London LASER 29 & ART IN FLUX
6.45pm-9.15pm (registration from 6.30pm) Wednesday 27 November 2019
Central St Martins, Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AA
Maria Almena | Christian Duka | Becky Stewart | Ari Peralta | Dr Annahita Nezami
360 Sound Performance by Christian Duka
6.45pm-9.15pm (registration from 6.30pm) Wednesday 27 November 2019
Central St Martins, Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, Kings Cross, London N1C 4AA
Maria Almena | Christian Duka | Becky Stewart | Ari Peralta | Dr Annahita Nezami
360 Sound Performance by Christian Duka
LEVITATIONS: Transformative creative technologies in troubled times
Curated by Maria Almena in collaboration with MA Art and Science (Central Saint Martins)
London LASER and Art in FLUX present an evening of immersive existential inquiry exploring how, in times of turbulent change, contemporary art practices can help take us into new realities with the intention of transforming our society.
Our world is experiencing an enormous social, political, economic, environmental and technological change. Navigating this turbulence requires us rethink the role that creative technologies should have in our contemporary society in order to address the deepest of human and planetary needs.
In this evening of talks, discussion and demos we ask how contemporary artists are using creative technologies to help take the right steps. Looking particularly at immersive experiences, where art and technology are intertwined and embodied, we explore how transformative moments can inspire and influence future human behaviour. And ask, can radical emerging technologies help us to “levitate” into a better future?
PROGRAMME:
Maria Almena from Kimatica studio will introduce the theme as well as mentioning some of the latest relevant projects that she has created with Kimatica. Maria Almena is a Spanish London-based creative director and a multimedia artist, co-founder of the creative studio, Kimatica Studio. http://kimatica.net/ as well as co-founder and art curator of Flux events. Maria's practice research is exploring concepts of human consciousness and perception, making those transcendental ideas accessible to a modern audience, to inspire reconnection with magical thinking.
Christian Duka will enlighten us with a unique 360 sound performance. https://www.christianduka.com/ Christian Duka is a sound designer/artist of the generation that emerged in the wake of digital technology. He explores sound art in cross art-forms collaborations involving contemporary dance, performance and visual artists in the context of multisensory, 3D audio-visual environments. Space becomes an instrument at the hands of the artist, a tool at the service of sound & visual design, a canvas where body movements can be metaphorically painted.
Becky Steward will share some insights with her work http://theleadingzero.com/ She is a Lecturer in the Dyson School of Design Engineering at Imperial College London and until early 2019 was a Lecturer in the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at Queen Mary University of London. She is also the co-founder of Codasign, a creative technology education company that ran workshops teaching kids and adults how to use technology to develop creative projects. She works with e-textiles and signal processing to build interactive, body-centric wearable computing systems. These systems often incorporate performance, fashion, music and/or design.
Ari Peralta leads the dynamic research consultancy at Arigami. A Forbes recognised serial entrepreneur, Ari has been on a mission to unite the various fields of science involving the human senses and facilitate the bridge between innovation initiatives, sensory delivery technologies and function design-specific endeavors with multinational brands. He is an advocate for science, technology and art, working alongside scientists, economists, behaviorists, researchers, industry executives and policy advisors promoting wellness-led human ecosystems. He will present "The Science Of Happiness" Explore human centered design from the inside out. Learn more about the human senses, our brains and happiness. Our interdisciplinary presentation focuses on unfolding new solutions using multisensory balanced environments. We will explore the latest crossmodal research, debunk brain myths and provide best practices for achieving multisensory-driven positive engagement.
Dr Annahita Nezami https://www.vr-overview-effect.co.uk/ Dr Annahita Nezami is the founder of VR-Overview-Effect. She is a counselling psychologist with over 14 years experience of working in mental health. Our project is Inspired by her doctoral research on the therapeutic value of the Overview Effect.
We are a team of people who are passionate about bringing the cognitive shift experienced by astronauts when Earth gazing to a wider audience.
We are a professional psychological service who offer bespoke therapeutic workshops which incorporate virtual reality Earth gazing experiences (the Overview Effect) to corporations, private hospitals, NHS mental health organisations, schools, businesses, and charities.