Leonardo_Net weblog

Leonardo Network “Touchpoints” Workshop, May 19th…
…at the Foundation for Art & Creative Technology (FACT), Liverpool (www.fact.co.uk) in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University.

Touchpoints… The 2nd Leonardo workshop, in Liverpool on 19th May, puts centre-stage the artworks that we have committed to develop as part of the network project. How do we make them compelling as examples of technology, interaction and art? Bring your ideas… and hear how others are addressing the challenge.

This workshop provides opportunity to meet like-minded Leonardo Network members with whom joint working might be possible. Added to which, FACT’s rich environment offers its own forms of engagement: in particular, architecture, cinema and rope.

Architecture? There will be time to look round FACT, a rather striking building and ‘the UK’s leading organisation for the commissioning and presentation of film, video and new media art forms’, and visit the current installation by Vito Acconci – poet, performer and architect who has spent more than 35 years exploring the relationship between the body and public space. Early work featuring intimate interactions is contrasted with his recent architectural designs.

Cinema? For those who prefer their culture more ‘popular’, there is the opening of “Stars Wars, Episode 3″, at the FACT main cinema. The workshop ends in time for the 6.15pm showing (and even allows for a swift drink beforehand too). Check out, also, the screen in the foyer that relays live images of the cinema audience watching the film.

Rope? FACT stands on Wood Street opposite Ropewalks Square, an area where ropes were traditionally woven by workers along the length of the street. ‘Rope-making’ has been adopted as the official metaphor of the workshop.

Please find a (rough) schedule of the day, and location information below, with details of the bidding process to follow (you don’t have to be there on 19th to bid). NB. Do circulate this to colleagues and inform Sally Rainbird at [spr6@york.ac.uk] by 12th May if anyone else is planning to attend. There is no charge for the workshop, but we do need numbers for catering.

……… Schedule…………….

There will be an informal meal on the night before the event for anyone who wants to be included (please email me on [annl@blueyonder.co.uk] to join in) and overnighting management group members are intending to stay at the Travelodge Liverpool Central (see http://www.travelodge.co.uk/ for details) should you wish to book in here too.

Touchpoint workshop

10. 00 Registration and breakfast
10.29 Ropes
10.30 Introductory exercises
11.00 Touchpoints Talk 1: Ideas from .:thePOOCH:.
11.20 Touchpoints Talk 2: Vito Acconci, Interactions
11.40 Tour of FACT – a cinema, art gallery, resource for artists and overall interesting building.
12.15 Bidding process briefing
12.35 Developing ideas briefing
12.40 Pitches

1.00 Lunch – including a demo from Liverpool John Moores

2.00 Further pitches
2.30 Capturing ideas
2.45 Ideas marketplace
3.30 Revised and new pitches

4.00 Tea

4.30 Closing discussions
5.00 What next?
5.30 End/Drink

6.15 Star Wars (opening on 19th – you may want to book ahead – see: www.fact.co.uk/whatson/detail/?infoID=8623275732333722599) or further drinks.

………Location information……………..

Getting to FACT: 88 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DQ

For a detailed map see http://www.fact.co.uk/main/visit/how_to_find_us/?group=4&parent=43&link_id=43#map

FACT is in Liverpool city centre within walking distance of the main rail and bus stations.

From Lime Street station (with St. George’s Hall directly in front of you) turn left and walk along Lime Street for 50 metres until you reach the end of the station. Cross Lime Street at the lights by the Crown Hotel to Elliot Street Bus station.

Follow pedestrianised Elliot Street by taking the steps down from the bus station. Continue past Clayton Square shopping Centre (on your left) and Tesco Metro (on your right) until you reach Church Street (a large shopping street). Turn left when you reach Church Street continue to the end (about 50 metres) and cross Hanover Street to Bold Street via the traffic lights.

Follow Bold Street up the slight hill for 200 metres, at about 100 metres Bold Street ceases to be a pedestrians only zone, continue until you see RopeWalks Square on your right, by the fruit stall. FACT is across RopeWalks Square on Wood Street.

The 2nd Leonardo Network workshop “Touchpoints” will be hosted by FACT & Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool, 19th May 2005

Dear colleague,
You are invited to the second workshop of the EPSRC-funded Leonardo network entitled ‘Touchpoints’. The workshop will be held on 19th May at FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) in Liverpool in association with Liverpool John Moores University and hosted by Wibke Hott and David England.

