artist residency Archives

Residency Methods | Héloïse Colrat

Methods explores the techniques, materials and cultural contexts of medieval glassmaking.

In collaboration with researcher Alicia Van Ham-Meert, artist and scientific glassblower Héloise Colrat delves into the complex world of medieval glass, focusing in particular on the intriguing field of trick glasses, which played an important role in the social gatherings of the wealthy classes during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Héloïse’s residency project goes beyond mere curiosity; she seeks to immerse herself in the historical and technical nuances of these glasses, attempting to understand not only their forms, but also the societal contexts in which they flourished. At the heart of her investigation is the desire to recreate one of the oldest trick glasses: the drinking horn. Derived from animal horns, the glass version of this iconic vessel conceals a myriad of fascinating subterfuges, inviting Héloïse to unlock its secrets through experimentation.

She experiments with vitrifiable mixtures using natural materials, echoing historical practices and techniques. By combining her artistic efforts with scientific enquiry, historical research and aesthetic exploration, she seeks to uncover not only the technical subtleties but also the cultural significance of these ancient practices.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Héloïse Colrat (1992, Lyon) is a French artist based in Brussels.

She is also the scientific glassblower in charge at the chemistry department at the University of Liège.

In 2023, she obtained a CAP in scientific glassblowing at the Lycée Dorian in Paris and in 2017 a master’s degree at the Haute École des Arts du Rhin in Strasbourg as part of the glass workshop.

Héloïse’s methodological approach is multifaceted, encompassing techniques such as blowing with a torch – an ancient practice that predates the blowpipe, which was widespread in the Middle Ages. This technique offers a unique opportunity to work with mixtures of raw materials, using gathered and charred plants to create intricate enamelled decorations reminiscent of 13th-century glass production in the Middle East.

www.heloisecolrat.com

The Methods artist residency is a project by Ohme in partnership with the 4MAT department of the École Polytechnique de Bruxelles and the Centre de Recherches en Archéologie et Patrimoine CReA-Patrimoine of the Université libre de Bruxelles.

Project Partners

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

Aquatic Conversations | Antoine Bertin

ARTIST RESIDENCY

An artistic, scientific and technological investigation of the complex communication methods beneath the ocean’s surface.

Antoine Bertin’s research engages in an audiovisual exploration of the conversations between aquatic species through the use of sound recordings and machine learning. This research draws on machine listening techniques to decode the intricate communication methods of marine life communication.

During this residency project Antoine and Ohme collaborate on the design and composition of an intimate radiophonic plea for marine species, blending spoken word, sculptures and immersive soundscapes, drawing the audience into the fascinating world of listening to the ocean.

To support Antoine’s research, Ohme Lab is developing a system that transforms marine recordings into point cloud structures through machine learning. These structures will be used in digital art visualisations and 3D printing.

The microscope enabled humans to see anew, with both our eyes and our imaginations. Digital acoustics are an invention of similar significance. Like the microscope, they function like a scientific prosthetic: as they extend our sense of hearing, they expand our perceptual and conceptual horizons.

— Karen Bakker, The Sounds of Life.

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Photos: Ophelia Van Campenhout

Première: 27.09.24 as part of CurieuCity Festival

About the artist

Antoine Bertin is a European artist working at the intersection of science and sensory immersion, field recording and sound storytelling, data and music composition. His creations take the form of listening experiences, immersive moments and audio meditations exploring our relationships with the living world. His work has been presented at Tate Britain, Palais de Tokyo, Serpentine Gallery, KIKK festival, STRP festival, Sonar+D, CCCB Barcelona, Dutch Design Week, Nuit Blanche Paris, le 104, Centre Wallonie Bruxelles, Gaité Lyrique. He produces a quarterly show called “Edge of the forest” on NTS radio weaving together field recordings, data sonifications and science inspired meditations.

Studio Antoine Bertin was created in 2018, bringing together a multidisciplinary team that develops, produces and delivers listening experiences. Studio Antoine Bertin is based in Paris and Alicudi Island and works internationally.

