A Future Physical focus for artists, ecologists, environmentalists, biologists, architects and the public to debate and view topical developments and innovations in ecology and technology.

The Eco-Technology content area explores how art and technology can work with nature to bring about change in our perception and use of it, debating the positive and negative aspects of what is natural and what is artifice.

The ECO-TECH Network Exchange is a co-production between Future Physical (shinkansen/East England Arts), firstsite, Colchester Arts Centre and Signals Media Arts.

Click here for more information about the ECOTECH Network Exchange.
Click here for the full ECOTECH Calendar.
Click here for ECOTECH Interchange Documentation.
Click here to see archived web streams from ECOTECH.
Click here for the ECOTECH InterChange Picture Gallery.

ECO-TECH Network Exchange
wednesday 19th - sunday 23rd february
Colchester

Is there a place for the wilderness in a wired world? What is real and what is artificial? How is technology being used in nature, to protect and enhance our natural environment?

The Eco-Tech Network Exchange will explore topical issues relating to the physical body in the natural environment in a digital age. Organic and GM Farming, ecologically sound communities, global warming and rising tides, globalisation, conservation and pollution, re-cycling and landfill, and much more. Come and check out the future of nature and see the latest evolutions in the crossover between the environment and technology.

Join in and explore the potential for an ecologically sound future, or voice your concerns.

ECO-TECH InterChange
wednesday 19th - sunday 23rd february
Colchester

For registered participants only, the ECO-TECH InterChange offers four days of research, debate and practice around the theme.

• Working groups and presentations of research and process by commissioned artists (see Commissioned Works above).
• Guest inputs from architects, Vector Special Projects, and interface designers, Digit, working with ecology issues.
• InterChange delegates also participate in an online nature/technology educational project taking place between Senegal and The Netherlands.

Click here to view rates and sign up for the ECO-TECH InterChange.

About COAST Digital

COAST Digital click here for more info..

Masaki Fujihata (Japan)
in & around the network exchange period
Essex Coast

Digital art can be fun for all the family: as COAST Digital will demonstrate. This project involves groups of people taking walks along the Essex coast, armed with GPS satellite location devices and video cameras. Location information will be gleaned and video footage will be shot, enabling world-renowned digital artist Masaki Fujihata to create what is, in effect, a three-dimensional digital video installation of the walks. Produced as part of the larger scale visual arts initiative COAST, site-specific artworks will be created along the Essex coast.

In ECO-TECH, Masaki Fujihata will run a training workshop for the project team and present his previous work. http://www.field-works.net

COAST Digital is commissioned and produced by Future Physical (shinkansen/East England Arts), firstsite and shinkansen for COAST, an Essex County Council initiative - Essex Visual & Media Arts with Commissions East, firstsite and Future Physical (shinkansen/East England Arts) in association with Colchester, Rochford, Maldon and Tendring Councils and with Clacton County High School, Colbayns High School and Bishops Park College.

Keynote Speech
Masaki Fujihata (Japan)
wednesday 19th february
Colchester

A recording of the speech wil be available on the website after the event
The keynote speech by Japanese new media artist Masaki Fujihata expresses a Japanese view of nature and explores technology as a mirror of self reflection.
CLICK HERE FOR ARCHIVED WEBCAST OF THE SPEECH
ARTICLE: KEYNOTE SPEECH - Towards a new medium with Masaki Fujihata

Generator/BIO & ECO-TECH
Commissions
8th february - 29th march 2003 - admission free
firsite, Colchester

Exhibition of generator media across disciplines including sound and text based works, performance and issues of science relating to chaos theory, complex systems and artificial life.

Plus presentations of Future Physical BIO & ECOTECH commissions at firstsite:
Jane Prophet and Neil Theise - Cell (virtual environment); Stanza - genomixer (web project); Phillip Warnell - Shock (installation); Catherine Watling - Temporal Manifestations (research project); Rachel Wingfield - Digital Dawn (responsive window blind).
http://www.generative.net/generator

Generator is a Spacex touring exhibition organised in collaboration with STAR and with support from the Institute of Digital Art and Technology and the National Touring Programme of the Arts Council of England.

Commissioned Works
sunday 16th - sunday 23rd february
Colchester
The BIO & ECO-TECH Network Exchanges present a number of commissions as presentations, performances, exhibitions, process demos and installations.

These are:
# Ambienttv.net - Flip Flop (remote connected performance)
# Joseph Hyde - RememberMe (photobooth installation)
# People Like Us/Vicky Bennett - The Remote Controller (DVD project)
# Jane Prophet and Neil Theise - Cell (virtual environment)
# Isabel Rocamora - Memory Release (research project)
# Tom Sapsford - Hypnos (performance)
# Stanza - genomixer (web project)
# Phillip Warnell - Shock (installation)
# Catherine Watling - Temporal Manifestations (research project)
# Rachel Wingfield - Digital Dawn (responsive window blind)
# Alexa Wright and Alf Linney - Alter Ego (research project)

Participation

The Future Physical website provides an entry point to the programme online debate forums and details of the programme.

ACTIVATE: Register through the web site to join the Future Physical Community, and you will be kept informed of forthcoming Future Physical events.

ENGAGE: Join the online debate forum to engage in debates and air your views on body and technology.

EXCHANGE: Sign up for the InterChange gatherings for specialist exchange/debate within the series of Network Exchange Events.

note: InterChange places are limited, please register early:

Open from 15th November 2002: BIO-TECH / ECO-TECH

Open from 10th January 2003: RESPOND

Virtual Participation

If you cannot attend these exchange events physically, sign up for the online discussion groups and web casts and join in to and follow debate.

Check this website to keep up to date with events and activities: