Feb 1st–3rd, 2013

Call for abstracts, due June 15th

We know we have built a civilisation which is unsustainable. How are we developing today the new culture that will allow us to create a sustainable civilisation?
— Roger Malina, Astrophysicist and Editor of Leonardo

Integrating indigenous perspectives with creative, environmental, scientific and academic views on reality is essential to a sustainable future. At the same time, computing and digital media are changing our relationship to culture and the environment.

On the one hand digital technology allows us to analyse and display data in new ways, as when anthropologists use language databases to shed light on the movement of culture.

On the other hand digital technology adds to our senses, and extends them beyond the body to the forests and the land. Scientists, artists and others are transforming the environment into an organism, as Maori and indigenous peoples have always known it to be.

SCANZ 2013: 3rd nature will bring together diverse people to discuss and celebrate how to approach working together across culture, discipline and media. We must work together to resolve the issues emerging at the boundary between fresh knowledge and deep knowledge, beginning with sharing knowledge and projects.

Presentations and projects which highlight cross cultural interchange and/or computing and electronics projects are sought. The ensuing discussion and presentations will then be shared in a special edition of Leonardo Electronic Almanac, the online publication of Leonardo – the leading Massachusetts Institute of Technology journal. Abstracts are due June 15th 2012.

Who should attend?

Tangata whenua, indigenous peoples, scientists, artists, environmentalists, academics, philosophers, educationalists, musicians, teachers, technologists, and those concerned about sustainability, the future of Earth and humanity. Tangata whenua –people of the land – are indigenous to Aotearoa New Zealand.

The first day of the hui will be held at Owae marae. Keynote speakers are Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru (Aotearoa New Zealand) and Intercreate International Research Fellow Nina Czegledy (Canada & Hungary). The second and third days are to be held in Te Piere o te Rangi on the Western Institute of Technology at Taranki campus.

Presentations

There are four types of presentations which will be reviewed by robust process: peer reviewed, panel presentation, solutions and individual.

Peer reviewed

Papers can be put forward for peer review and inclusion in a special edition of Leonardo Electronic Almanac. The process will be rigorous. A peer reviewed paper could be based on a presentation made as a panel, a solution or as an individual.

Panel presentations

An important aspect of the hui and symposium will be themed discussions lead by interdisciplinary teams. These presentations will be an hour long, with panellists giving a concise 6 minute presentation (each) on their work, and then leading a discussion. Panellists will define a series of questions and then develop a position on the questions as preparation for the discussion. Panel teams can be proposed, applicants can simply indicate they wish to be part of a panel, or they will be invited.

Solutions

Solutions are 20 minute presentations about a completed project that crossed one or more of  boundaries of the following: art/science (or any other Western discipline)/computing and/or indigenous awareness. This may involve reporting on projects or activity that involved a negotiation of cultural borders, with an attempt made to preserve some values from both cultures;  or a computing project that put fresh light on culture, nature, the environment, science and/or art.

Individual

These are fifteen minutes duration, with a presentation of 10 minutes followed by 5 minutes of discussion. These presentations are drawn from disciplines across the spectrum. What are the health, environmental, psychological, culinary, audio, scientific, historical, engineering, business, construction, farming and/or creative implications of engaging across cultural borders or with electronic media? Presentations in this category can be from the perspective of a single discipline, but must involve engaging across cultural borders or involve electronic media. Individual refers to discussing one project, or by one presenter.

Submission process

Abstracts will be submitted using Easy Chair, a conference management system. Instructions for using this system are the following:

1. Go to: http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=scanz2013
   This is the Easy Chair SCANZ 2013 log in page.
2. Get an Easy Chair log in. You will need a working email address that you can use at the same time, as confirmation emails will  be sent.
3. Log in as an Author once you have your log in details.
4. Then click the link at the top which says ‘New submission.‘
5. Enter your submission. In the appropriate boxes, enter your name and contact details. Provide a title. Write an abstract (maximum 500 words, 350 preferred). Select the category you are applying under. Enter at least three keywords with each word separated by a line (the page does remind you to do this). You must enter at least three keywords. Check the ‘Abstract only‘ check box. Papers for those submitting them are submitted later.
6. To edit your submission. You will be able to change your submission until the deadline of June 15th 2012. To change a submission, log in as an author. Click the link with the ‘Paper’ and a number. Click the ‘update information’ link on the right side of the page. Change details as required and then click the Change information button at the bottom of the form. You can also submit a new version, update authors and withdraw using the same page.

Due Date: Call for abstracts close June 15th

SCANZ 2013: 3rd nature creative residency will occur between the 18th of January and the 4th of February 2013 (includes hui/symposium).

