Laboratory
Screens define the boundaries of the visible world, outline a rectangle accessible to the eye, and problematize the space surrounding them. They frame reality, appropriate and transform it, capture the viewer's gaze and guide it along its surface, while remaining invisible. The universal functionality of the screen turns it into an object of equal importance to scientists, researchers, artists and filmmakers. The task of the laboratory is to study the artistic potential of the screen and create unique projects in different areas of contemporary art.
Over the course of a month, the laboratory participants examined screens as material objects, everyday devices, works of art and part of the cinematographic apparatus. The project included lectures on screen theory and modern media theory. The participants discussed texts, met in individual consultations with curators and learned how to work with digital tools.
The meetings of the laboratory were held in July, they were led by the curator of the Dom Radio Dasha Chernova, curators of the ITMO Art & Science Center Khristina Ots and Asya Kaplan, as well as teachers of the ITMO Art & Science Master's program.
The result of the laboratory was a collective exhibition of screens and video works at the Art & Science Center of ITMO University, which was held in October 2024.
Laboratory experts: Dasha Chernova, Khristina Ots, Asya Kaplan, Lina Kipriushina, Nadezhda Bey, Sergey Kostyrko.
Screens define the boundaries of the visible world, outline a rectangle accessible to the eye, and problematize the space surrounding them. They frame reality, appropriate and transform it, capture the viewer's gaze and guide it along its surface, while remaining invisible. The universal functionality of the screen turns it into an object of equal importance to scientists, researchers, artists and filmmakers. The task of the laboratory is to study the artistic potential of the screen and create unique projects in different areas of contemporary art.
Over the course of a month, the laboratory participants examined screens as material objects, everyday devices, works of art and part of the cinematographic apparatus. The project included lectures on screen theory and modern media theory. The participants discussed texts, met in individual consultations with curators and learned how to work with digital tools.
The meetings of the laboratory were held in July, they were led by the curator of the Dom Radio Dasha Chernova, curators of the ITMO Art & Science Center Khristina Ots and Asya Kaplan, as well as teachers of the ITMO Art & Science Master's program.
The result of the laboratory was a collective exhibition of screens and video works at the Art & Science Center of ITMO University, which was held in October 2024.
Laboratory experts: Dasha Chernova, Khristina Ots, Asya Kaplan, Lina Kipriushina, Nadezhda Bey, Sergey Kostyrko.
2024
Beneath Depth, Beyond Surface: In the Screen Space
Subterranean Rivers
Artistic laboratory
St. Petersburg is famously a city of water, home to over a hundred rivers and numerous natural and artificial reservoirs. However, few know of its underground currents or that the Neva has a hidden "twin river" flowing several dozen meters below the surface.
The "Subterranean Rivers" laboratory was part of the 5th Curatorial Forum organized by the Northwestern Branch of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Hosted as a summer art residency at ITMO University's Art & Science Center, the project combined public events with a creative laboratory for artists.
The public part of the project included a series of lectures on the paleohistory and hydrogeology of the area. Experts from various fields explored the impact of underground currents on the city's life and its residents.
The closed part of the project took the form of a media art laboratory, featuring workshops on digital art and sound art, a reading group, and city walks. Participants were selected through an open call. The laboratory's participants created 3D and sound works for augmented reality (AR) within the New Stage XR app (New Media Lab, Alexandrinsky Theatre's New Stage). These projects were integrated into a city route, accompanied by a series of mediation walks for the public.
St. Petersburg is famously a city of water, home to over a hundred rivers and numerous natural and artificial reservoirs. However, few know of its underground currents or that the Neva has a hidden "twin river" flowing several dozen meters below the surface.
The "Subterranean Rivers" laboratory was part of the 5th Curatorial Forum organized by the Northwestern Branch of the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts. Hosted as a summer art residency at ITMO University's Art & Science Center, the project combined public events with a creative laboratory for artists.
The public part of the project included a series of lectures on the paleohistory and hydrogeology of the area. Experts from various fields explored the impact of underground currents on the city's life and its residents.
The closed part of the project took the form of a media art laboratory, featuring workshops on digital art and sound art, a reading group, and city walks. Participants were selected through an open call. The laboratory's participants created 3D and sound works for augmented reality (AR) within the New Stage XR app (New Media Lab, Alexandrinsky Theatre's New Stage). These projects were integrated into a city route, accompanied by a series of mediation walks for the public.
