MRL announce the fifth in their monthly Lecture Series for 2009/2010, which aims to invite senior researchers in industry and academia to present their research in the area of ubiquitous computing and identify areas for collaboration.
Professor Chris Meigh-Andrews, University of Central Lancashire
Chris Meigh-Andrews is an artist, writer and curator and Professor of Electronic & Digital Art in the school of Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston, England, and has been exhibiting his video and installation work internationally since the late 1970’s. He has held numerous artist-in-residence posts in the UK, Canada and Europe, and he was Arts Council of England International Artist Fellow in Krakow during 2003/04.
Over the past fifteen years his artistic practice has developed from multi-screen gallery works to include the making and building of sitespecific and outdoor moving image installations, involving the use of a range of imaging technologies, the internet and the harnessing of renewable energy systems. This presentation will provide an overview of his working practice in producing collaborative moving image installation work in this period, centred on his most recently completed weather responsive outdoor installation project on the Monument in the City of London. Chris will trace and explore the ideas and concepts behind a number of large-scale commissioned installations he has made in collaboration with technologists, scientists, computer programmers and engineers over the last fifteen years. The presentation will be illustrated with images, diagrams and moving image documentation of these works to help to provide an overview of the various projects and the impact and value of collaborative practice on his work as an artist.
Meigh-Andrews’ commissioned and site-specific installation work often features renewable energy sources including wind and solar power and he was the recipient of a research award from the National Endowment of Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) in 2004 as part of a commission to develop the prototype for a self-powered outdoor video installation in Grizedale Forest. His most recent installation, The Monument Project (Si Monumentum Requiris Circumspice), commissioned by architects Julian Harrap, produces a continuous stream of panoramic images from the top of the Monument in the city of London.
…followed by an opportunity to meet the speaker over drinks and buffet.
“Ubiquitous Computing as a Resource for Engagement”
Speaker: Professor Giulio Jacucci, University of Helsinki
Giulio Jacucci is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Helsinki and also Professor at the Department of Design, Aalto University. He has a background in computer science and interaction design with a PhD in information processing science.
In this lecture Giulio will review cases of developing ubiquitous computing to address engagement in collective interaction at public displays, energy awareness in households, and pervasive games.
Giulio has previously visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics in Darmstadt and the Vienna University of Technology. He participates in organising and is part of program committees for several conferences in the area of human-computer interaction and ubiquitous computing (Associate Chair ACM CHI 2008 2010, ACM DIS, ECSCW, TEI, PD, MHCI, MUMM). He has won funding for several EU projects and is currently coordinator of BeAware a FP7 EU ICT project involving eight international partners (www.energyawareness.eu). He is also co-founder and chairman of the board of MultiTouch.fi a company commercialising products for scalable multitouch screens.
…followed by an opportunity to meet the speaker over drinks and buffet.
Professor Atau Tanaka, Newcastle University
Atau is Chair of Digital Media and Director of Culture Lab at Newcastle University. He bridges the fields of media art, experimental music, and research. He worked at IRCAM, was Artistic Ambassador for Apple France, a researcher at Sony Computer Science Laboratory Paris, and also an Artistic Co-Director of STEIM in Amsterdam. Atau creates sensor-based musical instruments for performance, and is known for his work with biosignal interfaces. He seeks to harness collective musical creativity in mobile environments, seeking out the continued place of the artist in democratized digital forms. His work has been presented at Ars Electronica, SFMOMA, Eyebeam, V2, ICC, and ZKM and has been mentor at NESTA. His research interests encompass mobile and locative media art, interactive performance and creative practice on public displays.