Scientists

Bengaluru: City of Water

Harini Nagendra, ecologist

Ecologist Harini Nagendra’s talk takes the audience on a journey through the history of water systems in Bengaluru - starting from the 6th century CE to the present day. She explains how lakes were built and how they became an important source of water for the city. Today they are used solely for recreation, environmental support and ornamental views. She argues that urbanization and water conservation can go together and that we need to look at our history to manage our future.

The Unquiet River: Brahmaputra

Arupjyoti Saikia, historian

From landscapes to livelihoods, the river Brahmaputra has shaped the history of Assam. Historian Arupjyoti Saikia’s Confluence lecture brings together history, geology and hydrology to present a comprehensive understanding of this mighty river. He speaks about how the river was formed, what makes it unique, and why it is important to think about its future. His lecture is based on his book by the same name.

BIOMETRIC MIRROR

Lucy McRae, Natasha Greenhalgh, Dr Niels Wouters

Biometric Mirror is an immersive and at times controversial installation that blends the act of casually glancing at one’s reflection with modern algorithmic perspectives on facial perfection. The artwork explores the accuracy and flaws of artificial intelligence and the ‘uncanny valley’ of algorithmic perfection and its potential black mirror outcomes.

SEAWEED SALON

Lichen Kelp, Jessie French

A two-part workshop series by the Seaweed Appreciation Society International that invites you on a field trip to another world - an alternate seaweed reality, where edible algae bioplastics are mixed up alongside refreshing seaweed cocktails. By speculating on a radically sustainable seaweed future, we will be asking if biomutualism can play a part in our everyday lives in the future. A radical sustainable seaweed intervention has never felt more urgent.

Could an insect, human and android communicate through dance?

Prue Lang, Mathieu Briand, Mark Elgar and Alicia Sometimes

Join choreographer Prue Lang, artist Mathieu Briand and evolutionary ecologist Prof Mark Elgar as they discuss their journey with phasmids and BODY / INSECT / MACHINE, a work that explores the body/androids/artificial movement/intelligence on the one side and the body/human instinct/natural movement/nature on the other.

BODY / INSECT / MACHINE

Prue Lang, Mathieu Briand

BODY/ INSECT /MACHINE is a movement experiment between Prue Lang’s choreography, artist Mathieu Briand’s androids and a Phasmid (stick insect). The work explores the body/androids/artificial movement/intelligence on the one side and the body/human instinct/natural movement/nature on the other.

Oribokit: Gardening for Robots

Matthew Gardiner (AU)

Robotic Origami Workshop with Matthew Gardiner. ’Oribokit: Gardening for Robots‘  introduces a new artscience kit by Ars Electronica Futurelab researcher Matthew Gardiner. The kit allows you to make your own robotic garden at home. The assembled kit grafts onto a tree branch and is designed to minimise material usage and maximise modular recyclability for robotic origami applications. Kits include 1,2 or 3 oribotic blossoms featuring easy-to-fold laser-cut paper, servo motors, drive wires, and Arduino compatible STM32 microcontroller plus open-source firmware.

Beside the Nibelungen bridge / Neben der Nibelungenbrucke

Matthew Gardiner (AU)

Festival, late, Golden Nicas delivered. A mixed hoard spill into Linz; eclectic electric musicians chattering in nihongo, intro-and-extro-verted artists and friends not seen for an age for the tyranny of distance. Drawn involuntarily to places warmer and happier than Hans in Glück, to a lone Würstlstand in Linz. Perhaps beside the Linzer Nibelungenbrucke.

Terra Australis Ignota Research Group Round Table

A Conversation between the different areas involved in the Terra Australis Ignota project. Nicolas Spencer, Artist and Director of Terra Australis Ignota project Víctor Mazón Gardoqui, Researcher and artist Alfredo Prieto Iglesias, Archaeologist and researcher at University of Magallanes Gerd Sielfeld, Geologist and scientist council of Prisma Austral Foundation Paula López Wood, Writer and travel Journalist Alessandra Burotto, Curator of Museum of Contemporary Art Catalina Montero, Producer of Terra Australis Ignota project and talk moderator

Without water: between life and death

Shashi Thutupalli , biologist

Biologist Shashi Thutupalli questions our understanding of life and death in his Confluence lecture. His lecture is based on his exhibit FrankenShrimp where dehydrated brine shrimp remain dormant until they are placed in water. Once in water, they begin their life processes. He speaks about how cells in living beings need to be in a liquid state to be active, highlighting the importance of water in life sustaining processes.