2024
SPECIAL PROJECTS
NUR x Art & Science Center ITMO
New media art weekend
New media art weekend
A media art weekend organized by the NUR Festival in collaboration with ITMO University’s Art & Science Center. The event series included a lecture, workshop, and performances addressing the history and current practices of Russian media art. Events were hosted in Kazan’s historical venues.
2023
Water has always been an integral part of St. Petersburg, shaping the city's landscape and identity. It serves as both a romantic backdrop to daily life and an unpredictable force of nature beyond human control. As part of the festival's performative program, artists will explore water as a contradictory element: it reflects and draws us into its depths, evokes fear and provides tranquility. The evening of audiovisual performances will take place in the former Church of St. Peter and Paul at the Imperial Commercial College, now home to ITMO University's laboratories and classrooms.
2023
Festival "Friends of St. Petersburg. Reflection"
Astronomy Festival
Building Cosmic Connections: Satellites of Art and Science
Building Cosmic Connections: Satellites of Art and Science
Public Program by the Art & Science Center
In the Moscow Region science town of Chernogolovka, the astronomy festival "Turn Off the Lights" was held. The Art & Science Center presented an original public program on the influence of astrophysical discoveries on the development of art and culture. Discussions were held with art historians, artists, and researchers to better understand how interdisciplinary approaches create connections between scientific and humanities knowledge. The central focus of the program was the question of the future of space exploration in art.
In the Moscow Region science town of Chernogolovka, the astronomy festival "Turn Off the Lights" was held. The Art & Science Center presented an original public program on the influence of astrophysical discoveries on the development of art and culture. Discussions were held with art historians, artists, and researchers to better understand how interdisciplinary approaches create connections between scientific and humanities knowledge. The central focus of the program was the question of the future of space exploration in art.
2023
The Art & Science Laboratory in Chernogolovka
This initiative aimed to foster innovative interactions between art, science, and the local community. Scientific discoveries made in Chernogolovka provided the foundation for creating digital art projects. Participants delved into digital tools for developing AR (augmented reality) projects and honed their skills in sound design.
The laboratory brought together local residents passionate about art, culture, and technology, alongside scientists eager to share and popularize their work.
The laboratory brought together local residents passionate about art, culture, and technology, alongside scientists eager to share and popularize their work.
2023
Lecture Series
Art, Science, and the Body
Art, Science, and the Body
"Art, Science, and the Body" is a joint lecture series by the Art & Science Center at ITMO University and the New Media Laboratory of the New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theater. The cycle of meetings will explore the connection between art and medicine. Through lectures, artists, art historians, and anthropologists will examine the past and present relationships between medical and humanitarian sciences. Attendees will learn how these fields transform one another, creating new discourses and ethical norms, with a focus on the body in its various states.
2023
Art projects are accepted in 8 nominations:
The first Russian prize in the field of scientific and technological art among young artists, scientists, engineers - students of interdisciplinary areas of Russian universities.
The prize helps artists to get support in the professional environment of Art & Science.
The prize helps artists to get support in the professional environment of Art & Science.
2022-2023
ASTA | ART, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AWARD
RIVER DENSITY. NEVA
RIVER DENSITY. NEVA is an audiovisual performance.
All life processes are closely related to time, the perception of which differs from culture to culture and influences actions and events. The Neva River, with its diverse and unique properties, serves as a metaphor for these processes, reflecting cultural paradigms and influencing the perception of the observer. In the audiovisual performance, the artists invite viewers to explore the river, its reflections and temporal changes. Digital transformations and an analytical view of time, like the flow of a river, enrich the perception and experience of coexistence.
The performance was presented in 2023 at the “Friends of St. Petersburg” Festival in the space of the former Peter and Paul House Church at the Imperial Commercial School (now ITMO University)
All life processes are closely related to time, the perception of which differs from culture to culture and influences actions and events. The Neva River, with its diverse and unique properties, serves as a metaphor for these processes, reflecting cultural paradigms and influencing the perception of the observer. In the audiovisual performance, the artists invite viewers to explore the river, its reflections and temporal changes. Digital transformations and an analytical view of time, like the flow of a river, enrich the perception and experience of coexistence.
The performance was presented in 2023 at the “Friends of St. Petersburg” Festival in the space of the former Peter and Paul House Church at the Imperial Commercial School (now ITMO University)
2023
Lecture Series "Art & Science" at the Zifergaus Gallery
Lecture Cycle "Mediatopias"
As part of the public program dedicated to hybrid art, attendees explored the influence of science and technology on the development of contemporary art. Topics included digital art and its analog predecessors, the transformation of internet environments into metaverses, and humanity's place in the rapidly changing post-digital world. These issues were examined through the interdisciplinary perspectives of researchers, artists, and contemporary art practitioners.
