April 15, 2023, Brussels, Belgium / Online
LASER Talks Brussels
April 15, 2023, 7 pm CET
iMAL, Center for digital cultures and technology
Panelists: Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau, Dr. Elio Tuci.
Moderated by Alexandra Dementieva & Dr. Florian Zanatta
In the framework of the opening of THE ARTWORK AS A LIVING SYSTEM, a retrospective of the work of Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau, we invite you to a LASER Talk with the artists, joined by Dr. Elio Tuci.
THE ARTWORK AS A LIVING SYSTEM connects a traditional subject – art and nature – with the most innovative artistic techniques employed in virtual, sentient, interactive projects. The presented works offer an intimate and tangible approach to concepts such as quantum physics, the theory of complex systems, genetics, molecular nanoscience or artificial life. This exceptional retrospective is the result of a co-production between ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe (Germany), OÖ Landes-Kultur GmbH, Linz (Austria) and iMAL Brussels (Belgium). The exhibition is curated by Karin Ohlenschläger.
LASER Talk participants will discuss topics related to the intersection between biology, technology & art, and the use of biological systems and processes that serve as a metaphor for the complex relationships between humans, nature, and the digital world.
PANELISTS
Christa Sommerer & Laurent Mignonneau are internationally acclaimed pioneers of interactive art. Since the early 90s, their immersive installations encourage us to explore and interact with natural environments and to participate in their simultaneous transformation in the digital space. Plants, water, and lights become sensitive interfaces through which the public can create and connect with virtual environments.
Dr. Elio Tuci is a researcher in the field of artificial life, with a focus on using robotic and computational models to understand the behavior of biological systems. He has collaborated with artists on projects that explore the intersection of art, science, and technology.
Dr. Florian Zanatta is conducting research projects on bryophytes biogeography and urban ecology. During his PhD thesis (2013-2018) at the University of Liège he developed a novel framework for dynamic ecological niche models, integrating species-specific and spatially explicit migration simulations, in order to explore bryophytes’ potential migration capacity through wind dispersal, in the context of climate changes. Later he worked at Meise Botanic Garden (2020-2022). He co-founded a citizen urban ecology lab (non-profit) in Liège called “lacYme” (2021), which develops science communication and citizen-science-based research projects and activities (e.g. BioBlitzes, urban biodiversity walks…). During these collaborative events, lacYme aims at gathering scientists from different fields, naturalists, artists, and citizens together around places to explore, experiment and discuss biodiversity and ecological questions, with the complementarity of these approaches.
INITIATORS