radical ⇌ matter Symposium Event

sticky cohesions, strange skins, intimate portals

The radical⇌matter symposium explores the frontiers of materiality in art, science, and philosophy. This two-day event assembles eminent artists and scholars to critically examine and redefine conventional understandings of matter. It aims to explore new perspectives and insights into the nature of matter, along with its philosophical, political, and scientific implications.

Friday, January 26th

09.00 - 10.00 Reception
Coffee, Tea and Biscuits

10.00 - 10.30 Ján Mančuška – Incomplete
Movement
Introduction to FJK3 and the
current exhibition by Fiona Liewehr

10.30 - 11.50 Welcome and Opening
Alexander Damianisch and
Martin Reinhart

                             Snakes and Ladders 
                             (and a few octopuses, 
                             crustaceans…)
                             Keynote by Johnny Golding 

12.00- 12.45 Becoming Octopus
Meditation
Maggie Roberts

12.45 -13.45 Lunchbreak

13.45 -15.30 Intimate Portals
(Non)human
communication(s)
Afternoon Session

                             Planetary Skins. On the 
                             sensual entanglements
                             between digital and corporeal
                             presences
                             Impulse Lecture by Gerald Nestler 

                             A panel discussion with 
                             Sylvia Eckermann, Noor Stenfert Kroese, 
                             Gerald Nestler, Dunia Sahir, 
                             Shira Wachsmann and John Wild
                             chaired by Julia Wolf

15.30 -15.45 Coffee break

15.45 - 16.30 The Lounging Symposium
Harold Offeh

                             A short performance lecture whilst
                             in reclining or lounging pose. The
                             lecture explores the history, cultural
                             context, power dynamics and
                             politics of this pose.

16.30 - 18.15 Latitude Longitude: The Sensuous
Beauty of Climate Care
Evening Session

                             Climate beauty: the art of
                             reimagining the future
                             Impulse Lecture by 
                             Christoph Thun-Hohenstein

                             Orbital Bloom
                             Impulse Lecture by 
                             Shira Wachsmann 

                             Followed by a panel discussion with 
                             Jonathan Boyd, Johnny Golding, 
                             Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, 
                             Naoki Matsuyama, Shira Wachsmann 
                             and Marlies Wirth chaired by Eric Prem. 

Saturday, January 27th

10.00 - 10.30 Reception
Coffee, Tea and Biscuits

10.30 - 12.00 Strange Skins: when materialism
is no longer enough
Morning Session with an
introduction by Tanja Traxler

                             The Matter of Matter – a physical
                             point of view
                             Impulse Lecture by 
                             Philipp Haslinger 

                             The Book of Clouds: notes on
                             weather, mood, vibe
                             Impulse Lecture by Sonia Bernac

12.00 -12.15 Coffee break

12.15 - 13.30 Strange Skins
Introduction and moderation
by Johnny Golding

                             The Gravity of Ghosts
                             Impulse Lecture by Tanja Traxler

                             An Algerian Technoritual
                             Impulse Lecture 
                             by Yasmine Boudiaf

                             Residual Materialism: Mapping
                             Silicon Valley’s Toxic Legacy
                             Impulse Lecture by Manu Luksch

13.30 - 14.30 Lunchbreak

14.30 - 15.15 Grasping the Liquid
Performance by Jannis Neumann

                             Comparative examinations reveal
                             analogies between the gelation
                             process, the study of human
                             genetics, and the impact of
                             essentialist biases on scientific
                             research.

15.15 - 15.30 Coffee break

15.30 - 17.00 Sticky Cohesions
A little Afternoon Magic with all
Artists and Speakers

17.10 - 18.00 Breaking Babble
A Sonic Lecture by Tonica Hunter

                             a failing of consonance.
                             a quest for an unknown.
                             a nonsense as resistance.

after 18.00 Drink Dance Watch Play
And everything else that matters…

About the panellists and performing artists

Sonia Bernac
Artist-philosopher with a certain penchant for bestiaries, clouds, weathers, mood. Co-Founder of the Idle Institute (Royal College of Art, London).

Yasmine Boudiaf
Artist and consciousness vibrating towards the cosmic mind. Creative Technologist and Researcher at the Ada Lovelace Institute, London

Jonathan Boyd
Reader <> Artist <> Writer <> Jeweller and Head of Applied Art (Jewellery & Metal/Ceramics & Glass) Royal College of Art, London. Co-Lead Material Engagements Research Cluster (RCA).

