The prize winners in the Computer Animation category

Jeff Desom (LU) – Rear Window Loop / Golden Nica
Weta Digital (NZ) – Rise of the Planet of the Apes / Award of Distinction
Evan Viera (US) – Caldera / Award of Distinction
Participants of the Forum
Christine Schöpf (AT)
Jeff Desom (LU)
Evan Viera (US)

Juries made up of prominent experts from all over the world selected the winners of 6 Golden Nicas, 12 Awards of Distinction, 1 [the next idea] Grant and 72 Honorary Mentions. Honarees also received a total of 117,500 euros in prize money.

This year, a jury also selected the first recipient of the Prix Ars Electronica Collide@CERN Award, the new artist-in-residence program established by CERN and Ars Electronica.

Prix Forum I – Hybrid Art

is part of the THE BIG PICTURE – Symposium
Sa/Sat 1. 9. 10:30 – 17:30
Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, Auditorium

The prize winners in the Hybrid Art category

Joe Davis (US) – bacterial radio / Golden Nica
Agnes Meyer-Brandis (DE) – MOON GOOSE ANALOGUE: Lunar Migration Bird Facility / Award of Distinction
Golan Levin (US), Shawn Sims (US) – The Free Universal Construction Kit / Award of Distinction

Prix Forum II – Interactive Art

is part of THE BIG PICTURE – Symposium on Saturday afternoon
Sa/Sat 1. 9. 15:00 – 17:30
Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, Auditorium

The prize winners in the Interactive Art category

Timo Toots (EE) – Memopol-2 / Golden Nica
Markus Kayser (DE) – Solar Sinter Project / Award of Distinction
Isobel Knowles (AU), Van Sowerwine (AU) with Matthew Gingold (AU) – It’s a jungle in here / Award of Distinction

Prix Forum III – Digital Communities

is part of the Everyday Rebellion Conference
So/Sun 2. 9. 10:30 – 17:30
Brucknerhaus, Mittlerer Saal

The prize winners in the Digital Communities category

Syrian people know their way: http://sha3b3aref.blogspot.com / Golden Nica
Dark Glasses.Portrait: http://ichenguangcheng.blogspot.com / Award of Distinction
Apertus Open Source Cinema: http://www.apertus.org / Award of Distinction

Prix Forum IV – Computer Animation

So/Sun 2. 9. 11:00 – 12:30
Ars Electronica Center, Seminarraum

The prize winners in the Computer Animation category

Jeff Desom (LU) – Rear Window Loop / Golden Nica
Weta Digital (NZ) – Rise of the Planet of the Apes / Award of Distinction
Evan Viera (US) – Caldera / Award of Distinction
Participants of the Forum
Christine Schöpf (AT)
Jeff Desom (LU)
Evan Viera (US)

Prix Forum V – Digital Musics

is part of the Ars Electronica Music Day
Mo/Mon 3. 9. 11:30 – 13:30
Brucknerhaus, Großer Saal

The prize winners in the Digital Musics & Sound Art category

Jo Thomas (UK) – Crystal Sounds of a Synchrotron / Golden Nica
Tarik Barri (NL), Anselm Venezian Nehls (DE) – #tweetscapes – a HEAVYLISTENING experience / Award of Distinction
Cheng Xu (CN) – scape-sequenser / Award of Distinction

Participants of the Forum
Martin Supper (DE) – Member of the Jury
Jo Thomas (UK)
Tarik Barri (NL), Anselm Venezian Nehls (DE)
Cheng Xu (CN)

Prix Forum u19 – CREATE YOUR WORLD

Fr/ Fri 31. 8. 13:30 – 15:00
u19 – CREATE YOUR WORLD-Festivalstadt

The comprehensive cross-media project “Everyday Rebellion” by the Riahi Brothers (AT) gives the third symposium day both its theme and name. As a Web-2.0 platform as well as a documentary film currently in production, their work is a group portrait of—and homage to—courageous people putting up nonviolent political resistance worldwide.

Following the presentation by Arash and Arman Riahi, we will hear from some Everyday Rebels whose commitment to a just cause has been honored by the Prix Ars Electronica. They are activists and artists who have made creative and very tangible contributions to the struggle for democratic freedom of opinion and artistic freedom in diverse countries including Syria, China and the USA. They employ artistic as well as technical and legal means.

