************************************************** Press Release ************************************************** BIO-TECH & ECO-TECH NETWORK EXCHANGE EVENTS February 2003, Colchester ************************************************** Future Physical, Colchester Arts Centre, firstsite, Signals Media Centre and other venues in and around Colchester collaborate to produce and present a special programme of BIO-TECH and ECO-TECH events in a topical cultural exploration of the controversial issues and innovations taking place in the fields of biology, ecology and technology. enhanced life/neural networks/genetic manipulation/biometrics/articifical intelligence/artificial realities/biospheres/virtual architectures/online worlds/micro-macro The Bio-Tech and Eco-Tech Network Exchange Events are taking place as part of Future Physical - a region wide cultural programme exploring the changing boundaries between the body and technology. Both public and professionals are welcome to in the programme mixing public events and development opportunities. The BIO-TECH Network Exchange is a co-production between Future Physical (shinkansen/East England Arts), firstsite, Colchester Arts Centre, Signals Media Arts in association with essexdance. The ECO-TECH Network Exchange is a co-production between Future Physical (shinkansen/East England Arts), firstsite, Colchester Arts Centre and Signals Media Arts. ************************************************** At firstsite ************************************************** Generator/BIO-TECH and ECO-TECH Commissions 8th February - 29th March 2003 Admission Free Exhibition of generative media across disciplines including sound and text based works, performances and issues of science relating to chaos theory, complex systems and artificial life. www.generative.net/generator. Plus Future Physical commissions in exhibition at firstsite and on the web: Jane Prophet and Neil Theise - Cell - Online virtual environment Cell is a radical re-envisaging of the way in which stem cells operate and brings together several strands of scientific research and arts interests. It presents a new paradigm of cell activity which challenges long held beliefs about cell reproduction. Jane Prophet is one of the leading UK artists working with artificial-life computer programming. Neil Theise is an international scientist whose ground-breaking research into stem cells and cell behaviour is changing the way that we understand the body. Cell is a Future Physical Commission produced by DA2 and supported by The Sci-Art Consortium and CARTE, University of Westminster. Stanza - genomixer - Web project geno... genomix… genome baby maker is an interactive online installation created by one of the UK’s leading web artists. It allows members of the public to cross reference all the patterns on the genome sequence and intermix or breed their own variables allowing them to look at the new mix of chromosomes in real time, online. Stanza is an artist who deals with net art, multimedia, electronic music and painting. Most of his work can be viewed from www.stanza.co.uk genomixer is a Future Physical/Digital Arts Lab Holon Co-commission Philip Warnell - Shock - Installation Phillip Warnell is an inter-disciplinary artist whose work addresses a number of issues particularly connected to the relationship between the internal and external body and the environment. His work spans live art, video and sound installation.. Shock is about the notion of shock and trauma in relation to the body and explores the emotive, reflex aspect of our bodies. Shock is a Future Physical /Colchester Arts Centre Co-commission in collaboration with University of Gloucestershire. Catherine Watling - Temporal Manifestation - Research Project A presentation of current research as part of a longer term project to create a 3D immersive environment within which to experience a microscopic world. Conceptually the work will follow ideas of the evolution of complex life, life in extreme conditions and our context as humans within the grand scale of nature. Temporal Manifestation is a Future Physical Research Commission in association with The Junction and assisted by the Babraham Institute. Rachel Wingfield - Digital Dawn - Reactive Object Digital Dawn is a responsive window blind that illuminates in response to its surroundings. Wingfield, a young innovative textile artist who recently appeared on Tomorrow’s World has created a digital emulation of the process of photosynthesis using intelligent print with electronically conductive inks that emit light. Digital Dawn is a Future Physical Commission in collaboration with the Royal College of Art and firstsite with sponsorship from Snowcrash and inkind assistance from Elumin8 Systems, eluminescent architecture. ************************************************** At Colchester Arts Centre ************************************************** Tuesday 18th February: BioFlows Contact venue for times and ticket details Box Office: 01206 500900 An evening of work in progress presentations from two Future Physical commissioned artists: Isabel Rocamora exporing interdependency between sensory visual traces and