D+Arty Monkeys

New bio/media art, design projects, residencies and events.

Today we have enough knowledge to create artificial life, bulletproof skin and store information in DNA. What do we do with this knowledge? And what does it do to us? Where is the boundary between good and evil, and will we be able to know everything or have eternal life?(*) Darty Monkeys is an initiative within Hackuarium, which seeks to encourage artists, scientific, and/or creators to maintain a dialogue with the public. It's about discussions and artistic projects to debate new socio-politico-economical issues, debate the borders between art and science and bring creative minds to push forward research and DIY into the unknown.

• Inspired by i/o/lab - center for future art conveys art that encompasses new technology and science through their contemporary and innovative projects Article Biennial and Public Art Screens in Stavanger, Norway:

Its first project since its creation is Living Instruments, a collaboration between Hackuarium and WE Spoke to create different living instruments in order to make a live performance. The musician will make his first residence in September 19 - 23.

What

D = for designers, Art = for artists and Monkeys for all involved in either field (science, engineering, arts and design) interested on messing around with DIYBio, science and emergent technologies. Darty Monkeys is a series of monthly dates within Hackuarium to place discussions and keep informed about ongoing residencies. Is an Initiative to develop projects at the boundary between science, art and design outside of dogma to create unorthodox prototypes inscribing the alienation of the rhythms of everyday life.

International artists/creators will be invited to take part in the hackerspace - laboratory during a residency. Our first visitors:

• To debate about bio-technological advances, artificial systems and possible futures.
  
• To provides a time and space for creative minds.
  
• To place this project in the context of the current state of DIY, science and art.

This initiative has the following objectives:

• To build artistic and critical minded community
  
• To engage artists in scientific research and viceversa
  
• To create a piece of art or a prototype
  

Who is involved?

• Vanesa Lorenzo (initiator)
• Jonathan Sobel (collaborator)
• Sachiko Hiroshue (collaborator)
• Luc Henry (collaborator)
• Yann Heurtaux (collaborator)
• You?

When

The presentation day is on September 23rd at link #OpenHackuarium #64 Special d+arty monkeys

Visiting artists:
Serge Vuille a London based artist director of We Spoke presenting Living Instruments
Vytautas Jankauskas Geneva based media artist at Montague presenting "Vernis Magnes" and "HOW TO BUILD A DIY WATER TANK"
Marika Magnuszewska Polish media artist based in Switzerland presenting "Drunk Books" and her next residency.
Jonatan Sobel Lausanne based scientist and microphotographer working with "Fractals" and its visualization.
Vanessa Lorenzo Lausanne based media artist at Hybridoa

More info soon

What's Next

A monthly date with Darty Monkeys will be provided to debate and imagine new approaches to art and science in the near possible futures.

International artists will be invited to take part in the hackerspace - laboratory during a residency.

More information soon!

Log

Kick off Th 25.08.15

• All categories included at the edge between arts and sciences are welcome here, some examples: critical design, bio design, genetic art, moist art, artificial life (artificial systems and artificial intelligence), data visualizations, etc…
• Some conditions to be provided:
• Psychological room or peaceful space. Not possible, a place to “work”, optional solution: Use (to book) the bubble room right after the benches and secretary desk, soon will have an isolating roof and eventually a little hut in the green area (which has to be designed and built).
• Be aware of limitations of the lab & artist: learning process, security (low exigence, as we don’t have any dangerous materials) & propose external collaborations.
• Tutor: Launch Darty Monkeys office hours (weekly 40 min questions to each expert)
• Access to biological materials. Sadly, some ingredients or biological materials are impossible to get or produce in the lab. Fortunately, there are ways to "get" them via “donators” or external collaborations with official labs.
• Wiki list with potential “donators” labs (unil, unige, epfl…) possible to arrange something with our coworkers?, La Nebuleuse?
• Not to be publicized immediately. Not a popular point but as we are in a open minded space but open doesn't mean overexposed: If you never worked in an open source project, learn the basics to licensing, know the tips to share, name, add contributions and publicized when you're comfortable with.
• Engage potential collaborators / scientists.
• Make community of artists, welcoming & understanding atmosphere for creative minds not experimented in Biotechnology or sciences. Already a nice atmosphere here but to be aware that some people get impressed by the level of high expertise of some of the members. We should always make clear that is a totally inclusive space: Artists and scientists in the same level and totally welcome. We should always have in mind the word "dismitify" and push forward towards the unknown.
• Manage external collaborations (in term of signing publications, funding, store art piece, exhibitions and some conditions of exclusivity or possible reserves in terms of information).
• Ethics: Everything is possible, also the controversial but has to be according to the law in terms of laboratory security levels, our ethical chart, and the criteria of the community.
• not enterprise – oriented and critical mind.
• Periodicity. Events / Discussions once a month starting 23nd September.
• Format: For the launching/presentation: 10 min presentation of the initiative itself plus 3 artists presenting their project. At the end will have a discussion about the need of shedding light of some sociopolitical issues with the right to access clean drinkable water and the interest of experimenting with living organisms as media for art purposes. Will present next Darty Monkeys for November 2015.
• For the next editions? introduction to the new thematic, presentation of a related project and discussion (invite experts philosophy, science, artist).