With technological advances running at an incredible pace, and the current political and social climate in a perpetual state of flux, artists, innovators, scholars and activists alike continue researching and working on ways to address the questions and issues that arise from our ever-changing world. Join the Faculty of Fine Arts October 27-28 as they host the second annual Crossing Boundaries Symposium to discuss ideas on art, technology and identity.
Crossing Boundaries: Art, Technology, and Identity hopes to activate cultural discourse on the relevance of current artistic practices in relation to the directions of this overarching theme. This two-day event brings together established and emerging innovators from the creative fields to Southern Alberta for engaging discussions, activities and displays.
The Crossing Boundaries Symposium kicks off October 27 with a reception and presentations by Fine Arts students in the University of Lethbridge Main Gallery and Level 6 Atrium. On October 28, look forward to speaker presentations, demonstrations, displays, activities and workshops in the Centre for the Arts. The day culminates with a panel discussion involving all three visiting speakers, moderated by Dr. Edward Jurkowski, dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts.
“Crossing Boundaries aims to showcase the diversity and cross-disciplinary nature of the professional creative world,” explains Jurkowski. “Our first symposium in 2016 proved to be an engaging and thought provoking endeavour and we look forward to hosting our second annual event, bringing new guest speakers to ignite fresh ideas and discourse on art, technology and identity.”
For the second annual symposium, the Faculty of Fine Arts welcomes David Rokeby, Dr. Micha Cárdenas and Dr. Thecla Schiphorst. David Rokeby practices interactive art, translating physical gestures into real-time interactive sound environments. His works address issues of digital surveillance and engage in critical examination of the differences between human and artificial intelligence. He currently teaches in the New Media department at Ryerson University and is Adjunct Professor at OCAD University, both in Toronto.
Dr. Micha Cárdenas, assistant professor of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences and Interactive Media Design at the University of Washington’s Bothell campus, is described as one of “seven bio-artists who are transforming the fabric of life itself” by io9.com. Cárdenas is an artist and theorist who creates media art to reduce violence and increase health. In addition to Cárdenas presentation, she will also host a workshop where participants will learn to create art and design that responds to community needs and address real problems. By considering human centered design, community-based design, hacktivism and media art, participants will identify their own communities, discuss how to learn about their concerns and how to turn those issues into art and design.
Dr. Thecla Schiphorst leads the whisper[s] research group, an acronym for wearable, handheld, intimate, sensory, personal, expressive, responsive systems. Her research in embodied interaction focuses on movement knowledge and representation, tangible and wearable technologies, media and digital art and the aesthetics of interaction. She is Associate Director and Associate Professor in the School of Interactive Arts and Technology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.
Tickets are $10 for students, $20 regular until October 23, when the price raises to $30 for regular ticket holders. Register today to save at ulethbridge.ca/tickets.