Notes on Location of I

To Be or Not To Be – Private

Location of I included in a Rhizome Exhibit curated by Michelle Graham:

Privacy is something that is becoming more and more scarce in today’s electronic society. Where it doesn’t seem to bother some, others will go to great lengths to preserve what shreds they have left. Artists mirror the varying public opinions on this matter. Some such as Roch Forowicz want to bring to the attention of all that their privacy is being invaded without their knowledge or rather without their attention. It is general knowledge that there are surviellance cameras watching us when we enter certain areas. Without a second thought we pass by them and don’t think about them again. But if you do stop and think about it, our image is being captured, our actions are being recorded. The thought of Big Brother may cross your mind. It should, because you are being watched and you have no control over that record of your actions. That moment of your life no longer belongs to you, not alone at least. Forowicz saw the error in this and wanted to express his frustration in being observed. He transplanted a surviellance camera from one area to another. While not changing the function of the camera he did change its purpose. Generally the camera is not meant to allow the observed to become the observer. He projected the observed images up on the wall of the subway station they were walking into. This enabled them to immediately recognize the fact that they were being monitored. Because this was all deemed illegal, this act was short lived but very effective. On the other end of the spectrum there is British artist Ellie Harrison who is willing to share her private moments with anyone willing to log on. Everyday since January 1, 2006 she has faithfully made entries into her online journal. Entitled Tea Blog, appropriately Ellie Harrison records the first thought she has while enjoying her first warm beverage of the day. While not very informative it allows for a brief glimpse into the inner workings of her mind. Something that most people wouldn’t say out loud let alone share with the world, she puts it out there freely for all to read. Martin John Callanan also gives up his privacy freely. Through his work entitled Location I, he has enabled anyone to be able to learn his location at anytime. He has labeled himself an “absolute citizen”, he has made himself everyones neighbor although not physically. He wanted to make himself accessible for anyone to talk to, work with or just be able to contact him whenever and where ever he is. While all of these are taken to be true there is the possibility of false statements being made. We take it on good faith that the thoughts that Ellie Harrison are making in her Tea Blog really are her first thoughts, and that Martin John Callanan is where he says he is. These thoughts maybe intriguing, it may add an element of suspicion to the situation. There is room for interpretation and specutlation of the private lives that we are getting glimpses of. Whether it’s guessing the destinations of the people walking in and out of the subway, or the first thoughts of a women you’ll never meet or the location of a man you have no intention of ever contacting. It is interesting to have the knowledge and the ability to know more. The artist Ethan Ham recognized the interest in the stories behind the faces. He created art with a program that attempts to make facial recognitions. With this program he coupled photographs with short stories written by Benjamin Rosenbaum. Through this collaboration he created Anthroptic. While a photograph of someone of something appears you can listen to a story behind the photograph. Whether it is about someone they met or about the thoughts that were triggered by the photograph. There is a continuity between the story and the photograph that seems to bridge the gap and fill in the history. While watching the display there is no doubt that the two are meant to go together, it is a voyueristic experience. Like listening in on someones private conversation. Then you find out that it is actors reading Rosenbaums short stories and the photographs are random and the stories are not related. Privacy is the key to all of these works of art. Whether they are trying to preserve it, give it up or layer it beneath falsehood, privacy is a topic that all can relate to. I also believe it is human nature to be interested in others lives, it can be like reading a good book. Always wanting to learn more about others, it may help us to understand ourselves.

Callanan has labeled himself an “absolute citizen”, he has enabled anyone to be able to find him at anytime. Through the digital world anyone can find him, work with him and even speak with him if that is what they desire. This sacrifice of privacy has allowed him to become everyones neighbor. Callanan is creating a global village, in his digital world there may not be physical contact but there are connections being made.

Information curated by David Battle

Curated by David Battle, A Rhizome Exhibit featuring both I Wanted to See All of the News From Today and Location of I:

More so than ever the significance of information has been at a high. The transitions from analog to digital and written to electronic media are finished. Since the beginning of what people call the information age the ways in which information is used, collected, and made available have continued to push the boundaries of what some thought would never be possible—or rather, have never thought possible. The use of information continues to change daily. These four artists just take part in the spread of concepts that will, like everything in the information age, become commonplace as people are exposed.

[also at IABlog]

Dazed Digital 50

Location of I is added to the “sites we missed” from Dazed Digital, Digital 50:

In recent years, we have seen an explosion of creativity online – as technology becomes more accessible, and download speeds increase, so more and more artists, designers, writers and photographers have taken to the web. But which of them are really worth your time?

Is Martin okay?

Sam Easterby-Smith writes:

…I figure he must be someone I was chatting to in the Cornerhouse or somesuch. A few more clicks and it became apparent that he is some crazy multimedia artist type and happens to be involved in a thing called the Velocity Festival based at Folly Pictures in Lancaster (where I used to hang out) and has been taking photographs of Morecambe Bay in some kind of interactive GPS-tracked SMS-influenced way and that this would all be visible from the “Map room” on platform 3 of Lancaster Station. His facebook status is currently “Martin is okay” a missive he has been repeating periodically for the last few weeks. What if Martin is not okay? What happens then? What if he’s got a cold or something? Anyway I still am not quite sure who he is…

Location of I at Velocity Arts Festival

Folly, Velocity Festival

For one day only – Saturday 13th October

Martin John Callanan will travel around the Velocity festival, sending information about his whereabouts to an online map in our Lancaster map room. Visit the map room at the station and help us to track the artist’s location throughout the day. Interact with Martin through text messages, photography and drawing as he visits towns, stations and landmarks around the bay.

A Big Draw event.
Venue: Map Room, Platform 3, Lancaster Station.
www.folly.co.uk/velocity

The journey is now documented here

To be Noticed by and Connected to Others

Two works, Location of I and I Wanted to See All of the News From Today are included in a Rhizome Member Curated Exhibit: To be Noticed by and Connected to Others. Amy writes:

Upgrades, improvements, advancements: All are achievements that, in the digital age, aid in the continued betterment of everything from communication to work flow. In the beginning, when the Internet was “new” technology, it was a slow process to transfer or transmit information, but now faster ISP speeds allow people to quickly and easily communicate through the transmittal of files [1]. However, while digital is inevitably on the rise in society, the actual personal level of things is on the decline.

Computers and humans are not naturally compatible and thus scientists are working to make interactions between the two easier. There is a whole psychology behind their findings and project, but more importantly, society is becoming more and more dependent on the use of computers or technology for communication [2]. Humans, as a very basic instinct, long to connect with others, and are reaching out for any means of contact amidst the cold, impersonal digital landscape.

With Internet art, digitally produced art viewed online or ANYTHING that is displayed on or through a public domain, there is very little to hide. Once something is out there, it is exposed, and while whatever it is can be taken back, there is a high possibility that at least one person will see it before it is gone. Perhaps this is exactly why many artists prefer to make websites to display their work. Galleries could very well be considered out of date or old fashioned considering the rate at which art is displayed through the Internet.

In any case, I have found that artists (through their publicly-digitally-published art) seem to be reaching out for some sort of connection, whether it is to get someone’s attention or to reveal something personal or private to their viewers. Allowing others to see a side of oneself that is not usually apparent tends to form strange little bonds, and there is something strangely intriguing about knowing something about a complete stranger. This sort of information may come from a variety of places, or come in a variety of forms, but it gets where it is intended eventually. I hope that I have chosen a variety of pieces that will aid in showing the different methods used to communicate connections. In a general sense, we are all connected by the news and things happening in our own societies. Whether you are from the United States or Australia (or anywhere for that matter), SOMETHING is happening around you whether it is the same THING or not.

