Category Archives: Graphic Design

Call for Participation: Open Fields Conference and RIXC Festival Exhibition

Call for Open Fields Conference abstracts and Exhibition proposals

DEADLINE Extended: June 20, 2016

OPEN FIELDS Conference and Exhibition
in the framework of RIXC Art Science Festival 2016
Riga, September 29 – October 1, 2016
Venue:The National Library of Latvia

Open Fields is the title of this year’s international conference taking place in the framework of the annual RIXC Art Science festival in Riga. It brings together international scholars and artists, working at the intersection of arts, humanities and science. Open Fields will focus on artistic research, the changing role of arts, its transformative potential, and relation to the sciences. This call for participation invites contributions and conference paper proposals by scholars, artists, artists-researchers, art and media theorists, data designers and critical engineers, as well as doctoral students, and scientists from different Fields – biology, ecology, environment, digital technologies, renewable energy, etc., who are engaged in experiencing the transformative potential of arts.

For the exhibition and conference, we are looking for research that is located in the contested territory between academic knowledge production and independent creative practices. Open Fields will be investigating the use of data visualizations and other mappings of the contemporary. It will look into areas such as open commons, the future of social interaction, data representation and visualisation, critical design, sustainable infrastructures, eco-aesthetics, techno-ecologies, bio-hacking and other techniques of a transformative potential. No Field is excluded, yet there should always be a connection with art; it is highly likely that art works and conference papers will touch on several Fields, not one. It is such an enhanced understanding of transdisciplinarity that drives this undertaking.

Research Questions: How art and other creative practices can meaningfully contribute to the environmental, technological and scientific challenges of our time? What kind of new knowledge can be created through artistic practice that collaborates with science, technology and other disciplines? And how to deal with contemporary aesthetics, which has undergone dramatic changes during the past decades and keeps changing again as influenced by current post-media situation, data visualization and other contemporary conditions?

The Conference also will feature “Playing Fields” session on contemporary taxonomy, maintaining a connection between the exhibition and the conference. It also will include “Open Fields – Book Review” (PechaKucha) session, providing an opportunity for the speakers to present their new books for other participants and the audience.

* Conference keynote speakers:

Christiane PAUL / New School / Whitney Museum / New York
Jussi PARIKKA / Winchester School of Art / University of Southampton / UK
and others – tbc.

* Exhibition: The Open Fields conference will be complemented by the exhibition taking place in the new Exhibition Hall of the National Library of Latvia. Partly curated, partly peer-reviewed, the Exhibition will represent works by artists, artists-researchers and data designers, who are challenging the notion of art and contemporary aesthetics by moving across, bringing together and converging different knowledge, various media and diverse Fields, as well as using scientific, cultural and social data as new artistic medium, and interpreting them in a new and meaningful ways.
The Exhibition will be open from September 29 – November 6, 2016.

* Proceeding: The papers will be published in conference proceeding, which will come out in the Acoustic Space, peer-reviewed journal & book series. The call for full paper submissions will be announced during the conference.
http://acousticspacejournal.com

Conference Chair: Dr. Rasa SMITE / RIXC / Art Research Lab, Liepaja University, Latvia
Festival and Exhibition curators: Dr. Raitis SMITS, Ainars KAMOLINS, Dr. Rasa SMITE
Playing Fields session will be organized and moderated by Armin MEDOSCH / Austria

DEADLINE FOR CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS:

June 20, 2016

We welcome proposals by scholars, artists, artists-scholars, designers, PhD researchers, curators, media theorists, art historians, science philosophers, cultural innovators, bio-hackers, critical engineers and data designers, as well as scientists from different Fields – biology, ecology, environment, digital technologies, renewable energy, and others, who are engaged in the transformative potential of arts.

Conference themes include:
* investigating contemporaneity, its representation and experience in and through artistic practice and art-science research
* data visualization, and its impact on art, science and contemporary aesthetics
* art and science – challenging new ways of knowledge creation and its representation
* changing weathers – networked responses to geophysical and geopolitical shifts across Europe and the globe
* eco-aesthetics – from sustainable architecture and critical design to techno-ecological art practices

Conference proposal should consist of:
* title and abstract (250 words),
* 5–6 keywords,
* and short author’s biography (160 words).

Please submit your proposals online:
http://festivalconf.rixc.lv

Notifications: June 22, 2016

DEADLINE FOR EXHIBITION PROPOSALS:

June 20, 2016

Partly curated, partly peer-reviewed, the Festival Exhibition welcomes proposals by artists, artists-researchers, artists-engineers, data designers, as well as practice-based doctoral students, who are challenging the notion of art and contemporary aesthetics by moving across, bringing together and converging different knowledge, various media and diverse Fields, as well as by those, who are using scientific, cultural and social data as new artistic medium, interpreting them in a new and meaningful ways.

Artwork submissions should include:
* description of idea and technical requirements (1–2 pages),
* short biography and/or portfolio,
* additional material (photos/video/links/etc.)

Please submit your artwork proposal via e-mail to the address:
rixc (at) rixc.org

Additional material, if the files are larger than 5MB, should be sent via wetransfer.com.

Notifications: June 30, 2016

* About Open Fields Conference

Following the last year’s successful launch of Renewable Futures (renewablefutures.net – the biannual travelling conference series) – this year RIXC with its European partners from Changing Weathers project, and other collaborating institutions and universities from the Baltic Sea region and Europe, are introducing Open Fields, aiming to develop it towards an annual Riga based gathering for the discussion on artistic reseach, the changing role of arts in societies, art’s transformative potential, and relations to sciences.

http://rixc.org/en/festival/

* The International Conference Scientific Organizational board:
Dr. Lev MANOVICH / Software Studies Initiative / The Graduate Center, City University of New York, US
Dr. Armin MEDOSCH / Faculty of Media and Communications, Singidunum University, Belgrade, Serbia / Initiator of the Technopolitics working group in Vienna, Austria
PhD. Jussi PARIKKA / Winchester School of Art / University of Southampton / UK
PhD. Geoff COX / School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University, Denmark
Prof. Kristin BERGAUST / Oslo and Akershus University, Norway
Asoc. prof. Laura BELOFF / IT University in Copenhagen, Denmark / Finnish Bioart Society, Helsinki, Finland
Dr. Lily DIAZ-KOMMONEN / Head of Research Department of Media, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Helsinki, Finland
Dr. Ursula Damm / Bauhaus University Weimar, Germany – tbc.
Dr. Andris TEIKMANIS / Vice-rector, the Art Academy of Latvia, Riga
Dr. Vytautas MICHELKEVICIUS / Nida Art Colony, Vilnius Academy of Arts, Lithuania
PhD. Margrét Elísabet Ólafsdóttir / Art Education at the University of Akureyri, Iceland
Andrew Gryf PATERSON / Pixelache Helsinki / SERDE / Aalto University ARTS Media department, Helsinki, Finland
Regine DEBATTY / we-make-money-not-art.com, London, UK – tbc.
Dr. Piibe PIIRMA / Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn, Estonia
Dr. Janis KLEPERIS / Hydrogen Laboratory, Solid State Physics Institute, Latvian University, Riga, Latvia
and others – tbc.

* The venue of the conference and exhibition: the new building of the National Library of Latvia (http://www.lnb.lv/en/about-library/nll-building).

* Organizer: RIXC Center for New Media Culture.

* Partners: Conference and Exhibition is organized by RIXC in collaboration with the Art Research Lab of Liepaja University, the Art Academy of Latvia and Changing Weathers – Creative Europe’s project partners (http://www.changingweathers.net/)

* Exhibition partner: the National Library of Latvia

* Contact: rixc (at) rixc.org,

Address: RIXC, Maskavas iela 4, Riga, LV-1050, Latvia

Phone: +371 67228478 (office), +371 26546776 (Rasa Smite)

* Support: EU Program Creative Europe, the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, Riga City Council, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, and others.

Spring Steam 2016 19 – 22 May @ Kellohalli

Spring Steam 2016 brings together design-minded people to Kellohalli, Teurastamo on 19–22 May.

The field of Visual Communication steams ahead in the four-day exhibition “I Used to Be a Graphic Designer” where the past meets the future. The exhibition celebrates Aalto University’s Visual Communication Design Programme’s (formerly the Graphic Design Programme) 90th anniversary.

