ISEA 2011 Istanbul

The Land Art Generator Initiative was presented at the 2011 International Symposium on Electronic Arts (ISEA) in Istanbul. Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry (LAGI Co-founders) presented a paper, "New Aesthetic Energy Infrastructure and the Land Art Generator Initiative" in the Urban Ecologies session, and chaired a panel discussion: Public Art of the Sustainable City, which included presenters: Patricia Watts (ecoartspace), Nacho Zamora (solar artworks), and Glen Lowry (Emily Carr University).

Abstract of the Panel Discussion:

As we endeavor to extricate civilization from fossil fuel dependence, the existential debate over the purpose of art deserves renewed attention in the context of natural ecology and human consumption. Is it possible for works of public art to contribute actively to the solution to the problems that confront us? Can interdisciplinary art inspire, through example, the type of social change required to significantly reduce the negative impact of human consumption on the planet? Papers presented will present examples of projects at various scales that seek to address ecological issues, beyond didactic expression, through the incorporation of technology.

This panel discussion will address the continuum of public art, clean energy precedents, and contemporary technologies. Within this framework we will outline and illustrate the potential that interdisciplinary teams and communities around the world have to expand both the dialogue and actual change.