DATA DRIFT exhibition and RENEWABLE FUTURES

On its 17th edition, previosly known as the "Art+Communication", the RIXC's annual festival manifests the "post-media" situation by changing its title and focus. From the festival's initial focus on implications of information & communication technologies, it now makes a shift to broader and more contemporary discourse on art and science, culture and sustainability, with particular interest on exploring and building "techno-ecological" perspective. This year's festival exhibition will also contribute in building post-media perspective. Festival is curated by Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits and the DATA DRIFT exhibition is co-curated by Lev Manovich (US).

This year's festival exhibition will respond to the RENEWABLE FUTURES conference theme and will contribute to building post-media perspective. We invited artists to propose their artworks, workshops and performances that are developing visions for more sustainable and imaginative ways of life by blurring the boundaries between different disciplines.

DATA DRIFT exhibition showcases works by some of the most influential data designers of our time, as well as by artists who use data as their artistic medium. How can we use the data medium to represent our complex societies, going beyond "most popular," and "most liked"? How can we organize the data drifts that structure our lives to reveal meaning and beauty? How to use big data to "make strange," so we can see past and present as unfamiliar and new?

More information about RENEWABLE FUTURES here

More information about DATA DRIFT

http://rixc.org/en/festival/festivalarchives/data-drift-rixc-art-science-festival-2015/

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2015
PROGRAMME
PERFORMANCES
CONFERENCE
TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES
DATA DRIFT
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2015

RIXC Art Science Festival 2015

On its 17th edition, previosly known as the "Art+Communication", the RIXC's annual festival manifests the "post-media" situation by changing its title and focus. From the festival's initial focus on implications of information & communication technologies, it now makes a shift to broader and more contemporary discourse on art and science, culture and sustainability, with particular interest on exploring and building "techno-ecological" perspective. This year's festival exhibition will also contribute in building post-media perspective. Festival is curated by Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits and the DATA DRIFT exhibition is co-curated by Lev Manovich (US).

A broad festival programme festival will feature the 1st edition of RENEWABLE FUTURES – the new conference series on art, science and cultural innovation, which will focus on "transformative potential of media art in the age of post-media". The conference will be complemented by the "post-media" art exhibition, workshops and performance programme.

This year's festival exhibition will respond to the RENEWABLE FUTURES conference theme and will contribute to building post-media perspective. We invited artists to propose their artworks, workshops and performances that are developing visions for more sustainable and imaginative ways of life by blurring the boundaries between different disciplines.
We welcomed proposals by artists, curators, theorists, academic researchers and other lateral thinkers to share their ideas and research with regards to the following themes:
post-media art, avantgarde practices and theories,
'slow' media art – preservation challenges for the museums,
art and science – for building techno-ecological perspective,
technopolitical investigations into the informational paradigm,
Big Data and data visualizations
post-media architecture, sustainable design and open businesses,
culture for sustainable development in the Baltic Sea and North European region.
 
In the above picture: The Fields Exhibition and Art+Communication Festival 2014 Opening. Photo by Kaspars Garda / Riga 2014.




PROGRAMME

Programme 2015

WEDNESDAY, October 7, 2015
12:00 – Press conference at kim? Contemporary Art Centre
Address: Maskavas iela 12/1
14:00 – Renewable Futures project partners meeting at RIXC office
Address: Maskavas iela 10, 3rd floor
19:00 – NORTH. TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES Exhibition Opening at RIXC gallery
Address: 11. novembra krastmala 35, entrance from Minsterejas iela
THURSDAY, October 8, 2015
RENEWABLE FUTURES conference at Stockholm School of Economics in Riga,
address: Strelnieku iela 4A:
15:00 – 17:00 – Plenary Session I Keynotes – Armin MEDOSCH, Domenico QUARANTA
17:00 – Public Keynote John Thackara
19:00 – Reception
21:00 – Performances in Spikeri Concert Hall
Address: Maskavas iela 4/1
Tickets – online at Bilesu paradize and at the Conference registration desk.
FRIDAY, October 9, 2015
RENEWABLE FUTURES conference at Stockholm School of Economics in Riga,
address: Strelnieku iela 4A:
9:30 – 11:30 Plenary Session II Keynotes – Dieter DANIELS, Andreas BROECKMANN, Geoff COX
12:15 – 14:00 Session 1
14:30 – 16:00 Session 2
17:00 – Public Keynote Lev Manovich
19:00 – DATA DRIFT Exhibition Opening at kim? Contemporary Art Centre
Address: Maskavas iela 12/1
[Parallel Event] Sound Forest festival concert
SATURDAY, October 10, 2015
RENEWABLE FUTURES conference in the National Library of Latvia
Address: Mukusalas iela 3
10:30 – 12:00 Plenary Session III Keynotes – Katja KWASTEK, Martha BUSKIRK
12:15 – 14:00 Session 3
15:00 – 17:00 Session 4
17:00 – 18:00 Book Review (PechaKucha) + Festival Closing
[Parallel Event] Sound Forest festival concert



