Research Seminar Series

Thursday, 6 March 2014

The University of Newcastle's Collaborative Environments for Creative Arts Research (CeCAR) is proud to present an exciting new Research Seminar Series featuring cutting-edge research and creative perspectives on social and aesthetic issues.

Matthew Gardiner

The speakers are Matthew Gardiner, senior research with Austria's prestigious Ars Electronica; Associate Professor Barbara Adkins from the Queensland University of Technology; Professor Justin O'Connor from Monash University; and Michael Keiran Harvey, one of Australia's foremost virtuoso pianists.

The series kicks off with Matthew Gardiner on Wednesday, 19th March. He will talk about his work, which combines the traditional paper folding art of origami with complex technologies and robotic programming to create an oribotic (robotic origami).

Matthew is a current PHD student in a new postgraduate collaboration between CeCAR (UON) and ArsElectronica (Linz, Austria).

Associate Professor Barbara Adkins presents the second seminar on Thursday, 3rd April. She is a sociologist working at the interface between design, architecture and the creative industries. In her presentation, she will discuss the way design is particularly suited to dealing with contemporary social, economic and environmental issues due to its capacity to operate through 'things' and 'systems'.  She will discuss how design figures in alleviating homelessness, through its central role in the 'housing first' program, which provides housing solutions for the long-term homeless.

On Thursday 29 May, Michael Kieran Harvey, referencing the prophetic compositions and writings of the 19th century piano virtuoso, Franz Liszt, will discuss the current and future role of the virtuoso concert musician. He will perform compositions and talk about his research into the subject through the prisms of aesthetics, economic viability and contemporary thought.

Michael is currently undertaking a PHD with the School of Creative Arts at the University of Newcastle.

On Wednesday 27 August, Professor Justin O'Connor will look at current debates around the creative industries and their role in urban and national economies. He suggests that we are living through a major crisis of value that relates to the wider social and political transformations of the last forty years. This debate has been predominantly conducted through the terms 'culture' and 'economy', but O'Connor shows how aesthetics is also crucial to this discussion in a range of often unspoken ways.

Don't miss these exciting and diverse seminars. 

Matthew Gardiner (Ars Electronica)
Topic:  Oribotics - On aesthetics and language of folding and technology
When: Wed, March 19
Time: 10.00AM – 11.00AM
Where: The Conservatorium Boardroom, Level 3, Corner Auckland and Laman Streets, Newcastle

Associate Professor Barbara Adkins (Queensland University of Technology)
Topic: From homelessness to 'residence': The agency of the material and designed environment
When: Thur, April 3
Time: 4.00PM – 5.00PM
Where: Isabella Upstairs, Callaghan Campus 

Michael Kieran Harvey
Topic: The virtuoso concert musician in the 21st century
When: Thur, May 29
Time: 4.00PM – 5.00PM
Where: The Theatrette, University House. Ground floor Corner Auckland and King Street, Newcastle

Professor Justin O' Connor (Monash University)
Topic: The value of nothing: Aesthetics, Culture, Creativity
When: Wed, August 27 Time: 4.00PM – 5.00PM with networking to follow from 5:00pm.
Where: The Theatrette, University House. Ground floor Corner Auckland and King Street, Newcastle

Contact

  • Tracy Redhead
  • Phone: +61 2 4921 8948

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