WarsawMarch 4th & 5th 2013

Bringing artists together with scientists and technologists

Arts | Science | Technology - Innovation

Presentations

Christa Sommerer

Christa Sommerer is an internationally renowned media artist working in the field of interactive computer installation. She is a professor at the University of Art and Design in Linz Austria where along with Laurent Mignonneau they head the Department for Interface Culture at the Institute for Media. Christa originally studied biology at the University of Vienna and modern sculpture and art education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.

Christa’s artworks have been called “epoch making” (Toshiharu Itoh, NTT-ICC museum) for developing natural and intuitive interfaces and for often applying scientific principles such as artificial life, complexity and generative systems to their innovative interface designs. Christa and Laurent have also created pioneering interactive computer installations such as “Interactive Plant Growing” (1992), “A-Volve” (1994), Nano-Scape”(2002), “Mobile Feelings”(2003) and “Life Writer” 2004.

Christa presented a sample of her works during the reception dinner of ASTI Event in Warsaw.

Escape

© 2012, Christa Sommerer & Laurent

Mignonneau

The installation "Escape" deals with the issue of flight attempt. It was originally developed as site specific

installation in the civilian airraid shelter in Salenstein Switzerland as part of Sommerer and Mignonneau’s solo

show at the The View Contemporary Art Space.

The installation consists of an antique film projector and an antique projection screen from the 1940ies. The projector

was modified to hold a small video projector and some sensor technology.

Excavate

EXCAVATE consists of a magic lantern from the 1940ies that was transformed into an interactive installation. The project

was developed for a military shelter from the cold war in the area of Salenstein, Switzerland as part of Sommerer and

Mignonneau’s solo show at the The View Contemporary Art Space.

Visitors to the wet and humid cave received the EXCAVATE interface and then could explore the damp and totally dark cave. When shining some light onto the cave walls, various

dark particles seem to have appeared, looking a bit like isopods. At one point these woodlice assembled and faint faces of children develop. It is not clear why they look so

disturbed and scared.

© 2012, Christa Sommerer & Laurent

Mignonneau

The Value of Art

© 2010, Christa Sommerer &

Laurent Mignonneau

The Value of Art are interactive paintings dealing with the economy of attention and value creation in the art world.

When we look at prices of artworks at auctions, they often seem incomprehensible. Competing art collectors betting against each other can create skyrocketing values for art

works.

Relevance and attention in terms of art history, social and critical discourse are important components for becoming a

desired masterpiece with high monetary value. In The Value of Art the amount of visitors’ attention towards an art piece is directly linked to its monetary value. When visitors look at

the painting this time is counted and the value increase is printed on a small printer attached to the painting. 10

seconds of a viewer’s attention amounts to 1 Euro value increase.