ArtScience Day

The first edition of ArtScience Day, a collaboration with ULB and ISELP, combines lectures, panel talks, testimonials, performances and a temporary exhibition. 
The intention of this pilot edition is to bring people from the academic community together, to provoke thought, to encourage dialogue between scientific and artistic researchers and to show a glimpse of the field of possibilities of transdisciplinary collaborations and ArtScience projects.

As a co-organizer of this event, Ohme will contribute several interventions during the congress and showcase a series of artworks in the exhibition.

Finally, the day will conclude with the live performance Tales of Entropy by Roméo Poirier & Ohme, followed by the vernissage of Just Landed | Showcase, an exhibition produced by Ohme with 2024 USquare residents.

Interventions

The artists Dewi Brunet and Kris Verdonck will elaborate on their respective Sustainable Robotics residencies with Ohme/BrIAS.

Dewi Brunet combines art, science and technology, applying folding methods to a wide range of materials and purposes. His current work explores the intersection of ecology and technology. During his Sustainable Robotics residency with Ohme, we work together within the field of robotic folding (also known as Oribotics). We help Dewi to deepen his research on plantoids – robots inspired by plants – and explore the use of biomaterials to create sustainable, eco-friendly robots.


Kris Verdonck is a multidisciplinary artist who fuses visual art, architecture, theater and dance. His works are at the crossroads of installation and performance. During his Sustainable Robotics residency, Kris continued his research on the project entitled Garden of the Future, in collaboration with the Museum of Natural Sciences. This project explores the creation of robots powered by renewable energies, designed for and (in)capable of assuming the ecological functions of animal species that have become extinct as a result of the environmental crisis and the collapse of biodiversity.


Ohme project manager Gwen Sauvage will talk about Successful artist/scientist collaborations, based on his years of experience coordinating the Recherche en Perspective programme, while Ohme co-founder Raoul Sommeillier will animate a panel talk on The benefits of transdisciplinary interaction between art and research. 


Our resident artist and glass blower Héloïse Colrat, who worked with us on the Methods project, will take part in this, as well as our associate researcher Guillaume Schweicher, FNRS qualified researcher in chemistry.

Exhibition & artworks

The ArtScience Day includes a temporary exhibition, where Ohme presents a series of artworks created in collaboration with talented artists and researchers, exploring the intersection of art, science, and technology:

Plantoïd with Dewi Brunet. 

Tales of Entropy – Snapshots with Guillaume Schweicher, Barthélémy Decobecq, Zlab & Aiko Design.

Rotifer (a)live with Aiko Design, Karine Van Doninck & her research team.

Evolution Game with Ophélie Lhuire & Karine Van Doninck. 

Recherche en Perspective with the Visual and graphic communication studio of ENSAV La Cambre & the students and experts who have taken part in the programme since 2018.

Truth(s)? – ArtScience(s)? edition, a series of excerpts from interviews with a dozen experts carried out for our Tell All The Truth exhibition and for a research project with the Fonds Wernaers FNRS, edited by Maxime Jennes.

Land of the (un)known (un)knowns with Mathilde Boussange. 

Artworks in pictures 

Learn more about the artworks

academiaproject

Recherche en Perspective

academiaproductionproject

Land of the (un)known (un)knowns | Mathilde Boussange

installationproduction

Rotifer (a)live

installationperformanceproduction

Tales of Entropy

academiaco-production

RISE Evolution Game

Full programme

ArtScience Day is an event conceived, organised and produced by 

Tales of Entropy | New tour dates

Photo: Christian Bertrand

Tales of Entropy is an audiovisual performance combining live polarised light microscopy, computer vision and generative music. Its final version – with electronic musician Roméo Poirier – is on tour in Europe.

A stage-mounted microscope scans through organic samples, revealing transitional states of matter and its fluctuating patterns, which are projected live on stage. Roméo Poirier receives different signals from the live analysis of the images and transforms them into a sensitive musical exploration of the structures of organic matter, merging analog and digital tools.

The music of performance aims at reflecting the contrasts and the textures of the different samples, oscillating between atmospheric landscapes, heavily processed vocal samples, warm orchestral fragments, thunderstorms and passing shadows of dissonance.