10:30 – 11:00 Leila Nachawati (ES)
11:00 – 11:30 Arash T. Riahi, Arman T. Riahi (AT)
11:30 – 11:50 Sherien Al-Hayek (US)
11:50 – 12:00 Break
12:00 – 12:20 Hexie Farm (CN)
12:20 – 12:40 Agnes Aistleitner (AT)
12:40 – 13:00 Discussion
15:00 – 15:20 Mathias Jud, Christoph Wachter (CH)
15:20 – 15:40 James Burke (UK)
15:40 – 15:45 Discussion
15:45 – 16:00 Break
16:00 – 16:20 Shawn Sims (US)
16:20 – 16:40 Sebastian Pichelhofer (AT), Oscar Spierenburg (NL)
16:40 – 17:15 Discussion

Leila Nachawati (ES) is a Spanish-Syrian blogger, communications strategist and human rights activist. She has written for Al-Jazeera, Global Voices, Periodismo Humano, et al. In 2012, she was a juror in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Digital Communities category.

Arash T. Riahi (AT) is the founder of Golden Girls, a film production company. He is the producer, author and director of prizewinning documentary and experimental films, music videos and commercials. His works include “Exile Family Movie” and “For a moment, freedom” as well as the Everyday Rebellion project and communications platform focusing of nonviolent resistance.

Arman T. Riahi (AT) has been an author and director of TV productions for the ORF – Austrian Broadcasting Company (Sendung ohne Namen; Sunshine Airlines) since 2005 as well as the Red Bull Media House’s “Momentum” documentary series. In 2011, he produced “Schwarzkopf,” his first cinematic documentary film. He launched the Everyday Rebellion platform with his brother Arash.

Sherien Al-Hayek (US) is a member of the group Syrian people know their way, a coalition of cultural creatives in or originally from Syria who are using artistic means in various social media sites to support the efforts of their countrymen and -women to bring democracy to Syria. Al-Hayek produces the Arabic-English-language blog Tabasher/Charcoals.

Hexie Farm (CN) is the freelance cartoonist behind the series (of the same name) of political cartoons against censorship and state propaganda in China. He uses the internet to anonymously publish his work. His online campaign “Dark Glasses.Portrait” was honored with an Award of Distinction in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Digital Communities category this year.

Agnes Aistleitner (AT) was born in 1993 in Upper Austria and graduated from Linz’s High School for Artistic Design in 2012. She shot her 15-minute video “state of revolution” independently in Egypt. It won the 2012 Golden Nica in u19 – CREATE YOUR WORLD.

Mathias Jud and Christoph Wachter (CH) have been collaborating since 2000 on open participatory community projects for which they have been honored with various prizes. In their qaul.net project ([the next idea] voestalpine Art and Technology Grant 2012), they implemented an overlapping, open communications system in which WLAN-capable computers and mobile devices can form a direct, spontaneous network independent of the internet and telecommunications providers

James Burke (UK) is an expert in interaction design and user experience. He is associated with the Netherlands-based P2P Foundation that was honored with [the next idea] voestalpine Art and Technology Grant in 2011 for its Choke Point Project, an investigation of who actually controls—or can control—the internet.

Shawn Sims (US) is the founder and director of Synaptic Lab that is developing new technology applications in the area of form. A graduate of the Pratt Institute School of Architecture and Carnegie Mellon University’s Computational Design Lab, he is currently working in robotics and advanced digital design & production methods. He won a 2012 Award of Distinction in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Hybrid Art category.

Sebastian Pichelhofer (AT) is director of the Apertus Open Source Cinema project that was honored with a 2012 Award of Distinction in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Digital Communities category. Apertus is an open platform for filmmakers with about 15 core members and 100 additional participants. Its aim is to develop a top-of-the-line, high-performance film camera on an open-source basis.

Oscar Spierenburg (NL) is a painter and filmmaker. He conceived Apertus Open Source Cinema (2012 Award of Distinction winner in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Digital Communities category) and established its international community of developers. He lives in Belgium and is currently working on his first full-length feature film.
16:00 – 16:20 Shawn Sims (US)
16:20 – 16:40 Sebastian Pichelhofer (AT), Oscar Spierenburg (NL)
16:40 – 17:15 Discussion

Leila Nachawati (ES) ist eine spanisch-syrische Bloggerin, Kommunikationsstrategin und Menschenrechtsaktivistin. Sie schreibt u. a. für Al-Jazeera, Global Voices und Periodismo Humano. Beim Prix Ars Electronica 2012 war sie Jurorin in der Kategorie Digital Communities.

