Bioart

Call for participants: “Field_Notes – Deep Time”, 15th – 24th September 2013, Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, Lapland/Finland

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sanaa-1024x768“Field_Notes – Deep Time” is a week long art&science field laboratory organized by the Finnish Society of Bioart at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station in Lapland/Finland. Five working groups, hosted by Oron Catts, Antero Kare, Leena Valkeapaa, Tere Vaden, Elisabeth Ellsworth and Jamie Kruse, together with a team of five, will develop, test and evaluate specific interdisciplinary approaches in relation to the “Deep Time” theme.

“Field_Notes – Deep Time” is in search of artistic and scientific responses to the dichotomy between human time-perception and comprehension, and the time of biological, environmental, and geological processes in which we are embedded. The local sub-Arctic nature, ecology, and geology, as well as the scientific environment and infrastructure of the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station will act as a catalyst for the work carried out.

Dates and places:

15th – 22nd September 2013, field laboratory at the Kilpisjärvi
Biological Station
23rd, 24th of September 2013, conference in Helsinki

Application process:

The organizers are looking for 25 artists, scientists and practitioners, who are interested to develop, collaborate and work in one of the below mentioned groups.

Application including CV, group preference and a max A4 letter of motivation and/or direction of possible Field_Notes research/contribution are to be sent to erich [dot] berger [at] bioartsociety [dot] fi

Application deadline: 31st of Mai 2013

The organizers welcome artists, scientists and practitioners from different fields to apply. They will pay for the journey from Helsinki to Kilpisjärvi and back, as well as for full board and accommodation at the Kilpisjärvi Biological
Station for the whole working week. Participants from outside of Finland have to take care of their travel to Helsinki and possible necessary accommodation in Helsinki themselves.

Groups, hosts and fields:

During one week the five groups will approach the “Deep Time” theme from different angles. They will organize themselves in work groups, think tanks, and workshops. They will carry out their work in their related field environment, as well as have common activities of lectures, presentations and feedback sessions. Expected results include abstracts, collaborations, data, documentation, future workshops, hard an software, ideas, knowledge, photos, presentations, prototypes, skills, sounds, projects, videos and more. The languages used are Finnish and English.

The five groups are:

* Journey to the Post-Anthropogenic
hosted by Oron Catts, takes place in the sub-Arctic nature, in the lab, and in the study

* Deep Futures in the Making
hosted by Elizabeth Ellsworth and Jamie Kruse, takes place in the sub-Arctic nature and in the study

* Deep Time of Life and Art
hosted by Antero Kare, takes place within the sub-Arctic geology of bedrock, sediments and caves, the lab and the study

* Time and Landscape
hosted by Leena Valkeapää, takes place in the sub-Arctic landscape, amongst reindeer and the Sami culture

* Second Order
hosted by Tere Vaden, takes place amongst the working groups and in the study

More information at: http://bioartsociety.fi/deep_time/  or contact erich [dot] berger [at] bioartsociety [dot] fi

Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21′s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in Lüneburg, Germany) and Rana Öztürk (based in Berlin, Germany)
– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)
– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)
– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

Go to Cultura21

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Internaturalism

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Collective exhibition, 8 May – 29 September 2013, and international symposium, 8 May, at PAV (Via Giordano Bruno 31, Torino, Italy)

On Tuesday, 7 May 2013, at 6.30 pm, the PAV will open the collective exhibition Internaturalism, curated by Claudio Cravero. The exhibition aims to investigate some of the research and practice of the branch of contemporary art generally known as “ecological art” or “Bioart”, demonstrating the links and connections to current ecological debates. The works of art on show in Internaturalismassume an essential role as vehicles of social understanding of the world around us, and succeed in constructing concrete meaning from often abstract issues related to the environment and ecological drift (from loss of biodiversity to pollution and global warming). Emerging from the works of the sixteen artists in the exhibition are visions and narratives of nature that coincide with the concept of “internaturalism”, namely the capacity to imagine a hybrid between the different meanings of nature, understood not only as the common good of humanity but of all living beings.