Martin John Callanan addresses this in his piece, “I Wanted to See All of the News From Today (a work in progress),” by displaying the front page of all printed papers, all on one web page. Bloggers that have reviewed this piece claim that he is making fun of how the news industry bombards its viewers with too much information [3]. However, I would say that it is more of a direct statement that we should recognize and appreciate that everyone, though different, lives in this similar way of keeping up-to-date and thus connected.
[…]
Have you ever people-watched while sitting in a park or on a crowded bus and wondered what kind of people you were seeing? Who are they, what do they do? In Peoples, by Gregory Chatonsky, you get to find out the answers to your questions. By selecting a person from a crowd, you are directly sent to another page that continues on to randomly generate words and images pertaining to the particular person you chose.

On the other hand, some artists like to invite their viewers into the own very personal lives. Martin John Callanan (from who I have chosen to include two pieces), in The Location of I, has mapped out his location for the whole world to see. He likes that he can easily be tracked by anyone, and yet he remains nearly un-findable. In any case, he has purposefully made his location apparent so that people will track him down.

Ellie Harrison, while not telling her location, has posted some he personal thoughts in combination with what she was drinking at the time. In her piece, Tea Blog, she presents her thoughts in a sort of random, and yet very structured way. It’s almost as if the viewer could be sitting with her conversing over the tea or coffee that accompanies her thought.

As a viewer, myself, I wondered after reading a few of her thoughts what I might be thinking in her situation … what is it that goes through my mind at first when I settling down to drink something that is most likely meant to sooth some tension. I don’t know, next time I drink a cup of tea, I may just consciously note what happens to be in my head at that time.

A true artist, whether digital or not, will make you think, and connect to you in some way. All of these pieces and their artists are very different, but even they are connected; not only by this art database/display arena (Rhizome.org), but by the fact that, as a viewer, I have found something about each piece or artist that triggered a response or feeling of connection.

Location of I – VELOCITY & The Big Draw

Folly VELOCITY

Part of VELOCITY, folly’s festival of digital culture (12 Oct – 3 Nov 2007). Location: Central Lancaster.

Martin John Callanan will use a mobile phone to publish his physical geographical location to the internet as he travels the VELOCITY festival. Visitors to Lancaster’s map room will interact with a live map of Martin’s location, transforming his physical location into a drawing.

VELOCITY is an extraordinary 3 week long festival of digital art and culture that will stretch from Barrow to Lancaster around Morecambe Bay. VELOCITY’s artworks, performances, games, podcasts, films, workshops and art installations will follow the coastline, showing you this beautiful and sublime setting in a new, creative light. Using the rail route as its navigator, VELOCITY’s journey will encompass new world-class art, technology’s role in society, and contemporary issues that affect the Bay and its communities. There will be art works at train stations, performances on the trains, podcasts you can download to take on your train journey, and much much more.

velocity.greyisgood.eu

Location of I – Rhizome ArtBase

Location of I, Rhizome ArtBase

Location of I has been added to the Rhizome ArtBase at the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York.

Founded in 1999, the Rhizome ArtBase is an online archive of new media art containing some 2110 art works, and growing. The ArtBase encompasses a vast range of projects by artists all over the world that employ materials including software, code, websites, moving image, games and browsers to aesthetic and critical ends.

Culture Base

Location of I featured at Culture Base in Europe Now | Europe Next

…an interactive space committed to the Europe of today and the Europe of tomorrow. Europe Now | Europe Next examines the process and effects of EU enlargement in the cultural field. At its heart is a series of live and online Encounters.

Lab for Culture

Location of I featured at Lab For Culture, as is At Home in Europe (funded Location of I).

LabforCulture is an online information and knowledge platform dedicated to European cultural cooperation, complemented by a range of offline services and programmed activities. The website provides an unprecedented range of information on cultural cooperation across the broader Europe, as well as offering a platform for transnational cultural exchange, cultural debate, news and research.