TOUR DATES

1 December 2024 | Brussels (BE)
Centre Culturel Bruegel
As part of CurieuCity, Marolles
28 November 2024 | Nantes (FR)
Stereolux
As part of Infiniment lumière 
20 November 2024 | Brussels (BE)
Reset
As part of Bozar x Reset #4
18 October | Brussels (BE)
Usquare
As part of Journée ArtScience (ULB)
13 April 2024 | Sankt Vith (BE)
Meakusma & ArsVitha at Corso Cinema
09 April 2024 | Barcelona (ES)
Mutek Opening night w/ Autechre
06 April 2024 | Den Haag (NL)
Rewire Festival
21 March 2024 | Brussels (BE)
PILAR House for Art & Science
! show + artist talk !
16,17,18 March 2024 | Louvain (BE)
Art & Science Parcours at Stuk
As part of FTi and& 2024 Festival

Tales of Entropy is produced by Ohme with the support of :
Région de Bruxelles-Capitale – Innoviris and Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles 

]unframed[

]unframed[

Unframed is a multiformat concept unfolding over a series of panel talks, informal conversations and performances around ArtScience. Originally commissioned by Les Garages Numériques Festival in Brussels, Unframed is modular and adaptable to different contexts.

2020 - unframed x pilar - the fluidity edition

What is fluidity? If we look at how it is defined by dictionaries, we find it’s the quality of being smooth and beautiful, or likely to change (Oxford Dictionary); it is the physical property of a substance that enables it to flow (Merriam Webster); the quality of being likely to change repeatedly and unexpectedly, or of being continuous (Cambridge Dictionary).

All these definitions are similar, reminiscent of a state of being that is momentary, characterized by movement and impermanence. Can the so-called hard sciences and the humanities come together around a single word, and investigate its multifaceted meaning? To what extent can fluidity as understood by a biologist be compared with that understood by a political scientist or an artist? Can this exchange enrich the interpretation that we all have of what’s fluidity and how we understand it in the society we inhabit?

Ohme brings together scientists, researchers, and artists to explore one single word and unfold the multiple meanings and repercussions it has on our knowledge and perceptions.

With: 

Prof. Dr. Karen Celis, research professor at the Department of Political Science and co-director Research of RHEA, Research Centre on gender, diversity and intersectionality (VUB);

Prof. Dr. Karine Van Doninck, Full Professor at the Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences at ULB and UNamur. Principal Investigator of the ERC Consolidator Grant RHEA.

Moderated by Camilla Colombo, curator (Ohme)

2019 - unframed x les garages numerique

Unframed Panel Talk on ArtScience

The panel brought in different points of view on the topic of art and science collaborations, to tackle questions such as what does it mean to build bridges between artistic and scientific disciplines, especially in this society of hyper-specialization and fragmentation? How to present the outcomes of these collaborations to our audiences, playing the key role of mediators in sensible and meaningful ways? The panel aimed at offering a moment of reflection about a topic that is living a particularly “hype” moment, but it is often misinterpreted and misunderstood, and to shed a light on the how and why these collaborations, partnership and encounters are beneficial for all parties involved as well as for society at large.

With: AnneMarie Maes, artist | Eric Kluitenberg, theorist, writer, curator, and educator | Lorenzo Gerbi, designer, studio & education manager, Baltan Laboratories | Jennifer Wong, head of programming, London Science Gallery
Moderated by Camilla Colombo, artistic director, Ohme

Unframed Conversations

A selection of artists and scientists presented their work as artists and their scientific research, discussed artistic interpretation and applications, and scientific practice around common topics, giving a glimpse on the nature of the world we live in, as it is perceived and analysed through their different approaches.

With: Mathieu Zurstrassen, artist & Romain Maggiolo, researcher at BIRA – Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy | Felix Luque, artist | Evelina Domnitch & Dmitry Gelfand, artists

Unframed Close Up

A group of scientists unveiled the sciences behind a selection of artworks selected from Les Garages Numériques Festival exhibition.
Starting from the artists’ works, scientists talked about neurosciences, quantum physics, holograms, generative coding and northern lights in an informal setting, for small groups of people, in the exhibition space, using artworks as starting points for accessible 15 minutes science talks.

With: Jean-Marc Sparenberg, Nuclear Physics and Quantum Physics Research Unit, ULB – talking about light waves, photons and atoms on frequencies (light quanta) by Nicolas Bernier | Athanasia Symeonidou, Electronics and Informatics Department (ETRO), VUB – talking about holography on Holograms by Louise Bourgeois |Anna Peiffer, Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, ULB – talking about brainwaves on abscisse by Bots Conspiracy | Frederik Vanhoutte, Creative Coder, Physics PhD – talking about creative and generative coding on Bosphorus by Refik Anadol | Romain Maggiolo, researcher at BIRA – Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy talking about northern lights on EOEEIT by Mathieu Zurstrassen.

