AUT artist in residence announced
An internationally renowned artist and academic, Olga Kisseliva will be hosted at Colab for 12 weeks from early August to work on EDEN, a global research creation project at the intersection of science and art. The project will address issues of Kauri dieback by attempting to connect Kauri trees to a digital network allowing them to communicate between themselves and humans.
"Olga has an impressive track record and there are fantastic opportunities to engage with her both through her EDEN project as well as her wealth of research and leadership experience. You might want to propose a workshop, a talk to students or an engagement with one of your research or community partners, whether related to Kauri, IoT or the art of successful multidisciplinary collaboration," said Harry Silver, Te Ataata programme coordinator.
As Professor and Director of the Art & Sciences Department and of the Art & Medium program at Panthéon – Sorbonne University, Olga Kisseleva has an extensive research practise and publication record. Her work explores the links between creation processes and contemporary sciences and technologies.
As a plastic artist, Olga Kisseleva has achieved a national and international recognition in the field of contemporary arts. Her artistic work has been rewarded on many occasions and is part of some of the most prestigious museum's collections, such as Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (France), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and Getty Center in Los Angeles, among others.
During her three months in New Zealand, Olga will collaborate with local researchers and practitioners to develop her current research project called EDEN and adapt it to the New Zealand environment. EDEN is a bio-artistic device that sparks and studies interactions between trees themselves and between trees and humans thanks to a specifically designed technology.
The Cultural Office of the French Embassy in New Zealand and AUT's Colab began the Te Ataata programme in 2015, to build linkages, share knowledge and understanding between New Zealand and French creative technologies fields.
"Te Ataata provides an opportunity to see our own world reflected through the eyes of an antipodean guest, it enables staff and students and our wider community to engage and respond to our place in the world," Harry added.
For inquiries, suggestions and collaborative opportunities please contact Te Ataata programme coordinator, Harry Silver by emailing: hsilver@aut.ac.nz.