INTRA HUMAN x INTER DIGITAL : Art Thinking

INTRA HUMAN x INTER DIGITAL (IHxID) is a new interactive experience by Hunter-based studio Art Thinking. Transforming the former Lowes shopfront in Newcastle Mall, the experimental media artwork is process driven and combines a range of new and old media technologies to provide a unique and innovative environment. The work draws on 20+ years combined experience of the team working internationally (Australia, Asia and Europe) at prestigious interactive art museums, festivals and labs as well as experiential design studios. 

IHxID explores the relationship between society and media, addressing themes of digital identity, information overload, deep fake, AI, authorship, data security and privacy. The purpose of this new exhibit is to build awareness and healthy conversation around the role technology plays in our daily life as we become more and more immersed into a digital existence. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience and interact with several immersive spaces that explore the themes of modern social and digital communities before entering the featured installation, Social Cushion by Art thinking Artist in Residence, Iain Greenhalgh.

SOCIAL CUSHION 
At the centre of the exhibition is the ‘social cushion’, which bridges the realms of the physical and digital by means of a conceptual recliner that connects the guest with social data both real and generated. The reclined position is designed to evoke equal feelings of comfort and vulnerability, exposing the way in which we interact with communities through digital mediums and what that means for our personal psychology and our wider societies.

The social cushion has its own social media accounts across X, Facebook and Instagram, continuously streaming live posts and interactions which will update the matrix of displays through which the participant is immersed. Hidden triggers (words or emojis) will cause momentary total takeovers. To participate in the cushion, the user will be requested to read out loud a privacy statement (EULA), highlighting the rapidly changing inter/intra complexities of privacy we experience in digital social spaces. Visitor voices are recorded and excerpts will be incorporated into the overall visualisation and sonification of the cushion and greater surroundings. 
DURATION
15 minutes short experience, 30 minutes full experience. 

SENSORY & CONTENT WARNING
Minimal use of strobe lighting in some of the exhibition areas.

ART THINKING LAB MASTERCLASS: Converging Art & Technology for Social Impact
Sat 5 Oct, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, $25.  
This 2 hour workshop provides a deep dive into the world of interactive media art facilitated by Dr Kristefan Minski and Iian Greenhalgh. Between them, Minski and Greenhalgh have over 30 years experience working at internationally renowned media labs and experiential agencies including Ars Electronica and Imagination. The workshop will provide an insight into the tools (HW + SW) and techniques involved in the “Intra Human x Inter Digital” exhibit. It will cover data visualisation, real-time animation and complex audio-visual matrix systems. We will show the inner workings of the social cushion which features 64 screens and 5 x 16 port video splitter driven by a customised computer. (Maximum 36 participants)

ART THINKING NIGHTLINE SPECIAL 
Thursday 3 Oct, 5:00pm - 7:30pm, FREE. Booking not required. 
5:30pm - Expert Panel: Future Identity 
6:30pm - Artist Talk 
7:30pm - After Party 

ACCESSIBILITY
Fully accessible. 

ARTISTS & COLLABORATORS
Idea and Concept - Iain Greenhalgh & Kristefan, powered by Art Thinking.
Producer - Kristefan Minski
Exhibition Design - Rully Zakaria
UX Design - Aaron Parker
Japan Consultant - Misaki Toda
Academic Advisor - Dr Julia Coffey
Research Assistant - Lewis Smith-Janssen, Hannah Fakatou, Ritik Madaan, Lachlan Henderson, Benjamin Hallet, Sam Lochrin, Nihar Baldha, Rupert Daniel

Founded and based in Newcastle, Australia in 2020, Art Thinking is a transdisciplinary lab for social innovation. Their work requires collaboration between artists, designers, programmers, engineers, performers and specialists in the field of technology to create small and large scale public art and technology works that connect people, cultures and environments.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artthinkingaustralia 
Instagram: @ArtThinkingAustralia

Iain Greenhalgh
Iain works across an expanding range of visual and digital formats, to create experiences that have won Drum, Campaign, APDG and AEAF awards, representing commissions both domestic and international for clients such as Mastercard, Genesis Motor Company, Ford Motor Company, Harley Davidson, Lego and Diageo. He has most recently served as Executive Creative Director for internationally renowned experience agency Imagination (Shanghai office and APAC) and has previously directed a studio utilising emerging technologies within the advertising space, engineering bespoke digitally led creative campaigns. 

Iain believes in no delineation between the technical and visual aspects of creative production and communication, and enjoys leveraging his multi-disciplinary career in design, art and advertising to enable new ways of connecting with audiences in new mediums. http://www.iaingreenhalgh.com

Dr Kristefan Minski
Kristefan MINSKI (AU) is a cross media artist, producer and researcher concentrated at the nexus of art, technology and society. His passion for producing and collaborating in experimental art projects extends over 2 decades with a portfolio covering a broad range of formats including film, theatre, music, dance, interactive media art, sound art, virtual reality, real-time data visualisation and robotic art. Between 2008 and 2018 he worked as a senior artist and researcher at the Ars Electronica Futurelab. Founded in Linz, Austria in 1996, the lab is internationally recognised for developing award winning media art exhibitions, performances and events as well as innovative prototypes with industry.

Minski holds a part-time academic position and is the founder and CEO of the Australian company Art Thinking. In 2020 he received a PhD on the topic of collaboration in experimental art and transdisciplinary lab environments. https://www.artthinking.com.au/kristefan-minski 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  
INTRA HUMAN X INTER DIGITAL  is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.