On 20 May, the first session of the re:MAKING SENSE series took place. Madeline Schwarzman, Marianna Obrist, Scott Novich and Liviu Babitz unravelled the potential of the design domain of sensory augmentation. Their exploration was followed by a substantive discussion on technology, multi-sensory designs, in-/exclusivity of sensory augmentation and its artistic expressions.
With great pleasure we announce that the second session has been planned on the 1st of July 18:00 – 19:30 CET. The OPEN CALL for speakers is open until the 3rd of June. Join us! For more information on the series and the OPEN CALL go to www.remakingsense.com
Our brains receive information from our sensory organs, interpreting the incoming electrical signals and conveying them to us as a sensory perception. Today, technology makes it possible for individuals to receive information in one sensory mode and have it interpreted in another. For instance, ‘hearing’ light is possible. It is also possible to transmit non-sensory, or non-human sensory information to the brain to interpret as a sensory perception. For example, one can feel the Earth’s magnetic field.
For humans, this means that they either substitute some original (natural) senses with technology-based ones, try to add new senses to those they have, or to perceive in an enhanced manner. Perhaps, sensory augmentation technologies are even both substituting and augmenting senses at once.
This session focuses on this translation process. It questions how the attributes of one sense are mapped onto another, how this new sensory information is integrated to perception, and how novel information is translated into senses. What technology is needed to do this? What information is sent? What is lost? How does that affect the resulting perception? And how does this, in turn, affect social interaction and performance?
We will invite 4 proposals per session, to fill 8-minute presentation slots. Please email us the ABSTRACT (300words) for your proposed presentation, your SPEAKER BIO (100words), and any images (optional) that illustrate your idea/research.
Please make email subject: #2 open call submission
If accepted you will need to prepare an 8minute visual presentation (not required at this stage). We acknowledge the limitations of familiar modes of presentations and seek to give space to the richness of creative practice around sensory augmentation. Therefore, we are open to receiving proposals for novel and experimental modes of showcasing your work.
‘Investigating the potential of sensory augmentation to bridge the sensory gap between deaf and hearing.’
Michel Witter, with a foundation in computer science and digital art, integrates technology and art in education. As a tutor since 2002 at Communication & Multimedia Design program of Avans, he specializes in information design and accessibility. Currently, Michel is researching sensory augmentation for his PhD.
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