A trip to the island

Alessandra Burotto (CL) / Paula Lopez Wood (CL) /Víctor Mazón Gardoqui (ES/DE) / Alfredo Prieto (CL) / Gerd Sielfeld (CL) / Nicolas Spencer (CL/AT) / Terra Ignota

An artistic, geological, archaeological and historical research trip into the southernmost continental island in the world before Antarctic; Cape Horn.

New Frontiers in Water Science

Veena Srinivasan, water researcher

In her Confluence lecture, water researcher Veena Srinivasan calls for a new approach to science that is problem driven, interdisciplinary and grounded in real-world questions. She presents three examples to illustrate why we must consider anthropologic changes in this new approach. She addressed the case of disappearing surface water in the Upper Arkavathy watershed near Bengaluru, the impact of droughts on Chennai and questions whether tree planting is good or bad for streams.

Achæoscillator

Víctor Mazón Gardoqui (ES/DE), Nicolas Spencer (CL/AT)

Achæoscillator displays the drastic weather conditions of the southernmost island in the world on a virtualized representation of the end/beginning of the Americas. A one-person experience, where the research presents traces and connections between the ancestors of the Yagán community, the Kawesqar and Selk’nam and the Antarctic, Scotia and South America continental plates, offering an inestimable and uncontrollable source of Gaia's power.

A Utopian Post-Colonial Future – Victoria, Australia 2027

Melbourne School of Design (MSD), The University of Melbourne (AU)

Can we imagine a utopia that creates a post-colonial social and political framework and overcomes the concept of land as commodity, inspired by indigenous concepts of relationship to country? Emerge yourself in VR to engage in a multitude of future scenarios that sketch out the potential to reflect on these questions.

Voices of Country

Dr. Rochus Urban Hinkel (AU); in collaboration with NExT Lab, Melissa Iraheta and Tony Yu (AU); Büro Achter April (DE); Dr. Hélène Frichot (AU)

This VR movie is set in the rural landscape of the Dja Dja Wurrung aboriginal tribe in southern Australia. The project tells stories of the land from different perspectives, allowing the audience to move through the site by engaging in a VR environment, with narrators telling different stories.

Datasets vs Mindsets

Dmitry Bulatov, Lev Manovich, Alla Mitrofanova, Helena Nikonole, Daria Parkhomenko, Yanina Prudenko, Olga Vad

Public talks by the leading Russian-speaking thinkers and philosophers of new media.

Uncomfortable Clothes #01

Fashion Frictions - Otto von Busch (Keynote)

There is a friction haunting fashion. Many of the basic qualities of design shares an uncomfortable fit with the way we interact with clothes: They are irrational. They are neither functional, nor user-friendly. Fashion is difference but also sameness, the new as well as the old, the cloning of idols as well as their rejection. It is a sense of pride as much as shame. And it is not uncommon that we feel an urge to lie to others about what we wear and our recent purchases. What is going on here? How are we to deal with the shallows and depths of fashion?

Re-FREAM Exhibition

The research project Re-FREAM is exploring the interaction between the domains of Fashion, Design, Science, Craft and Technology, promoting a space for co-creation and research, where experimental projects will be connecting artists with scientists and technologists for better human centered and sustainable solutions.

Re-FREAM round #1 presentations: Witsense & Jessica Smarsch

Witsense & Jessica Smarsch , hosted by Re-FREAM (INT)

Join this session to hear more about about Re-FREAM projects Lovewear by Witsense team and Constructing Connectivity by Jessica Smarsch.

Re-FREAM round #1 presentations: Julia Körner

Julia Körner (AT), hosted by Re-FREAM (INT)

Join this session to hear more about Julia Körner’s Re-FREAM project Digital Vogue.