Location of I, Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar (UNESCO Virtual Residency), Germany, May – June 2007

Location of I at Virtual Residency, Hochschule der Bildenden Künste Saar (UNESCO Virtual Residency).
Exhibition Map
Exhibition Concept (English) or as PDF
Press Release (German)

Virtual Residency is a project of "Luxembourg and Greater Region – European capital of culture 2007“. The Virtual Residency is being supported by: the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Saarland, The Office of the Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany (Saarland), and Sporttoto Saarland GmbH.

Location of I – Japan Exhibition


Location of I will be live at…

DISLOCATE July 24th – August 5th 2007
Ginza Art Laboratory, Toyko, Japan.

Held over two sites, of contrasting locality, Dislocate will present new possibilities of our immediate space and the multiple connections which link to elsewhere. There will be a particular relationship to the surrounding site of the exhibition venues encouraging interaction and engagement with this environment while also fusing with spaces beyond.

exhibition press release
exhibition website
exhibition website

Location of I – Germany Exhibition

Location of I live at…

Handwerkergasse – Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte – Europäisches Zentrum für Kunst und Industriekultur, Völklingen, Germany on 25 May 2007 to 15 June 2007

“The artistic experiment Virtual Residency examines the conditions of personal and collective destabilization than actual, strong engine of the migration stream: Individual pictures generate hope, fear, dreams, obligations, emergency, desire for change, will to the change. They are examples, “samples” or sample of motives for migration. By the virtual Projektionsfläche of the project, they receive its Internet platform, to their direction-finding transmitter a direction, visibly are made and find a place of residence. There they become representatively of their authors virtual residents.”

“In a second step the project group makes a Materialisierung of their ideas and concepts in the material area for a part possible of the virtual residents. On the basis of the “sample character” into the Virtual Residency entered concepts, developed the group the beginning, the ideas as material multimedia installations in different exhibitions in Europe, so-called “sample houses” to convert. The term “sample house” associates a collective Paradiesvorstellung. It is a pure place, a white place, a container, at the same time “void”, “brightly a space”, thus a place without an own character, without personality. The “sample house” becomes in such a way the ideal Projektionsfläche for motives for migration. Sample houses develop starting from October 2006 in Germany, France, Poland and Luxembourg.
Virtual Residency officially supported of the center for art and medium technology (ZKM) in Karlsruhe.”

Installation photographs here or
here
Press release

Art and Communication conference 2007: Espionage Technologies and Art

ESPIONAGE TECHNOLOGIES AND ART
June 1- 2, Liepaja Karosta.

“Origins of professional intelligence and information management reach back to ancient times and stem from the desire to control the mind and the imagination. Today security intelligence has become a central economic, societal and political issue that reaches deep into the sphere of art and contemporary culture.” (Konrad Becker)

The international scientific conference “Espionage Technologies and Art” will take place on June 1 and 2, 2007 in the historical and military setting of Liepaja Karosta (warport), brining togather artists, scientists and researchers from Latvia, France, The Netherlands, Austria, USA and other countries. The conference is taking place within the framework of the 9th international festival for new media culture “Art+Communication”. This year festival is focused on “spectral ecology” issues in order to draw attention to the invisible properties of electronic technologies – the density of electro-magnetic spectrum (EMS) in the environment and its effects on human and living nature today and for years to come.

On the one hand, conference discusses issues in relation to “spectral ecology” from different aspects, introducing with spectral investigation on a theoretical and artistic interpretation level, as well as with scientific research on electromagnetic pollution effects.

On the other, the conference reaches into the specific military-historical context of Karosta, leaning towards the espionage phenomenon, whose origins can be traced back to its military history in ancient culture. The conference will introduce the military past of communication technologies, their contemporary conversion and culturalisation process.

In particular, the conference aims to consider collaborations between artists and scientists, their creative experiments in electromagnetic spectrum and beyond – in ionosphere and vacuum. It also intends to look at the ubiquity of electromagnetic fields, that have become the ghosts of today – invisible and surrounding us they are there to open up our imagination boundaries and to create contemporary myths of technology…

Main themes for conference include:
– Intelligence and Defense : Culture and Ideology of Spying and Security
– Military Technology Conversion : from Warfare to Art and Militarization of Entertainment Industry
– Electromagnetic Cosmology, Spectral Ecology and EMF Research
– Technology Myth, Artistic Interpretations and Contemporary Ghost Stories

Location: K@2, Katedrāles iela 2, Karosta, Liepaja

Programme

June 1, 2007. Day 1: [spying and security] [electromagnetic cosmology]

13.30 – 14.00 Registration and coffee.

