Sustainable Robotics | Guillaume Slizewicz

© Dana Savic
ARTIST RESIDENCE
We’re very happy to welcome Guillaume Slizewicz as Artist-in-Residence for Sustainable Robotics.

He will be joining a group of a group of international experts on sustainable robotics, AI and automation gathering in Brussels over the course of five months at the Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies to learn, exchange & experiment. During this residency we will support him in delveloping his own research project on robotics.

Guillaume Slizewicz is a designer and digital artist whose work sits at the intersection of technology, the environment, and societal issues. Through his practice, he engages with the tension between innovation and sustainability, using technology in poetic, evocative and critical ways. His approach draws connections between ancient practices and contemporary digital tools.

Graduating in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from the University of Kent and later in Production Technology at Copenhagen’s School of Design and Technology, Guillaume founded his studio in 2021 to explore these relationships through digital arts and collectible design. His works often blend physical materials—metal, wood, and clay—with digital processes like algorithms, artificial intelligence, and computer-aided manufacturing.

Guillaume’s artistic inquiry extends beyond materials to his collaborative and experimental methodology. His works are often developed within collectives and with other designers. His work has been presented in institutions like Schloss Hollenegg, MAD(Brussels), Impakt (Utrecht), Design Museum (Ghent), Le Pavillon (Namur), BioArt Labs (Eindhoven), Fake/Authentic (Milan), Constant (Brussels) by school and universities in Le Fresnoy, Brussels, Leuven, Basel, Trier and Hong Kong.

studio.guillaumeslizewicz.com

Credits

The Sustainable Robotics residency is a project conceived by Ohme in collaboration with BrIAS – Brussels Institute for Advanced Studies, ULB & VUB in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies programme, funded by Innoviris – the Brussels-Capital Region and Fédération Wallonie Bruxelles.

biometrika | Rebekka Jochem

Rebekka Jochem
ARTIST RESIDENCE
What connects the human experience and its quantified representation? How do biometric data – and the act of collecting them – influence the body they describe? These questions are at the core of this performance & research project, featuring two performers and a knitting machine.

We’re looking forward to welcoming Rebekka Jochem as Artist-in-Residence for 𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘢. Ohme, Pilar & FARI join forces for this project focused on exploring the interactions between biometric technologies and human expression in live performance.

Using a real-time data transfer between sensor technologies measuring the biosignals of a performer and the modified control panel of a household knitting machine, Rebekka will knit a live-generated pattern visualising the collected biometric data. She will develop the performance in collaboration with dancer/performer Agnetha Jaunich.

The technical expertise provided by the Biometrika residency will be critical in realising the technical aspects of collecting, interpreting, and transmitting biometric data to the knitting machine. The collaboration with the scientists and engineers of Fari and Ohme Lab will form an integral element of the research and will further develop the concept of the project.

I look forward to exploring how a performance on biometrics, built around a domestic knitting machine from the 80s, can engage people outside of the classic tech and media art demographic in a conversation about technology.

Rebekka Jochem is an artist, interaction designer and creative technologist, born in Cologne. After studying Product Design at the Hochschule Wismar in the North of Germany, she followed the Contextual Design Master Programme at Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Since then she has pursued her own artistic practice as well as working as a freelance designer. Her work takes place at the interface between material and digital worlds where she loves to combine electronics and textiles. She uses a hands-on approach to break open black box technologies and empower users in their experience.

Credits

In collaboration with FARI and Pilar.

A cultuurculture project, supported by Communauté française & Vlaamse Gemeenschap.

This research is co-produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies programme,
Funded by Innoviris – the Brussels-Capital Region and Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles.

Bacterial Allies | Bento Architecture

ARTIST RESIDENCE
What if construction waste could be transformed into something new — not by human hands, but in collaboration with living systems? By mobilising the Sporosarcina pasteurii, Bento Architecture is part of an evolving field of research, exploring how biological processes can transform waste into new materials.