Arash T. Riahi (AT) ist als Gründer von Golden Girls Filmproduktion nicht nur Filmproduzent, sondern auch Autor und Regisseur etlicher preisgekrönter Dokumentar- und Experimentalfilme, Musikvideos und Werbespots. Zu seinen Arbeiten zählen u. a. Exile Family Movie und For a moment, freedom sowie die Projekt- und Kommunikationsplattform Everyday Rebellion rund um gewaltfreien politischen Widerstand.

Arman T. Riahi (AT) ist seit 2005 Autor und Regisseur von ORF-Fernsehproduktionen wie der Sendung ohne Namen und Sunshine Airlines sowie der Dokumentationsreihe Momentum des Red Bull Media House. 2011 gestaltete er mit Schwarzkopf seinen ersten dokumentarischen Kinofilm. Mit seinem Bruder Arash initiierte er die Plattform Everyday Rebellion.

Sherien Al-Hayek (US) gehört zur Gruppe Syrian people know their way. Hinter ihr stehen syrische und syrischstämmige Kulturschaffender, die die Bemühungen ihrer Landsleute um einen demokratischen Wandel in Syrien mit künstlerischem Engagement in verschiedenen Social-Media-Plattformen unterstützen. Al-Hayek betreibt den arabisch-englischsprachigen Blog Tabasher/Charcoals.

Hexie Farm (CN) ist freischaffender Cartoonist und steckt hinter der gleichnamigen Serie politischer Cartoons gegen Zensur und Staatspropaganda in China. Das Internet nutzt er zur anonymen Veröffentlichung seiner Arbeiten; seine Online-Kampagne Dark Glasses.Portrait wurde mit dem Prix Ars Electronica Award of Distinction in der Kategorie Digital Communities ausgezeichnet.

Agnes Aistleitner (AT), 1993 in Oberösterreich geboren, schloss 2012 die HBLA für künstlerische Gestaltung in Linz ab. Mit ihrem 15minütigen Video state of revolution (Goldene Nica u19), das sie auf eigene Faust in Ägypten drehte, wurde sie mit der Goldenen Nica u19 – CREATE YOUR WORLD 2012 ausgezeichnet.

Mathias Jud und Christoph Wachter (CH) arbeiten seit dem Jahr 2000 gemeinsam an offenen, partizipatorischen Community-Projekten, für die sie verschiedentlich mit Preisen ausgezeichnet worden sind; so etwa mit [the next idea] voestalpine Art and Technology Grant. Ihr Projekt qaul.net verwirklicht ein redundantes, offenes Kommunikationsprinzip, in dem WLAN-fähige Computer und Mobile-Devices unabhängig von Internet und Mobilfunk direkt ein spontanes Netz bilden.

James Burke (UK) ist als Experte für Interaction Design und User Experience Teil der niederländischen P2P Foundation, die mit dem im [the next idea] voestalpine Art and Technology Grant 2011 ausgezeichneten Choke Point Project der Frage nachgeht, wer das Internet eigentlich kontrolliert bzw. kontrollieren kann.

Shawn Sims (US) ist Gründer und Leiter des Synaptic Lab, das nach neuen Technologieanwendungen im Bereich der Form sucht. Der Absolvent der Pratt Institute School of Architecture und des Computational Design Lab an der Carnegie Mellon University beschäftigt sich gegenwärtig u. a. mit Robotik und avancierten digitalen Gestaltungs- und Produktionsmethoden. Er ist Träger eines Award of Distinction in der Kategorie Hybrid Art des Prix Ars Electronica 2012.

Sebastian Pichelhofer (AT) ist Leiter des Projekts Apertus Open Source Cinema, das mit einem Prix Ars Electronica 2012 Award of Distinction in der Kategorie Digital Communities ausgezeichnet wurde. Apertus ist eine offene Plattform von FilmemacherInnen mit rund 15 Kernmitgliedern und weiteren 100 Beteiligten. Ihr Ziel ist es, eine leistungsfähige Filmkamera auf Open-Source-Basis zu entwickeln, die den hohen Ansprüchen der Community-Mitglieder gerecht wird.

Oscar Spierenburg (NL) ist Maler und Filmemacher. Die Idee des Apertus Open Source Cinema (Prix Ars Electronica 2012 Award of Distinction in der Kategorie Digital Communities) geht auf ihn zurück; Spierenburg war es, der die weltweite Community der EntwicklerInnen gründete. Er lebt in Belgien und arbeitet an seinem ersten abendfüllenden Spielfilm.

