European art graduation projects 2007, featuring "Dobrze" by Dorota Walentynowicz, "Block H." by Faith Denham, "CollecTic" by Jonas Hielscher, "Wi-Fi Straitjacket" by Gordan Savicic, and "Paraphernalia" by Nancy Mauro-Flude. With invited speakers Simon Jones, Dirk Paesmans and Joan Heemskerk.
Test_Lab is a bimonthly public event hosted by V2_, Institute for the Unstable Media, that provides an informal setting for the demonstration, testing, presentation, and discussion of artistic research and development (aRt&D).
Test_Lab: PLAY! will feature a selection of the best European electronic-art graduation projects of 2007. The pieces have been selected according to originality and quality, and especially the way they use the concept of play - that is, the playfulness evoked by the work. At Test_Lab: PLAY! these projects will be demonstrated, tested, and discussed among makers, audience and experts.
Play as a form of social interaction has a rich tradition in various branches of the arts. But it was only recently that human-centered-technology designers realized play offered interesting new approaches and techniques for the development of their field. This brings them together with contemporary artists who explore play by experimenting with a wide range of (often wearable) human-machine interfacing technologies. Such experiments often combine a strong DIY attitude toward technology design with a desire to take advantage of people's naive or intuitive understanding of technology through play.
In Test_Lab: PLAY! the audience and participants will test and discuss the approaches and techniques used to implement play. They will also discuss the broader context of the demonstrated work.
* Dobrze
by Dorota Walentynowicz (Interfaculty Image and Sound, The Hague)
* Block H.
by Faith Denham (Goldsmiths, University of London)
* CollecTic
by Jonas Hielscher (Media Technology, Leiden University)
* Wi-Fi Straitjacket
by Gordan Savicic (University of Applied Arts Vienna)
* Paraphernalia
by Nancy Mauro-Flude (Piet Zwart Institute, Hogeschool Rotterdam)
Invited speakers:
Simon Jones (Human-Computer Studies, University of Amsterdam)
Dirk Paesmans and Joan Heemskerk (jodi.org)