The Interactive Institute at Art & Renewable Technologies
The Interactive Institute´s Art & Technology and Performing Pictures presents at the symposium for Art and Renewable Technologies in Aizpute, Latvia, 13-16 august 2009.
The symposium will gather together 30 artists, activists, technologists, scientists and researchers primarily from Nordic and Baltic countries, as well as from other European countries. Symposium participants will exchange their ideas and explorations that deal with renewable energy resources, alternative and ecological use of technologies and other sustainability related issues. Symposium is organised by RIXC, The Center for New Media Culture in Riga with the support of Nordic Culture Fund.
Erik Sjödin and Michel Bussien will present work in the Strange Eden framework, such as Michel's Growing Chair, the Suitcase Science project and a preview at the Bio-graf project (in progress). The projects collectively known as Strange Eden all deal with our relationship to nature and what that really is, anyway.
Victor Hugo Mondragon will on the behalf of Performing Pictures talk about Expanding media relations within the popular culture and the new media art. The fundaments of the presentation bases in the project Transformations, that is a collaboration between Performing Pictures from the interactive Institute and the community of Santa Ana Zegache in Oaxaca Mexico. The project offeres a possibility to rethink about postcolonial emblematic in the region, where artwork and new media, produce information and education reinforcing aspects of identity and education to the community.
In the project "Transformations" the partners will develop "devotional objects" in the community of Zegache as well as in the residential city of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. They will also address how traditional crafts and manual skills can be rendered renewed relevance as well as much needed commercial potential for the community of Zegache when combined with contemporary materials such as media and electronics.