This bacterium has a unique talent: it precipitates calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) through its enzymatic activity, creating an alkaline environment where particles and aggregates bind together. The result is a guided form of biocementation—partly controlled nor entirely left to chance—that invites us to reconsider waste. Could the leftovers of construction sites be transformed into bricks, terrazzo, or entirely new materials, while fostering a more thoughtful relationship with the living world?

This residency doesn’t just focus on materials; it asks deeper questions about our responsibilities to the ecosystems around us. How do we interact with the living (like bacteria), the non-living (like waste), and the in-between? It encourages reflection on decarbonization, the potential of contemporary ruins, and how humans might better coexist with non-human actors.

By viewing construction waste not as debris to discard, but as a resource to reimagine, this residency opens a space for architectural practices that collaborate with the life forms we often overlook. This is a journey into the future of building, where human creativity works in tandem with the quiet genius of microbial life.

Created by

Bento Architecture is an architecture studio that places material experimentation at the heart of its practice. Living materials challenge the sustainability of our current production methods and their impact on our ways of life. Recognizing this reality and/or necessity, Bento’s architects strive to highlight, push beyond, and bridge the gap between architecture, art, and design.

Their process involves constant back-and-forth between experimentation with living materials and the design phase, with each feeding into the other—one questioning reality, the other giving it form. This approach allows Bento to address the challenge of scaling up, enabling the studio to create furniture pieces, artistic or scenographic installations, and architectural projects that explore alternative ways of inhabiting the world.

Bento was a laureate of the Europan 16 prize and, together with Vinciane Despret, curator of the Belgian Pavilion at the 18th Venice Architecture Biennale, completed a project built from resources sourced in the Brussels region. These included rammed earth from Brussels excavation sites, solid wood from the Sonian Forest, and mycelium panels (the vegetative part of fungi) grown in the cellars of Tour & Taxis.

The studio is currently working on public and private architectural projects, ecoscenography, and biodesign, combining experimental and decarbonized approaches to create innovative solutions.

Credits

Concept & research: Bento Architecture (Florian Mahieu / Charles Palliez / Corentin Dalon)
With the collaboration of microbiologist Corentin Mullender (Fungal Lab)
Thanks to Eveline Peeters – Department of Bio-engineering Sciences, VUB
Co-production: Ohme

This research is co-produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residencies programme,
funded by Innoviris – the Brussels-Capital Region & the Federation Wallonie-Bruxelles

METHODS | Héloïse Colrat

Photo: Philippe Braquenier

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

Héloise Colrat (glassblowing artist) and Alicia Van Ham-Meert (archaeological scientist) investigate medieval glass recipes based on the composition of the stained glass windows from the abbey of Stavelot – subject of Alicia’s research. Using materials from the archaeological site, they reproduce and refine different glass recipes, focusing in particular on trick glasses, central to elite social gatherings in 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. 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 ancient practices and techniques.

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

CREDITS

Artist: Héloïse Colrat

Scientific research: Alicia Van Ham-Meert
Production: Ohme

In partnership with the 4MAT research unit, ULB (Brussels), the Centre de recherches en Archéologie et Patrimoine, ULB (Brussels) and the Haute école des arts du Rhin (Strasbourg)

This research is produced by Ohme in the framework of Ohme’s artistic residency programme,
funded by Innoviris – the Brussels-Capital Region and the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Project Partners

CurieuCity Festival

CurieuCity is a new arts and science festival coming to Brussels for the first time throughout 2024. It offers scientific, artistic and educational activities, partly in public spaces and in collaboration with local initiatives.

CurieuCity cultivates curiosity and wonder in everything that surrounds us individually and collectively. It’s a festival that aims to combine the scientific rigor of universities with the experiential impact of art, STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), and socio-cultural action. Each edition of the festival addresses a question inspired by the reality of the neighbourhood where it is located. 

More than just a festival, CurieuCity animates four neighbourhoods throughout the year, aiming to develop sustainable and participatory interest in science by co-creating projects with residents and schools in the area. 