During the weekend you can participate in workshops and enjoy shopping at the Graphic Design Spring Sales, organised in collaboration with Grafia and Kuvittajat. See you at Kellohalli!

Aalto Festival 16-31 May 2016

Publishing of the Thesis Design book by Marja Seliger

29th of October 2015 at Aalto ARTS Books new bookstore Hämeentie 135 A

Seliger, Marja & Hahn, Young-ae: Thesis Design. Research Meets Practice in Art and Design Master’s Theses

Professor Marja Seliger

The aim of a Master’s thesis is to demonstrate a candidate’s proficiency, knowledge and skills learned in the field of study. In art and design universities the skills have traditionally meant design expertise, artistic excellence and uniqueness demonstrated through an artwork or a design product. Today also research skills are required and an ability to verbalize and conceptualize design processes and artistic outcomes, their societal and art-philosophical connections.

This book exemplifies three types of Master’s theses – theoretical, artistic and production-based theses – and their various epistemologies, strategies of inquiry and methodologies. The categories are based on a literature review and a survey of recently published Master’s theses at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.

The book is aimed especially for Master’s students to help them in designing and defining a thesis topic and a research approach in the fields of art, design and architecture to help them defining a thesis topic and selecting the research approach. The publication offers examples of how research meets art and design practices in Master’s education, promoting new approaches to design fields and research.

Thesis Design in Aalto ARTS Books: https://shop.aalto.fi/p/831-thesis-design/

Photographs (c) Helinä Kuusela

DOM Doctor of Arts seminar Thu 3 Dec 2015

DOM Doctor of Arts seminar

on Thursday 3 December 2015 at 15 – 19.15 in Miestentie 3, room 430

15.00-17.00 Heidi Uppa: Food as a Media: Design experiments to develop food understanding and experiences (in Finland and Russia)
17:00 – 17:45 Marikki Hakola: Semeion. Virtual Action Space and Cinematic Interaction.
17:45 – 18:30 Tania Rodriguez-Kaarto: Fostering Agency in Second Language Learning: Designing the Finnish case
18:30 – 19:15 Ferhat Sen: Designing Digital Applications For Cultural Heritage

15.00 – 17.00 Heidi Uppa (graphic design research) begins presenting conference papers written for her DA research “Food as a Media: Design experiments to develop food understanding and experiences (in Finland and Russia).” Heidi brings up an important question to discuss: Whether to write a monograph or an article dissertation?

17:00 – 17:45 Marikki Hakola: Semeion. Virtual Action Space and Cinematic Interaction.

I am carrying out my postgraduate studies at the Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Media aiming at the doctoral dissertation. The title of my research is “Semeion. Virtual Action Space and Cinematic Interaction.” My doctoral thesis will include a monograph dissertation and a series of four media art works. My job description as a media artist of the four works includes concept design, script writing, film directing and film editing.

The framework for the theoretical study is media semiotics and pragmatism. Questions of consciousness and experience are essential motives of the study. The main goal is to develop a usable theoretical foundation for the concepts and practical models of the cinematic interaction in a virtual action space. The interest is in various forms of film montage and cinematic structure, and their constructive role in expressing and processing cinematic signs, meaning and interpretation.

The main goal of my research is to further develop the theory of interactive cinematic experience and to build up a common foundation for the theory and practical applications. The objective is to identify and test the usable models and methods of interactive experience design, as well as to highlight the developed models that hopefully will help in more broadly both future professional designers and students on the field of cinematic interactive design.

17:45 – 18:30 Tania Rodriguez-Kaarto: Fostering Agency in Second Language Learning: Designing the Finnish case

A deeper understanding of cultural knowledge and the learner agency are crucial for mid-level second language (L2) learners, to better their social and job competency, with continuing and independent study beyond the basic training. In Finland, however, such an advanced level of language training and supports are not provided, and many learners are stuck in the plateau stage.

This paper integrates the authors’ findings from the literature review, a student workshop, and an expert (teacher) panel, to identify the mid-level Finnish learners’ areas of weaknesses and their overcoming strategies. To resolve their unmet needs, the authors propose a set of L2 learning principles based on van Lier’s ecological approach, and recommended features for future learning systems. Following the principles, a system is envisioned to provide activity based curricula with personalized, multi-sensory materials and collaborative activities. The four learning modules (observation, writing, speech-interaction, and reading) and a vocabulary-phrase bank support posting and sharing data from the real world, to facilitate interactions between learners, teachers and Finnish citizens.

18:30 – 19:15 Ferhat Sen: Designing Digital Applications For Cultural Heritage

The advance in computer and information technology has opened up new ways for utilization of culturally and historically valuable materials. The massive digitization of cultural heritage elements is followed by the research on how to make those digital materials accessible and more usable. The results have shown examples of a wide range starting from online museums and digital libraries to onsite interactive installations.
Digitization alone seems adequate for preservation purposes. Whereas utilizing the digitized materials for user experience and making those artifacts engaging, useful, usable, or educative requires some research and development practice. This research and development practice involves various disciplines, such as art history, archaeology, interaction design and computer science.

Within the design and cultural heritage context, this research will be addressing the following questions:

How to design interactive digital cultural heritage artifacts by considering the specific qualities of the original artifact.
How can a cultural artifact itself be an input for the design of its digital version. What insights can a cultural artifact offer for the interface and interaction design of its digital representation.
What is the role and contribution of interface and interaction design for creating digital representations of cultural heritage in relation to interpretation, knowledge creation and dissemination.The main hypothesis is that the cultural artifact itself should inform and/or inspire the design of its digital application. This research focuses on the relationship between the original artefact and the design of its digital counterpart. A number of case studies will be presented covering the design and the development of user-centered digital applications for cultural heritage elements by using participatory and collaborative design approaches and artifact analysis methods.In this research, the contribution to knowledge will be demonstrated through creative outcomes in the form of designs, digital products and a written dissertation. I intend to create new knowledge about the theory, the design and the development of digital interactive online and onsite applications that are representations of cultural heritage artifacts. This will be achieved through a number of productions that are practical applications of the framework and the concepts discussed in the dissertation.

Events in May 2015

May 2015

12th Sound Theory at The Researchers’ Breakfast

8.30-10.30am Service Factory (Runebergsgatan 14-16, Helsinki)

Join us to talk about urban planning by Sound Theory at The Researchers’ Breakfast on May 12th! A doctoral student and researcher Olli Hakanen will present his theory on sustainable creative action through a case study: how the introduction of a new system of mobility and a new concept of daily working hours converts a city of 600,000 inhabitants into a metropolis of 4,5 million. We have aslo invited professor Matti Vartiainen from the School of Science and the managing director and reseacher Seppo Laakso from Urban Research Ltd. to join the discussion on the topic.

The breakfast is served at the Service Factory (Töölö) at 8.30-10.30. Olli Hakanen starts his speech at 9:00. You are most warmly welcome to bring a friend – the breakfast event is open for everyone. To ensure there’s enough breakfast for everyone, please sign up here for the event or via banner below.

The Researchers’ Breakfast is organized in collaboration with Aalto Factories (Media, Design, Service and Health) as well as Research Institute (Aalto ARTS), Research support services and International Relations.

18th Aalto Festival Opening

2–5pm at Bio Rex, Lasipalatsi (Mannerheimintie 22–24, Helsinki)

The opening launches a two-week festival showcasing the talents of Aalto University students, graduates, and academics.

At the opening you will hear interesting talks by top experts in various fields, all of whom are alumni of Aalto University. The speakers are Doctor of Arts, Professor Olga Goriunova, Doctor of Science (Econ.) Heikki Lempinen and Doctor of Science (Tech.) Ilmo Kukkonen, Professor of Solid Earth Geophysics.

After the talks, we’ll enjoy some refreshments in good company. A selection of Helsinki School’s finest photographs from its 20-year history will be on display in the foyer.

Please register for the opening, preferably by 11 May at the Aalto Festival website. The opening programme will be held in English.

Welcome!

