NEWS The intersection of media, technology and place, and how it influences everything from social intercourse forms, city planning and interactive architecture to new materials are in focus at the international conference hosted by HUMlab, the meeting place for humanities culture and information technology at Umeå University.
The conference is a first step in the creation an exciting field of research, a fusion of talented international representatives and researchers at Umeå University. A collaborative project with Stanford University will also be presented. This research field will have a home at be at HUMlab-X and the Umeå Arts Campus of Umeå University.
"This conference brings together people from a wide range of professions. Astrophysicists, architects, design researchers, game designers, cultural historians, gender researchers and creators of digital media are just some of those in attendance," says Patrik Svensson, director of HUMlab.
One aspect is that new markets are created outside the traditional channels and that media and technology are included and alter our public places like shopping malls, coffee shops – total city layouts- while technology and media are shaped by the places and the people who occupy it.
"A question to ponder is regarding who will produce content for these sites and what business scenarios we can see over the next five years. Scientists think its part of interactive architecture, digital materials, how we humans and our culture interact with media-rich sites. One example is how the Gardens of Versailles during the formation of the French nation-state can be seen as a ‘media place’," explains Patrik Svensson.
The conference not only intersects a variety of professions and research fields, but also the local industry and research with leading international figures. The programme includes both research-oriented and industry-oriented workshops.Regional and national business and industry guests are represented by, amongst others, David Eriksson, North Kingdom; Derny Häggström, Oryx Simulations; Ingvar Näslund, Västerbottens Kuriren (local newspaper), and Eva Nygren, CEO of Sweco Sweden.
International guests include highly-respected media scholars Chandra Mukerji and Lynn Spigel, architect Robert Miles Kemp, art director Jesus de Francisco, Carter Emmart, who produced "Journey to the Stars” for the American Museum of Natural History, and Molly Steenson, a graduate student in architecture from Princeton University. Also in attendance is Zephyr Frank, professor of Latin American History at Stanford University and one of the leaders of their Spatial History Project.
Media Places Conference programme:
Contact person:Patrik Svensson, Director of HUMlab, Umeå University
E-mail: patrik.svensson@humlab.umu.se
Mobile: + 46 (0)70-397 84 66
Editor: David Meyers