Welcome and introduction:

14.00 – 14.05 (5 min.)
Prof. Dr. paed. Oskars ZÄ«ds, rector of Liepaja Academy of Pedagogy

14.05 – 14.15 (10 min.)
Dr. art Aija Urdze-Druvaskalne, founder and director of Art Research Lab at Liepaja Academy of Pedagogy

14.15 – 15.00 Keynote (40 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Konrad Becker /Global Security Alliance/AT. CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE ART OF SECURITY

[Panel 1] Intelligence and Defense : Culture and Ideology of Spying and Security. Moderator: Mara Traumane

15.00 – 15.25 (20 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Andrey Smirnov /Theremin Center for Electroacoustic Music at Moscow State Conservatory/RU. GOOD VIBRATIONS: THE ART AND SOUND OF ESPIONAGE

15.25 – 15.50 (20 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Eric Kluitenberg, media theorist/De Balie/NL. THE RIGHT TO DISCONNECT

15.50 – 16.10 (15 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Ansis Zunde, philosopher /Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at Latvian Science Academy/LV. CONSTRUCTION OF SPYER AND ART OF LIFE. TWO CASES: OIDIP AND SOCRAT
(in Latvian)

16.10 – 16.25 coffee break

[Panel 2] Electromagnetic Cosmology, Spectral Ecology and EMF Research. Moderator: Rasa Smite

16.25 – 16.50 (20 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions)

Dr. biol. Antons Kolodinskis /Biology Institut of Latvian University/LV. ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS AND HUMAN HEALTH: MYTHS AND REALITY

16.50 – 17.15 (20 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Karlis Berzins, astronomer /VIRAC/LV. ELECTROMAGNETIC COSMOLOGY AND BEYOND

17.15 – 17.40 (20 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Maxence Layet, researcher /CIIREM, Centre de Recherche et díInformation Indťpendantes/FR THE BEE, THE BIRD AND THE COW: ELECTROSMOG AND BIODIVERSITY, A STATE OF THE ART

17.40 – 18.00 (15 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Adam Hyde, media artist /r a d i o q u a l i a/NZ-NL. EM WAVES GOODBYE

June 2, 2007. Day 2: [war technologies] [electromagnetic myth]

[Panel 3] Military Technology Conversion : from Warfare to Art and Militarization of Entertainmet Industry. Moderator: Eric Kluitenberg

11.00 – 11.20 (15 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Dr. philol. Ilva Skulte /Riga Stradina University/LV. THE LANGUAGE OF WAR

11.20 – 11.50 (25 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Spectral Investigations Collective /FR. VOODOO PLANET. HISTORY OF THE ROLE PLAYED BY ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM TECHNOLOGIES IN MILITARY STRATEGIES, FROM COLD WAR TO WAR ON TERROR

11.50 – 12.10 (15 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Janis Garancs, artist /x-i.net/LV-DE. PRIVACY TRADE NETWORKS: INTERFACES FOR PEER-TO-PEER SOUSVEILLANCE SERVICES

12.10 – 12.20 coffee break

12.20 – 12.55 (30 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Evelina Domnitch and Dmitry Gelfand /Portable Palace/US. SONOLEVITATION

20 min. + 5-10 min. (for questions)

12.55 – 13.30 (30 min. (talk)+ 5 min. (for questions))
Jan-Peter E.R. Sonntag, artist /sonArc/DE. SONARC-PROJECT. BETWEEN ELECTRICITY RESEARCH, VIDEO, SPATIAL INSTALLATION AND PERFORMANCE

13.30 – 14.30 lunch break

[Panel 4] Technology Myth, Aristic Interpretations and Contemporary Ghost Stories. Moderator: Adam Hyde

14.30 – 14.50 (15 min. (talk) + 5-10 min. (for questions)
Normunds Kozlovs /Riga Stradina University/LV. MYTH AND WAR IN A RIGHT WING COUNTER-CULTURE

14.50 – 15.10 (15 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Martin John Callanan, artist /UK. ETHNOLOGY OF SOLITUDE

15.10 – 15.30 (15 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Sara Kolster, artist /umatic/NL. THE LITTLE STAR

15.30 – 15.40 coffee break

15.40 – 16.00 (15 min. (talk) + 5 min. (for questions))
Rasa Smite/MPL, LPA/RSU/RIXC and Linda Vebere /RIXC/LV. ELECTROMAGNETIC MYTH AND REALITY OF SKRUNDA SIGNAL. ‘WOODPECKER’ AND ‘HENHOUSE’?

16.00 – 16.35 (30 min. (talk)+ 5 min. (for questions))
Derek Holzer, sound artist /umatic/NL
PARTICLECHAMBER: THEREMIN-CONTROLLED MANIPULATION OF FIELD RECORDINGS.
AN INTRODUCTION TO ELECTROMYSTICISM.

16.35 – 17. 00 final discussion

Speakers

Konrad Becker (Austria) is president of Global Security Alliance – a cultural peacekeeping agency. He is a hypermedia and interdisciplinary communication researcher, director of the Institute for New Culture Technologies/t0, and World-Information.Org, a cultural intelligence provider. Co-founder and chairman of Public Netbase from 1994 to 2006, he has been active in electronic media as an author, artist, composer as well as curator, producer and organizer.

Bureau d’études (Léonore Bonaccini un Xavier Fourt) is a group of artists from Paris. By collaborating with researchers, critics and artists they create an autonomus university. “Bureau d’études” have published articles in magazines, as well as their own publications (“Refuse the biopolice”, “Autonomie artistique” – in colaboration with Brian Holmes, “L’Etat machine”, “Ondes”, “Electromagnetic propaganda – The statement of industrial dogma”, etc.).

Karlis Berzins (Latvia) has born in 1973 in Riga. He is married and rising two sons. Being fascinated by starry night view, already from age of 10 he knew he wants to become an astronomer.
Educational background: BSc in physics at University of Latvia, MSc in theoretical physics at University of Latvia, MSc in astromomy at University of Copenhagen. Currently he is working on his PhD thesis in astrophysics.
Scientific work: from the very beginning of its foundation he was working at Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Center. Currently he is researcher at University of Latvia.
He is vice-chairman of Latvian Astronomical Society (LAB) and member of editorial board of magazine “Zvaigžņotā Debess” (The Starry Sky).
Research interests: Very Long Baseline Interferometry topics and cosmology, particular structure of objects in the Universe incl. its large scale structure.

Martin John Callanan (UK) current research focuses on systems–both technological and bureaucratic kinds–exploring ways to make them more transparent. Often this involves evoking the system in ways that uses it’s own characteristics to examine itself–or to reveal more about itself. Another key area of concern is data.
Martin has recently worked with: The Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, The Mayor of London, Transport for London, Network Rail, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. Currently Honorary Research Assistant at The Slade Centre for Electronic Media in Fine Art, University College London and Artist in Residence at RIXC, Latvia.

Ewen Chardonnet (France) is a media artist and journalist who works and lives in Tours. In the past 5 years he has been collaborating in different initiatives such as Makrolab, MIR, Acoustic Space Lab, Spectral Investigations Collective and World-Information.Org. He has published many texts and articles in the press and various catalogs.

Evelina Domnitch and Dmitry Gelfand (USA) create sensory immersion environments that merge physics, chemistry and computer science with uncanny philosophical practices. Current findings, particularly regarding wave phenomena, are employed by the artists to investigate questions of perception and perpetuality. Such investigations are salient because the scientific picture of the world, which serves as the basis for contemporary thought, still cannot encompass the unrecordable workings of consciousness.
Having dismissed all forms of fixative and recording media, Domnitch and Gelfand’s installations exist as ever-transforming phenomena offered for observation. Because these rarely seen manifestations take place directly in front of the observer without being distorted and flattened onto a screen, they often serve to vastly extend the spectator’s sensory envelope. The immediacy of this experience allows the observer to transcend the illusory distinction between scientific discovery and perceptual expansion.
In order to engage such ephemeral processes, the artists have collaborated with a variety of scientific institutions and laboratories: Goettingen University Physics Institute (Germany), Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (Japan), Institute of Advanced Industrial Sciences (Japan) Suslick Research Group, University of Illinois (USA) UT Dots Nanoparticle Lab (USA) Institute Meurice (Belgium), Miltsen Research Lab (Russia), Belomo Lab (Belarus).

Janis Garancs (Latvia) was born 1973 in Latvia and works in areas of interactive multimedia installations, Virtual Reality, and audiovisual performance. His current artistic interest focuses on immersive environments in various genres, including artworks for museum galleries as well as stage and live concerts. Currently, J. Garančs is a researcher at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences (Germany), part of a research team of the consortium “LIVE” (funded by European Union) developing interactive TV formats and production tools to stage Live Media Events in near the future.

Derek Holzer (USA) is a sound artist with a background in radio, webstreaming and environmental recording. His work focuses on capturing and transforming small, unnoticed sounds from various natural and urban locations, networked collaboration strategies, experiments in improvisational sound and the use of free software such as Pure-Data. He has released tracks under the Nexsound, Sirr, and/OAR, Frozen Elephants Music and Gruenrekorder labels, has played live, improvised experimental music across Europe, North America, Brazil and New Zeland, and has co-initiated several internet projects for field recording and collaborative soundscapes including Soundtransit.nl.

Adam Hyde (Netherlands) is an artist with an international practice who works with software, wireless mediums, online audio and video, sound art, new technologies and more traditional forms of broadcast.
Adam then co-founded radioqualia in 1998 with New Zealander Honor Harger. radioqualia works in the fields of art, science and technology. The principal interest of radioqualia is in the ways that broadcasting technologies such as radio and online streaming media can be used to create new artistic forms, and in ways that sound art can be used to illuminate abstract ideas and processes.

Eric Kluitenberg (The Netherlands) is a theorist, writer, and organiser on culture, media and technology. He is head of the media program at De Balie – Centre for Culture and Politics in Amsterdam, and teaches a.o. at the Institute for Interactive Media at the Hogeschool van Amsterdam. He lectures and publishes extensively on culture, new media, and cultural politics throughout Europe and beyond.
His publications include, The Book of Imaginary Media (NaI Publishers, 2006); Hybrid Space – theme issue of Open – Cahier for Art and the Public Domain #11, Amsterdam, November 2006; Debates & Credits, Media / Art / Public Domain, De Balie, 2003; Delusive Spaces – with the Institute of Network Cultures (forthcoming Fall 2007), as well as many essays.

Dr. biol. Antons Kolodinskis (Latvia) born in Braslava, Belarus. He is a doctor of biology, director of psychophysiology laboratory, researcher of University of Latvia Institute of Biology. Speciality: psychophysiology, normal physiology, magnetobiology, physiology of work. Author of more than 100 scientific publications, 50 scientific, technical exhibitions. Participant of several international conferences. Currently directs scientific project “Potential influence of mobile communication systems on development of children`s psychophysiological functions” in Latvian Academy of Sciences.

Sara Kolster (The Netherlands) is a visual artist and designer with a background in web/graphical design and web-based projects. The focus of her work shifted more towards video and film; capturing details from urban locations, visualizing fragments of stories of these environments. She uses different strategies, from time-based media (video, film) to appropriated research methods belonging to different observational disciplines (journalism, documentary and archeology). Recently, her work concentrates on the integration of sound and image, using different techniques – from medium format slides, 16 and 35 millimeter film and video to database-systems, live processing programs such as Pure-Data and web-interfaces.

Normunds Kozlovs (Latvia) studied philosophy and sociology at Latvia University, now lecturer at Riga Stradins University Communication department. Field of interests: communication theories and social transition processes.

Maxence Layet (France) is a French freelance science journalist. His articles about cyberculture, cognitive sciences, energy technology, innovation & sustainable development are published in le Monde de l’Intelligence, Psychologies Magazine, Effervesciences. He works also with the (riirem, a NGO focusing on the effects of the electro-pollutions on the living beings. “L’Energie secrete de l’univers” – his popular science book published in 2006 – journeys between the Chinese traditions (qi, acupuncture, feng shui…) and bioelectromagnetic sciences. Maxence Layet lives in Amboise, the French home of Leonardo Da Vinci.

Horia Cosmin Samoïla (Rumania) is artist, founder of the Ghostlab and member of SIC. He utilizes the electromagnetic medium like raw material with the realization of immaterial sculptures, experimental installations and extra-cognitive operations.

Dr. philol. Ilva Skulte (Latvia) is born in Ogre (Latvia) 25.11.1968 and studied philology at the University of Latvia. After gaining PhD in philology in 1999 she was working as a translator, journalist and language teacher until 2001 when she started both research and teaching of language and communication, including visual communication at the Department of Communication Studies of Riga Stradins University.

Andrey Smirnov (Russia) is an interdisciplinary artist, composer, performer, instrument builder, programmer, author, curator, educator. He is a founder and director of the Theremin Center for Electroacoustic Music at Moscow State Conservatory, director and founder of Altermedium Festival for Electroacoustic Music, founder and artistic director of Moscow Laptop Cyber Orchestra. He has conducted various workshops and master classes in the U.S., Europe and Russia, attended numerous festivals and conferences. He is the author of interactive performances and installations. Among his most recent works are Sonochronotop and Brain Jazz interactive performances, Laser Bugging, Vetro-Touchless and Windowpane Theremin installations.

Rasa Smite (Latvia), media artist and researcher, co-founder and programme director of E-LAB (1996) and RIXC (2000). Founder and organizer of the annual International Festival for New Media Culture “Art+Communication”, editor of “Acoustic Space” publication series (since 1998) Co-founders of several international networks (Xchange, NICE etc.). Since 2007- researcher at the Art Research Lab, Liepaja Academy of Pedagogy. Currently studying at the Riga Stradina University doctoral programme in social sciences.

Jan-Peter E.R. Sonntag (Germany) born in 1965 in Lübeck, lives and works in Berlin. From 1986 he studied fine arts, art history / new media, music history, composition, sociology and philosophy. He is founder of “Unerhört” – Verein für Neue Music, Bremerhave and “Oh Ton” in Oldenburg; co-founder of “hARTware-projekte”, Dortmund. Since 1994 he has participated in various festivals and exhibitions in Germany, The Netherlands, USA and other countries. The most recent is his solo-exhibition “sonArc-project” in Würtenbergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart. He has recieved several awards, stipends, nominations, residencies (recent: in 2006 – Honorable Mention of Transmediale06 and award “coppa cannibale”, Stuttgarter Filmwinters, in both for 612.43WEISS; in 2005 – residency artist in TESLA, Berlin with sonArc::ion-project).

Spectral Investigations Collective (France) artists: Léonore Bonaccini and Xavier Fourt / Bureau d’études, Ewen Chardronnet / Ellipse, Horia Cosmin Samoïla / Ghostlab.

Mara Traumane (Latvia) art researcher

Linda Vebere (Latvia), studying Philosophy at University of Latvia, working as a project coordinator in RIXC. Taking part in the collaborative project “Spectral ecology” of RIXC and Spectral Investigations Collective (France).

Ansis Zunde (Latvia) philosopher /Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at Latvian Science Academy.

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