Posts filed under 'Visiting researchers'
I should have done this earlier but…… I’d like to officially introduce some new members to INCITE. Goetz Bachmann, Britt Hatzius and Sebastian Olma are all working with Nina on the Understanding European cultural intermediaries project. They have just finished interviewing thirty designers in two European countries, Amsterdam and Helsinki, for the initial part of the project. See blog posts below. They recently took over one of the seminar rooms in Goldsmith’s Warmington Tower to make mess with post-it notes, big boards and images to start to analytically work through their findings. Nina and Goetz took some of these ideas across to Intel’s PAPR group and they form the basis of their presentation at Ubiquitous Media, Asian Transformations conference at the University of Tokyo.
July 13th, 2007
I meet Sebastian in Amsterdam to conduct a number of interviews with new media artists in both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Warm spring has arrived and the sun is turning everything into holiday atmosphere – we nevertheless have a tight schedule: first stop is DEAF07 – Interact or Die! dutch electronic art festival in Rotterdam. Even Queen Beatrix pays a visit on april the 18th – not sure if this tells us anything ..
Bycicle parking decks next to Centraal Station Amsterdam.
Zhana finds me a bycicle! Feeling immediately at home, zooming past elegant ladies, oldish men and incredibly stylish flats along the canals, I manage to visit every location on the list: De Apple Art Gallery, Montevideo (Netherlands Media Art Institute – not in Uruguay), Waag society (located in one of the oldest buildings in Amsterdam) and STEIM. My favourite remains the ex-post office headquarters surrounded by building sites and water (where we later meet very nice ‘new media couple’ Karen and Hermen). Its charm is probably the combination of fairly smart but relaxed bar 11 (www.ilove11.nl ..!) on the top floor (fantastic views across Amsterdam), rather informal and slightly abandoned looking (but important online presence) mediamatic on ground floor and the official Stedelijk Museum for Contemporary Art (which is normally situated in its ancient premisses in the heart of Amsterdam).
Bar 11 has an ‘interactive’ menu in form of a book which invites customers to scribble on its white pages (here ‘nina’ – by chance..)
Goetz points out the seemingly permanent installation of video screens covering the walls – smart platform for new media art?
Rotterdam presents itself as a rough contrast to Amsterdam – which is precisely its charm. After a visit to Daan Roosegaarde in Gouda, next stop is V_2 – organizers and supporters of new media art/interactive design work since 1981. Like all other institutions/organizations we visit here, this too has none of the slick, smart, media overwhelming feel to it – bare staircases, warehouse spaces as research labs, books, computers, cables and people all mingled together. Third stop is Manix de Nijs who kindly drives us to his studio which he shares with sound artist Edwin van der Heide.
We extend the interview with Marnix to further conversations over dinner until Sebastian and I catch the evening train back to Amsterdam..
April 30th, 2007
.. just joined Goetz in sunny but freezing Helsinki to explore the new media art and interactive design scene in Helsinki. Meetings with several artists and designers are ligned up for the next 10days and Goetz had the pleasure of being introduced to many already at the Pixelache Festival which has just come to a close. http://www.pixelache.ac/2007/pikseliahky07-english/
Gliding over a lot of little islands – and impressed by the finnair design – I landed safely at Helsinki-Vantaa airport and was kindly welcomed by Pixelache graphic designer Wojtek, with whom I’ll be staying with these days. I have already given up trying to understand any of the signs – but am enjoying the sounds and extremely charming combinations of letters to form words – a lot of double ii, double uu, double aa, double ooooo
a pattern that reminds of the air view which you might have onto the fields below
.. bought a pair of home knitted gloves of a very old finish lady sitting outside Puistola train station. While listening to her husky voice talking to me (in finish) I respond by showing her my white frozen fingers and she smiles.. apart from this, almost everyone does speak english!
‘Headquarters of finish design export’ comments – Andrew Paterson
- active in media and socially engaged art as both artist, initiator and curator here in Helsinki as well as abroad – as we walk past, on our way from interview to finish dinner (Hering).
This has not been the topic of our interviews though – at least not only. During first two interviews (Andrew and Juha Huuskonen – initiator and organizer of Pixelache) we stumble upon different descriptions and understandings of media art here in Helsinki, its evolution over the last 15 years, its meaning and function within finish (and international) cultural/social networks – a complex set of questions, issues and opinions that are keeping us thinking..
April 4th, 2007
I’ve just returned from two weeks in Portland, where I was invited by Genevieve Bell (Intel) to present a midpoint report of my Intel/INCITE funded project Domestic Space and Interfaces for Located Mobility (see below). I presented interim results and workshopped emerging themes and ideas with a number of research and business groups during my stay. It was a great time to be there: it was summer, there were a number of visiting faculty members (Nina, Paul), students doing internships (Amanda, Johanna) and lots of DDTR and PAPR researchers to bump into in corridors and kitchens. In between jetlag and meetings I did my PhD review/defence via conference call with my panel in the UK*. Although it wasn’t an official transfer as I am already PhD registered it was a significant step for my work. The process of defending my ideas was a horrible/terrific experience and the critique from the panel will be useful going forward. Many thanks to Nina, Paul Hodkinson and Sara Arber. Hurrah. Relief. Exhaustion. By the time I got to Chicago for a few days after all this busy-ness, to visit Kris and hang out in the sun, I was ready for some time off which the lovely city and company provided. Thankyou, you.
Why oh why are electricity points so difficult to find in airports? Why are the few that work located underneath public phones? And why is it wrong to unplug the coke/snack machine?
* Defending over the phone, as I am sure many know, is not a usual part of a review/defence. UK uni strike action in May when I was scheduled to defend and my booked ticket to Oz to start fieldwork in Adelaide meant my review was postponed. It was rearranged whilst Nina and I were together at Intel. With my jetlagged mind, have to say, talking to a panel in Surrey about my study in Adelaide whilst sitting in an office in Portland was odd. Good, but odd.
August 1st, 2006
Martin, having spent the last two months visiting with INCITE and the DWRC, is returning to Cophenhagen today to his family and the final few months of his PhD. Although the time has gone incredibly quickly, it sounds as if it has been productive for him and I can say on behalf of the INCITEr’s it has been valuable for us. Despite the pressure to hide away and write, he has contributed to various INCITE spaces such as workshops in the studio (London), meetings at school (Guildford) and the blog. He’s also been my travelling conspirator on many a train there and back and we’ve met for even more talking over food (like Konstam above, and ‘tea for two’ at the British Library). I especially want to pass on thanks for his help with the blog transfer and redesign, because I am certain that without him it would not be working half as well as it is. So, thanks Martin, bye, safe travelling and hear from you soon.
November 30th, 2005