|
|
REVIEW - 2012: A year of growth
CoLab’s Directors wish to thank our staff, advisory board, editorial panel members, associates, collaborators and partners for all they have done to support CoLab in 2012.
It was a year that began with some uncertainty as to CoLab’s future, but as the year developed CoLab continued to roll out projects and build partnerships.
In September, our Faculty's Dean recommended a merge between CoLab and AUT's Creative Technologies teaching programme (the Interdisciplinary Unit) to become a greater CoLab.
And in October this year, approval for the funding and institute status of CIRI (Creative Industries Research Institute) to be transferred to CoLab was given by the DVC research. These developments offer significant opportunity for CoLab, as a synthesised space of creativity, convergence, collaboration and connectivity; linking across the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, industry and community partners.
CoLab recognises that the significant challenges for research and practice in the 21st century are too complex to be solved by any one discipline. Success in the future will depend on people with imagination, advanced technological skills and the entrepreneurial ability to link-up different kinds of academic or professional knowledge in new ways.
We look forward to 2013 and the opportunities for collaboration and innovation that lie ahead. Wishing you all a festive Season's Greetings, a very happy New Year and a wonderful summer break!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REVIEW - Visit by Joëlle Tilmanne from Numediart, Belgium
(L - R) Frances Joseph, Joëlle Tilmanne and Charles Walker at the official reception for the Prince of Belgium.
On Monday 26 November, CoLab hosted 30 AUT staff and industry guests to meet visiting researcher, Joëlle Tilmanne from Numediart, a new media institute based at the University of Mons, Belgium. Numediart work with artists and industrial partners, on projects in the digital art technologies area. In addition to their institute work, researcher Joëlle Tilmanne also represented the TWIST cluster.
Monday afternoon saw presentations by Joëlle about interdisciplinary research methodologies at Numediart, as well as details of the six research themes: hypermedia navigation; interactive performances; digital lutherie; monumental projections; motion capture; and social interaction.
CoLab is delighted to have established this link with Numediart and discussions are under way in relation to a number of future collaborations and initiatives.
For more information on the Numediart Institute visit: www.numediart.org
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVENT – Animation Revelations symposium in March
Save the date! From March 20 – 23, 2013 AUT will host Animation Revelations, a three-day animation forum that will explore every facet of animation and showcase local and international talent. The event is aimed at industry and education bringing together Auckland-based production companies, industry organisations, tertiary educators, students, independents and collectives to look at and discuss animation.
The event is being developed as a partnership between AUT’s Department of Digital Design, CoLab and Communications Studies and Auckland’s Creative Digital Content group (CDC), along with advisor and programmer, Malcolm Turner, director of the Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), and Animation Programmer for the New Zealand Film Festival.
Malcolm has researched and curated an outstanding collection of animations to show and discuss during the forum. Expect traditional characters, abstract and experimental films, new CGI productions and themes ranging from ‘late night extreme’ to ‘a history of Polish animation’.
Our industry and education panels will enlighten participants and spark debate looking at the nuts and bolts of making a living in the field of animation, the challenges of teaching animation and new opportunities for animation using new technologies. We will go behind the scenes with an exhibition on the process of animation, which will showcase recent Auckland productions and for those who want to learn more there are a range of workshops to choose from.
Updates with programme details will be posted on the CoLab and CDC websites.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PUBLICATION - The third issue of Journal: Creative Technologies is online
From the CoLab Journal editor, Jennie Watts, "the seven papers that make up this issue are all based on ‘interactivity’ – a broad notion inviting myriad interpretations and applications across an emergent field associated with creative technologies. Indeed, the fluid nature of this field has become increasingly apparent to us as we worked on this issue."
A strong sub-theme in the selection is a preoccupation with mapping, in particular the mapping of player experience in gaming; and an educational setting is the second sub-theme. The third issue is now online and can be read here: journal.colab.org.nz
Special thanks to the reviewers of the papers for this issue and to retiring editor, Jennie Watts for the valuable contribution she has made to the development of CoLab and the Journal.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCHOLARSHIPS - CoLab Postgraduate Research Awards 2013
CoLab is announcing three postgraduate awards for 2013. These awards will cover fees and a stipend for one year for a postgraduate student to conduct research in one the following topic areas associated with on-going CoLab projects:
1. The documentation of interactive art: This scholarship will support research into ways of documenting interactive art in association with the Digital Art Live project.
2. Innovative forms of online publishing: This scholarship will support research into multi-modal forms of online publishing in association with CoLab’s Journal: Creative Technologies.
3. E textiles or wearable technologies: This scholarship will support research into interactive and expressive textiles in association with CoLab and the Textile and Design Lab (TDL).
Please contact CoLab Co-directors Charles Walker or Frances Joseph for more information about the Awards. The application deadline is Friday February 1, 2013.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONGRATULATIONS – Digital Art Live Research Award
 At the Faculty of Design and Creative technologies' Research Awards Ceremony on Friday 7th December the DAL team was awarded a prize in the Interdisciplinary Research category, recognising the research outputs generated through this project.
Congratulations to Nolwenn Hugain-Lacire, Kim Newall, James Charlton, Frances Joseph and Charles Walker.
|
|
NEW STAFF – Welcome, Harry Silver
Digital Art Live curator, Nolwenn Hugain-Lacire will be taking maternity leave from mid January 2013. While she is away her role will be picked up by Harry Silver.
Harry is a founding member and creative producer of the Interrupt Collective, a group of digital-media artists, interaction designers, live video performers and sonic artists working across a range of live performance projects and installations.
He has worked for several years in the events and arts industries, performing as a VJ and managing various works for Interrupt Collective and other productions.
CoLab staff want to thank Nolwenn for the wonderful job she has done establishing and developing the DAL project.
We also want to welcome Harry, who brings much valuable experience from his work, and thank him for taking up this role while Nolwenn is on maternity leave. |
CALL – Papers for Journal Issue Four: The Expanded Field of Animation
Submissions are invited for the fourth issue of the online, open-access publication to be published in September 2013. Emerging and established scholars and researchers from around New Zealand and internationally are invited to contribute.
The editorial board actively encourages diverse interpretations of the theme of this issue, which is 'The Expanded Field of Animation'. As an online publication we are interested in submissions that make use of visual and animated formats, as well as more traditional text-based papers.
The Expanded Field of Animation: Over the past fifty years animation, as the phenomenon of motion drawing, has seen a dramatic expansion in terms of production techniques, from stop motion sequencing of hand rendered art or three-dimensional objects, to two dimensional and three dimensional computer generated imagery, motion tracking or combinations of techniques.
In parallel, the development of the internet, gaming and mobile devices has supported an extension of animation beyond traditional areas of presentation in film, television and advertising, into new narrative, informational and interactive formats.
The Expanded Field of Animation issue is seeking papers that address issues related to this expansion, including: the aesthetics of animation; animation and interaction; technologies of animation; virtual worlds; and animation in education.
Papers must be received no later than Monday June 24, 2013. To make an enquiry or to submit a paper, email Editors Charles Walker or Frances Joseph.
|
SURVEY – Auckland’s creative sector needs your voice
The climate of Auckland's creative sector is changing rapidly, and as a strong champion for the city’s arts, culture & creative industries, the Creative Coalition has announced a major research project to develop a model of Auckland's creative ecology (view full project proposal).
Arts policy researcher, Elise Sterback will lead a mapping project of Auckland's creative ecology. She will be supported by the Creative Coalition Board to produce a robust and credible body of work that acts as a resource for the sector and relevant stakeholders.
Please use this as an opportunity to add your voice, and take 25min to fill out the survey: go to the survey now
The survey closes 11pm on January 14, 2013.
|
|
COLAB FACILITIES – VR Lab and MoCap Suite update
CoLab welcomes Dr Tony Robotham who recently joined AUT’s School of Engineering. Tony has an extensive background in engineering design, 3D visualization and simulation, and will be utilising the facilities in CoLab’s VR Lab (Virtual Reality Lab) and the new Motion Capture suite in 2013. This opens the way for some interesting interdisciplinary research developments.
A new Motion Analysis motion capture system has been ordered and will be installed in AUT’s new WG building in January 2013. The MoCap suite will be available for R&D and projects in areas of animation, ergonomics, simulation and interaction. While the Motion Analysis crew are in Auckland to install the system they will be training a core group of staff, selected postgraduate students and key industry partners.
An industry demo session will also be held late in January. If you wish to attend this demo session please contact John Piper to register.
We will be running another industry demo session as part of the Animation Revelations symposium in March.
|
CALL - Chapters for 'The Playful Subversion of Technoculture'
Building on the success of the Interactive Entertainment (IE) 2012 conference, the organisers plan to edit a book extending the theme of 'Playing the System' towards 'The Playful Subversion of Technoculture'.
From the editors, "for this book, we would like to think of play not as an effective tool that is used to a certain end, but rather, that play is valuable in itself. That it has the power to transform existing systems and change our views of the world. The focus is on the playful subversion of/in technoculture."
"The book traces and discusses this development in the areas of games, art, education, mobile connectivity and networked computing. Multiple perspectives allow interdisciplinary contributions from the areas of media, play, art, design, science, installations, performance and film."
There are four suggested fields of interest: Playing Games; Playing Art; Playing Mobile; and Playing Education.
The deadline for expressions of interest is December 21, 2012, with Abstracts due by March 1, 2013.
Read more about this opportunity on the CoLab website.
|
NEW EXHIBITION - Digital Art Live: A Painting by Lucy Tang
Digital Art Live (DAL) offers the opportunity for young digital and interactive artists to present their works as part of Emerging Pixels #2 showcasing emerging talent from the Bachelor of Creative Technology programme at AUT.
The current interactive work is A Painting by Lucy Tang, showing December 3 - 21, 2012. A Painting takes its inspiration from several animation techniques such as cinemagraphs, and gives you the opportunity to have an active look at classic masterpieces such as Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night Over the Rhone.
The following exhibition is Screen Watch by Matthew Martin, running from January 7 – 21, 2012.
Digital Art Live is located at Level 2, Aotea Centre in Auckland City. For more information on Emerging Pixels #2 visit: dal.colab.org.nz. |
|
Merry Christmas (Pacman style) and we'll see you in 2013!
|
|
|
|
|
|
