[artinfo] ART AND TECHNOSCIENCE Conference, Helsinki

[Stefan Riekeles]

ART AND TECHNOSCIENCE
Practices in transformation

A conference by the Academy of Fine Arts in Finland,
in collaboration with the Finnish Bioart Society and Pixelache festival.
Helsinki, 24-25.3.2010

The beginning of the 21st century is 
characterized by an overwhelming awareness of 
environmental issues. Facing the threat of global 
warming, the findings of scientific research have 
become a subject of intensive political debate. 
The ethical questions traditionally discussed in 
the green-wing marginals have become mainstream, 
as science has become a coffee-table topic.

The field of art that interacts with the 
practices of science and its technologies is 
commonly referred to as ART&SCIENCE. During the 
past decades, this hybrid field has become more 
or less established, with landmark works, major 
institutions and written histories. However, with 
the new wave of environmentalism, a further wave 
of artists working with methods and questions 
related to scientific research has also emerged.

The conference seeks to contextualize the 
practices of ART&SCIENCE both in the contemporary 
political atmosphere and the history of 
contemporary art.

The first day of the two-day conference focuses 
on the practices in transformation as a result of 
research-orientation and cross-disciplinarity, 
characteristic to the field of ART&SCIENCE.

The second day of the conference looks at the 
technologies of encounter between human and 
non-human worlds. The aim is to address the 
ethical discourse taking
place in art practices which look at the 
interaction between humans and non-humans.

Speakers include Roy Ascott (artist, researcher, 
UK), Jill Scott (artist, researcher, AUS/CH),
Andy Gracie (artist, UK/ESP), Ingeborg Reichle 
(art historian, DE), Adam Zaretsky (artist, US),
Tuija Kokkonen (theatre director, FI), Terike Haapoja (artist,FI),
Pau Alsina (researcher, ESP), Ulla Taipale 
(curator, FI/ESP), Anu Osva (artist, FI),
Erich Berger (artist, coordinator ArsBioarctica, 
AUT/FI), Leena Valkeapää (artist, FI),
Laura Beloff (artist, researcher, FI), Manu Tamminen (microbiologist, FI),
Eija Juurola (forest researcher, FI), Raitis Smits (artist, curator, LV),
Jan Kaila (artist, professor, FI),
Antti Sajantila (professor,  medical doctor, FI), Minna Långström (artist, FI),
among others.

Contact:
Erich Berger
Coordinator ArsBioarctica
eb at randomseed.org
+358-50-4338898
http://kilpiscope.net

Terike Haapoja
Artist, Phd researcher
mail at terikehaapoja.net
+358-50-4058341
http://kuva.fi