Aug 14, 2015
Vancouver, BC - Langara College Fine Arts instructor Suzi Webster will have her latest piece, Electric Heart, exhibited at the 21st International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA), August 14-19, in Vancouver, BC.
"Electric Heart is the culmination of four years of research, an idea that has evolved since I first encountered the idea of technology that could be wearable more than ten years ago,” said Webster. “I'm excited to participate in ISEA2015. Thank you to the Langara Faculty Association without whom this wouldn't have been possible. I look forward to sharing my experience with my students this fall."
ISEA is one of the world’s most prominent international arts and technology events, bringing together scholarly, artistic, and scientific domains in an interdisciplinary discussion and showcase of creative productions applying new technologies in art, interactivity, and electronic and digital media. The event annually brings together artists, designers, academics, technologists, scientists, and general audience in the thousands.
Electric Heart is a bioresponsive and interactive garment that turns the received heartbeat of a distant beloved into pulses of light and color. The heartbeat of the garment's wearer is intended to synchronise with the heartbeat of the absent beloved.
The distant person uses an i-phone app and oximeter sensor technology to record and send their heartbeat to the Electric Heart garment, and Electric Heart transforms the received heartbeat into received pulses of light and color that reference simulations of closeness and intimacy. The work simultaneously critiques notions of intimacy, absence and presence as mediated through technology, and asks whether pulses of beautiful light and color could ever replace the warmth of an embodied embrace.
“Suzi's work is an excellent example of applied research at Langara that spans multiple disciplines,” said Julie Longo, Dean, Faculty of Arts. “We're excited for her opportunity at ISEA2015, and take pride any time our instructors get to showcase their talents on the world stage. Her passion for art, design, and research is something she continues to impart to her students here at Langara."
In the last four years ISEA has been hosted in Istanbul (2011), Albuquerque, New Mexico (2012), Sydney, Australia (2013), and Dubai (2014). The symposium consists of a peer-reviewed conference, a series of exhibitions, and various partner events—from large scale interactive artwork in public space to cutting edge electronic music performance.
About Langara
Located in beautiful Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Langara College provides University, Career, and Continuing Studies education to more than 21,000 students annually. With more than 1,700 courses and 130 programs, Langara’s expansive academic breadth and depth allows students of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages to choose their own educational path.
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Mark Dawson
Communications Officer
T 604.323.5702
mdawson@langara.bc.ca