Concept Statement

The concept of a third space – a zone of hybridity – traverses the cultural landscape from the writing of Homi Bhabha in the mid 1990s, to Sony advertising (see hypertext.rmit.edu.au/dac/papers/mcguire.pdf). Hybridity is now embedded in creative and cultural production and consumption.

A space of hybridity can assimilate potentially any set of concepts. SCANZ 2013 3rd Nature seeks to develop a fresh space, carrying memes from previous SCANZ events (which have all had an emphasis on environment) and other Intercreate projects that have involved scientists, indigenous peoples and artists working together. We are aiming to build new knowledge and establish legacies around this work, unencumbered by old perspectives and now distant categories.

We ignore the environmental crisis at our peril. Integrating the indigenous perspective, creative, environmental and scientific views on the environment is essential for continued human habitation of the planet. From these trajectories, it is possible to conceive of a fresh hybrid space, composed of overlapping elements.

We ask tangata whenua, artists, technologists, teachers, environmentalists, scientists, philosophers, educationalists, indigenous peoples, technologists and lecturers to contact us with ideas for talks, discussions, presentations, residency projects, exhibition ideas for gallery space and a botanic garden. And to join us on the weekend of January 1st – 3rd 2013 at a hui/symposium to share knowledge and build resources.

Important dates

Residency expression of interest due: May 15 2012
Symposium abstract due: June 15 2012

Residency dates: Friday 18 January to Monday 4 February 2013
Symposium dates: February 1-3 2013
Exhibition opening: Dawn February 2 2013

Themes

3RD Nature involves creativity and innovation at the intersection of three critical interfaces:

*Acknowledging the environmental crisis
*Engaging with Maori and indigenous peoples
*Engaging with Earth Sciences and the Hybrid Arts

These three intersecting dialogues provide space for a Third Nature, a fresh space for engaging with new knowledge and approaches vital to a sustainable civilisation.

Project Components

RESIDENCY; EXHIBITIONS – MUSEUM, BOTANIC GARDEN; PECHA KUCHA NIGHT; PRESENTATION EVENING; SYMPOSIUM; CATALOGUE

1. RESIDENCY

The residency commences with an overnight stay at historic Owae marae.

Over the two week period of the residency, there will open labs for cross fertilization at WITT Art Space. The public are welcome to attend and much of the cross fertilisation will occur, in terms of projects and discussion. To apply, please download open call at the base of this page, and follow instructions. Applications due May 15th.

People currently confirmed for the residency include:

Ricardo O’Nascimento — onascimento.com, popkalab.com
Scenocosme (Gregory Lasserre and Anais met den Ancxt) — scenocosme.com
Darko Fritz — darkofritz.net
Hideo Iwasaki (exhibition) — www.f.waseda.jp/hideo-iwasaki
Ilka Nelson — thelasttree.net
Agnese Trocchi and Giovanna Dante — newmacchina.info
Sonja van Kerkhoff — sonjavank.com
Kate Genevieve — kategenevieve.wordpress.com
Jo Tito — sciencewithsoul.com
Pierre Proske and Damian Stewart — digitalstar.net, damianstewart.com
Jayce Salloum (screening) — tinyurl.com/jaycesalloum
Vicki Smith — sailingforsustainability.org
Dr Tracey M Benson — byte-time.net

2. EXHIBITIONS AT PUKE ARIKI INTEGRATED MUSEUM AND LIBRARY

Six places are available for exhibition projects. This would consist of work in a similar vein to the residency project but already completed and able to be installed on the first weekend.

3. EXHIBITIONS PROJECTS IN PUKEKURA PARK, A BOTANICAL GARDEN

Four places are available for works suitable to display in the local botanic garden. These are all outdoor venues. Work of a botanical nature referencing the Third Nature theme, or utilising an existing three data sensor network connected to an Open Mesh box, will be sought.

4. PECHA KUCHA NIGHT

A special edition of Pecha Kucha featuring SCANZ participants will happen during the residency.

5. PRESENTATION OF PROJECTS – WITT ART DEPARTMENT

This is a one night event where projects can be presented and discussed. This occurs on the Saturday night of the final weekend, as a component of the symposium. Participation is voluntary and the event will be publicised.

6. SYMPOSIUM

The symposium will consist of an interdisciplinary selection of presenters traversing indigenous, academic, creative and environmental spheres. There will be one stream only so all participants can be involved in all discussion.  Seating for panel presentations will be in round table format, with panel presenters among the audience, to facilitate discussion. To apply please go to the symposium call page and follow instructions there. Applications close June 15th.

