Stelarc: Lecture and vernissage
Renowned artist Stelarc will be at Concordia this month to present his works, to lecture, and to collaborate with peers.
On October 21, at 4:30 p.m., there will be a vernissage for Stelarc’s latest show, "Ear on Arm," at the Media Gallery (room 1.419) in the Department of Communication Studies and Journalism Building (7141 Sherbrooke St. W.).
At 6:30 p.m. that same evening and also on the Loyola campus, Stelarc will deliver a public talk at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall (7141 Sherbrooke St. W.).
Stelarc is chair in performance art at Brunel University West London and senior research fellow in the MARCS Auditory Laboratories at the University of Western Sydney. He was awarded the 2010 Hybrid Arts prize at Ars Electronica, which recognizes artists who use interdisciplinary platforms and computers for major works.
He is recognized for his use of prosthetics, robotics, virtual reality systems, the Internet and biotechnology to explore alternate, intimate and involuntary interfaces with the body. His recent project, “Ear on Arm,” features surgical reconstruction and a stem-cell transplant of an extra ear on his arm.
Part of Stelarc’s visit will involve a joint project with Fluxmedia, a network of Concordia artists and scholars engaged in interdisciplinary research. Over one week, they will collaborate on a research and creation workshop called “bioremediation” that will explore how the remediation of life systems through biological and digital media may be applied and conceptualized through hands-on creation in a science and media lab.
Mini workshops will be given by Concordia researchers Tagny Duff (Department of Communication Studies), Justin Powlowski (Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry), Alison Loader (Department of Design and Computation Arts) as well as Jennifer Willet of the University of Windsor’s School of Visual Arts.
Stelarc’s visit will also feature presentations from Nicolas Reeves and the NXI GESTATIO lab of the Université du Québec à Montréal and Vancouver artist David Khang. Fluxmedia has also invited students from the University of Windsor to join them in the creation of prototypes based on their workshops.
Related links:
• STELARC exhibition and public presentation
• Fluxmedia research-creation network
• Concordia’s Oscar Peterson Concert Hall
• Stelarc