The exhibition

Among the works on display is Perpetual Amazonia, an environmental video installation by Lucy + Jorge Orta. Commissioned in 2010 by the Natural History Museum in London, it is the narration through images and prose of an expedition undertaken in the Peruvian rainforest. The study of nature is also explored from an ethological point of view in the work of Henrik Håkansson, through a video-documentary that examines the behaviour of insects and birds. Addressing similar themes are 108, Luana Perilli’s living installation that consists of a domestic scene featuring everyday objects and a colony of ants; Colombaia mobile (Mobile Pigeon Coop) by Filippo Leonardi, a housing structure that connects two spaces through the use of carrier pigeons and, finally, Laurent Le Deuff’s sculpture in the park which is based on the underground tunnels drawn by moles. The relationship between man and nature with regard to the common cellular and organic matrix that combines living beings and the environment is also explored in the exhibition, for example in the interactive installation Bio-acqua by Piero Gilardi or in the biological processes analyzed in a mining cave by Andrea Caretto and Raffaella Spagna. Through Brigitte de Malau’s ritual performance and the work on seeds waste by Norma Jeane, Internaturalism also explores the land and the nutritional habits connected to it. Last but not least, some of the works in the exhibition intend to trigger an awareness of the typical behaviour of the homo consumer, actions aimed at the commodification of nature and of the profits related to so-called bio trade (as in the work New Alliances by CAE|Critical Art Ensemble and in the light installation Shelf-life by Uli Westphal). A series of cultural reflections on the theme of language completes the exhibition. In this regard, the results of the workshop Segni d’incontro (Signs of meeting) conducted by Nja Mahdaoui and Agostino Ferrari are presented, as well as Mixture of Plants by Gabriella Ciancimino. Ciancimino’s work is installed in the courtyard and consists of a sound apparatus through which a conversation between the artist and Christian Berg, scientific head of the Botanical Gardens of Graz, is heard.

As part of the exhibition, the Educational and Training department of the PAV, curated by Orietta Brombin, will host Rerum Naturae, a programme on the role of man in relation to natural phenomena; Cultivating Signs which addresses the issues of exchange and relationships andDelicatessen, or edible matter as an artistic medium. In terms of training for adult audiences, onFriday, 31 May, Saturday 1 June and Sunday 2 June, Andrea Caretto and Raffaella Spagna will lead Workshop_33 / Back and Forward_Colonization_02, a collective and immersive activity based on housing and work as methods to explore a place.

The Symposium

On Wednesday 8 May, from 10 Am to 6 Pm, at the Casa del Teatro Ragazzi, the PAV will host a symposium entitled Internaturalism, dedicated to debates around the theme of nature. The conference will analyse the theme of nature from multiple perspectives (aesthetic, ethical, anthropological and artistic). For more details about the symposium: click here to download the PDF file.

Cultura21 is a transversal, translocal network, constituted of an international level grounded in several Cultura21 organizations around the world.

Cultura21′s international network, launched in April 2007, offers the online and offline platform for exchanges and mutual learning among its members.

The activities of Cultura21 at the international level are coordinated by a team representing the different Cultura21 organizations worldwide, and currently constituted of:

– Sacha Kagan (based in Lüneburg, Germany) and Rana Öztürk (based in Berlin, Germany)
– Oleg Koefoed and Kajsa Paludan (both based in Copenhagen, Denmark)
– Hans Dieleman (based in Mexico-City, Mexico)
– Francesca Cozzolino and David Knaute (both based in Paris, France)

Cultura21 is not only an informal network. Its strength and vitality relies upon the activities of several organizations around the world which are sharing the vision and mission of Cultura21

Go to Cultura21

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Ars Bioarctica Residency 2013

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This post comes to you from EcoArtScotland

ars-bioarctica-residencyShared from Yasmin announcement – Call for applications

Ars Bioarctica Residency 2013 – application deadline 6.4.2013

Since 2010 the Finnish Society of Bioart is organizing the ARS BIOARCTICA RESIDENCY PROGRAM together with the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station of the University of Helsinki in the sub-Arctic Lapland.

The residency takes place in the facilities of the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station. It provides the residents with a combined living and working environment, a basic laboratory, internet connection and sauna.

The Kilpisjärvi Biological Station offers to the residents the same possibilities and infrastructure as its scientists and staff. This includes access to scientific equipment, laboratory facilities, the library and seminar room as well as the usage of field equipment. A dedicated contact person in Kilpisjärvi will familiarize residents with the local environment and customs.

The emphasis of the residency is on the Arctic environment, art&science collaboration and is open for artists, scientists and interdisciplinary research teams.

Applications have to include:

  • a biography and CV of the applicant or group
  • a work plan
  • the desired residency starting time and duration

Travel to and within Finland to Kilpisjärvi have to be covered by the applicant. The Finnish Society of Bioart will assist with the funding process.

The evaluation of the applications emphasizes the quality of the proposal, its interaction of art&science, its artistic and scientific significance, the projects relation to the thematics of Ars Bioarctica and its feasibility to be carried out at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station in the given time.