Website: https://www.studioantoinebertin.com/

Credits

Artist : Antoine Bertin
Scientist : Sara Keen (Earth Species Project)
Code and experience design: Cristina Tarquini
Code and prototyping: Marianne de Heer Kloots (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), François Bronchart (Ohme)
Production: Sonia Gaspard (Studio Antoine Bertin), Nicolas Klimis (Ohme)
Academic Partners: ZHDK (Zurich University of the Arts)
Curatorial Counseling: Camilla Colombo (Ohme)
Co-production: Ohme

This research is co-produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies program,
in dialogue with Earth Species Project, supported by Innoviris and Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

Sustainable Robotics – Kris Verdonck & Dewi Brunet

Each year, Ohme supports and offers its expertise to artists through five artistic and technical residencies. Through this initiative, and according to the specific needs of each artist, Ohme actively supports the creation, production and diffusion of innovative artistic projects, provides solid technical and scientific support in research and development, networks with experts and researchers, and promotes exchanges between art, science and technology.

Ohme launched a call for artists on the theme of sustainable robotics 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).

The selected artists are A Two Dogs Company – Kris Verdonck, and Dewi Brunet.

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.

www.atwodogscompany.org

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.dewiorigami.com

Partners

FARI is an independent and not-for-profit initiative that studies, develops, and fosters the adoption and governance of Artificial Intelligence, Data and Robotics technologies in an inclusive, ethical and sustainable way. Opened this year, this institute brings together world-leading researchers and experts in those fields to meet challenges at local level.

The newly founded Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies – BrIAS, aims to expand upon the mission of other IASes as an incubator of ideas and research by focusing on current and urgent themes with a great societal impact. Located in the heart of Brussels, it aims to attract the very best scientists, artists or designers, coming from various fields or countries and with no philosophical or political restriction, and provide the opportunity to work in an atmosphere of complete freedom, collaboration, mutual emulation and cross-fertilisation. In this context, BrIAS aims to facilitate collaborations with countries facing critical challenges pertaining to sustainability.

For its 2024 edition, BrIAS has chosen the theme of sustainable robotics with the aim of exploring how robots and automated devices can contribute to sustainability in a world where they are becoming increasingly present.

International robotics specialists and experts from various fields are invited to Brussels on several occasions between January and May 2024 to discuss how robotics can contribute to facing the worldwide challenges identified by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as poverty, inequality and climate change. Particular attention will be paid to issues relating to health, food and agriculture, peacekeeping, sustainable production and the management of electronic waste, as well as those relating to social inclusion, particularly through social robots.

Find out more about the theme

🔗 BrIAS programme
🔗 Sustainable Robotics
🔗 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals

Laboratories involved in the project

🔗 SMIT VUB (Studies in Media, Innovation and Technology)
🔗 SAAS ULB (Department of Control Engineering and System Analysis)
🔗 FARI ULB/VUB
🔗 R&MM VUB (Robotics & Multibody Mechanics Research Group)
🔗 BruBotics VUV (Brussels Human Robotics Research Center

Project Partners

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

Colorillon | Adrien Lucca

Colorillon explores the connection between sound, light and movement. This relationship allows the instrument created, a carillon made up of 8 hollow aluminium tubes, to change appearance and colour on its own, depending on the sound it produces.

Each tube of the carillon has been calibrated according to a resonance formula. It is then struck by percussion solenoids. This system produces a whole range of sounds. A real-time sound capture, acquisition and analysis system then takes over, identifying the events and frequencies of the sounds produced by the carillon.

The result is sound characteristics such as volume modulations, percussive or harmonic content, or frequency beat, all of which are used to drive hyperspectral lamps developed by Adrien Lucca. These devices use subtle modifications to the spectral content of the light to change the colour of objects without changing the perceived colour of the light beam.

These lamps are controlled by a nanocomputer that transforms the sound characteristics into light spectrum control signals, creating dynamic transitions in the colour gamut and thus changing the appearance of the instrument.

CREDITS :

Conception: Adrien Lucca, Ohme
Light synthesiser and programmed painting: Adrien Lucca
Engineering and technical development: François Bronchart, Raoul Sommeillier, Loïc Vanhecke (Ohme Lab)
Mechanical structure : Mathieu Zurstrassen
Co-production : Ohme and Studio Adrien Lucca

Presented at:
The Colour Shifts, LaVallée (Brussels) – 02.02 > 02.03.2024

Co-produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies programme, supported by Innoviris and the Commission Arts Numériques de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

Isocenter | Frederik Vanhoutte

Isocenter is a research project by artist Frederik Vanhoutte based on his work as a radiotherapy physicist at the University Hospital in Gent (BE).

Isocenter seeks to explore the apparent paradox inherent in modern medicine – a fusion of individualised, compassionate care with the cutting-edge precision of technology, all aimed at healing and preserving the sanctity of life.

