Colloquium: The Unknown Mediator
Abstract
Attending the 2011 2nd International Conference of the Image in San Sebastian, four international artists found themselves engaged in a dialogue about creative interdisciplinary processes that continued beyond the conference. The artists’ resolve to produce interdisciplinary image works that enfold theory and social exchange has materialized in this collective proposal for a colloquium to be held at the 3rd International Conference of the Image, in Poznan, Poland in 2012. Choosing the innovative format of The Unknown Mediator, the group intends to enact image-based practices on-site, whilst demonstrating collaborative visualization strategies. The empty chair of the Unknown Mediator will frame participants’ engagement with the artists’ materials and creative processes to further extend the social constituency of the artists’ group and materialize its concepts. Five panelists and The Unknown Mediator will create points of connection between participants, introduce new collaborators, and discuss the nature of creating artwork outside one’s own discipline. Image theorists and practitioners alike are invited to attend this colloquium and each will become a catalyst for a new work of art facilitated by this unique project. This colloquium is not for the faint of heart, we are not politely asking for your participation. We will enter a room full of strangers and we will leave as an art collective.
Panelists:
Amelia Winger-Bearskin is a video and performance artist who works in the area of human interactivity and shared intimate experiences. She is an Assistant Professor of Film and Time Based Media Arts at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her work can be found at www.studioamelia.com
Azyz Sharafy is a painter, sculpture, installation and digital artist. He is an Associate Professor in Studio and Digital Multimedia at Washburn University, Topeka, Kansas, where he teaches graphic design, digital painting and drawing, video, special effect, 2 & 3d animation and game design.
Lee Cadieux, originally from Canada, lectures in Animation at the University of Ulster, N. Ireland. A former Disney animator, his current research interests include practice and theory-based work in animation, performance and cybertherapy. Recent papers include; Open Sandbox: New Modalities of Animation Delivery (2012) and Digital Thought Balloons: Electronic Delivery and the Comic Book (2012).
David Harris Smith is an artist and researcher in the disciplines of communication and culture, with specialization in drawing and painting, film, new media installation, and virtual worlds. He is an Assistant Professor in Communication Studies and Multimedia at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Pratim Sengupta is an assistant professor in the Learning Sciences and Science Education PhD programs at Vanderbilt University, where he directs the Mind, Matter & Media Lab. His research is focused on designing new learning technologies for young children (e.g., visual programming platforms, computer models and modeling tools). http://www.vanderbilt.edu/m3lab
Colloquium to be part of the Third International Conference of the Image at the Higher School Humanities and Journalism in Poznan, Poland, 14-16 September, 2012.
http://www.cgpublisher.com/conferences/230/proposals/8
