UNT College of Visual Arts & Design symposium focuses on innovative art and technology

Friday, September 19, 2014 - 19:44

What: The University of North Texas' College of Visual Arts and Design presents the Tactical Robotics Symposium: Latin American Media Art at the Intersection of the Pedagogy

When: Public event is 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 1 (Wednesday); workshops for UNT students are on Oct. 2.

Where: Art Building, Room 223, 1201 W. Mulberry St., Denton, at the corner of Mulberry and Welch streets

Cost: Free

DENTON (UNT), Texas – Four internationally recognized artist/scholars will talk about how they combine technology, science and art as part of the Tactical Robotics Symposium: Latin American Media Art at the Intersection of the Pedagogy at the University of North Texas.

The artists will present their work and participate in a public lecture and roundtable discussion from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 1 (Wednesday) at the Art Building, Room 223. They also will conduct workshops with students from the College of Visual Arts and Design on Oct. 2 (Thursday).

Students will get to see emergent contemporary art and "explore how art can be used as a pathway for students to consider their research and practice in visual studies from intercultural and international perspectives," said Adetty Pérez de Miles, assistant professor of art education and art history, who is co-organizing and co-moderating the event.

"Our goal for the symposium is to establish networks of collaboration across borders, artistic spheres and cultures. In so doing, and contiguous with UNT's mission statement to promote diversity, collaboration and international exchanges, the Tactical Robotics Symposium has the potential to expand the reach of the university, not only by sharing the research that is being created at UNT with the world, but also by bringing the world to UNT," Pérez de Miles said.

One workshop will focus on hacking – taking an object and using it for a different purpose than it was intended. One of the symposium’s artists, Arcángel Constantini, makes robotic sculptures that use free software that he releases into waterways so the robot can detect levels of pollution in the water. The sculpture then releases enzymes to remedy the water contamination.

Constantini is the winner of the Fundación Telefónica: Art and Artificial Life International Awards, given to artists whose work reflect outstanding achievements in art, science and technology. Two other participants have won the prestigious award – artist Gustavo Crembil and the event's co-organizer, Paula Gaetano Adi, who used to head the New Media Art program at UNT and now is assistant professor of foundation studies at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Presenters include:

  • Arcángel Constantini, México, independent New Media artist and curator
  • Gustavo Crembil, Argentina/United States, assistant professor of architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • Guto Nóbrega, Brazil, director, Nucleous of Art and New Organisms (NANO LAB) at the School of Fine Arts, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
  • Mariela Yeregui, Argentina, director of Master in Technology and Aesthetics of Electronic Arts, Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero

The symposium is a collaboration between the New Media Art and Art Education programs.

The event is sponsored by UNT-Incentives for Global Research Opportunities (IRGO), jointly sponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development, UNT-International, the College of Visual Arts and Design, and CVAD's Visiting Artist and Scholar Series, the Department of Art Education and Art History, the Department of Studio Art, the New Media Art Program and the CVAD dean's office.

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