18th -30th Aalto festival 2015

Aalto Festival showcases the talents of Aalto University students, graduates and faculty. The two-week festival is a collection of over 30 events, exhibitions and seminars. Aalto Festival takes place in various locations in Helsinki and Espoo 18–31 May. Come enjoy new experiences and hear interesting talks!

http://www.aaltofestival.fi/2015/en/

19th Digi Breakfast on Digital Culture Heritage

8-9.30 am Open Innovation House (OIH), Otaniementie 19, Espoo

Please register no later than 11 May at

http://www.aalto.fi/en/research/platforms/digi/cultural_heritage/digital_cultural_heritage_registration/

and forward this invitation to your colleagues, too. Details at

http://www.aalto.fi/en/research/platforms/digi/cultural_heritage

Presentations by:

Prof. Eero Hyvönen, Research Director and Professor/Aalto University & University of Helsinki: Publishing Cultural Heritage on the Semantic Web as Linked Open Data – Tools, Services, and Applications of the Semantic Computing Research Group (SeCo)

Jukka Savolainen, Director/ Design Museum Helsinki: Digital media in the museum – a tool for visitor engagement or material for collections

Heli Kautonen, Head of Services/ The National Library of Finland: Access improved – Finnish culture for creative industries in Finna

Hannu Häkkinen, Intendent & Keeper, The Picture Collections, National Board of Antiquities: Digital Cultural Heritage and the Picture Collections of the National Board of Antiquities: objectives and challenges

19th-24th Exhibition: SPRING—STEAM 2015 – Footnote to a Graphic Design Programme

Design Forum Showroom, Erottajankatu 9 B (inner courtyard), Helsinki

Opening reception, Tuesday 19 May from 16.00 – 21.00 Featuring Matti Kunttu (Tsto), Marion Robinson (Sanakuva Collective), Timo Berry (BOTH), Henri Pulkkinen (Paperi T), a performance by KOM MO NIS MI, and drinks and DJ.

Wednesday 20 May

10:00 Muotoilijan aamiainen

18.00 Guest speakers: Johannes Ekholm, Elisabeth Klement and Laura Pappa, (Asterisk Summer School), Åbäke

Thursday 21 May
17.00 Guest speakers: Indrek Sirkel and Anu Vahtra (Lugemik), Kaarle Hurtig (Kaarle & Kumppanit), Lauri Toikka (Schick Toikka)The exhibition will be open through Sunday 24 at the Design Forum Showroom, Erottajankatu 9 B (inner courtyard), Helsinki.Detailed event happenings and list of special guests: http://springsteam.aalto.fiJoin the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1590938304486063/

28th Media Lab Demo Day

2-5pm 1st floor, Miestentie 3, 20150 Espoo

28th – 29th Contextualizing Marxism – Open Seminar and PhD Course

Aalto University Töölö Campus, Aalto BIZ Main building, Class room A-407 Runeberginkatu 14-16, Helsinki.

This is a great and rare opportunity during the Spring term 2015 to participate on Aalto/BIZ seminars and collaborate and interact with the students from BIZ/Department of Organizational Communication, as well as an opportunity to study with the teaching faculty:

Aalto Distinguished Visiting Professor A. Fuat Firat, University of Texas – Pan American, USA, Professor Alan Bradshaw, Royal Holloway, University of London, and Professor James Fitchett, University of Leicester.

We all, Aalto ARTS/DoM Phd students, are warmly welcomed to attend the seminar by Professor Johanna Moisander, Dep of Org. Comm. Aalto BIZ students who wish to get credit points (1-3) for participating in the seminar may write a reflective essay on the lectures and learning material (TBC). Questions concerning information on credit points for us, Aalto ARTS/Dom Phd students, as well as signing up for the seminar, contact first Professor Lily Diaz.

If you know of future events that might interest the Department of Media research community, please let me know: helina.kuusela@aalto.fi

Department of Media – Research

In this blog we cover topics and activities related to research and the Doctor of Arts program in the Department of Media at Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture.

Category Archives: Graphic Design

Call for Participation: Open Fields Conference and RIXC Festival Exhibition

Call for Participation: Open Fields Conference and RIXC Festival Exhibition

Spring Steam 2016 19 – 22 May @ Kellohalli

Publishing of the Thesis Design book by Marja Seliger

DOM Doctor of Arts seminar Thu 3 Dec 2015

Events in May 2015

8.30-10.30am Service Factory (Runebergsgatan 14-16, Helsinki)

The Researchers’ Breakfast is organized in collaboration with Aalto Factories (Media, Design, Service and Health) as well as Research Institute (Aalto ARTS), Research support services and International Relations.