Inkluderende Digitalt Laboratorium for Eksperimentell Kunst (IDLE) 2022-24

Inkluderende Digitalt Laboratorium for Eksperimentell Kunst (IDLE)

Introduction

Inkluderende Digitalt Laboratorium for Eksperimentell Kunst (IDLE) is an innovative artistic and participatory project based on a digitally updated art venue space, Studio 207, in Bergen. The goal is to unlock the room’s different audiovisual devices, remotely accessible via the Internet, enabling everyone to interact with them to create new artistic experiences even not being physically there.

The venue’s audiovisual devices are controlled remotely through a virtual gallery. Guest artists and audiences can manipulate lights, videos, and sound equipment to create different atmospheres and performances in the venue. Through the manipulation of the virtual interfaces (the gallery), inputs are transformed by the Internet of Things system to alter physically the space. The public designs spatial audiovisual experiences for those In Real Life at the venue and simultaneously in the virtual gallery!

IDLE intends to offer a creative virtual meeting point for school kids, youngsters, people with reduced mobility who wants to interact with the physical world, and all of those art-curious lovers that want to look for new physical-virtual new experiences. The project explores new collaborations and forms of interaction between different art and cultural forms.

=2022

IDLE is a multi-disciplinary three years project from 2022-2024. First-year development, 2022, has focused on the research and prototyping of the user interaction system. Tasks have included forming the team, coordinating meetings, researching the 3 main fields of the project: IoT (Internet Of Things) devices, Sound and Video control interfaces, and Virtual Reality user interface; testing software and hardware solutions within the free/libre technologies, development of a prototype, IDLE version 0.0, a possible model to follow, a Bergen development team residency’s, and a final presentation of the results.

The IDLE version 0.0, have been premiered at the 20th Piksel anniversary: PIKSELXX AI AI AI festival for Kunst og Fri Teknologi. The artists and developers of the project traveled to Bergen to work together in an art residency, creating the first sound and visual, physical, and virtual experience. The presentation was held on Thursday, Nov 17th – 22-23h.at Studio 207 and the @Piksel Cyber Salon with a massive public attendance.

2023

As with any research project, we found different technical challenges over the year that lead to a re-schedule of the initial project plan. To absorb the delay we have overlapped the second-year production with the final tasks of the first year. The new schedule will facilitate the developments to achieve IDLE version 1.0 and the dissemination plan to collaborators of the second year.

2023 is the year focused on knitting the mediators network among the voluntary organizations, the professional sector at the healthcare facilities, the public workers in different municipalities, and any other inclusive association that works with groups that need special facilitation: children and young people with long stays at healthcare facilities, school kids, people with reduced mobility, etc. The 2023 goal is to transfer the technological competencies on how to use IDLE through meetings and “hands-on” workshops.

2024

Still, there is a challenge to overcome this year. The initial project is planned over 3 years, including Development, Dissemination to mediators, and Public events with final users. The Arts Council Norway has only provided funding for 2 years (2022-23).

2024 is a crucial period that will determine the success or failure of the entire process. Throughout this last year, a series of public events will show the “Art Experiences” in Norway and internationally created by the audiences and specially curated guest artists invited to participate.

In 2023 we will apply again with this project to achieve the necessary funding to finish the IDLE project as intended and planned.

IDLE is a project initiated by Piksel in 2022, in collaboration with CNDSD, Malitzin Cortés and Iván Abreu, APO33, Jenny Pickett, Julien Ottavi, Romain Papion, and Martin E. Koch.