Let me bring to your attention an Exhibition that celebrates the  
connection between cybernetics, art and design. The full details  
appear in the Press Release, below.

This Exhibition celebrates two things. First, the 40th anniversary of  
the seminal "Cybernetic Serendipity" Exhibition of 1968; and secondly  
the opening last November of the Gordon Pask archive in Vienna. The  
exhibition runs from 25 March to 4 April, and is associated with the  
European Meeting on Cybernetics and Systems Research.

Ranulph


Press Release

Eminent scientist inspires art and design that has a mind of its own

Dancing robots, singing sculptures and growing metal tentacles are  
just some of the bizarre exhibits that will feature in an exhibition  
of work inspired by eccentric scientist Gordon Pask, one of the  
forefathers of cybernetics, in Vienna.

Gordon Pask (1928-1996) was a British scientist and artist, whose  
work was key to the development of cybernetics – the study of systems  
of communication, control mechanisms and feedback. He worked in  
academia, the arts and industry, producing poetry, plays, interactive  
sculptures and teaching machines.

The ‘Pask Present’ exhibition follows the ‘Maverick Machines’, held  
at the University of Edinburgh last year, the first exhibition of art  
-work inspired by Gordon Pask. It will be held at Atelier  
Färbergasse, Färbergasse 6, A-1010 Vienna, from 26th March to 4th  
April, open daily from 13:00 to 21:00. (The opening ceremony will  
take place on 25th March, 19:00)

Focused on the influence of Gordon Pask today, the exhibition’s works  
range from the practical to the bizarre and include pieces by  
established artists, architects, designers, academics and students.  
Work has been inspired by many aspects of Gordon Pask’s work,  
including his interest in analogue computing and his experiments with  
electrochemistry.

Many of the exhibits appear to have a mind of their own, such as  
dancing robots which interpret viewers’ expressions to decide on the  
most amusing routine, ‘singing’ sculptures which change the noises  
they produce depending on other sounds in the area around them and  
giant metal tentacles growing in electrified liquid.

Co-curator Richard Brown, research artist in residence at the  
University of Edinburgh’s School of Informatics, said: “In many ways  
Gordon Pask was too far ahead of his time – many of his ideas about  
cybernetics are only just coming into fashion now.

“Most computer scientists have a different way of thinking compared  
with him and don’t necessarily understand his ideas – they tend to  
see computers as machines which are told what to do, whereas Pask was  
much more interested in having a conversation with the computer.”

“Pask Present” is curated by Richard Brown, Stephen Gage, Professor  
of Innovative Technology and Dr Ranulph Glanville, Vice President and  
President elect of the American Society for Cybernetics and Professor  
of Architecture and Cybernetics. Both are Ranulph Glanville and  
Stephen Gage at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL .

The exhibition is sponsored by the Austrian Ministry of Science and  
Research, the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, American  
Society for Cybernetics, Austrian Society for Cybernetic Studies, The  
Bartlett, University College London, The School of Informatics,  
University of Edinburgh, BLAHA office furniture, Gordon Pask archive  
at the Dept. of Contemporary History of the University of Vienna. The  
Heinz von Foerster Society, Vienna, acts as a local organiser.

Running concurrently with the exhibition is the 19th EMSCR Conference  
(European Meeting on Cybernetics and Systems Research at the  
University of Vienna) where many of the exhibitors are giving papers.  
Additionally there are two presentations at the Universität für  
Angewandte Kunst (University of Applied Arts, Vienna). On 31st March  
there will be a presentation of work from final diploma year and  
Masters students from the  Interactive Architecture Workshop at the  
Bartlett School of Architecture. On 8th April at 1900 h Professor  
Glanville will give a lecture “Cybernetics for Architects.”

More details on the exhibition can be found at www.paskpresent.com

On the occasion of the exhibition a catalogue will be published: Pask  
Present. An exhibition of art and design inspired by the work of  
Gordon Pask (28 June 1928 to 28 March 1996), cybernetician and  
artist, eds Ranulph Glanville and Albert Müller, Vienna 2008 (edition  
echoraum)

Another publication deals with Gordon Pask’s importance as a  
scientist: Gordon Pask, Philosopher Mechanic An Introduction to the  
Cybernetician's Cybernetician, eds Ranulph Glanville and Karl H.  
Müller, Vienna 2007 (edition echoraum)


For further information, or for an invitation to the exhibition’s  
opening on 25 March at 7pm, please contact:

Richard Brown, the School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh;
[log in to unmask], 0044 7796 151787

Stephen Gage, The Bartlett School of Architecture UCL London,   
[log in to unmask]

Ranulph Glanville, CybernEthics Research, Southsea UK,  
[log in to unmask]

Albert Mueller, Institut für Zeitgeschichte der Universität Wien,  
[log in to unmask]

Ed Nash, Press Officer, University of Edinburgh; [log in to unmask],  
0044 131 650 6382

Nadia O’Hare Communications Officer, the Bartlett School of  
Architecture ,UCL London [log in to unmask]


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Paul Brown - based in OZ Dec 07 - Apr 08
mailto:[log in to unmask] == http://www.paul-brown.com
OZ Landline +61 (0)7 5443 3491 == USA fax +1 309 216 9900
OZ Mobile +61 (0)419 72 74 85 == Skype paul-g-brown
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Visiting Professor - Sussex University
http://www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/ccnr/research/creativity.html
====