Alexander Damianisch
Director of Zentrum Fokus Forschung and head of the department Support Art and Research at the University of Applied Arts Vienna (Angewandte)

Sylvia Eckermann and Gerald Nestler
Independent Artists, Vienna. Gerald is an artist and researcher whose postdisciplinary practice combines theory and conversation with video, installation, graphics, performance, lyrics and speech. He is a member of the Technopolitics working group, Vienna, and holds a PhD from the Centre for Research Architecture, Goldsmiths, University of London. In Sylvia’s work, a discursive engagement with form and media culminates in critical artistic reflections about our entanglement as individuals in current socio-economic situations. Sylvia and Gerald are members of the Technopolitics working group, Vienna and both are Artist Associates at radical⇌matter PEEK project.

Johnny Golding
Professor of Philosophy and Fine Art at the RCA and PI of the radical⇌matter PEEK project

Philipp Haslinger
Quantum physicist and Professor at the Technische Universität Wien (TU) and the Austrian Atom Institute, Vienna

Tonica Hunter
Artist, DJ, researcher, curator and cultural producer based in Vienna, Austria.

Fiona Liewehr
Art historian, curator, author and artistic director of FJK3 - Contemporary Art Space.

Manu Luksch
Artist and filmmaker. Senior Research Associate at AiDesign Lab, Real World Artificial Intelligence Narratives, RCA. Artist Associate at radical⇌matter PEEK project.

Naoki Matsuyama
Editor, translator, and writer focusing on art/design and contemporary theory. Currently he researches on the material and conceptual arrangements that enable large language models and machine learning systems.

Jannis Neumann
Independent Artist that holds degrees in visual art, biology, and education. In his art, he focuses on performance, objects and drawing.

Harold Offeh
London based artist working in a range of media including performance, video, photography, learning and social arts practice.

Erich Prem
Computer scientist, AI expert, author, lecturer and founding member of the Digital Humanism Initiative (DIGHUM), Vienna

Martin Reinhart
Artist, senior lecturer at Angewandte’s Art & Science department and PI of the radical⇌matter PEEK project

Maggie Roberts
Artist, co-founder of 0rphan Drift, exploring Ai in relation to octopus distributed intelligence. Lecturer at Central St Martins School of Art and Design and Senior Researcher with the RCA AiDesign Lab in Artificial and Distributed Intelligence.

Dunia Sahir
Biochemist specialised in structural biology, artist and researcher, MA student at Angewandte’s Art & Science Department.

Noor Stenfert Kroese
Artist with a focus on bio-art and robotics, tutor at Angewandte’s Art & Science Department

Christoph Thun-Hohenstein
Director General for International Cultural Relations, Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs

Tanja Traxler
Science journalist, author and lecturer at Angewandte’s Art & Science Department

Shira Wachsmann
Artist-philosopher working on circulations of war trauma, sensuous forms of time, and the wild intelligence of mycelium. Co-founder of Orbital Bloom with Ameera Kawah.

John Wild
Artist and Post Postdoctoral Researcher in Artificial intelligence and Real World Narratives at the Royal College of Art, London.

Marlies Wirth
Art historian and curator at the MAK - Austrian Museum of Applied Arts . As Curator for Digital Culture, she is involved in the conception of the Vienna Biennale and heads the MAK Design Collection.

Julia Wolf
Artist-philosopher whose choreographic work involves the strange intimacies of human-machinic-interspecies encounters (RCA).

The radical⇌matter exhibition and symposium owe their realisation to the generous support of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF). Hosted by Angewandte’s Art & Science department, these events are a collaborative effort with the Royal College of Art, London, and the AiDesign Lab in Artificial and Distributed Intelligence, Hong Kong. We would like to thank the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), AIL - Angewandte Innovation Lab, Angewandte Collection & Archive, Ange- wandte University Gallery, Zentrum Fokus Forschung, FJK3 - Contemporary Art Space, Fiona Liewehr, Cosima Rainer, Robert Müller, all the participating artists and all the other wonderful people who made this project possible.

With thanks to our incredible artist-philosophers-scientists: Ivonne Gracia, Maximillian Gallo, Julia Wolf, Tanja Traxler.