7. PUBLICATION

The exhibition and symposium will be presented in the form of a special edition of Leonardo Electronic Almanac with a limited edition print run.

Send us your Residency Project Proposals

Part of the application process for SCANZ 2013 is to make a small blog. Please download and read the below Open Call for further information.

Download: SCANZ 2013 3rd nature – Open Call

Uncontainable-second-nature (Te Kore-Rongo-Hungaora)is curated by Ian Clothier with an advisory panel of Nina Czegledy, Trudy Lane and Tengaruru Wineera, for ISEA 2011 Istanbul. The exhibition crosses cultural and discipline boundaries.  A cultural bridge has been constructed, providing a framework of both Maori and European knowledge. Five themes from within European and Maori world views were located.

Given the intercultural bridge, works from art and science are recontextualised as cultural texts symbolic of belief systems. Discipline is not fixed, but fluid in a transformational environment. In the exhibition, digital and post-digital exist in a state of hybridity.

Included are works by Julian Oliver, recipient of the Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica in 2011, Lisa Reihana, Julian Priest, Sonja van Kerkhoff, Sophie Jerram and Dugal McKinnon, Rachel Rakena, Jo Tito, Associate Professor Mike Paulin (Zoology), Paul Moss and Te Huirangi Waikerepuru.

The show opened at Dawn on September 14th at Cumhuriyet Art Gallery Taksim Square Istanbul and ran to October 12th as part of ISEA 2011 Istanbul.

Below are a few photos of some of the works, to remind people of the show. These are just some quick point and shoot images, further formal documentation will be added later.

Te Huirangi Waikerepuru stands before his chart of Te Taiao Maori – the backbone of the project

The psworld computer by Julian Oliver

Jo Tito’s kohatu (stone) Mauri Wai Mauri Ora between speakers playing breathing audio by Sophie Jerram and Dugal McKinnon

An image from Whanaunga by Lisa Reihana

Paul Moss’s Photo Astronomy images were embedded into star shapes, and the stars placed on the floor in the formation of the Southern Cross

Looking through to the second space, with part of Julian Priest’s Information comes from the sun on the cylindrical plinth and the exterior of Kāinga a roto Home within by Sonja van Kerkhoff, Sen McGlinn and Toroa Pohatu in the background.

Mike Paulin’s Computational Visualization of the Electromagnetic Sensory World of Sharks.

Julian Priest’s Information comes from the sun

One man is an island by Rachel Rakena

Looking from beside Kāinga a roto Home within toward works by Julian Priest (right) Mike Paulin and Rachel Rakena

Curated by Ian Clothier with an advisory panel of Nina Czegledy, Tengaruru Wineera and Trudy Lane, a bridge between Maori and European cultures of Aotearoa New Zealand has been constructed. The cultural bridge interconnects both Maori and European knowledge at the level of summary. Five themes from within European and Maori world views were located.

Given the intercultural bridge, works from art and science are recontextualised as cultural texts symbolic of belief systems. Discipline is not viewed as fixed, but fluid in a transformational environment. In the exhibition, digital and post-digital exist in a state of hybridity.

The project began with the selection of concepts shared across ideological borders. The topics were loosely connected and include cosmological context, all is energy, life emerged from water, anthropic principle and integrated systems. All the selected works address more than one of these thematic regions.

Discipline boundaries were breached, following a course charted at SCANZ 2011: Eco sapiens where artists, scientists, environmentalists, activists, educationalists, philosophers and tangata whenua came together to collectively re-imagine our narratives on nature. In this way the event sought to encourage cultural shifts in response to the environmental crisis facing earth and humanity.

Breaching boundaries of culture and discipline, generating cultural hybridity and interdisciplinarity has consequences. There are gains and losses in the approach, but what might be won is a way forward that is sustainable, affirmative and interconnected. One sense of the term ‘culture’ refers to customary practice or a way of thinking, while one sense of ‘discipline’ is method – in these senses of those words, the works here arise from a culture of sharing and a discipline of openness.

Curator – Ian Clothier CV and bio

Ian Clothier is Director of Intercreate Research Centre (intercreate.org) and Founder and Co-director of SCANZ residency, symposium and exhibition. As an artist his projects intersect art, technology, science and culture. Recent creative projects include the integrated systems The Park Speaks and Haiku robots; and the hybrid cultural Making History a project of his internet micronation The District of Leistavia. He has had thirteen solo shows and been selected for exhibition at institutions in twelve countries including three ISEA exhibitions: ISEA 2009 Belfast exhibition; Taranaki culture at Puke Ariki, New Zealand; ISEA 2008 Singapore symposium; net.NET at The JavaMuseum; for Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival in the USA (upstate New York); ISEA 2006 San Jose exhibition; Graphite at the University of Otago NZ; the First International Festival of Electronic Art in Rio de Janeiro; Fair Assembly at ZKM; New Forms Festival in Vancouver; ISEA 2004 Tallinn/Helsinki exhibition; ReJoyce in Dublin and Wild 2002 in the Tasmanian Museum.  He was awarded a Converge Artist Fellowship at the University of Canterbury in 2005 for an augmented reality project. Written work has been published in respected journals, Leonardo, Convergence and Digital Creativity and he has delivered papers to conferences and symposia worldwide.

Curatorial experience includes being selection panel member for Solar Circuit Aotearoa New Zealand 2006; SCANZ 2009: Raranga Tangata; SCANZ 2011: Eco sapiens; Inter:place at Puke Ariki 2010; WITT-wide an exhibition covering work by staff of all departments of Taranaki’s polytechnic in 2009; Interactive City selection panel for ISEA 2006; Exhibitions, Policy and Education Officer, The Gallery Akaroa 1990 – 1992; Co-director of Summer Entertainment in Akaroa 1986; and Exhibition Officer 1984-86 at the Gallery Akaroa.

As well as curatorial panel membership he also produced and creatively directed the SCANZ events with Trudy Lane. Previously he had been Special Projects Manager at the University of Auckland Business School (managing world class teaching technology installations 1997-2002), and Survey Manager for Halcrow Fox Associates in the UK 1988-1990). In 2002 he was awarded and MA (Hons) from AUT, and has a Diploma of Art in Visual Arts from Monash University Gippsland Campus.

Research Publications

Clothier, I (2009). The Collaborative Landscape: some insights into current practice in the visual arts ITPQ refereed conference proceedings.

Clothier, I (2008). Leonardo, nonlinearity and integrated systems in Leonardo Volume 41 Number 1 pp. 49-55.

Clothier, I. & Lane, T. (2008). Solar Circuit Aotearoa New Zealand in S. Brennan & S. Ballard (Eds.) The Aotearoa Digital Arts Reader. Auckland: Clouds.

Clothier, I. & Lane, T. (2008). SCANZ. New Plymouth: Intercreate Press. ISBN 978-0-473-13388-7.

Clothier, I. (2007). Formen der Reprasentation: Hybride Kulturen, Nonlinearitat und creative Verfahren (Forms of Representation: Hybrid Culture, Nonlinearity and Creative Practice). In Kroncke, M; Mey, K & Spielmann, Y. (Eds.) Kultureller Umbau: Räume, Identitäten, Re/Präsentationen (Cultural Reconstruction: Spaces, Identities, Re/Presentations). Bielefeld: Transcript. ISBN 978-3-89942-556-7.

Clothier, I (2007). Created identities: hybrid cultures and the internet (revised with images) at http://www.hz-journal.org/n11/clothier.html

Clothier, I. (2007). Art.data/branching. New Plymouth: Intercreate Press. ISBN 978-0-473-11915-7.

Clothier, I. (2005). Created identities: hybrid cultures and the internet in Convergence  Volume 11 Number 4 p 44-59; London, Thousand Oaks and New Delhi:Sage Publications

Clothier, I. (2003). Hybrid cultures: what, where and how about us? Nga Waka, Aotearoa NZ Association of Art Educators Conference published in Nga Waka, ANZAAE refereed conference proceedings, Vol. One (1),2003

Clothier, I. (2001). From chaos and cosmology: a new space for the visual arts in Digital Creativity Volume 12 no. 1, p 31-44.

Te Taiao Māori, 2011, Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru, (Iwi – Tribes: Taranaki, Whānui, Nga Puhi, Taitokerau), Mātauranga Maori

Te Kore – Street of Breaths, 2011, Sophie Jerram and Dugal McKinnon, Audio and sound system

Mauri Wai Mauri Ora, 2011, Jo Tito (Iwi – Tribes: Taranaki, Ngāti Pikiao, Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao), Taranaki stone & acrylic paint

Jo Tito Is a Māori artist, passionate about sharing the importance of connection and helping people reconnect to who they are.

A self-taught photographer, she is also a multi-media artist who combines storytelling, nature and technology to share her messages. Working at the grass roots level of community through health and education initiatives, has enabled her to use art as a tool for change and to see the positive affects that connection and storytelling can have on a community.

