artsactive.net/news

Artists as Inventors - Inventors as Artist by Dieter Daniels und Barbara U. Schmidt. Publisher: Hatje Cantz. December 2008.

Using both historical and contemporary examples, this publication traces the complex relationships between art, technology, and science, focusing on technological and artistic media from the nineteenth century to the present day. Among the key themes are: the status of technology as a shared feature of or “boundary object” between art and science; the conflicts among ethical, aesthetic, and economic values in the system of art versus that of technology; the paradox that inventions are regarded as achievements of individual geniuses but can actually only be made and successfully applied when they have been sanctioned by the sociohistorical zeitgeist.

Robert Thill published in 2004 in Leonardo an article untitled "Intellectual Property: A Chronology Compendium of Intersections between Contemporary Art and Utility Patents". He is currently publishing an expanded version of the compendium in serial form on www.clancco.com (a new entry appears every two weeks). The last one is about Hideki Nakazawa: Art-Related Patent Inventions in the Framework of Identity, with Language as a Dividing Form and Subject Matter as a Connecting Form.
Image: Hideki Nakazawa (detail).

Published by Luis Silva in Rhizome, on August 20th, 2008. Image: detail of Marta de Menezes, Nature? (Modified butterfly from installation / performance), 2007

There is an interesting article in Art Journal Vol 67 No 2 summer 2008 p55 by T'ai Smith called "Anonymous Textiles, patented domains: The Invention (and Death) of an author". The article describes the work of Otti Berger, a student and teacher at the Bauhaus. She filed, and obtained a patent No 594075 in Nov 6 1934, the patent concerns weaving synthetic materials into textiles. The article describes the discussion going on in the Bauhaus in the 1930s about the nature of intellectual property and many issues that connect directly to the open source discussions today.
Image: Otti Berger by Luciy Moholy (detail). Taken from www.bauhaus.de

From Artsactive network we are establishing a list of artists that have filed patents. If it is your case, or if you know artists that have done it, please send us a mail to info[@]artsactive.net.
[Image: from IPKat Blog]

SUPER HUMAN: Revolution of the Species, presented by the Australian Network for Art & Technology (ANAT), is an international event comprising a symposium, exhibition, masterclass and public talk investigating collaborative art and science practices and their relationship with the human body.

22 – 26 November 2009
Melbourne, Australia

Call for Abstracts deadline: 30 March 2009

Visit the website for details.

Symposium Chair: Vicki Sowry as@anat.org.au +61 8 8231 9037

Deadline to apply: 9th of December 2008, at 9am (spanish time).

Five entities will conduct investigations in collaboration with artists or goups of artists. The research projects, which will be developed between January and September 2009, are the following ones: new paradigms in the area of the increased cognition in the future missions manned of planetary exploration (GTD, Ingenieria de Sistemas y Software), new dynamics and environments of work (Telefónica i+d), the development of a multitouch prototype of multiple applications (Eidola), creative dynamics in the image department (TV3) and the development of an external meeting point related to architectures for public spaces (Trànsit projectes).

Complete information, documentation and details about each body and research proposal in How to participate .

Workshop: 18-21 2008. Public discussion: Saturday 22nd Nov 2008. DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 15th September 2008. SymbioticA’s Biological Art Workshop is a workshop dealing with hands on exploration of biological technologies and issues stemming from their use. The workshop is part of Article|08 – biannual exhibition for unstable and electronic art forms taking place in Stavanger (Norway). Attendance at the workshop will be by selection through open submission or by invitation. The selection will be made by Hege Tapio from i/o/lab, Jens Hauser co-curator of Article|08 and Oron Catts from SymbioticA. For more information: hege@iolab.no.

The public presentation will introduce the local arts/science community to the national and international opportunities and models of arts/science organisations. Speakers include Denisa Kera (Transgenesis, Czech Republic), Marta de Menezes (Ectopia, Portugal), Anne Kienhuis (Arts & Genomics Center, Netherlands), Vicki Sowry (Australian Network for Art and Technology), Oron Catts (SymbioticA, Australia). For more information: amanda[at]symbiotica.uwa.edu.au

Artsactive will be holding a think-tank over three days in July to interrogate the issues impacting upon the success and sustainability of art/science residency programs now and into the future.

The think-tank is being hosted by SymbioticA in Perth, Australia. As well as the formal sessions, the participants will also tour SymbioticA's lab facilities at the University of Western Australia and undertake a field trip to Lake Clifton - home to largest lake-bound thrombolite reef in the Southern Hemisphere.

The think-tank outcomes - a set of best-practices for the delivery of residency programs involving artists and scientists/researchers in academic and industry settings - will be disseminated immediately through an invited panel session at ISEA 2008 (25 - 31 July 2008). The panel, being co-presented by ANAT and artsactive, will be held from 2pm - 4pm on Saturday 26 July in the Ngee Ann Kongsi auditorium, Singapore Management University.

For further information on the think-tank, please contact Jane Coakley (SymbioticA) jane [at] symbiotica.uwa.edu.au
For further information about the ISEA panel, please contact Vicki Sowry (ANAT) ars [at] anat.org.au