Saturday
Miguel Carvalhais + Mário Figueiredo + Luísa Ribas
Artificial Aesthetics: the Computational and the Anti-Computational in Art
Talk in Portuguese
How does computing transform art? Why are computers and computational technologies more than tools with utilitarian value and become the medium and essence of the work of art? What is the impact of artificial intelligence techniques on artistic practice and aesthetics? This talk discusses computation, the aesthetic relationships we develop with it, the computational gaze that drives them, and the processes of reading and structural coupling that allow us to discover the auratic and irreducible character of computational art. We will explorehow computation transforms art and dematerializes it, how it autonomizes it from objects, and allows us to experience a computational sublime.After this talk by Miguel Carvalhais, a conversation with Mário Figueiredo will follow, moderated by Luísa Ribas.
Miguel Carvalhais studies creative practices with computational systems, how these are read, and how procedural discovery and interpretation are paramount for the creation of meaning and the aesthetic experience. His artistic practice spans computer music, sound art, live performance, audiovisuals, and sound installations. He is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto and runs the Crónica label for experimental music and sound art, and the xCoAx conference (on computation, communication, aesthetics and x). He’s theauthor of “Artificial Aesthetics: Creative Practices in Computational Art and Design” (2016) and “Art and Computation” (forthcoming 2022).
Mário Figueiredo is a Professor at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, and group leader at Instituto de Telecomunicações. His interests include machine learning and image processing. He is a fellow of several international organizations, namely the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the International Association for Pattern Recognition, the European Association for Signal Processing, and the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems. He is a member of the Portuguese Academy of Engineering and the Lisbon Academy of Sciences.
Luísa Ribas is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, where she teaches Communication Design. She holds a PhD in Art and Design, a Master in Multimedia Art, and a degree in Communication Design from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto. She is a member of CIEBA and collaborates with ID+, having contributed to several publications and events on digital arts and design.
