MAGICS-Aalto Community Event
In October 2021, we launched a series of events for the MAGICS-Aalto community. The next monthly event takes place in the Odeion theatre, Maarintie 8, Espoo, on 17 November at 16:00–18:00.
Our purpose is to bring together people from different backgrounds and inspire new encounters and new ideas through high-level speakers and performers, as well as possibility for open and free discussion.
Programme
16:00 Welcome and introductions
Mikko Sams, Professor of Neuroscience, Brain and Mind Laboratory Director of MAGICS, Aalto University
16:10 UNRULY RELATIONS – on art & science practices
Laura Beloff, Associate Professor and the Head of Doctoral Education in the Department of Art & Media (DAM), Aalto University
The talk will introduce some of the interests of the speaker as an artist and researcher, which often evolve around questions about biology and technology and human evolution. The shared cultural understanding of biological and ‘natural’ are evolving with the development of science, technology and biotechnologies, as well as recently also in the evolving field of art & science. Today, we are experiencing increasing blurring of the categories that divide organisms to biologically evolved or artificially created ones. The divider between these two categories appears to be human culture and activity. The talk will present artistic thinking and questions concerning these issues and beyond.
17:00 Discussion
17:30 Refreshments
Laura Beloff (PhD) is an internationally acclaimed artist and a researcher in the cross section of art, technology and science. Additionally, to research papers, articles and book-chapters, the outcome of the research is in a form of process-based installations, sometimes wearable artifacts, and often processes with experiments with scientific methods that deal with the merger of the technological and biological matter. The research engages with the areas such as human enhancement, biosemiotics, biological matter, technology, artificial life, artificial intelligence and robotics affiliated with art, humans, natural environment and society. Currently, she is Associate Professor and the Head of Doctoral Education in the Department of Art & Media (DAM) at Aalto University, Finland.
Mikko Sams is a professor of cognitive neuroscience in Aalto University and academic leader of MAGICS-Aalto and coordinator of the MAGICS infrastructure. He has studied neural mechanisms of human cognitive functions, from sensory processing to complex cognitive functions and experiences. In his research, he is focusing on the measurement of human experiences under naturalistic conditions and developing this research field in MAGICS-Aalto.
For more information:
[email protected]
Aalto University privacy notices
MAGICS – Media – Arts – Games – Interaction – Computing – Science
MAGICS is an infrastructure network to support research into motion recording, and virtual environments. It is a joint effort of Aalto University, Tampere University and the University of the Arts Helsinki.
Aalto Digital Creatives
Aalto Digital Creatives pre-incubator program aims to help creative industry students, researchers and practitioners on their path towards entrepreneurship.. The program is supported by the City of Helsinki and it’s part of Helsinki-based higher education institutions’ campus incubators network. Aalto Digital Creatives program is coordinated by Aalto Startup Center and Aalto Studios.