Drawing from the choreography made by the radiotherapy machine during the treatments, Frederik shift the medium to using a plotter drawing machine with ink on paper. Treatment is replaced by expression, radiation delivery machine replaced by a mechanical drawing device. Care and art, two very human activities, envisioned by people, entrusted to machines.

The project gets its name from the context of radiotherapy. The isocenter is a precisely defined point within the patient’s body, determined by imaging and treatment planning goals. It serves as the reference point where multiple radiation beams intersect with high accuracy during the delivery of radiation therapy. This intersection ensures that the maximum radiation dose is concentrated precisely at the intended target, typically a tumor, while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. The isocenter’s precise coordinates are essential for treatment planning and the accurate administration of therapeutic radiation.

The medium and materiality of the work is intentionally chosen to extend beyond a mere technical representation of motion and intensity. Although the precision and clarity of technical pens have their place, brush and ink add a greater quality to the otherwise cold data. Sensitive to the fiber and the warp of the paper, responding to each minor disturbance, the process of expression now incorporates material interaction, reality and humanity.

Exhibition ISOCENTER

A point in space. A focus, a center around which it all spins: the attention, the care, the time, the knowledge, the technology.

There are places, sealed rooms hidden at the end of long corridors, where this point in space is called isocenter, the precise spot through which a beam of radiation passes in an accurate choreography of machine movements. At the center is the human body, in its complexity and in its fragility, to be taken care of, to be healed, to be respected.

It is from these places, physical and conceptual, that this exhibition borrows its title.

ISOCENTER is composed of plotter drawings by Frederik Vanhoutte based on his work as a radiotherapy physicist at Ghent University Hospital, and developed as part of Ohme’s programme of support to artistic research, along with Philippe Braquenier’s photographs, taken during a series of visits to the hospital’s radiotherapy centre.

The plotter drawings are based on data from patient radiotherapy treatments, reinterpreted and transposed on paper intentionally chosen to extend beyond the mere technical representation of motion and intensity. By applying the ink with fine brushes, the precise movements of the machine creates soft blurs among otherwise meticulous lines. Sensitive to the fiber and the warp of the paper, responding to each minor disturbance, the process of expression incorporates unexpected material interactions.

At the frontiers between documentary and conceptual, the photographs punctuate the exhibition bringing in unique views of the physical space in which radiotherapy is performed. The gaze lands upon a suspended atmosphere, almost out of time, where objects turn unrecognisable, and cutting-edge machines stand dormants recalling the sophistication of man made technology.

The lingering light pulls the images in a swing between the sculptural and the architectural, the factual and the imaginative, almost as a guide through an inaccessible space.

In a dialogue between art and science, abstract representation and photography, this exhibition aims at offering a sensitive glimpse into a practice, the one of oncological radiotherapy, that pushes the boundaries of technology at the service of personalised healthcare.

Opening Hours

3 – 19 November 2023
Wednesday to Friday, from 2pm to 7pm
Saturday & Sunday, from 11am to 7pm

Free entry

PUBLIC EVENT – Thursday 9.11.2023

– 18:00 Kult XL Ateliers – Rue Wiertz 23, 1050 Ixelles
Guided visit of the exhibition
with artist Frederik Vanhoutte and Philippe Braquenier, and curator Camilla Colombo.

– 19:00 Espace Lumen – Chaussée de Boondael 36, 1050 Ixelles
Talks & Drinks
Frederik Vanhoutte, artist and radiotherapy physicist: “Materiality, the connection between patient, data and expression”
Prof. Dr. Yolande Lievens, head of the department of radiotherapy-oncology UZ Gent : “Art in radiotherapy”

CREDITS :

Plotter drawings : Frederik Vanhoutte
Research : Frederik Vanhoutte
Photos: Philippe Braquenier 
Produced by OHME

Presented at: Kult XL Ateliers, 3 – 19 November 2023

Vernissage: Thursday 2 November 2023, 18:00 – 21:00
Symposium : Thursday 9 November 2023 19:00 – 22:00

Curation: Camilla Colombo
Production: Ohme
Art Handling: Jean Pierre Bertrand
Photo printing: Laboriver, Jo & Z Lab
Framing: Bernard Wéber
Construction: Aiko Design
Exhibition views: Silvia Cappellari

Isocenter has been produced thanks to the support the Digital Arts Commission of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

It is produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies programme, supported by Innoviris and Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Monochromes | Yannick Jacquet & Otto Lindholm

Monochromes is a hybrid project at the intersection of music, light and colour, a collaboration between visual artist Yannick Jacquet and composer/double bassist Otto Lindholm.

At the heart of Monochromes is a series of 12 unique compositions for double bass and looper, each lasting a fixed 5 minutes. Each composition focuses on a specific note of the musical scale, to which is freely associated a luminous hue, thought of as a sound colour. The result is a chromatic alphabet – the 12 semitones of Western music – that questions our relationship with representations.

Inspired by EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, a cognitive therapy using eye movements) techniques, the artists weave a dialogue between music, colour and light, exploring their influences on our mental state. Monochromes invites to slow down and take in the sensations that can emerge from its coloured circular stimuli.

The main installation, formed by an ellipse of screens, presents six of the twelve sound monochromes. The artists are also seeking to manipulate colour more precisely and work with it in greater depth. Here, they are exhibiting an initial prototype of this research in an isolated monolith.

CREDITS :

Conception, design and production : Yannick Jacquet, Otto Lindholm
Visual composition : Yannick Jacquet
Sound composition: Otto Lindholm 
Sound engineer: Fabien Leseure

Presented at:
Museum Night Fever at Halles St Géry, 21 Octobre 2023

The Colour Shifts at LaVallée, 03 February – 02 March 2024

Monochromes has been produced thanks to the support the Digital Arts Commission of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

It is co-produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies programme, supported by Innoviris and Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

An eye is an eye is an eye is…

In the animal world there is an infinite variety of eyes and vision systems, some capable of distinguishing types of light invisible to the human eye, while others can only see in black and white; still others can detect prey running miles away, while others struggle to distinguish their immediate environment accurately or are only sensitive to movement. So each species develops a visual interface with reality that is perfectly suited to its survival.
But how do machines look at us, at a time when the proliferation of cameras in an ever-increasing variety of devices is associated with the rapid development of computer vision, commonly known as ‘computer vision’?

Computer vision is an artificial intelligence technique for analysing images captured by equipment such as cameras. For many, computer vision is the AI equivalent of the human eye and our brain’s ability to process and analyse perceived images.
The neural networks generated by computer vision algorithms learn to link language and the world together, and as they learn they create identifiable patterns, areas of interest in images, and a whole series of criteria and characteristics that enable them to understand the world passing before their eyes.

The installation An eye is an eye is an eye is an eye hijacks the images generated by these ‘observing’ machines to turn them into the medium of a visual and poetic narrative, written in real time, questioning our ability to make sense of the visible, our perception of reality and our relationship to the imaginary.

Damien Petitot, An eye is an eye is an eye is an eye, video still, 2023

CREDITS:

Conception, direction : Damien Petitot
Computer vision : François Bronchard
Co-Produced by OHME

Presented at :
FARI AI For the Common Good Institute | 4 – 12 July 2023 | Brussels
FARI Brussels Conference: Local & Sustainable AI, Data, and Robotics | 11 – 12 September 2023 | Bozar, Brussels

An eye is an eye is an eye is an eye has been produced thanks to the support the Digital Arts Commission of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.

It is co-produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies programme, supported by Innoviris and Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and presented by Ohme with the support of FARI Ai For the Common Good Institute.

Artists in residency 2022-2023

In 2022 / 2023 we are kicking off our yearly programme to support research, residency, co-production and mediation of artistic projects linking art, science and technology.

This programme allows us to support contemporary creation in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and to participate in the transmission of scientific and technological knowledge in the Brussels Region.

Each artist receives a personalised support, ranging from meeting and exchange with scientists, access to Ohme spaces and lab to work for short residencies, financial participation in research projects, technical research and development by Ohme Lab and the creation of a tailored artistic and scientific mediation.

While there is no obligation to the production of a final work, we invite the artists to participate in a public presentation of their project, focusing on their research – whether in progress or concluded – and to raise awareness of scientific topics and technologies. These events will take place between spring and autumn 2023.

For this first edition, we have selected 6 artists to work with, putting our skills and competences at the service of their creation, on an intermittent basis, for a period of 1 year. The artists with whom we have the pleasure of working are Damien Petitot, Studio Adrien Lucca, Laura Colmenares Guerra, Frederik Vanhoutte, Yannick Jacquet and Otto Lindholm.

Stay tuned for more info !

PROJECT PARTNERS

This programme is organised thanks to the support of

the Digital Arts Commission of Wallonia-Brussels Federation and Innoviris