Herbert W. Franke, expert in media theory, pioneer of computer art, and co-founder of the “ars electronica” festival, will celebrate his 80th birthday in May 2007. On this occasion, a cycle of several events, themed “art meets science” and dedicated to Herbert W. Franke’s life’s work, will take place at various locations in Germany and Austria from May through July 2007.
Within the scope of the “art meets science” events on the occasion of his anniversary, Herbert W. Franke will conduct “Science Talks” with scientists of very different backgrounds – physicists, computer scientists, Artificial Intelligence experts, psychologists and philosophers – on topics such as the future of man or the origin of art, and discuss questions like “what does it mean to be a human being” or subjects as artificial intelligence, reality and cyberspace. The events will also feature Mr. Franke reading and interpreting some of his utopian short stories with plots in line with the mentioned issues. A collection of his stories will be republished in a best-of-edition by “Phantastische Bibliothek”, Wetzlar, too, on the occasion of his anniversary.
Subsequent to the “Science Talks”, an exhibition of his works of computer art or a multimedia arts event are planned, as Kunsthalle Bremen (arts exhibition hall) for instance, has acquired Mr. Franke’s collection of computer art. It has been gathered over fifty years and contains his own works as well as some of the works of nearly every recognized pioneer in computer art worldwide. A selection from this internationally unique collection will be on display to the public for the first time, in a special exhibition at Kunsthalle Bremen in June 2007. Also, Karlsruhe’s ZKM Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (center for art and media technology) will show again his “Hommage à E.M.”, a multimedia performance for a dancer and an interactive picture designer, first enacted in 1989.
Venues and topics:
- Berlin, Archenhold-Sternwarte:
“Mankind – accident, coincidence or purpose of nature?”
- Bremen, Kunsthalle Bremen:
“The human being – an automaton: the self, the emotion and the art.”
- Karlsruhe, ZKM Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie:
„The universal roller coaster – within the net of illusion.”
- Dresden, T-Systems Multimedia Solutions:
“Man playing God – learning automata are advancing fast.”
- Vienna, Künstlerhaus Wien:
„Leonardo digital – art between logic and emotion.“
- Munich, Akademie der Bildenden Künste:
„God does play dice! Coincidence and necessity in universe.”
Another highlight will be the world premiere of a puppet play in the Marionettentheater (string puppet theatre) in Bad Toelz (Southern Bavaria) in early summer 2007. The play script by Herbert W. Franke “The Crystal Planet” will be staged by Albert Maly-Motta and Karl-Heinz Bille, who are both renowned artists of puppet making and puppeteering. This will probably be not only the first puppet play whose plot is set in the future, but it will also combine for the first time traditional stage effects with the most advanced puppeteering technology. Together with established animation techniques very special micro-animation and computer animation techniques will be applied.
Professor Herbert W. Franke, honorary editor of “Leonardo” for quite some years, has already started to generate works of art using computers in the Fifties. A physics PhD, he was fascinated by the possibilities of machine-supported graphical creation. At the same time he gave much attention, right from the start, to aspects of information and reception theory that are relevant in the borderland of art and science. This is how he made an important scientific contribution to the understanding of the aesthetic mechanisms. In addition, Mr. Franke ranges among the most renowned German-speaking authors of utopian literature and has acquired great merits in the field of cave and karst exploration.
For more information on Herbert W. Franke please see:
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