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SuperByte 2014 - Glitch Art Workshop

I’ll be returning to SuperByte for their 2014 festival between 11-13th September, although this time I’ll be delivering a glitch art workshop instead of performing.

superbyte_2014_workshop

In this part theory, part practice workshop, hellocatfood will take you through a brief history of glitches, noise, and their impact on art, music and popular culture. The practical side of the workshop will delve into the common techniques utilised by glitch artists, such as hacking codecs, modifying hardware and repurposing commonly used software.

For the practical part of the workshop you’ll need a laptop/computer (Mac/Windows/Linux) with the following software installed: GIMP, Audacity & a good text editor such as Notepad++, TextEdit or Gedit.

Depending on time and interest from participants, we may be able extend software covered. If possible, please have installed: Processing, Pure Data, ffmpeg/libav, Imagemagick, Inkscape & Blender.

All of the software required for this workshop is freely available, and there’ll also be some toys on hand for you to experiment with.

If you haven’t got your ticket yet there’s still time to get cheap ones by supporting their Kickstarter campaign. Remember, if you pledge £45 you get some artwork from me as well!


Imperica - New Horizons

Directly after f(Glitch) I’ll be in London to take part in the New Horizons event from Imperica on 7th March, 09:00-18:00.

imperica_nh

New Horizons brings a variety of people, disciplines, and interests together in one provocative, thought-provoking, enormously creative, and fun day. This will not be a day of death by PowerPoint. You’ll leave the day with new ideas, new visions, and new friends.

This event is ideal for professionals, academics and enthusiasts of film; advertising; design; digital technologies and their impact; art; and media.

I’ll be part of a joint presentation with Camillie Baker entitled Error Detection:

We expect perfection like never before. Whether it’s a slight hiccup on our digital TV, a spelling error in a press release or an incorrect fact in a tweet, there’s little room for manoeuvre. How is the “imperfect” recognised, exposed, used, and celebrated on both an artistic and intellectual level?

The event isn’t free (£87.77), but has some really amazing participants, so you should definitely buy a ticket.


BYOB Stony Brook

During my time in Stony Brook for f(Glitch) I’ll also be curating another BYOB event, taking place on March 4th!

byobfglitch

You are invited to join us for the first Bring Your Own Beamer (BYOB) at Stony Brook University. Taking part is easy: just bring your beamer (digital projector) and something to be screened! BYOB is a series of one-night exhibitions where artists are invited to bring their own beamers and explore the medium of projection by creating a collaborative happening of moving light, sound and performance. On March 4th from 20:00 until 23:00 we will fill Union Ballroom and University Cafe at Stony Brook University with artists, each of them armed with their own beamer.

The simple terms and guidelines:

  • RSVP to hellocatfood in order to secure a spot.
  • Open to anyone, including those outside the university.
  • Bring your own beamer/projector, video playback device and extension cord.
  • We can provide power sockets and some extension cables.
  • Find your own spot on the day.
  • Use any surface to beam on, including ceilings and floors.
  • Places allocated on a first come, first served basis.
  • Participants are welcome to set up at University Ballroom and Cafe from 5pm.
  • Participants are responsible for the safety of their own equipment.
  • All ages welcome in the University Ballroom, but ages 21+ allowed in the University Cafe.

The University will have a limited amount of beamers that can be booked on the night. Please get in contact if you need one. These will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.


f(Glitch)

I’ll be at Stony Brook University in NY from 2nd-6th March for f(Glitch):

fglitchglitch

f(Glitch), or The Function of Glitch, is an interlinked series of events that will include an art exhibit at the Simons Center, a theatrical production in the Wang Chapel , a musical concert at the Staller Recital Hall, and a series of colloquia at the Humanities Institute and the Simons Center. It will bring together a wide range of scientists, scholars, and artists to consider the utility of noise, for scientific and humanistic research as well as for artistic production. This is the fourth in a series of large-scale events produced by cDACT (Consortium for Digital Arts, Culture and Technology). Previous events considered sound, space, and data—each a central concept for digital culture—with a broad range of participants from the arts and sciences. We now turn to another crucial topic: error and noise.

The ideal imagined for digital technology is frictionless functionality. But systems have bugs, communication is riddled with distortion and channels are often noisy. Error is not a rare occurrence, but a given. Glitch, broadly defined, introduces unintentional events, artifacts, and interruptions. It can be visual or sonic; it can be imperceptible at ordinary levels, or physically painful to experience. There are glitches in programming, in communication, in architecture and infrastructure. Glitches are a glimpse into the hidden world of technology, exposing the seams in our digital infrastructure. Glitches can be distressing, as in the aesthetic phenomenon known as the uncanny valley, in which almost, but not-quite, accurate digital representations of the human face and form cause revulsion.

Yet these errors can be illuminating, creative and productive. Noise can make our systems stronger and more robust. Distortion can be aesthetically vibrant and revealing. Glitch reminds us that noise can be something to be embraced rather than eradicated, and that the unexpected is often unexpectedly useful.

I’ll be delivering a 30-minute lecture on 4th at Colloquia 1 from around 17:45. Come along, it’s all free!


VOID Artwork

After two weeks VOID came to a close on February 21st. There were samosas. For those that weren’t able to make it down, below are the artworks that I created for the exhibition.

+52°29'13.32", -1°54'47.58"

[+52°29'13.32", -1°54'47.58" ](http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellocatfood/12393885833/ “+52°29'13.32”, -1°54'47.58" by hellocatfood, on Flickr")

+52°28'47.73", -1°54'31.91"

[+52°28'47.73", -1°54'31.91" ](http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellocatfood/12393737795/ “+52°28'47.73”, -1°54'31.91" by hellocatfood, on Flickr")

+52°28'40.59", -1°56'8.92"

[+52°28'40.59", -1°56'8.92" ](http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellocatfood/12393888413/ “+52°28'40.59”, -1°56'8.92" by hellocatfood, on Flickr")

The title of each piece reflects the location that they (the original pictures) were taken at. These were then reduced in size and quality using a number of different methods.

Using very similar methods, I extended this concept for a performance for the opening night of exhibition. All of the audio and visual content was source from the location of the performance which was then fed back and manipulated using lots of analogue and digital tools.

+52°29'11.82", -1°54'29.10"