Co-organised by two Brussels universities, the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, CurieuCity explores the intersection of creativity and curiosity.

As artistic co-programmer, Ohme presents the work of artists whose practices cross path with the themes of each edition of the festival. 

29 Nov > 1 Dec 2024

@ Marolles

CurieuCity#3 returns for its final edition of the year in Les Marolles neighborhood!

On the agenda: exhibitions, workshops, discussions, and much more! Join us at Place du Jeu de Balle and the surrounding area for a journey into the ‘mysteries of science and engineering.’  Delve into fascinating topics like space, mathematics, mechanics, chemistry and physics, while uncovering how and why certain ideas are considered true or false in science.

27 > 29 Sept 2024 (past edition)

@ Wiels Marsh & Saint Antoine, Saint-Gilles & Forest

For the second edition of @curieucity.brussels we dive into the world of biodiversity and natural sciences. 

Don’t miss our co-productions 𝐀𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐑𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐫 (𝐚)𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 and 𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞. We are happy to be co-programming this multidisciplinary festival, co-presenting  work by Studio Joanie Lemercier, Antoine Bertin, David O’Reilly, Marjolijn Dijkman, Toril Johannessen, Anne Marie Maes, Yami Moreno, David Ferreira, Karine Van Doninck & research group, Ophélie Lhuire, Aiko Design and Anagram.

3 > 5 May 2024 (Past Edition)

@ Weststation & Westpark, Molenbeek

CurieuCity makes its “debut” in Molenbeek! This new festival, which combines the experimental impact of art with the rigor of science, invites you to discover “the city of the future” in its first edition. 
 
What’s in the program ? Hyperdiverse society, architecture, urban planning, smart cities, urban agriculture, circular economy, and many other exciting topics. Join us at the Molenwest and Park West sites.

Curieucity is led by the Université libre de Bruxelles and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and coordinated by Inforsciences and Wetenschap Brussel.

CurieuCity is funded by the Région de Bruxelles-Capitale – Innoviris.

The educational projects in schools is co-funded by the Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie.

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 

Just Landed | Showcase

Just Landed marks the beginning of a new phase of temporary occupation at Usquare, bringing together a vibrant community of artists, designers, scientists, and technicians. For this exhibition, Ohme selected a diverse group of residents for their work in digital arts or for their unique blending of art and science. Just Landed offers a glimpse into current creative practices while hinting at future collaborations within this growing community.

Through a wide variety of works, Just Landed explores the interplay between material, technology, and perception. The pieces on display sit at the crossroads of digital art, visual arts, and design, showcasing a broad spectrum of experimental approaches. Some works delve into the properties of raw materials—whether natural or recycled—highlighting chemical and physical processes that reveal often-invisible dynamics. Others invite visitors into interactive environments of sound, light, and space.

Just Landed captures the convergence of artistic and scientific approaches at Usquare, revealing how contemporary innovations open new pathways for artistic exploration. Beyond the exhibition itself, Just Landed reflects a pivotal moment, offering a glimpse into the future collaborations that will propel this creative community in new directions.

ARTISTS: 

Aiko Design ● Nicolas Andry ● Clarice Calvo-Pinsolle ● Miguel Cipriano ● Crafteke & Earthstone ● Amandine David ● Maÿtu ● Meriem Steiner ● Studio Lemercier ● Studio Minimètre ● Nadja Meier ● Yami Moreno & David Ferreira ● Ohme & Frederik Vanhoutte ● Damien Petitot ● PYL ● Guillaume Thunis

PRACTICAL INFO

18.10 -17.11-2024
Usquare – Building I
Avenue de la Couronne 227
B-1050 Ixelles, Belgium

Photos: Silvia Cappellari

Aquatic Conversations | Antoine Bertin

© Marin Le Roux
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.

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.

Websitehttps://www.studioantoinebertin.com/

Credits

Artist : Antoine Bertin
Scientist : Sara Keen (Earth Species Project), Valeria Vergara, Jaclyn Aubin
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)

 

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

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 Laboratories (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 CERVMachines 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

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