Unframed Live

Evelina Domnitch & Dmitry Gelfand – FORCE FIELD 
Charles de Ville & Francois Gaspard – QUADRAPHONIC ABSTRACT

Music & Technology

Music & Technology Corner

Music & Technology Corner a multiformat concept unfolding over a series of talks, lectures, workshops and live concerts about technologies and music.
The MTC brings together performers, practitioners and academics for an all-day gathering that transcends the borders between creative practice, scientific understanding and technical expertise.

Edition 2018

BEM Brussels Electronic Marathon – MiM Musical Instruments Museum, Brussels

With: NSDOS | Valery Vermeulen | Paola De Narvaez | Nicolas D’Alessandro – Hovertone | Sine (Boris Wilmot & François Gaspard) | Holonic Systems (Ove Holmqvist & Mark Hakonen-Meddings) | Wired Electronics | NSDOS | Damien Petitot – Signal_Video | Valery Vermeulen – Mikromedas | Xavier Gazon | Exo¬terrism 顯宗法

Edition 2017

BEM Brussels Electronic Marathon – RecyK, Brussels

With: Axoloti | Klavis | Joranalogue Audio Design | Polaxis | Shakmat Modular | Livestock Electronics | Dissonance Software | Holon | Music City Brussels | Action et Recherche Culturelles | Xavier Gazon | Wired Electronics | Seismic Industries | Bots Conspiracy | Jean Hurter | Prof. Jean-Louis Migeot | Prof. Frédéric Robert | Raoul Sommeillier | Maxime Denuc | Dr. Pascal Francq | Dj Ucture | ALEA(s) | Cornill x Eliardo | OTON

PRESS

Machine dans ma tête: les liens étroits entre sciences et musique // Focus Le Vif – Elisabeth Debourse // 22.11.2018

La musique ramène sa science // Le Soir – Didier Zacharie // 09.10.2018

STEAM Conferences

Smells Like STEAM Spirit is a cycle of lectures and panel talks presenting a selection exciting projects at the nexus of arts, science, technology and industry.

STEAM is for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics.

Internationally renowned lecturers and organisations introduced the audience to a myriad of art & engineering projects. From bio-adaptive architecture to gesture control in video gaming, from multisensory experiences to joint arts-science research studies. The cycle includes four conferences around various topics.

 

Sonic.Taste

Designing sounds to enhance tasting experiences
with Felipe Reinoso Carvalho

Biomimicry in architecture

Biomimicry as a driving force for aesthetics, innovation and sustainable architecture
with Steven Ware (Art&Build)

Selected arts&science projects

International and collaborative art & science projects by Ars Electronica, BOZAR and Gluon
with Paul Dujardin, Veronika Liebl, Christophe De Jaeger & Michel Tombroff

How depthsensing impacts our world

The present and future of depthsensing in gaming and arts
with Ward van der Tempel & Christopher Littlefair (Sony Depthsensing Solutions)

Smells Like STEAM Spirit has been commissioned by the Alumni Association of the École polytechnique de Bruxelles and took place between March and May 2018.

Engine.ear

Engine.ear

Music: perceptions & productions

Act 1: Music, Processing and Perception

– “Physical description of musical sound” by Jean-Louis Migeot, professor at the Ecole polytechnique de Bruxelles (ULB) and the Conservatoire de Liège

– “Two tools for processing sound waves: the Ear and the Machine” by Antoine Nonclerq, lecturer at the Ecole polytechnique and Federico Lucchetti, doctoral student at the Université Libre de Bruxelles.

– Musical interlude (LIVE)

– “From perception to thrills: how do we process music?” by Régine Kolinsky, Director of Research at the FRS-FNRS and Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit (UNESCOG) at the ULB, and Manon Couvignou, holder of a Master’s degree in Cognitive Sciences from the École Normale Supérieure de Paris.

Act 2 : The Physics of Acoustic Music

– “Notions d’acoustique instrumentale: les instruments à vents” by Jean-Louis Migeot (presented above).

– “Musical interlude (LIVE)

Act 3: Introduction to Modular Analog Synthesis
François Gaspard, an engineer by training, is also a multi-instrumentalist musician, electronic music producer and sound engineer. After having collaborated on numerous musical projects for nearly two decades, he has now launched the creation and marketing of synthesis modules under the name Shakmat Modular. François will present the principles of analogue synthesis, explain how his modules work and do a 50 min set.