The work for ISEA presents a “mauri” stone and explores a Māori concept of “energy” or “mauri” bringing the physical stone as an art work into the space. The stone carries the energy of the land from which it comes, and the many stories and energies that have been gathered prior to it’s journey to ISEA. The stone also incorporates all the works that are presented in this exhibition.

The rock has been formed by water and shares stories of connection to who we are; wai being the Māori word for water and also used when one asks,  ”ko wai au – who am I?” With the understanding of water as being part of who we are, we can perhaps better understand our connection to the environment and the importance of water as an essential element to the survival of our planet and people.

Jo Tito CV and bio

Jo Is a 37 year old creative entrepreneur and artist who is passionate about art and bringing about change in the world. An innate connection to the land and environment inspires her creativity and the stories she tells through her work. She has been a photographer for the past 16 years and is also a multi-media artist working in painting, sculpture and digital storytelling. She also has a background in health and education and has worked at the grass roots level of community using art as a tool for change.

Connections and relationships are important to her and are at the heart of everything she does. Over the past 10 years, she has have had the privilege of working with some of the most talented artists from around the world through overseas travel, exhibitions, festivals and gatherings.

RECENT EXHIBITIONS

2011 Floating Land and Dreaming Festival – Artist in residence with international artists – Brisbane, Australia

Documentary of stories for Puke Ariki Museum exhibition – What If?, Taranaki

He Iwi Karioi exhibition currently showing at Tairawhiti museum – moving image installation, Gisborne

SCANZ 2011: Eco sapiens art residency, Taranaki

2010 Nga Manukura Maori midwives photographic project – photography and creation of digital stories for Auckland District Health Board

Co-director, Photographer & Editor for A Fire Burning a feature documentary by Flair Films

2009 Director of documentary – Iwirakau at the Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne

Dreaming Festival, Brisbane Australia – indigenous artists research

2008 Aotearoa delegation to the 10th International Festival of Pacific Arts, Pagopago- America Samoa for digital storytelling & photography

Creation of digital stories for Nga Rama e Whitu exhibition, Gisborne

Travel to the Dreaming festival, Brisbane Australia – indigenous artists research

Sponsored trip to Indonesia by EngageMedia Australia for a gathering of software developers and video activists conference

2007 Author, researcher and editor of Matarakau – healing stories of Taranaki

Solo exhibition at the Thinkspace Gallery in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona USA

Digital storytelling workshop at Scotsdale Community College Arizona USA

Invited artist to the Gisborne Garden Artfest 2007, Gisborne

2006 Curator, storyteller & photographer of Wahine exhibition a b & w photographic exhibition by eight Maori women living in Taranaki at Nga Manu Korero – Opunake, Taranaki; Patea, Taranaki; and Hauiti marae Tolaga Bay, East Coast

Parihaka International Peace festival – exhibitor

Invited artist to the Gisborne Garden Artfest 2006

Ono Pacific Arts festival – invited artist for an exhibition of paper works with Sheynne Tuffery, Christchurch art section

Sept Selected artist for Rotorua artists exhibition at the Rotorua Museum

July Nga Manukura exhibition, Rotorua – exhibitor

July “He Puna Korero” Taranaki arts festival – emerging Maori artists exhibition

Computational Visualization of the Electromagnetic Sensory World of Sharks, 2008, Michael G. Paulin, Computational physics simulation with 3D visualization

One strand of my current research is about how the shark’s electrosensory system evolved, from simple(r) creatures that drifted with the ocean currents, gathering small amounts of information that enabled them to alter the probability of where they ended up, to sophisticated creatures extracting every bit of information from every available channel in the environment and picking a path through it. Seems to me there’s a story there, about art and science and storytelling as ways of seeing and navigating.

One Man is an Island, 2009, Rachael Rakena (Iwi – Ngai Tahu, Nga Puhi), High definition video, courtesy of Bartley and Company Art, Wellington

Kāinga a roto Home within, 2010 Sonja van Kerkhoff, Sen McGlinn and Toroa Pohatu, Installation with five monitors, video and audio

Artist statement

A system, even an integrated system, is not a seamless continuum: what makes it a system is that it consists of distinct interrelated parts. A culture – a symbol system – is one integrated system. The human person too is an integrated system (memory, hopes, relationships, reason and spirituality), and so is an individual biography. A person, seen as a system, is the microcosm to the natural world’s macrocosm, which contains elemental systems – of water, wind and earth, and of the biosphere.

Kāinga a roto (Home Within) is an art-system, consisting of five distinct videos, soundscapes, music, lighting and shadows, and a physical space where visitors sit or lie close to the ground. This art-system is used to represent the complex system of a particular biography influenced by New Zealand Colonial and Māori cultural values.