The closing talk of the Mutamorphosis conference included speakers with pioneering works in the intersections of art/science/technology. Herbert W Franke has more than 40 books on the connection of art and science as well as science-fiction, and a pioneer in computer graphics.
Woody Vasulka who developed the Digital Image Articulator in collaboration with Jeffrey Schier from around 1978. Don Foresta a pioneer in hypertext writing and a long standing cultural attaché for both France and the US, as of 2001 he also launched the Marcel network.
The director of Leonardo/Olats, Annick Bureaud, who is an art critique, author of several books on electronic art and more recently part of developing space and arts projects. Nicolas Reeves, the Scientific Director of Hexagram, and an artist (recent work cloud harp) combining his background in both physics and architecture.
The final talk gave an insight into climate during the 1960-1970, tools available and how collaboration processes took place. On a large screen behind the panel swirling metal helix, shortly after discussions ensued.
[Audience(s)] The work that combines these principle and the contemporary arts is becoming more distant from people. How do we deal with both public art and public science? The distance is getting deeper in contemporary art and art is in worse shape than science. It needs to go back into the public. [The panel replies] the discussion is more than 40 years old – artists and mathematicians had them. Every revolution is a technological revolution. The processes are the same - mental - art - environmental – sciences. Art is about changing the world - its not entertainment - it is something we have to do.