As part of the public program dedicated to hybrid art, attendees explored the influence of science and technology on the development of contemporary art. Topics included digital art and its analog predecessors, the transformation of internet environments into metaverses, and humanity's place in the rapidly changing post-digital world. These issues were examined through the interdisciplinary perspectives of researchers, artists, and contemporary art practitioners.
2022
Together
A three-day program explores the expanded field of media poetry. Topics such as the study of language and its expressive potential, the translation of human code into machine code, and the transformation of sound into imagery will be addressed by artists, researchers, and curators. At the heart of the program lies the principle of participation—active involvement of the viewer in the art experience. Performances, art meditations, and chatbot walks will form a collective exploration of language and the search for alternative ways to communicate with others and, perhaps, with oneself.
2022
A series of discussions Curating Art & Science
The series of discussions, "Curating Art & Science", is dedicated to topical issues related to the curating of scientific and technological art. During conversations with curators and experts in the field, we will discuss complex concepts such as curatorial responsibility, care practices, working with "semi-dead" objects, and more. Using practical examples, we aim to understand the specifics of curating projects that intersect art and science, and what skills a curator in this field should possess.
2021
Lecture Series "Art & Science" at the Zifergaus Gallery
Lecture Cycle "Mediatopias"
As part of the public program dedicated to hybrid art, attendees explored the influence of science and technology on the development of contemporary art. Topics included digital art and its analog predecessors, the transformation of internet environments into metaverses, and humanity's place in the rapidly changing post-digital world. These issues were examined through the interdisciplinary perspectives of researchers, artists, and contemporary art practitioners.
As part of the public program dedicated to hybrid art, attendees explored the influence of science and technology on the development of contemporary art. Topics included digital art and its analog predecessors, the transformation of internet environments into metaverses, and humanity's place in the rapidly changing post-digital world. These issues were examined through the interdisciplinary perspectives of researchers, artists, and contemporary art practitioners.
2022
"Grounding" Cultural Project as part of the Ars Electronica Festival 2021
The Grounding exhibition project is aimed at rethinking the usual connections with the soil and searching for new ones. Instead of searching for a new place "where to land", the exhibition suggests turning to the usual grounds and looking at what is under our feet in a different way. Based on the theories of Vasily Dokuchaev and Vladimir Vernadsky, the exhibition "Grounding" reconstructs the understanding of the soil and its relationship with humans.
Grounding is a refocusing of our gaze; a search for a new connection with what lies beneath our feet. Understanding our ethical role in the planet’s transformation requires the ability to recognize nature as a complex, self-sufficient system that we are only a part of. Natural formations exist as open systems of continuous interspecies communication. The origins of this outlook can be traced back to the soil science developed by Vasily Dokuchaev and reflected in Vladimir Vernadsky’s works on the biosphere. Grounding takes place at two sites on Vasilievsky Island: the Dokuchaev Museum of Soil Science and Art.ITMO.Residency.
The exhibition at the Museum of Soil Science brought together the exhibits of the traditional natural Science museum and new objects of technological art. The art projects of the work entered into a dialogue with the permanent exhibition of the museum, endowing it with a new "layer" of artistic interpretation, as well as offering new, non-standard ways of perceiving soils.
At the second site of the project, in AIR, video works were presented — visual reflections on the soil and its connection with people and technology. Each work tells its own story about the earth, creating many images of familiar matter.
Grounding is a refocusing of our gaze; a search for a new connection with what lies beneath our feet. Understanding our ethical role in the planet’s transformation requires the ability to recognize nature as a complex, self-sufficient system that we are only a part of. Natural formations exist as open systems of continuous interspecies communication. The origins of this outlook can be traced back to the soil science developed by Vasily Dokuchaev and reflected in Vladimir Vernadsky’s works on the biosphere. Grounding takes place at two sites on Vasilievsky Island: the Dokuchaev Museum of Soil Science and Art.ITMO.Residency.
The exhibition at the Museum of Soil Science brought together the exhibits of the traditional natural Science museum and new objects of technological art. The art projects of the work entered into a dialogue with the permanent exhibition of the museum, endowing it with a new "layer" of artistic interpretation, as well as offering new, non-standard ways of perceiving soils.
At the second site of the project, in AIR, video works were presented — visual reflections on the soil and its connection with people and technology. Each work tells its own story about the earth, creating many images of familiar matter.
2023