key energy centres of the body and Tom Sapsford with neurologist Daniel Glaser looking at sleep and hypnosis. Friday 21st February: Cluster 9pm - 2am: £5 Box Office: 01206 500900 Performance/web club featuring Future Physical commissioned artists, Stanza, People Like Us, Catherine Watling, Ambienttv.net plus national VJ's Raya and MJ's, the Cellbytes Crew and the visionary 3D chat room and game environment, Code Zebra by BIO-TECH mentor and Keynote speaker, Sara Diamond. Saturday 22nd February: Future Natural Marketplace Free admission. For confirmed venue and times.visit www.futurephysical.org Come and check out the future of nature and explore the potential for an ecologically sound future or voice your concerns. Plus Sign Up events in and around Colchester Sunday 16th - Wednesday 19th February Application deadline 10th January 2003 BIO-TECH InterChange: four days of research, debate and practice around the Bio-Tech theme for a limited number of twenty specialist delegates involved in collaborative biology/art/technology/dance/practice based research. Led by professional mentors, Sara Diamond (Banff New Media Centre), Daniel Glaser (UCL/ICA Scientist in Residence) and Nina Czgledy (Atist/Biologist) and involving a programme of working groups, presentations and events and leading into the Public Discussion Forum (SEE BELOW). Wednesday 19th - Sunday 23rd February Registrations open from 20th January 2003. To sign up, visit www.futurephysical.org ECO-TECH InterChange: four days of research, debate and practice around the Eco-Tech theme with working groups, presentations and events plus guest inputs from architects Vector and interface designers Digit and online Senegal/Netherlands nature and technology project. Wednesday 19th February For confirmed venue and times.visit www.futurephysical.org BIO-TECH Discussion Forum: hear ideas in progress and conclusions from a 4 day gathering of twenty artists and scientists and participate in questions and answers around the controversial and topical issues surrounding bio-technology. ************************************************** In and around the Network Exchange Period and accessible to InterChange participants only as work in progress, process demos and lecture inputs: Ambienttv.net - Flip Flop - remote connected performance A site specific remote connection theatre performance that challenges boundaries between audience and performer, on stage and off stage, the venue and the street outside, working with wearable computing and wireless networking. Flip Flop is a Future Physical/Austrian Cultural Forum Co-commission supported by inkind sponsorship from Xybernaut. Joseph Hyde - RememberMe - photobooth installation A hotwired photobooth with a mind of its own and a memory for faces, developed by one of the Uks leading sound and digital artists. Visitors will be presented with the expected strip of four photographic images but of unpredictable content: digitally warped. Distorted and abstracted. RememberME is a Future Physical Commission assisted by Bath Spa University College People Like Us/Vicky Bennett - The Remote Controller - DVD Project Renowned composer and sampler, Vicky Bennett uses documentary, educational and industrial film footage and sampling multiple images and sounds to historically explore the subject of experimentation in human body and machine interfaces in the 20th century. The Remote Controller is a Future Physical Research Commission with support from the Prelinger Archives (New York/San Francisco) and The Internet Archive. Alexa Wright and Alf Linney - Alter Ego - Research project An interactive digital installation which when completed will take the form of a mirror in which a virtual reflection of the participant will be created and what appears to be a reflection will take on a life of its own, reacting to facial expressions of the participant. A Future Physical Research Commission, Alter Ego is supported by a New Technology Arts Fellowship (The Junction, Kettles Yard and Crucible) at Cambridge University and Future Physical with in kind sponsorship from Digimask. Research and production supported by The Arts Council of England National Touring Programme and a Welcome Trust Impact Award ************************************************** On the Future Physical Web Site 20th February onwards at www.futurephysical.org ************************************************** View recordings of Keynote Speeches by leading international artists in the fields of Bio-Technology and Eco-Technology on the Future Physical web site: Bio-technology Keynote Speech: Canadian artist/scientist Sara Diamond (artistic director, New Media Arts, The Banff Centre, Vancouver, Canada) expresses her vision of the marriage between biology and technology Eco-Technology Keynote Speech: Japanese new media artist Masaki Fujihata expresses a Japanese view of nature and explores technology as a mirror of self reflection. ************************************************** Future Physical is a cultural programme co-conceived by shinkansen and east England Arts, produced by shinkansen/Future Physical Ltd for East England Arts. **************************************************