http://rixc.lv/11/

TECHNO-ECOLOGIES
XIII International Festival for New Media Culture Art+Communication 2011
November 3 – December 11, 2011, Riga and Liepaja

Techno-Ecologies is the theme of this year's Art+Communication festival, the 13th edition of which will take place in Riga from November 3 – 6, 2011, featuring conference (November 4–5) and exhibition (November 4 – December 11) as well as broad programme of performances, screenings, public lectures and workshops in Riga and Liepaja, Latvia.
Conceptual framework

Everyday life has become so intimately interwoven with complex technological ecologies that we can no longer consider technology as the alienating other. A careful consideration of the relationships between the natural and the artificial is required. The idea that we 'inhabit' technological ecologies emphasises our connectedness to our environment (material, natural, technological) and our dependence on the resources available there (material, energetic, biological, cultural). Mastering these conditions is vital to our survival on this planet.

Techno-Ecologies builds upon the concerns of Felix Guattari (the French philosopher and co-conspirator of Gilles Deleuze) about the lack of an integrated perspective on the dramatic techno-scientific transformations the Earth has undergone in recent times. Guattari urges to take three crucially important 'ecological registers' into account: the environment, social relations, and human subjectivity.

Techno-Ecologies will develop a discussion between artists, theorists, designers, environmental scientists, technologists, responsible entrepreneurs and activists to develop this perspective. Diversity, social and ecological sustainability, and a much deeper understanding of technology as an extension of our desires are the building blocks that we want to bring together to build a perspective that can help us chart less hazardous routes into the future than the ones currently travelled.

(see full concept text below)

The Techno-Ecologies concept for Art+Communication 2011 festival and exhibition is developed by
Eric Kluitenberg.
The exhibition is co-curated by Raitis Smits, Rasa Smite and Eric Kluitenberg.

Exhibition CALL:

Artists who think that their work fits Techno-Ecologies theme (above) should send a brief description of the work plus short biography (and other relevant information) to e-mail:
<rixc (at) rixc.lv> and / or <rasa (at) rixc.lv> (Rasa Smite)

The DEADLINE for exhibition proposals: September 15, 2011

The exhibition will take place in Riga, from November 4 – December 11, 2011 in KIM? / RIXC Gallery, Contemporary Arts Center venue at Spikeri (http://www.kim.lv).

Conference CALL:

In relation to the theme proposed above, for the Techno-Ecologies conference we welcome proposals by by both – academic researchers and artists, as well as scientists, technology researchers, sociologists, philosophers, architects, designers, futurists, and other lateral thinkers, who are engaged with the issues of social and ecological sustainability, and are interested in a deeper understanding of technology.

Please send your short abstract (ca. 200 words) and bio (ca. 60 words) to e-mail: <rixc (at) rixc.lv> and / or <rasa (at) rixc.lv> (Rasa Smite)

The DEADLINE for conference abstracts: October 1, 2011

The conference is 2-day international academic event that takes place in Riga, November 4 - 5, 2011 (at RIXC Media Space), co-organized by RIXC and MPLab (Art Research Lab) of Liepaja University.
The conference papers and thematically related articles after the conference will be published in the next issue (No. 11) of Acoustic Space, peer-reviewed journal for transdisciplinary research on art, science, technology and society.