The 3rd Intenrational Conference on Art, Science, Technology and Digital Humanities
September 13–15, 2018, Riga
Venue: The National Library of Latvia
“Knowledge is power. And power is possessed especially
by whoever controls the flow of information.”
(from Global Control and Censorship exhibition concept)
Marking the centennial anniversary of independent Latvia and Baltic countries, this year’s RIXC Art Science festival and “Open Fields 2018” conference with the title “Global Control” takes up the call by becoming a space for artistic interventions and hot-button conversations addressing the complexity and future of digital society, especially with regards to ubiquitous surveillance and data privacy.
The “Open Fields 2018: Global Control” conference will take place from September 13-15, 2018 in the National Library of Latvia, gathering together more then 60 participants – artists, researchers, scientists, technology innovators, designers, theoreticians and activists from 25 countries world-wide. The conference will feature the keynote lectures by:
Keynote Speakers:
Bruce STERLING / science fiction author, WIRED journalist, critic and futurist
Bernhard SEREXHE / art historian, expert for electronic and digital art, author, curator
Jens HAUSER / researcher and curator in art and bio media /
Jasmina TESANOVIC / author, feminist, political activist, and filmmaker
Mauro MARTINO / artist, designer, inventor and educator / Visual AI Lab, IBM
Ellen PEARLMAN / New media artist, critic, curator and writer / Parsons/New School University, ThoughtWorks Arts
The Global Control conference will investigate issues from three main perspectives. The first, “hybrid war”, is particularly relevant in the context of the Baltic states independence celebration year, when continuous “post-truth” propaganda in media and tensions around military training in this region are on the rise. We also discuss the issue of “fake news”, its consequences on global politics, and its impacts on individual nations.
The second perspective deals with “surveillance and immersion”; as we all are under surveillance, we need to become aware of both the enormous scale of “watching”, as well as the potential “depth” of watching due to the development of immersive technologies. The third, concerns “the next big privacy” issue, discussed from a “data politics” perspective – What is the future of our social media? How can we feel safe about our data we publish on the internet today?, and How to maintain trust with the next generation?
These are just a few of critical topics that will be critically discussed and explored in Global Control festival through a series of public keynotes, artistic interventions, thematic panel presentations, open public discussions, performances, and participatory workshops.
The “Open Fields” is the annual gathering in Riga, Latvia, for international scholars and artists working at the intersection of arts, humanities and science. The “Open Fields” is RIXC festival, Riga, based edition of the “Renewable Futures”, a larger network and traveling conference series on artistic research, art and science, takin place in the North Europe.
The “Open Fields 2018: Global Control” conference edition is a part of Latvia’s 100th anniversary program and takes place in the framework of Creative Europe’s supported RISK CHANGE project.
In relation to the conference, the opening of “Global Control and Censorship” exhibition will take place on September 13, 2018, at 19.00 in the Exhibition Center of the National Library. The exhibition is a collaboration between Goethe Institut, RIXC And ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. Curated by Bernhard Serexhe and Lívia Nolasco-Rózsás, the exhibition aims to expand the public debate about ever-present surveillance and censorship methods. which is an urgent priority not only due to constant new reports in the media, but especially because of the extensive obstruction of the investigation of these practices. The exhibition will feature 33 both internationally recognized and emerging artists works from more than 13 countries world-wide, including Latvia. The exhibition will be open until October 21, 2018, The National Library of Latvia, Exhibition Hall.
The broad festival program will be closing with the Swamp Radio and Acoustic Surveillance program on September 15, 2018, featuring artistic interventions and immersive sound installations in Kemeri Bog.
Organizers:
The Open Fields conference is organized by RIXC in collaboration with Liepaja University’s Art Research Lab and Renewable Futures Network.
This year, the Open Fields conference is taking place in the framework of the Centenary of the Republic of Latvia Celebration Programme.
Conference Proceedings
The selected papers will be published in the next volume of the Acoustic Space, double blind peer-reviewed journal & book series. The call for papers will be announced shortly after the conference.
http://acousticspacejournal.com
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
OF2018: GLOBAL CONTROL Conference Steering Committee ad Co-Chairs:
Prof. Rasa SMITE / RIXC / MIT ACT, USA / FHNW, Switzerland / Liepaja University, Latvia
Prof. Kristin BERGAUST / OsloMet-Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Dr. Ellen PEARLMAN / Parsons / New School / Art-A-Hack / ThoughtWorks / New York, USA
Assoc. Prof. Raitis SMITS / RIXC / MIT ACT, US / Art Academy of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
OPEN FIELDS Conference International Scientific Board:
Prof. Lev MANOVICH / Cultural Analytics Lab / The Graduate Center, City University of New York, US
Ph.D. Jussi PARIKKA / Winchester School of Art / University of Southampton / UK
Ph.D. Geoff COX / Plymouth University, UK
Prof. Kristin BERGAUST / Oslo and Akershus University, Norway
Assoc. Prof. Laura BELOFF / IT University, Copenhagen / Finnish Bioart Society, Helsinki, Finland
Prof. Lily DIAZ-KOMMONEN / Head of Research Department of Media, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki, Finland
Assoc. Prof. Yvonne Volkart, the Institute of Aesthetic Practice, Academy of Art and Design Basel, FHNW, Switzerland
Prof. Ursula DAMM / Bauhaus University Weimar, Germany
Dr. Vytautas MICHELKEVICIUS / Nida Art Colony, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Lithuania
Ph.D. Margrét Elísabet ÓLAFSDÓTTIR / Art Education at the University of Akureyri, Iceland
Dr. Ilva SKULTE / Riga Stradins University, Latvia
Dr. Piibe PIIRMA / Tallinn University / Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn, Estonia
Ph. D. Raivo KELOMEES / Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn, Estonia
Regine DEBATTY / we-make-money-not-art.com / UK/BE
Aleksandra KOSTIC / Kibla / Risk Change project / Maribor, Slovenia
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
RIXC festival curators: Rasa SMITE and Raits SMITS
The festival is organized by RIXC Center for New Media Culture.
RIXC Festival producers and contacts – Agnese Baranova (exhibition, agnese@rixc.org) and Daina Silina (conference, daina@rixc.org), PR and information – rixc@rixc.org
Contacts: rixc@rixc.org, +371 67228478, +371 26546776
Support: The State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Riga City Council, Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, Latvia’s Centenary Programme, EU Programme Creative Europe’s Risk Change project, Goethe-Institut, ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, National Library of Latvia, Art Research Lab (MPLab) of Liepajas University, RISEBA University.
rixc.org
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Thursday, September 13, 2018
16.00 – Opening Keynote Lectures: Bruce STERLING, Bernhard SEREXHE, Jens HAUSER
19.00 – Festival and “Global Control and Censorship” Exhibition Opening
Friday, September 14, 2018
10.00 – Global Control Conference, Day 1: Panel Sessions
16.00 – Keynote Lectures: Jasmina TESANOVIC, Mauro MARTINO, Ellen PEARLMAN
20.00 – Satellite Program: Performances and Installations / Tallinas Street Quarter
Saturday, September 15, 2018
10.00 – Global Control Conference, Day 2: Panel Sessions
16.00 – Swamp Radio and Acoustic Surveillance: Artistic Interventions in Kemeri Bog