event: Performing Space

This event is aimed at researchers in humanities areas like geography, architecture and urban studies and is an opportunity to lay the basis for future collaborations and explore new research processes.

New types of communication networks based on wireless interactive ICT technology are transforming our understanding of contemporary public and private space. They are increasingly being explored by live media artist through events like the Radiator Festival (Nottingham), First Play Berlin and Dis-locate (Tokyo). Within other humanities subject areas new insights into the changing nature of public space are being addressed.

The research aim of this hybrid workshop is to bring together a range of humanities researchers and artists to examine how the common ground between these disciplines can be developed through examining ICT wireless network strategies borrowed from the work of artists; and conversely how the development of research, particularly in the areas of geography and architecture, can inform the artists` research and development.

The workshop takes place at the Nottingham Trent University, School of Art and Design.

The morning session. 10-1pm Performing Space-Setting the Context would bring together a range of speakers and attendees from humanities and art practice to examine the context of ICT technology and contemporary space (see details of participants below)
What is new and challenging about working with ICT networks for creative production and research?

The afternoon session 2-5 pm Performing Space-Interrogating the Context will be hearing from artists and theorists about specific strategies adopted within the work of live media artists and would include an invited audience of researchers, geographers, urban planners, architects, artists, and cultural theorists.

Between and around these two sessions there will be the opportunity for the attendees to see documentation from related artists’ projects.

To see a full programme for the day visit:
http://www.methodsnetwork.ac.uk/activities/act29.html

The morning speakers will include:

Professor Steven Benford. Steve Benford is the Professor of Collaborative Computing at the University of Nottingham where he co-founded the MRL. He is a co-investigator of the Equator IRC. The Mixed Reality Lab at Nottingham University has worked with artists like Active Ingredient and Blast Theory creating innovative pervasive work using wireless and mobile networks for interactive work within cities around the world.

Professor David Crouch David Crouch is Professor of Cultural Geography, Leisure and Tourism at the University of Derby, and Visiting Professor of Geography and Tourism at Karlstad and Kalmar in Sweden. He is editor of Leisure/tourism Geographies [Routledge 1999] and Co-editor of Visual Culture and Tourism [Berg 2003]. His work particularly addresses our new understanding of how we perform space from the position of a geographer.

Jonathan Hale. Jonathan Hale is an architect and associate professor at the University of Nottingham. He is author and editor of several books and articles in the area of architecture, the body and technology. He is currently developing a collaborative project with the Vienna based
artist/choreographer Cie. Willi Dorner and the Mixed Reality Lab at Nottingham University's School of Computer Sciences, having worked with
the same team in 2006 on a commission for the nottdance06 festival.

Angharad Wynne-Jones, Director of LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre) will talk about ‘the Lift’ The Lift, is a new concept in performance space where artists from around the world and the people of the city can gather together to share stories, exchange knowledge and imagine and rehearse new futures. The process of working and developing its design has been with architects AOC and 200 east and south-east London residents who are representative of the people who will use the Lift http://www.liftfest.org.uk/

The afternoon session addresses the initiatives which have been taken by artists will include a series of short artist presentations and discussions responded to by presenters from the morning session and researchers and curators engaged in the current projects.

The particular artists and projects we will be engaging with as examples are the following.

Professor John Newling. John Newling lives in Nottingham where he is currently Professor of Installation Sculpture at The Nottingham Trent University. Newling has an international reputation and has installed works across Europe and the USA. He has pioneered working with information in site specific contexts and the use of online camera monitoring networks. e.g. Chatham Vines
www.john-newling.com/

Heath Bunting.
An artist looking critically at identity and the city in the context of digital networks. He recently exhibited the next stage of The Status Project in Nottingham. Heath is preparing works examining borders and identity to be shown at both the Institute of Contemporary Arts and
Tate Modern in 2008.
http://status.irational.org/
http://irational.org/cgi-bin/cv2/temp.pl

Mirjam Struppek
Based in Berlin and works internationally as urbanist, researcher and consultant. She is President of the newly formed International Urban Screens Association (IUSA) and a member of Public Art Lab, Berlin. With a background in Urban- and Environmental Planning she has internationally lectured and published essays with a special focus on the livability of urban space, public sphere and its transformation and acquisition through new media.
http://www.urbanscreens08.net/

Anette Schäfer
Curator and Director of Trampoline, a new media art organisation, who initiated the Radiator Festival for New Technology Art. Trampoline has been active over the last 10 years curating and supporting work which has explored a re-conceptualizing of public space within the city.
The Radiator festival scheduled for late 2008 will be commissioning new artists work which uses this new configurations of the city public spaces and the networked environment.
http://www.trampoline.org.uk/TrampolineUK/
http://www.trampoline-berlin.de/

The WiMAX Forest
Nottingham Trent University has been working with a range of partners including cultural and educational institutions, small companies and INTEL to establish an innovative WiMAX community network in a vibrant multi-cultural area of the city connected to a school and new African-Caribbean and South Asian Arts Centre. In 2008 the project will be activated as a demonstrator for new content and interaction.
http://www.intel.com/technology/magazine/communications/digi...

Active Ingredient
The developers of “Heartlands”, an Award winning locative media project with the Mixed Reality Laboratory designed to re-energise urban space and encourage exercise (Dept of Health funded).
http://www.i-am-ai.net/home.html

Open City Andrew Brown - The use of dance and wireless technology to map activities in the city presented across Nottingham at NottDance 07.
http://www.thinkingfeet.blogspot.com

Tour Of Tokyo
Using international online interaction to develop an understanding of Urban Space and intercultural dialogue by school children in Nottingham and Tokyo. A collaborative initiative by Trampoline and the Dis-Locate exhibition and seminar series which takes place annually in Tokyo.
http://www.inter-play.org/2007/message2.html