art+science: makers 2018

Belgrade, Serbia

The Center for the Promotion of Science (CPN) started to initiate, foster and support diverse art & science activities back in 2014 after its involvement in the European Digital Art and Science Networkproject. As a member of the Network, CPN has contributed in shaping the first sustainable, live network able to bring together and collide creative minds coming from seemingly opposed disciplines − arts and sciences. On the local level, its existence proved beneficial for the Center in reaching its mission to bring science closer to the population and to increase general scientific literacy among wider audience.

This year is seen as an opportunity for a more specific, focused activity. In 2018 CPN has opened its Makers Space, with the whole year dedicated to Maker culture. Starting from November 13, at several locations around Belgrade, CPN is launching its third annual, one-month long art+science: makersprogram, including exhibitions, two-day international conference, educational workshops and other activities.

Maker culture, fueled by increasing availability of cheap and easily hacked technology, digital fabrication devices, open source hardware and sensors, now allows artists, scientists and other creative minds to extend their visions beyond traditional forms, and to create works that audiences can respond to and interact with directly. Professional and amateur inventors, crafters, hackers, artists, scientists, engineers, designers, teachers and activists of all ages and backgrounds, are currently transforming their environments by choosing to modify, assemble, create, disassemble, recreate, duplicate and share objects and concepts through open and collaborative networks. Through maker spaces, social and cultural actors are inspired to engage with science and technology in collaborating and creating widely diversified artworks, platforms and peer-production communities.

CPN’s publicly available, innovation-oriented, collaborative workspace has, in its short existence, hosted artists and scientists, and witnessed the start of many new partnerships. The goal of exhibition part is to present some of these collaborative projects and to mark Makers space as a common denominator for art and science, as a place that can catalyze innovation, foster new ideas, thinking and knowledge making.

The highlight of this year’s program is reserved for an international conference on November 14-15, with participation of renowned European experts and practitioners, coming from Ars Electronica, Waag Society, PERFORM project, and several renowned European universities. The main goal of this event will be presentation of recent, novel and inspirational practices, exchange of ideas and approaches, and networking between national and international peers. Under the maker’s umbrella, relations between diverse actors in the field of art & science will be tackled and analyzed, in constant dialogue between informal and formal educational settings.

At the same time, a new initiative bringing together many existing and novel partners is going to be put on the continent’s stage: European ARTificial Intelligence Lab, a three-year long Creative Europe project with 13 partners, coordinated by the Ars Electronica and supported by major scientific institutions and AI-oriented industry.

For more information about art+science+makers 2018 visit our website.