PERFORMANCES
Performances


RIXC announces the annual festival performance program, taking place at October 8, this year focusing on searching connections between electronic and acoustic music, academical traditions and multimedial practice.
The main artist in festival is Hildur Guðnadóttir – an Icelandic cello player, composer and singer who has been manifesting herself at the forefront of experimental pop and contemporary music (e.g. with the band múm). In her solo works she draws out a broad spectrum of sounds from her instrument, ranging from intimate simplicity to huge soundscapes. Among others Hildur has performed live and recorded music with Skúli Sverrisson, Jóhann Jóhannsson, múm, Schneider TM, Angel, Pan Sonic, Hauschka, Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Jamie Lidell, The Knife, Fever Ray and Throbbing Gristle.
Main artist from Latvia is cello player - Ēriks Kiršfelds. He has participated in Baltiic chamber orchestraKremerata Baltica, Latvian National Symphony Orchestra. He has worked with conductors as Andris Poga, Andres Mustonen, Lior Shambadal etc.
The artistic work of Bjørnar Habbestad (NO) tends to cross the borders between music interpretation and improvisation, conceptual sound art and development of music technology. Drawing on concrete sound experiences from a number of traditions and perspectives he aims at investigating tangential points between acoustic performance practise and digital processing. He is working together with visual artist, Elen Røed.
One of artists are Le Révélateur. They started in 2008 as a solo venture for Montreal-based electronic musician Roger Tellier-Craig. It has since then expanded into an audio-visual duo with the inclusion of video artist Sabrina Ratté in 2010. Together they explore a common fascination for the combination of electronic image and sound, using a varying array of digital and analogue technologies. Inspired by the performative tradition that combines electronic sound and video art, Le Révélateur's live performance is the result of an intermedial dialogue between video artist Sabrina Ratté and electronic music composer Roger Tellier-Craig. Through the creation of abstract architectural structures and electronic landscapes, Ratté’s video images are in constant dialogue with the ethereal sounds and futuristic pulses generated by Tellier-Craig. Together, they aim to create an immersive audio-visual experience where sound and image are inseparable.
Delay Line Memory is an audio-visual project conceived by Bas van Koolwijk. Through interference between sound waves traveling with divergent frequencies, infinite rhythmic variations of audible patterns can be created. Here, such patterns are temporarily stored within a 'delay line memory', a form of sequential access memory that was used for early computing. By delaying the data signal, it is effectively memorised for a given period of time. Within the framework of this memory, a two-dimensional visualisation of its contents exposes patterns that otherwise would have remained hidden. Supplemented with drums this live set results in improvisations between drums and digital electronics.
Latvian new contemporary and electronic music generation will be represented by Platons Buravickis. He began to study composition under Vilnis Šmidberg and then under Pēteris Vasks. A three-time winner of Latvian music school's composers competition. Also he joined the progressive rock band Olive Mess and during this time collected large collection of industrial sounds that he now uses in his electro acoustic musical works.
You can buy tickets at http://www.bilesuparadize.lv/events/perf/10124
Support: European Economic Area Financial mechanism Programme LV04"Conservation and revitalisation of cultural and natural heritage", LR Ministry of Culture, Mondreaan fund, VKKF, Riga City Council, EU program "Creative Europe", Goethe institute, Embassy of US in Latvia.
Contacts: 67228478 (RIXC office), 26546776 (mob. Rasa Šmite).




TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES

TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES

TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES
October 8 – November 22, 2015
RIXC gallery, 11. novembra krastmala 35, entrance from Minsterejas iela.

