ART AND TECHNOSCIENCE CONFERENCE
24-25 March 2010
Auditorium, Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki (Kaikukatu 4)

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 mediators of science and technology are unavoidable, whether dealing with global economy or animal rights, computer modelling or carbon emissions. Research has become a key concept in art, not only in the field of art&science, but also in university-associated art schools in general, with the development of practice-based PhD programmes around the western world. The front-lines between art and knowledge-production seem to be in transformation. 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. What challenges and possibilities do artists, curators, residency programmes or art schools face, while trying to address questions coming from the field of sciences? What can scientific research gain from collaboration with artists, and what kind of research is done in the artist’s laboratory?

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. How is the traditional understanding of agency, community, interaction or collaboration challenged in these works of art? What are the political implications of these approaches? On the other hand, how are these practices dealing with the questions of manipulation, objectification and abuse of non-humans?

Speakers include Roy Ascott (artist, theorist, UK), Jill Scott (artist, researcher, AUS/CH), Andy Gracie (artist, UK/ESP), Ingeborg Reichle (art historian, DE), Adam Zaretsky (artist, US), Tuija Kokkonen (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), Helena Sederholm (head of department of art Aalto University, 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), among others.

PROGRAMME

WEDNESDAY 24.3.
DAY 1: PRACTICES IN TRANSFORMATION

10:00 INTRODUCTION |Terike Haapoja, Erich Berger

10:15–13:00 MORNING SESSION: Research as practice
10:15 MANU TAMMINEN, microbiologist, University of Helsinki
10:30 EIJA JUUROLA, forest researcher, University of Helsinki
10:45 TERIKE HAAPOJA, artist, Phd researcher KuvA: ”On the threshold of experience and knowledge”
11:15 discussion with Tamminen, Juurola and Haapoja | Moderator: NN

11:30 COFFEE

12:00 KEYNOTE I: ROY ASCOTT, artist, theorist, professor University of Plymouth
12:50 discussion | moderator: Jan Kaila

13:00 LUNCH

14-16 AFTERNOON SESSION: Practices in transformation
14:00 ADAM ZARETSKY, artist
14:30 ERICH BERGER, artist, coordinator Ars Bioarctica
15:00 ULLA TAIPALE, curator
15:30 discussion 15min | Moderator: Minna Långstöm

15:45 COFFEE

16:00 PANEL DISCUSSION: Institutional challenges

Antti Sajantila, medical doctor, professor University of Helsinki
Laura Beloff, artist, researcher
Helena Sederholm, art historian, professor Aalto –University / Taik
Raitis Smits, artist, curator
Moderator: Erich Berger

16:30 CONCLUSION | Terike Haapoja

THURSDAY 25.3.
DAY 2: TECHNOLOGIES OF ENCOUNTER

10:00-13:00 MORNING SESSION: Technologies of encounter
10:00 ANDY GRACIE, artist
10:30 ANU OSVA, artist
11:00 TUIJA KOKKONEN, director, writer
11:30 discussion 15min | Moderator: Terike Haapoja

11:45 COFFEE

12:00 KEYNOTE II: JILL SCOTT, artist, researcher, professor Zuerich University of Arts
12:50 discussion | Moderator: Jan Kaila

13:00 LUNCH

14-16 AFTERNOON SESSION: Unwritten histories and possible realities
14:00 INGEBORG REICHLE, art historian, lecturer Humboldt-Universität Berlin
14:45 discussion | Moderator: Laura Beloff

15:00 COFFEE

15:15 CONCLUSION: PAU ALSINA, researcher, lecturere Universitat Oberta de Catalunya
15:45 discussion

EVENING PROGRAM

18:20 Opening of Pixelache Festival + the “Event Art Exhibition” in Kiasma
19:30 Cronopolitics – III memo of time
performance in Kiasma-Theatre by Tuija Kokkonen & group

RELATED PROGRAM at Pixelache-festival

Friday 26.3 - Sunday 28.3 Herboligies/Foraging Networks

Friday 26.3.
11.00 — 17.00 Camp Pixelache // Kerava Art Museum
17.00 — 19.00 Opening of ‘How to Build a Dishwasher’ + “chmod x+ art” // Kerava Art Museum

Saturday 27.3 17:30-19h Vivoarts workshop with Adam Zaretsky at Kiasma

Sunday 28.3. 16:00 - Heart Chamber Orchestra at Kiasma