New Connections

The Ars Electronica Garden Utrecht hosted by HKU is a showcase of upcoming talents from the HKU University of the Arts Utrecht. As a focus this showcase reflects on what could be called “new connections.” The HKU Expertise Centre for Creative Technology has curated this showcase.

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New Connections

This world, and not only due to the corona virus, is making demands on us and is in need of new connections. The way we interact with each other, with the world around us, with technology, with corporations, with our future and with our past is changing rapidly.

Artists have the responsibility to imagine the world of tomorrow. Imagination is key to starting discussions about our behavior, about solutions to current problems and designing the future.

This HKU showcase as part of Ars Electronica 2020 shows works related to the theme of making connections to the world around us and discusses possible futures. The works presented all take on a notion of a world in transition and the need for humans to change their attitude towards this world. This can be towards technology, nature or spirituality for example. The showcase is an invitation to explore ways to make new connections with everything taken for granted around you – sometimes in a lighthearted and playful way, and at other times more seriously and holding up a mirror.

Preview Video

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wait, what?, Jorien Aberkrom (NL)  
Credit: Jorien Aberkrom (NL) 

Shaping Futures, Nienke Meinster (NL)
Credit: Nienke Meinster (NL)  

HertzianSpace, Daniël Korssen (NL) 
Credit: Daniël Korssen (NL) 

Timetable

Program

Online Exhibition NEW CONNECTIONS

HKU University Of The Arts Utrecht (NL)

The opening night will feature several live performances all related to the theme “new connections”. This for example by revisiting and passing on music traditions through electronic means, new tactile electronic instruments and an AV show performed by live coding artists.

Dialogue#1 – data driven art

HKU University Of The Arts Utrecht (NL)

The dialogues are moderated sessions to have a more in depth look at and discussion on the underlying themes of the works at the exhibition. Dialogue#1 is about data driven art. With artists involved in the exhibition we discuss the need to make the invisible world behind technology in our society visible.

Dialogue#2 – imagining tomorrow

HKU University Of The Arts Utrecht (NL)

Dialogue#2 is called imagining tomorrow. Nobody can deny our world is in a huge transition. We live in an age of uncertainty where we are forced to rethink basically every aspect of our society from the personal to the governmental to the spiritual. We discuss with artists how they look at the responsibility of creatives when it comes to changing the world. And, is it just about exposing the problems we face or can you do more as an artist?

Dialogue#3 – demystifying technology

HKU University Of The Arts Utrecht (NL)

Dialogue#3 is about demystifying technology. Technology is often a black box. We have no clue what is inside the equipment we use every day. In some cases, there is even no way to open the tools we use so frequently. In what ways can we hack the technology we encounter and use every day and all day and can we give a new or different use and meaning to it? What do we learn from this process and about the way things are made and maybe should be made?

Dialogue#4 – shifting perspectives

HKU University Of The Arts Utrecht (NL)

In Dialogue#4 we talk about shifting perspectives. With several artists involved in the exhibition we discuss the aspect of “reality” and in what way art should contribute to a broader perspective on reality. Things we take for granted are maybe not what they seem, or at least there is another way of looking at them. When looking at it this way then there is no fake news as it is just another perception of reality. In a world fixed on maintaining certainty, and thus one perspective as the truth, how can artists fight against this narrow minded view on reality?

Project Credits / Acknowledgements

Ars Electronica Garden Utrecht is hosted by HKU but made possible with these local partners:
Uncloud, SETUP, Creative Coding Utrecht, Kapitaal, House TMM
Peformances: Taro / Adrien L’ Honoré Naber (NL), Dianne Verdonk (NL), Timo Hoogland (NL) & Rafaela Andrade (BR), Interbellum / Nathan Marcus & Loden Rietveld (NL), Lars Bijleveld & Wes Broersen (NL)
Institutions: IMPAKT, EMAP, OILab, oneseconds, City of Utrecht, Creative Industries Fund NL, Democracy and Media Fund NL.
Artists and Speakers: Clusterduck (IT, DE, FR), Florian Cramer (DE/NL), Simon Denny (NZ/DE), Bharath Ganesh (US/NL), Andy King (GB/DE), Szabolcs KissPál (HU), Annika Larsson (SE/DE), Sulaïman Majali (UK), Dorine van Meel (NL/DE), Liliana Piskorska (PL), Jon Rafman (CA), Richard Rogers (US/NL), Jonas Staal (NL), Dimitri Tokmetzis (NL).
Team: Inez de Coo (NL), Arjon Dunnewind (NL), Saskia de Jong (NL), Daniel Jurg (NL), Marc Tuters (CA/NL).

Biography

HKU University of the Arts Utrecht distinguishes itself with a broad range of study programs in arts and media to educate the next generation of creative professionals. We have a long track record of successful interdisciplinary projects, international partnerships and meaningful innovation for the creative industries and beyond.

4000 students attend HKU, studying at nine schools: Fine Art, Design, Music and Technology, Games and Interaction, Art and Economics, Media, Utrecht Conservatoire, Theatre and HKU College. HKU has four expertise centers that are responsible for practical research, innovation programs and knowledge development.

The Expertise Centre for Creative Technology explores the possibilities of Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR), sensors, robots, 3D printing, algorithms and interfaces, and their application in art education. We aim to show the many ways in which technology can enrich the arts and how art can also help us reflect critically on technological advancements. The center facilitates multidisciplinary experiments to ensure HKU remains ahead of the curve when it comes to cutting-edge facilities and workplaces.