At this workshop we want to begin the process of identifying opportunities for research collaboration between network members, and to allow people to form groups (‘Cells’) to bid for Leonardo funds to support the development of up to five artworks. All LeonardoNet members are encouraged to take part but places are limited so book early, we may have to limit numbers to 4 representatives per node.

Will node leaders please ensure that anyone at their nodes interested in Leonardo has received this call.
For more information about the artwork projects see other documents on this weblog.

Costs of room hire, lunch and refreshments will be met by the network, but participants will have to pay for their own transport and accommodation as required.

If you would like to attend, please email me (peter.wright@cs.york.ac.uk) AS SOON AS POSSIBLE and further details will be provided.

For those arriving on the evening before the workshop, I will organise somewhere to go for dinner.

Peter Wright

Only Shaleph O’Neill at Napier was brave enough to attempt to answer the two questions I posed to kickstart a discussion on the Leonardo-Net list about the issues raised at the first workshop. His response was worth putting somewhere less ephemeral than email, especially as it makes recommendations for the next workshop. Should anyone now feel inspired to take on his points, please use the comment facility.

1.what is art?

The problem with this question is that nearly the whole of 20th century art practice was centered around it, in that the pre-conceptions of what art is i.e. established traditions became challenged and subsequently over run to the point where what was considered to be art was the very nature of challenging what ever ideas about art that had gone before. So challenging preconceived ideas about art is still very central to art practice. Similarly there is the role of the artist as shaman or outsider, whose place in the culture in which s/he lives is to reflect on the culture that surrounds her. I think this notion of reflective practice is central to what we are exploring here.

I think, and people may disagree with me here, that the kind of computer technology we are dealing with here represents a new medium for artist/ performers. The BIG problem as I see it is that only people who have particular skill sets know how to make things with them. Artists engage with their materials bringing ideas to it and deriving ideas from it in a playful reflective way. I think sometimes it is difficult for artists to engage in this way with such new media (particularly media that requires a lot of coding, perhaps).

2. What kind of collaboration could we artistically produce?

For us what our art is will be determined by our engagement with the material. Therefore I would strongly propose having perhaps one workshop (maybe even the next one, be good to do this early so we can reflect on it) that is based around some kind of system as material. This would have to take place in a media lab that has interesting existing equipment/resources. I think the motion capture equipment is a really interesting avenue to pursue. Some of the themes I remember coming out were about space, place, performance and embodiment. In just about all the art that I can think of the body is central to either its production or the forms of its representation. Starting with the body and its relationship to these new technologised spaces I think is a very interesting idea.

It would be good to have some equipment available with some experts who know how to manipulate it, quickly. We could work collaboratively during a workshop conducting artistic experiments (trying things out and reflecting on them). This would be an interesting exercise for everyone. It would also be an excellent opportunity to document what goes on during this process. Much of this documentation will undoubtedly feed into our creative processes also providing material for others within the group to produce other art works.

I’m pleased to announce that the next Leonardo workshop will be held in Liverpool, hosted at FACT (Foundation for Art & Creative Technology) in partnership with John Moores University and the wider network.

It will take place on Thursday 19th May 2005. This invitation is to everyone at every node (booking information will follow soon), so if you are interested in what the theory and practice of the arts and humanities can contribute to the design of interactive technologies, put this date in your diary. There is no charge to attend.

Features will include:
* the chance to make connections across institutions and disciplines
* the development of bidding groups for artworks – we have a modest amount of money to fund the development of some interactive art as part of the project
* the absence of long ppt presentations

More features will be announced soon…

So, please note the date and tell your colleagues. We will start booking for the event after Easter, but wanted to let you know asap.

For more general details, have a look at the bidding information below and visit the main Leonardo website: http://www.leonardonet.org/research.php

The Leonardo Network has funds to develop an artwork that is relevant to the goals of the workshop. This is how to win some of it.

It is likely there will be multiple projects, reflecting the varied interests of the node members. Each project will be undertaken by a group of network members that we are calling a cell. Cells made up of network members can put in bids for funding. There is approximately £10,000 to be divided for use by cells in developing artworks. Additional funds to support visits between network institutions are available so your bid need not include costs for travel.

An eligible cell is made up by people from:

The principles

(See also Wibke’s and Ian’s summaries from the first workshop. for inspiration. These are up on the blog.)

The bidding process:
The next Leonardo workshop will begin the process of cell formation and bidding. In addition to artwork cells, we will support research cells. Such cells are eligible for funds to support visits between institutions but will not be eligible to bid for the money set aside for the artwork. Those of you who do not wish to be involved in developing an artwork may wish to form a research cell.

For the next workshop: