Raoul, Author at Ohme

Machines for Good | International Webinar

Join us for the grand finale of “Machines for Good” – a project at the intersection of AI, arts, and social engagement.

What: The culminating online event that unveils the conclusions from a year of activities across Europe, where participants were invited to explore the fusion of AI technology and creativity in addressing issues like sustainability, democracy, climate change, and community.

Why: Learn about the potential transformative power of AI not just as a tool but as a force driving citizen participation. Discover the ideas, solutions, and artistry that have emerged from these workshops, sparking a ripple effect of positive change.

Who: Engage with policymakers, stakeholders, and thought leaders as they dive into the guidelines and policy recommendations shaped by the fresh perspectives of our participants. It’s a conversation that transcends disciplines, fostering dialogue around the role of AI in shaping our shared future.

13:00 – 13:15 INTRODUCTION

13:15 – 13:30 KEYNOTE : Pr. Hugues Bersini, Director of Iridia, Artificial Intelligence research laboratory of the Université Libre de Bruxelles

13:30 – 14:10 MACHINES FOR GOOD: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED? Conclusions by organisation

AI for sustainable development ➤ Sineglossa (IT)

AI for communities ➤ Baltan Lab oratories (NL)

AI for climate ➤ Ohme (BE)

AI for democracy ➤ Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento – FZC (ES)

14:10 – 14:30 GENERAL CONCLUSIONS

14:30 – 15:00 Give your feedback + Q&A

This event is part of the CERV–Machines For Good European project, in partnership with Baltan Laboratories (NL), Ohme (BE), Fundación Zaragoza Ciudad del Conocimiento – FZC (ES), Sineglossa (IT), aiming at raising awareness about the potential of artificial intelligence tools to encourage people’s democratic, civic and social participation and cultivate the rich diversity of European society, based on our common values, history and memory.

Registration

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Recherche en Perspective 2024 – Kickoff

On Monday 5 February, Ohme and the Visual and Graphic Communication department of La Cambre kicked off the sixth edition of Recherche en Perspective, in which master’s students from La Cambre and researchers in different scientific fields share, learn from each other and exchange on how to best popularise, represent and communicate highly complex scientific research, for the benefit of a large audience as well as the artists and scientists themselves.

This year, the participants will explore five research projects in different fields: Philosophy of Science, Material Sciences, Neurosciences, Image Synthesis and Analysis, Information and Communication Sciences, Psychology and Educational Sciences.

Quentin Hiernaux

FNRS-qualified researcher and professor of philosophy of science at ULB Centre de recherches en philosophie (PHI), Faculté de philosophie et sciences sociales, ULB

Claire Fourmentin

Postdoctoral researcher at 4MAT (Engineering, Characterization, Synthesis, Recycling), École polytechnique de Bruxelles, ULB

Research: Promoting scientific culture through training in epistemology

Research: In search of local organisation in the disorder of a glass

Julia Justino, Laura Bourgaux, Romane Boulanger

Researches and PhD candidates at Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Faculty de Psychology, Educational Sciences & Logopedy, ULB

Adrien Foucart, Arthur Elskens

Postdoctoral researcher and PhD candidate at Laboratory of Image Synthesis and Analysis (LISA), École polytechnique de Bruxelles, ULB

Research: Brain Safari

Marine Lagasse

PhD candidate in Information and Communication Sciences (UPHF France) and Psychology and Educational Sciences (UMONS Belgium)

Research: Understanding the personal experience of an agent in a complex environment: Case study of a self-guided visit to a museum

Research: Multimodal ‘pre-clinical’ medical image fusion

Find out more about Recherce en Perspective

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Co-creating tomorrow: the human-robot alliance

As part of the Pilar ASAP Festival – The Posthuman Edition, we are pleased to present a conversation exploring, from the point of view of artists and scientists, what might be the future of collaboration between humans and robots.

This talk is presented in the framework of the Sustainable Robotics artists residency, organised by Ohme in collaboration with BrIAS – Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies, and FARI Institute for AI for the common good.

Artists Dewi Brunet and Kris Verdonck, both selected for the residency, will present their projects and their practices at the border between art and robotics, in conversation with Franziska Kirstein and Professor Barry Lennox, international robotics experts from the BrIAS 2024 programme.

Dewi Brunet is a folding artist interested in the sensitive relationship between the living world and robots. This practice is part of the field of Oribotics, a fusion of nature, origami and robotics.

Kris Verdonck explores the societal and ecological impacts of technological advances with a multidisciplinary approach that blends theatrical and visual elements to create unique artistic expressions.

Franziska Kirstein has worked in interdisciplinary teams in the field of Human-Robot Interaction since 2012. Her work combines the robotics industry with academic research in international collaborations, focusing on sustainability in robotics.

Barry Lennox is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Professor of Applied Control and Decommissioning in Nuclear Engineering at the University of Manchester (UK). He chairs the UK Robotics and Autonomous Systems Network.

The conversation will take place in English.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Tuesday 5 March

Doors: 18:30

Free entrance

Pilar, House for Art & Science – Bd de la Plaine 2, 1050 Bruxelles

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The Colour Shifts – Fridays Late events

Every Friday the exhibition The Colour Shifts is open to the public until 22:00 with guided visits, live shows, workshops, DJ sets, and food trucks

Friday 09.02

19:00 – 20:00 Exhibition guided visit
20:30 – 21:00 Monochromes double bass live – Otto Lindholm & Yannick Jacquet
21:00 – 24:00 DJ sets

Froday 16.02

19:00 – 20:00 Exhibition guided visit
20:00 – 20:30 Monochromes Harp Activation of the installation by Margareth Hermant (Echo Collective),
21:00 – 22:00 Gnawa live – Maâlem Dris Filali & Koyo de Bxl
22:00 – 03:30 Party night à LaVallée ! with Giraffes & Penguins – Line up: Rafael Aragon, DiDi tropical djipsies, Rebelup Sebcat, Le grand Méchant Loop

Friday 23.02

19:00 – 19:30 Visite guidée de l’exposition
19:30 – 20:30 Otto Lindholm Live Concert
20:30 – 22:30 Roméo Poirier DJ set + Tales of Entropy – microscopie live et talk by Ohme Lab

Friday 01.03 – finissage

19:00 – 20:00 Exhibition guided visit
20:00 – 22:00 DJ sets

The colour shifts is an exhibition conceived and produced by Ohme

with the support of :
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale – Innoviris | Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles | Loterie Nationale – National Lottery | COCOF

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Sustainable Robotics residency – Selected artists

In the framework of the Sustainable Robotics residency programme, the jury selected the proposals by Dewi Brunet and A Two Dogs Company – Kris Verdonck.

The Sustainable Robotics artist residency is a project led by Ohme in partnership with the Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies – BrIAS, and with FARI – Institute of Artificial Intelligence for the Common Good, both co-founded and co-led by the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussels (VUB).

A Two Dogs Company (ATDC) serves as the creative core for Kris Verdonck’s innovative projects in performing and transdisciplinary arts since 2010. Based in Brussels, ATDC operates as a network structure, collaborating with both permanent and freelance talents. Verdonck’s consistent exploration of the societal and ecological impacts of technological advancements fuels ATDC’s endeavors. His multidisciplinary approach blends theatrical and visual elements to create unique artistic expressions showcased in theaters, museums, and public spaces.

ATDC, in collaboration with the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (KBIN), proposes the project Garden of the Future. This endeavour seeks to envision a future garden shaped by biodiversity loss and the integration of self-sustaining robots. Through an exhibition at the Museum of Natural Sciences, the project aims to deploy robots mimicking ecological functions of vanished animal species. Powered by renewable energy sources and devoid of traditional batteries, these robots will demonstrate a symbiotic relationship with their environment. ATDC’s artistic expertise, coupled with KBIN’s scientific insights, will drive this exploration, fostering dialogue between art, technology, and ecology.

This residency provides a platform to develop the ‘Garden of the Future’ project further. Through technical and scientific collaborations, the project aims to refine the design and functionality of robots while deepening the artistic and ecological narratives. By leveraging expertise from the arts, robotics, and biology, the residency seeks to create an innovative and educational experience that raises awareness of ecological dynamics and the role of technology in addressing climate change.

Dewi Brunet is a folding artist. Self-taught, he has been practising this discipline for over fifteen years. Still a little-known practice, he sees folding as a technique, a medium of expression and a multi-disciplinary field of research. Today, his artistic projects focus on the sensitive relationship between the living world and robots. Dewi’s practice delves into the realm of Oribotics, a fusion of nature, origami, and robotics pioneered by Matthew Gardiner.

Dewi’s project seeks to blur further the boundaries between living organisms and machines through the creation of innovative Oribotics hybrids. Building upon previous collaborations and explorations, the project aims to cultivate new imaginaries by integrating advanced crumpling and pleating techniques. By expanding reflections to encompass various life forms, including plants, fungi, bacteria, and minerals, the artist endeavors to foster a sensitive perception of belonging to the natural world while addressing sustainability challenges.

The overarching goal of the residency is to deepen the research on organic/technologic hybrids and explore new aesthetic possibilities through advanced folding techniques. By refining existing projects, Dewi aims to not only optimise technical capabilities but also reimagine exhibition spaces for enhanced viewer engagement. Furthermore, the residency serves as a platform to investigate the potential of biobased materials in addressing ecological concerns while bridging the gap between art and science.

www.atwodogscompany.org

www.dewiorigami.com

Project partners

This residency programme is organised thanks to the support of Innoviris and the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles