_searching_the_garden_of_eden Workshop
Introduction
Inspired by generative art, automated systems and digital philosophy, searching_the_garden_of_edenis designed to explore connections between creative computing (in the field of Cellular Automaton) and some philosophical concerns regarding the origin of of our universe as defined by digital physicists. A cellular automaton (CA) is a discrete computational model able to simulate complex dynamics in systems with simple initial rules. CAs are often used to study aspects of evolution, genetics, physics, philosophy, among others fields of knowledge. This workshop will be dedicated to explore ontological aspects of CAs; metaphysics, digital philosophy and digital physics will become our common conceptual ground. The workshop will be conducted by the artist and technologist fito_segrera during Casey Reas' exhibition “Tox Screen” at Chronus Art Center.
Casey Reas is one of the creators of processing, the creative programming framework for artists built over Java. Reas writes software to explore conditional systems as art. Through defining emergent networks and layered instructions, he has defined a unique area of visual experience that builds upon concrete art, conceptual art, experimental animation, and drawing.
Technical Skills to Teach:
Besides the conceptual framework of the workshop, the following technical skills will be taught:
Cellular automaton and programing in Processing:
a) Conway's game of life (and other CA algorithms)
b) Video and image analysis
General Requirements:
1. Language requirement
The workshop will be instructed entirely in English. If you don't feel comfortable with English its recommended to come with someone who helps you translate.
2. System Requirements:
The entire workshop will be given using a UNIX based platform (LINUX or OSX) – Windows users are encouraged to install a partition with either UBUNTU LINUX or MINT. If you are comfortable with windows and can handle any software and dependencies installation processes by your own, then it is totally fine.
3. Required Basic Programming skills:
It is important that selected participants come prepared with all the following mentioned basic skills, since the workshop time is limited to more specific conceptual and more advanced technical topics. In case you are not familiar with processing please refer to our full course document with some suggested tutorial pages in order to get prepared for the workshop. The required technical knowledge is the following:
Processing: simple drawing, shapes, general structure, arrays, data types,
for loops, conditionals, functions, classes.
Fee
This workshop is not-for-profit, a register fee of 20 RMB will be collected. Please click here to apply.
Course Program(participants should take all sessions)
25/09/2015 Day 1
19:00- 20:00 Workshop Introduction, conceptual framework and Open Discussion
26/09/2015 Day 2
13:00- 14:40 Processing Review
14:45- 15:00 Short Break
15:00- 18:30 Conway's game of life
27/09/2015 Day 3
13:00- 14:40 Video and image analysis
14:45- 15:00 Short Break
15:00- 18:30 Project development and tech assistance
Outcome
The result of the workshop is a collective piece which emerges from the inquiry on the conceptual framework proposed and the technical skills acquired during the process. The developed piece will be hosted on Chronus Art Center's (CAC) online exhibit and installed on a screen in CAC's gallery.
Click PDf for detailed information.