Photos from the Exhibition: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixcriga/albums/72157659669905344
Photos from the Opening: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rixcriga/albums/72157659729152179
NORTH. TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES exhibition is an investigation into the changing patterns of contemporary ecologies, art and science. The exhibition showcases art science installations by artists who interpret environmental, biological and technological data into sonic, visual and 3D representations. Artists in this exhibition explore transformative potential of art and use data as artistic medium to envision more sustainable futures from the perspective of North.
Artists: Rasa Smite, Raitis Smits / RIXC (LV), Gints Gabrans (LV), Rihards Vitols (LV), Gisle Froysland (NO), Maite Cajaraville (ES), Dani Ploeger (NL/UK), Hege Tapio (NO).
Curators: Rasa Smite, Raitis Smits / RIXC (LV)
Opening on October 7 at 19.00
Opening hours: Mon – closed, Tue – Sun 12:00–18:00.
Contacts: rixc (at) rixc.org, +371 67228478 (RIXC office), rasa (at) rixc.org, +371 26546776 (Rasa Smite, RIXC festival and NORTH. TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES exhibition co-curator)
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NORTH. TRANSFORMATIVE ECOLOGIES Exhibition Artists and Artworks
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POND BATTERY. A POETICS OF GREEN ENERGY (2014–2015)
Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits / RIXC (Latvia)
Pond Battery is a continuation of Biotricity art-science research project carried out by RIXC – Riga based artist collective. To monitor the bacterial electricity generation process in out-door conditions, RIXC artists use contemporary language and tools of science and innovative technologies. Last summer six “bacteria cells” were installed in the pond of Botanical Garden of University of Latvia in Riga. Live web-cam images and continues measurements of bacteria electricity fluctuations, were delivered live on the Internet, thus making audible and visible the invisible activity of nature – such as was is happening at the bottom of a pond, and which otherwise we can neither see nor hear. Collected data from the seven month long observation of the Pond Battery – from summer to winter, are now transformed into visualized data landscapes, video and sound composition, creating sensual and emotional experiences – a poetics of green energy.
Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits are artists, curators and cultural innovators, working with science and emerging media technologies since mid-90s. They are key founders of RIXC, Riga based center for new media culture and artist collective, who collaborate with video artist and graphic designer Martins Ratniks.
http://rixc.org
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METABOLIC DOMINANCE (2014–2015)
Gints Gabrans (Latvia)
In 2004, the US Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency announced a competition with the aim of providing soldiers with the means of carrying out battle operations and relocating without food stores. Under the project Metabolic Dominance we offer genetically modified human ingestion system bacteria, which synthesize cellulose disintegrating enzymes, thereby allowing to obtain nutrients from every material around that contains cellulose, for example, grass, wood, or else, in circumstances of urban warfare, from paper. Cellulose is a sugar glucose polymer that is indigestible for an ordinary human metabolism.
Developed in collaboration with microbiologist Janis Liepins and the company GenScript (www.genscript.com).
Gints Gabrans is a well-known contemporary Latvian artist. He mainly works with installations and new media art. He won the Hansabank Art Award in 2005, and in 2007 represented Latvia at the Venice Biennale with the project Paramirrors.
http://gabrans.com
 
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akA (Well) (2014–2015)
Rihards Vitols (Latvia)
In the near future ground waters will be overly polluted because of industrial activities. The question is brought up – how to get clean water?
The artist sees a possibility within to start a new agronomy type “cloud-farming”. People will fill their land with thousands of balloons to collect water. And those who will not be able to afford it will rent their land. The artist has started collecting moist and temperature data about sky over his land.
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From DNA to NSA (2015)
Gisle Frøysland (Norway) and Maite Cajaraville (Spain)
Privacy and inner biological information: “The US government, with assistance from major telecommunications carriers including AT&T, has engaged in massive, illegal dragnet surveillance of the domestic communications and communications records of millions of ordinary Americans since at least 2001.”
From Snowden we all know what the NSA, the american intelligence Agency, has been recruiting information from citizens without a real purpose. Google, Facebook and other social media act like information providers to NSA informants. Nowadays, privacy is under question whilst is becoming a vague and complex concept. Emails, chats, pictures, facial recognition, friends relationships, emotional moods, all surveillance material we give out with joy is going to be mapped in a worldwide consumer's orientation.
Alike we share our information at social media, we spread our genetic data without noticing. "The project 'From DNA to NSA' will work with these issues, linking, modulating and distorting variables, displaying data in multiple ways, making statelessments and issuing manifaustos. We do not provide solutions but headaches."
From DNA to NSA action intervention consists on setting up a DIY laboratory to extract DNA strings from the visitors. Using common, domestic products, audience can follow an easy DIY process and experience how their DNA strings looks like.
Visitors, once they finalize the 5 steps can choose to blend their genetic material with the others visitors forming a new common DNA. A blender is set up at the exhibition space.
As part of the piece, 5 raspberry pi are streaming public DNA records from an internet database and the data is sonified and visualized in different monitors.
With a focus on interdisciplinary art, video creation and digital art, Maite Cajaraville (Spain) combines her artistic production with curatorial commissions. She is one of the founder member of LaptopsRus/CrisisRus, a women performers network, together with Shu Lea Cheang and Lucía Egaña. Cajaraville has been exhibited wildly internationally. Selected exhibitions include “NSA” at the French Institute, Cameroon, “NETSCOPIO” at Laboratory Arte Alameda, Mexico DF, “A Vladi Tale”, at Vladicáucaso, Russian Federation, “G.O.D, Garden of Delights”, at Media Facades European Festival, “MEETING|REUNION” at Museo Nacional de Arte Reina Sofía, Medialab-Prado and Matadero Madrid in 2010. Her video works has been shown at the Venice Biennale, Museo Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, MACBA and Fundación Telefónica. She teachs Media Art at the Camilo Jose Cela University.
http://maitecajaraville.org
Gisle Frøysland (Norway) studied computer science, information science, TV production and arts in Bergen, Norway. He is a founding member of BEK - the Bergen Centre for Electronic Art and initiator/director of the Piksel festival for free technologies in artistic practice.
Frøysland's work is an inquiry into the "hype traps that the computer and media industry wants us to believe in". He turns these traps into dialogic scenes, revealing hidden power structures. He forms a media critique, not digital interpretation can free itself from contextual references.
Gisle Frøysland has been the receiver of grants and has held numerous exhibitions, in Norway and abroad. His work has been presented at several international festivals like Electrohype, Dissonanze, Transmediale, Borealis, Ultima, MakeArt, Pixelache, Mal au Pixel and Electropixel. His past collaborators include KKNull, Emi Maeda, VuNhatTan, John Hegre, Lasse Marhaug, BAKtruppen and Motherboard.
http://gislefroysland.com
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RECYCLED COIL (2014)
Dani Ploeger (UK / NL)
Parts of a deflection coil from a discarded CRT television were installed on my abdomen. A body piercer sewed magnetic wire from the coil through my skin and attached the coil’s connector above my belly button. An electric current was run through the coil on my abdomen for one second every three-second interval. Thus, an electromagnetic pulse signal was generated. For several hours a day, I presented myself in the exhibition space, accompanied by a magnetometer detecting my magnetic field.
Body piercing by Dirk Hückler, Naked Steel Piercing and Body Modification, Berlin
Video: courtesy of ARTE Television (Martin Dunkelmann, Stephan Walsch, Steffen Hammerich, Julia Freyhoff)
Dani Ploeger's work involves consumer technologies and readily available medical devices, and engages with the technologization of the body, ecology, sexuality and vanity. His work has been featured at transmediale, WRO Media Art Biennale, and Arse Elektronika – a festival of sex and technology, among others.
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HUMANFUEL (2009 – ongoing)
Hege Tapio (Norway)
GET Thin – GO FAST
Forget the Middle East. Forget Exxon Mobile and their crude oil. If all goes as planned for the company Lipotechnica and their development, a part of the city's vehicles get their fuel from a greasy, yellowish liquid distilled from the remnants of liposuction.
HUMAN FUEL represents the latest in environmentally friendly and human ethical direction of the alternative energy.
We humans spend a lot of our energies and creativity to devise new solutions such as biofuels. In this process it is easy to forget the invaluable resource that we can represent, it is time to direct the focus at ourselves.
As an alternative to the ever-increasing gas and oil prices we present HUMAN FUEL as a step towards improving existing commercial actors their management of environmental actions and community relations.
http://lipotechnica.com
Hege Tapio was born 1973 in Norway. Lives and works in Stavanger – the oil capitol of Norway. She holds an MA in photography from Art College in Bergen. Her artistic works ranging from photography to video and electronic, interactive installations – over the past years she has worked with special interest in bioart. Tapio is one of the founders of i/o/lab – Rogalands Center for Future Arts, acting as i/o/lab's managing director and curator.



CONFERENCE

RENEWABLE FUTURES

Conference website: http://renewablefutures.net (NEW / UPCOMING)

Archive – 2015 website: coming soon

DATA DRIFT
DATA DRIFT Exhibition
Exhibition website: http://rixc.org/en/festival/DATA%20DRIFT/

PRESS
http://rixc.org/lv/press/

CONTACT

RIXC office
address: Maskavas iela 10
Riga, LV-1050
Latvia
E-mail: rixc@rixc.org
Ph. (office) + 371 67228478
Rasa SMITE – Festival co-curator, Renewable Futures conference chair, Acoustic Space editor
rasa.smite@rixc.org, +371 26546776 (mobile)
Raitis SMITS – Festival co-curator
raitis@rixc.lv
Daina SILINA – Festival manager
daina@rixc.org
Anna BABRE – PR and Communication
anna.babre@rixc.org