ZER01 Symposium
GLOBAL WARNING – Artists, Scientists and Environmental Activism
This two-day symposium will examine the interconnectedness of ideas and actions and the current relationships between art-making, science and ecology. A group of distinguished artists, scientists and policy-makers will present and examine case studies of collaborative environmental art projects. Symposium participants will be invited to help advance this crossdisciplinary enterprise through their active involvement in the dialogue.
The GLOBAL WARNING symposium is organized by the ZER01: The Art and Technology Network, City of San Jose Public Art Program and CADRE Laboratory for New Media at San Jose State University in collaboration with LEONARDO/ISAST, and with additional support from the Montalvo Arts Center. It will be held on September 16 and 17, 2010, in conjunction with the 3rd 01SJ Biennial in San Jose, CA.
2010 01SJ Biennial Overview
The 01SJ Biennial is a multidisciplinary, international contemporary art festival that focuses on the intersection between art, technology, and digital culture. The 3rd 01SJ Biennial will take place September 16-19, 2010 in venues throughout downtown San Jose, CA.
Build Your Own World
The theme of the 3rd 01SJ Biennial “Build Your Own World,” is predicated on the notion that as artists, designers, engineers, architects, corporations and citizens we have the tools to (re)build the world—in both large and small ways. It is about how powerful ideas and innovative individuals from around the world can make a difference and come together to build a unique, citywide platform for creative solutions and public engagement. It is about the inspiration needed to build a world we want to live in and are able to live with.
Symposium Day 1
Thursday, September 16, 2010
LEONARDO/ISAST will host the first full day of the symposium. Illuminating LEONARDO/ISAST’s mission—to confront the critical challenges of the 21st century by creating opportunities for the powerful exchange of ideas among practitioners of art, science and technology—GLOBAL WARNING will encourage crossdisciplinary dialogue, fostering conversations among scientists, artists and policy-makers grappling with some of the key environmental issues of our time.
The morning sessions, highlighting environmental policy, will provide a context for the afternoon's focus on artistic and scientific environmental practice. The day will start with a high-profile keynote speaker followed by a moderated, thematically focused panel/audience discussion. Afternoon sessions will provide an overview of the field of activist environmental art, place scientists and artists in conversation with one another, and encourage open dialogue with the audience.
Symposium Day 2
Friday, September 17, 2010
The City of San Jose Public Art Program and the CADRE Laboratory for New Media host the second day of symposium. This day will focus on the role public art and artists can play in environmental activism, informed by urban planning, sustainable design issues and public policy. The morning session will feature presentations by three teams selected to develop designs for the Climate Clock, a landmark public art project that incorporates Silicon Valley’s measurement, data management, and communications technologies to help people understand climate change while encouraging them to continue reducing their carbon footprint. The Climate Clock will be realized as a site-specific iconic installation to be integrated into the expansion of the San José Diridon Station designated as the California High-Speed Rail Hub. An overview of the Climate Clock Initiative will be presented and complemented by artist team presentations of their design strategies prior to the beginning their residencies in fall 2010.
Afternoon sessions will investigate how issues of public policy, urban planning, sustainable design, and civic cultural/economic development strategies can serve as a platform for public art and how public art can stimulate community dialogue about these issues of critical importance.
Organizing Partners
ZER01
As a catalyst and platform for presenting some of the world’s most innovative artists, ZER01 is transforming San Jose/Silicon Valley into a global epicenter for the intersection of art, technology, and digital culture. In collaboration with the City of San Jose Public Art Program, ZER01 has embarked upon a significant initiative to activate the city space through the commissioning of temporary and permanent artworks that mirror Silicon Valley’s reputation for creativity and innovation, and serve to reinforce the City of San Jose’s green vision. San Jose Public Art Program http://www.sanjoseculture.org/?pid=4100 The City of San José Public Art Program seeks to build community identity by initiating artworks and exhibitions that enliven our community. Through active engagement between the artists and project stakeholders, public art strives to reflect the City’s ethnic diversity, historic richness, and envision its present and future. The Public Art Program priorities take direction from the city’s visual, urban design, and planning frameworks – the overall patterns of development, the city’s visual character and activities, and the areas that are being targeted for public infrastructure and private development.
CADRE Laboratory for New Media
The CADRE Laboratory of San Jose State University is an interdisciplinary academic and research program dedicated to the experimental use of information technology and art. A theoretical and critical orientation provides a conceptual context in which artistic activities are defined. Distinguished faculties representing interdisciplinary interest have created a unique academic environment dedicated to envisioning the cultural frontier and implementing theoretical strategies that will lead there.
LEONARDO/The International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology
LEONARDO, an international nonprofit organization, creates opportunities for the powerful exchange of ideas among practitioners of art, science and technology worldwide. Via publications, public forums, experimental projects, partnerships with art and science institutions and other initiatives, LEONARDO facilitates cross‐disciplinary dialogue and creative collaborations. Believing that artists and scientists must work together to achieve real‐world solutions to real‐world problems, LEONARDO catalyzes innovative solutions to the urgent challenges of the 21st century, supporting sustainable environmental practices, spreading scientific and artistic literacy, creating technological equity and encouraging freedom of thought and imagination.
Montalvo Arts Center
Montalvo Arts Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering community engagement through the creation and presentation of multidisciplinary art. By uniting the broadest possible audiences with a global community of artists, Montalvo expands the role of arts and culture as an essential community resource. The organization is also home to the Lucas Artists Programs, which offers facilities and staff supportive of the creative process, state-of-the-art technology and an environment conducive to both individual practice and the energetic exchange of ideas among international and culturally diverse fellows
Find out more about the symposium
Updated 19 May 2010