Send applications or questions to Erich Berger erich.berger@bioartsociety.fi

We accept applications throughout the year but if you want to be included in the summer/fall schedule for 2013, please send your applications until 6.4.2013

More information:

Residency website: http://bioartsociety.fi/ars-bioarctica-residency/

Blog by previous residents: http://www.bioartsociety.fi/residency/

The Kilpisjärvi Biological station: http://www.helsinki.fi/kilpis/english/index.htm 

ecoartscotland is a resource focused on art and ecology for artists, curators, critics, commissioners as well as scientists and policy makers. It includes ecoartscotland papers, a mix of discussions of works by artists and critical theoretical texts, and serves as a curatorial platform.
It has been established by Chris Fremantle, producer and research associate with On The Edge Research, Gray’s School of Art, The Robert Gordon University. Fremantle is a member of a number of international networks of artists, curators and others focused on art and ecology.
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CALL: 2011 Ars Bioarctica art&science residency in Kilpisjärvi Finland

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Ars Bioarctica is long term art and science initiative by the Finnish Bioart Society. Since 2010 it is organizing an artist-in-residency program together with the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station of the University of Helsinki in the sub-Arctic Lapland.

The residency has an emphasis on the Arctic environment and art and science collaboration. It is is open for artists and art&science research teams. Amongst the first residents have been Andrea Polli (US), Helene von Oldenburg (DE), Claudia Reiche (DE), Raquel Renno (BR), Anu Osva (FI) and Sini Haapalinna (FI).

The residency takes place in the facilities of the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station. The Kiekula-house provides the residents with a
combined living and working environment, kitchen, bathroom, sauna and internet connection. The Kilpisjärvi Biological Station offers to the visiting artists the same possibilities and infrastructure as its scientists and staff. This includes access to all scientific equipment, laboratory facilities, the library and seminar room as well as the usage of field equipment. A dedicated contact person in Kilpisjärvi will familiarize residents with the local environment and customs.

The basic costs of a residency period include: Travel to Finland, travel within Finland to Kilpisjärvi, accommodation, meals and sauna. There is a possibility to cook in a common kitchen or to eat in the canteen of the station. The Bioart Society will assist with the funding process.

Applications have to include a work proposal, a working plan with time schedule, the desired residency outcome, a list of necessities for the work to be carried out and the artists CV.

The application deadline is 28th of February 2011.

The evaluation of the applications emphasizes the quality of the proposal, its interaction of art&science, its artistic and scientific significance, the projects relation to the thematic focus of Ars Bioarctica and its feasibility to be carried out at
the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station in the given time.

For applications or questions contact Erich Berger:

erich[dot]berger[at]bioartsociety[dot]fi

More info:
http://bioartsociety.fi/3 information on residency
http://www.bioartsociety.fi/residency/ blog by residents
http://www.helsinki.fi/kilpis/english/index.htm Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, Helsinki University

Tactical Biopolitics: a review.

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“How can we know for sure these days that the truck driver repairing his exhaust at the crossroads in your neighborhood is not a silent conceptual artist engaging you in a thought-through performative experience? ” asks Jens Houser in “Observations on an Art of Growing Interest,” part of the collection of essays in Tactical Biopolitics. An engaging overview of scientists as artists, artists as ethnographers, activists as sociologists, and women who do agility trials with their dogs as philosophers, Tactical Biopolitics presents the words and works of people who profoundly engage their ethics with their craft.

Largely centered around issues of biology and bioethics, the book often wades deep into the waters of scientific jargon and academic word-whirlpools. When it emerges into common reality, however, it does so resonantly. While artist Kathy High gives a factual breakdown of her reasons for working with a group of former lab rats (they were predisposed to have her same health issues), we get caught up in the story of the rodents, their namings and personalities. Donna J. Haraway manages to make us forget agility trials as a means to make dogs literally jump through hoops and see them instead as an exercise in human-animal communication.

The book emerged from a conference on BioArt and the Public Sphere at UC Irvine in 2005. It is, write editors Beatriz de Costa and Kavita Philip, “a hybrid, made possible by two recent histories: the enormously creative practices at the intersection of technoscience, activism, and art; and the explosion of cross-disciplinary conversations following Michel Foucault’s articulation of biopolitics.”

We see artists confronted with the ethics of working with living tissue, witness the affect racism has on modern scientific research, and learn of the evolution of activist’s tactics for getting AIDS medicine to patients who need it. We hear artists talking about life in labs, and scientist talking about the craft of ethical living. It’s a smorgasboard of modern ethical thought, of challenges to the definitions of professional fields. It’s fantastic reading for anyone interested in cross-disciplinary work. But largely, it is the story of people using the tools they have at their disposal to positively engage with an increasingly complicated and manipulated world. So while the authors featured in Tactical Biopolitics might not be the truck driver in your neighborhood, they are, like him, attempting to fix what’s broken.

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