Art-Tech Paradigms of Practice and Pedagogy: from MIT to Hong Kong

Evan Ziporyn directs the Center for Art, Science & Technology at MIT, where he is Kenan Sahin Distinguished Professor of Music. He has composed for and collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma, Brooklyn Rider, Maya Beiser, Ethel, Anna Sofie Von Otter, the American Composers Orchestra, Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Iva Bittova, Terry Riley, Don Byron, Wu Man, and Bang on a Can. In 2017, his arrangements were featured on Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s The Vietnam War, and on Silkroad’s Grammy-winning album 22 August,2022 WIP version v3 (MIT Node) Sing Me Home. He has conducted his orchestral reimagining of David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, in Boston, Barcelona, New York Central Park Summerstage, Australia’s Adelaide Fringe Festival, Strathmore Hall, and numerous other national and international venues. He debuted Philip Glass’ long-lost Best Out of Three at this year’s Big Ears Festival; in November he’ll premiere a new collaboration with Terry Riley, Ki. Other recent works include music for Caveh Zahedi’s 365 Stories podcast, and the soundtrack to Matthew Ritchie’s film Color Confinement.

Ian Hattwick is an artist, researcher, and technology developer whose work focuses on the creation and use of digital systems for professional artistic performance. He is particularly interested in collaborative performance and the creation of multimodal hardware systems to explore and facilitate social and embodied interaction. He teaches music technology at MIT, directs FaMLE, the MIT Laptop Ensemble, and is CTO for Heather Interactive, a music experience design startup.

Christine Southworth (b. 1978) is a multimedia composer based in Lexington, Massachusetts, dedicated to creating art born from a cross-pollination of sonic and visual ideas. Inspired by intersections of technology and art, nature and machines, and musics from cultures around the world, her music employs sounds from man and nature, from Van de Graaff Generators to honeybees, Balinese gamelan to seismic data from volcanoes. Her works have been performed internationally by ensembles including Kronos Quartet, Calder Quartet, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Gamelan Galak Tika and Ensemble Robot, and her works have been featured in venues ranging from Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, the OFF Festival in Katowice Poland, Paris’s Palais de Tokyo, to the Cre8 Summit in Shenzhen China and Wired Magazine’s NextFest. www.kotekan.com

Isabelle Su received her PhD in Structures and Materials from MIT in 2021. Her research aims to understand the interplay between silk material and structural mechanics of complex 3D spider webs and its role for completing their natural functions. She also used sonification, a visualization method through sound, as a novel method for visualizing the intricate architecture and mechanics of 3D spider webs. Isabelle previously received a Master’s degree in Building Engineering at ESTP as well as a M.Eng. in Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT in 2015. She is now a full-stack applications developer.

Praneeth Namburi is a Research Scientist at the MIT.nano Immersion Lab and the Institute for Medical Engineering and Sciences at MIT working on movement research and education. He received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He got his Ph.D. in experimental neuroscience from MIT studying neural circuit mechanisms for dissociating positive and negative associative memories. Namburi’s current research is focused on the biomechanics of efficient, stable, and coordinated movement. He draws inspiration from artists and athletes in specialized movement disciplines such as dancing and fencing to investigate skilled movement.

Talis Reks is the VR/AR/Gaming/Big Data Technologist at MIT.nano’s Immersion Lab. Talis graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a focus in Neuroscience from Northeastern University. Talis started working in the virtual and immersive technology space during his time at Pfizer Inc where he worked within the Optical Microscopy Core exploring ways of using VR and AR for scientific research and development. After Pfizer, he became the Operations Manager and Lead Service Technician for the world’s largest Virtual Reality Arena, MindTrek VR, where he brought VR gaming to the masses and built the facilities own ESports Arena for competitive e-sport game play. Before his role at MIT, Talis also spent time at Harvard Universities’ School of Public Health where he led a variety of VR/AR projects involving scientific computing, data analysis, and interactive game development.

Sunnie S.Y. Lau graduated with a B.A in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley; and later on, obtained her Master of Architecture, and Certificate in Urban Design from M.I.T. Sunnie believes that human-centric design promotes inclusive communities with innovative sustainable design strategies and urban designers & architects play important roles within the built environment. By taking up the roles of both practitioner and educator, she has been focused on topics such as smart city – Inclusive innovation for communities, urban design and technology, urban mobility and smart infrastructure etc. Sunnie has a strong interest in bridging the gap between creative and innovative sustainable design strategies into the design industry and underprivileged communities. The endeavors included publicizing ongoing research topics on Kowloon East Inclusive Innovation & Growth in 2020; design seminars & design thinking workshops for university & secondary students; facilitating dialogue between professionals, academia and young members at various cross disciplinary platforms and institutions.

Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas.
Photo by Berta Tilmantaite.

Urbonas Studio

Mr. Gediminas Urbonas
Associate Professor, Art, Culture, and Technology Program, MIT School of Architecture and Planning, MIT

Ms. Nomeda Urbonas
Research Affiliate, Art, Culture, and Technology Program, MIT School of Architecture and Planning, MIT

Founded by Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas (artists and educators, born in Lithuania) Urbonas Studio is an interdisciplinary research practice that facilitates exchange amongst diverse nodes of knowledge production and artistic practice in pursuit of projects that transform civic spaces and collective imaginaries. In collaboration with experts from different cultural and professional fields Urbonas Studio develops practice-based research models merging a variety of materials and techniques from new media, urbanism, social science, pedagogy and ecology.

Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas have exhibited internationally including the Venice, San Paulo, Berlin, Moscow, Lyon, Busan, Gwangju, Taipei Biennales and Manifesta and Documenta exhibitions among numerous other international shows, including a solo shows at the Venice Biennale and MACBA in Barcelona. Their work was awarded a number of high level grants and awards, including the Lithuanian National Prize (2007); a Prize for the Best International Artist at the Gwangju Biennale (2006) and the Honorable mention for the best national pavilion at the Venice Biennale (2007). They were nominated for the Nam June Paik Award in 2012.In 2018 Urbonas curated the Swamp School – Lithuanian participation at 16th Venice Architecture Biennale. Their book Swamps and the New Imagination. On the Future of Cohabitation in Art, Architecture and Philosophy (edited by Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas and Kristupas Sabolius) is published by Sternberg Press and distributed by MIT Press in 2022.

Moderator:

Ms. Helen So
Lead, Arts & Culture, Our Hong Kong Foundation

Helen So leads the Arts Innovation team in policy research and advocacy at Our Hong Kong Foundation, the largest public policy thinktank in Hong Kong. Her team’s policy recommendation proposal on the topic of Arts Tech was Hong Kong’s first-of-the-kind to actively call to action the arts and technology sectors to work together. Helen’s public service includes various advisory roles appointed by the Hong Kong Government: she currently serves as Member of the Advisory Committee on Arts Development, and Member of the Museum Advisory Committee. She is also Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum Board under the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. Ms So holds a Master of Studies (MSt) in Musicology & Ethnomusicology at St. Catherine’s College, University of Oxford. She is a cellist and continues to perform today.

Panelists:

Dr Joshua Abrams
Deputy Director (Academic), The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

Dr Joshua Abrams is Deputy Director (Academic) at The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. With degrees in Theatre, Performance studies, and Management Science, his academic career spans a range of areas and countries. He is an active researcher across disciplines and interdisciplinary intersections, as well as having supervised over 10 doctoral projects.

Dr Abrams has served in a range of disciplinary leadership roles, most recently President (2019-2021) of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education (ATHE). Previously, he served as Conference Co-Organiser for the American Society for Theatre Research’s 2016 conference and was elected as Vice President for Conference for ATHE, 2010-2011. He Chaired ATHE’s Performance Studies Focus Group and co-founded the annual ATHE Performance Studies Focus Group Preconference in 2003.

He is a member of the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Peer Review College, a Senior Fellow of Advance HE and a reviewer for QAA. He currently sits on the Editorial Boards of four journals, reviewing submissions for a range of presses and journals and is regularly invited to speak globally across theatre and performance, food studies and higher education policy, giving keynotes at events as wide-ranging as the Performance Studies international conference and the Culinary Institute of America.

Professor Johnny Poon is the Associate Vice-President (Interdisciplinary Research) at Hong Kong Baptist University. He oversees the establishment and development of three research clusters and six interdisciplinary research laboratories at the university. Professor Johnny Poon is also the Dr. Hung Hin Shiu Endowed Professor in Music and Founding Dean of the School of Creative Arts. In his own research, he leads projects that stand at the forefront of the arts and science nexus. He is currently the deputy project coordinator of a 5-year research project, “Building Platform Technologies for Symbiotic Creativity in Hong Kong”, funded by the Research Grants Council ($52.84M HKD) under the Theme-based Research Scheme. This project intends to harness the power of science and technology to radically advance human and AI interaction in the arts. He is the music director and co-founder of the Turing AI Orchestra – the world’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) ensemble.

Currently the Chief Manager (Performance Venues Management and Planning) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Ms Rebecca YU oversees policy formulation and management in respect of the East Kowloon Cultural Centre and other seven performance venues in the New Territories. She is also responsible for the planning of new performance venues under the LCSD.

Yangbin Wang is the founder of Vobile Group. He earned a BS degree from Zhejiang University in 1991 and an MSEE degree from the University of Florida in 1993. He is a senior technical expert, specialized in network audio and video, integrated media big data and artificial intelligence identification and other related fields for years. He is also a world-renowned business leader in the fields of film and television culture industry and digital rights management and distribution. The business model and technology application advocated by him lead transformation of video distribution and content protection in the digital economy era. In 2017, Vobile was honored as a winner of the 69th annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards for its innovation excellence in developing video identification technology to protect content value and copyright. Wang is the Director of Global Digital Culture Industry Research Centre of the Media and International Culture College of Zhejiang University ，the Director of the Research Center on the Application of Integrated Media Big Data Technology of the Huanan Industrial Technology Research Institute of Zhejiang University. He is the Vice Chairman of the Science and Innovation Committee of the General Association of Zhejiang Entrepreneurs and the Vice President of Zhejiang University (Hong Kong) Alumni Association.

Sunnie S.Y. Lau graduated with a B.A in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley; and later on, obtained her Master of Architecture, and Certificate in Urban Design from M.I.T. Sunnie believes that human-centric design promotes inclusive communities with innovative sustainable design strategies and urban designers & architects play important roles within the built environment. By taking up the roles of both practitioner and educator, she has been focuses on topic such as smart city – Inclusive innovation for communities, urban design and technology, urban mobility and smart infrastructure etc. Sunnie has a strong interest in bridging the gap between creative and innovative sustainable design strategies into the design industry and underprivileged communities. The endeavors included publicizing ongoing research topic on Kowloon East Inclusive Innovation & Growth in 2020; design seminars & design thinking workshops for university & secondary students; facilitating dialogue between professionals, academia and young members at various cross disciplinary platforms and institutions.

Mr. Allen Tin
Business Development Manager, d&b audiotechnik Greater China

Joined d&b over 5 years, he is one of the Soundscape system pioneer team in Greater China who involved immersive system establishment like Zuni Icosahedron’s performances, The Originals, Symphony under the Stars, London Philharmonic Orchestra concert screening; and Soundscape installations in Yuen Long Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, University of Science & Technology, etc. He has also participated in other large scale projects for Hong Kong and Taiwan market including: Jockey Club Auditorium of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Yuan Kuang Buddhist College and Kaohsiung Music Centre.

Mr. Kelvin Yuen
Senior Engineer & Service Manager (EAS),
d&b audiotechnik Greater China

Worked on audio system design and installation, system tuning and testing and product after-sales services in an engineering company. Participated in projects including large scale theatres: Jockey Club Auditorium of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Heritage Museum, Hong Kong City Hall, Tsuen Wan Town Hall, Studio Theatre of Hong Kong Cultural Centre; Audio system design of entertainment venues, bars, schools in Hong Kong and mainland China. Also dedicate in live audio mixing.

Sunnie S.Y. Lau
MArch’13

Registered Architect (HKIA), MHKIUD, RIBA, AIA (Assoc.), Adjunct Assistant Professor (HKU), M.Arch (MIT), Urban Design (MIT), B.A(AS) UC Berkeley

Director, Head of Smart City Research and Industry Collaboration
MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node

Sunnie S.Y. Lau graduated with a B.A in Architecture from University of California, Berkeley; and later on, obtained her Master of Architecture, and Certificate in Urban Design from M.I.T. Sunnie believes that human-centric design promotes inclusive communities with innovative sustainable design strategies and urban designers & architects play important roles within the built environment. By taking up the roles of both practitioner and educator, she has been focuses on topic such as smart city – Inclusive innovation for communities, urban design and technology, urban mobility and smart infrastructure etc. Sunnie has a strong interest in bridging the gap between creative and innovative sustainable design strategies into the design industry and underprivileged communities. The endeavors included publicizing ongoing research topic on Kowloon East Inclusive Innovation & Growth in 2020; design seminars & design thinking workshops for university & secondary students; facilitating dialogue between professionals, academia and young members at various cross disciplinary platforms and institutions.

Alan Kwan
SMACT’16

Alan Kwan is an artist, game designer, and technologist. He holds a MSc. in Art, Culture and Technology from MIT. His projects, which include experimental video games, VR experiences, interactive installations, flying machines, etc. were presented at venues including Ars Electronica Center (Austria), International Bauhaus Colloquium (Germany), ZKM Centre for Art and Media (Germany), and Museum of Contemporary Art (Shanghai). He was awarded the first prize of the MIT Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize, Honorary Mention Award at Prix Ars Electronica in Austria, Asian Cultural Council Fellowship, and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council Award for Young Artist (Media Art). One of his experimental videogames has also been acquired by the M+ Museum into its permanent art collection. Currently, he is also part of the faculty at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts where he teaches and develops research projects that focus on the intersection between immersive technologies, virtual worlds, and performing arts.

Kwan Q Li
SMACT’22

Kwan Queenie Li’s practice coalesces lens-based media, installation, performance, and writing, in the exploration of performativity and techcnopolitics within interdisciplinary contexts. Queenie holds a BFA from Oxford University, and a SM in Art, Culture, and Technology from MIT. Queenie is the recipient of awards including a thesis prize – the Stuart Morgan Prize for Art History (Oxon.), the Enterprise Poets Prize, and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize (both MIT). Her work has been supported and exhibited internationally, including at Thresholds Journal Vol.50 (MIT Press, 2022), Venice Architecture Biennale (HK Pavilion, 2021), Art Machines 2 (HK, 2021), Ars Electronica RIXC Garden (LV, 2021), IdeasCity by the NTU CCA and the New Museum (SG/US, 2020), Design Trust (HK, 2019), and more. She received a graduate teaching fellowship at MIT between 2020 and 2022, and has taught at the Master of Arts in Creative Communications programme at HKU since fall 2022.