Sa/Sat 1. 9. 15:00 – 17:30
Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz

15:00 – 15:20 Julius von Bismarck (DE)
15:20 – 15:45 Julius von Bismarck (DE), Ariane Koek (UK/CH), James Wells (US)
15:45 – 16:05 Jo Thomas (UK)
16:05 – 16:25 Agnes Meyer-Brandis (DE)
16:25 – 16:40 Break
16:40 – 17:30 Isobel Knowles & Van Sowerwine (AU), Timo Toots (EE)
Moderated by Michael Doser (AT/CH)

Julius von Bismarck (DE) is the 2012 Collide@CERN prizewinner. He lives and works in Berlin, where he studies at the Institute for Spatial Experiments. Prior to that, he graduated from the MFA program at Hunter College in New York. He won a Golden Nica at the 2008 Prix Ars Electronica for his “Image Fulgarator”.

James Wells (US) is a theoretical physicist and a member of the scientific staff at CERN. The recipient of numerous prizes, he was previously a professor at the University of Michigan and the University of California, and also worked at the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg.

Jo Thomas (UK) is a London-based musician. She uses multichannel systems to produce pieces in which she works with microsounds, pure tones and interference pulses as a means of dealing musically with the polarity of failure and success. She is the recipient of the 2012 Golden Nica in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Digital Musics & Sound Art category.

Agnes Meyer-Brandis (DE) is at the experimental edge of art and science with her work in both
sculpture and new media art. Exhibited worldwide, it is exploring the zone between fact and fiction. She received an Prix Ars Electronica 2012 Award of Distinction Hybrid Art.

Isobel Knowles (AU) is an artist who works predominantly with animation. She incorporates it into installations, films, music videos, commercial work and anywhere else it might fit in.

Van Sowerwine (AU) is a media artist active in the fields of animation, installation and interaction. For many years, she has been collaborating with Isobel Knowles (AU) on stop-motion animated works and interactive installations that are exhibited worldwide. At the 2012 Prix Ars Electronica, she was singled out for recognition with an Award of Distinction in the Interactive Art category.

Timo Toots (EE) studied computer science and photography. Since 2005, he has been producing interactive art projects that analyze, comment on and reflect upon developments in Information Society. He also works on projects about public spaces. He received the 2012 Golden Nica in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Interactive Art category.

Sa/Sat 1. 9. 10:30 – 13:00
Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz

10:30 – 11:00 George Church (US)
11:00 – 11:30 Joe Davis (US)
11:30 – 11:50 George Church (US), Joe Davis (US), Jens Hauser (DE/FR)
11:50 – 12:00 Break
12:00 – 12:20 Hiroshi Ishiguro (JP)
12:20 – 12:45 Gabriele Lohmann (DE)
12:45 – 13:00 Discussion
Moderated by Michael Doser (AT/CH)

George Church (US) holds a chair in genetics at Harvard Medical School and heads the Center for Computational Genetics. In 1984, he became the first to decode a genome, which led to many other revolutionary discoveries and software developments in the fields of genetic engineering and synthetic biology.

Joe Davis (US) is an artist, researcher and scientist who works at, among other places, MIT’s Department of Biology. He has done intensive research in molecular biology and bioinformatics, created genetic databanks, and developed new biological art forms and numerous uncategorizable works at the nexus of art and science. His “Bacterial Radio” was honored with the 2012 Golden Nica in Hybrid Art.

Jens Hauser (DE/FR) lives and works in Paris as an author, cultural journalist and curator of such exhibitions as Synth-ethic (Vienna, 2011) and Fingerprints… (Berlin, 2011; Munich, 2012). He has dealt extensively with interactions between art and technology, and contextual aesthetics that transcend the boundaries of individual genres. He was a juror in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Hybrid Art category.

Hiroshi Ishiguro (JP) is a scientist and artist. He heads the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at the University of Osaka’s Department of Adaptive Machine Systems. He has made numerous guest appearances at Ars Electronica with extraordinary robots and robotics feats—for instance, his mechanical doppelgänger Geminoid H-1 and, most recently, Android-Human Theater (2011).

Gabriele Lohmann (DE) studied mathematics, mathematical logic and philosophy. She develops new methods of analyzing visual data—first, of satellite images of Earth for cartographical applications at the DLR–German Aerospace Center, and since 1995 in the field of brain research at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig.

Michael Doser (AT/CH) is a particle physicist working at CERN. He has been working with antimatter since 1983. In 2002, he was part of the team that made cold atoms of antihydrogen for the first time, and currently leads the AEGIS experiment that will measure how antimatter falls.