Maribor, Slovenija Zanjo / Represented by: Aleksandra Kostič www.kiblix.org Edicija / Edition: TOX vozni res po tri tisočih time table through tree thousand leto 17, št. 41 / year 17, No 41

Tisk / Print: Repro Point d. o. o. Slovenija, 2012 Naklada / Copies: 3000

CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 7.01:004(4)(082) SOFT control : art, science and the technological uncoscious = umetnost, znanost in tehnološko nezavedno. - Maribor : KID, ACE Kibla, 2012. - (Tox : vozni red po tri tisočih = time table through three thousand ; year 17, no. 41) ISBN 978-961-6304-29-0 263873536

MEDNARODNA RAZSTAVA > KONFERENCA > IZOBRAŽEVALNI PROGRAM > PREDAVANJA > DELAVNICE > PROJEKCIJE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION > CONFERENCE > EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM > PUBLIC LECTURES > WORKSHOPS > SCREENINGS