— Symbiogenic Experience

Below is an update of my progress and work on my research and dissertation since May 2012 when I started this research blog. All (or significant portions) of this work will be included in my dissertation. I am of course still officially on leave for the Fall 2012 semester. I will return to SIAT in January.

In May 2012 I received a list of milestones to complete for a “mini-review” to be conducted by the Fall term in 2012, all of which I completed except for meeting with all of you (details below).

My tasks were:

• Update the committee every month: This has been accomplished primarily via this blog and via e-mails to the committee
• Submit by August 1, 2012 the chapters with components of each chapter described and what progress has been made in each: This was accomplished back in July 2012. It is contained in this blog post, which was e-mailed to the committee on July 11, 2012.
• Meet for a “mini-review” in the Fall term: Due to conflicting schedules of the committee, I have been unsuccessful in trying to schedule a formal meeting. However, I did have a Skype meeting with Diane in late August or early September and I did update the committee on my progress via e-mail on Sept. 16, 2012. This was my last attempt to schedule a formal meeting (my first being on July 11, when I submitted my dissertation chapter outline). Maybe we can try again at the end of this month?

I have continued to update this blog on at least a monthly basis. Below is a summary of my work over the past 5 months (May – October)

Exhibitions
Biopoiesis
2012/09 – ISEA 2012, Albuquerque, NM
2012/08 – SIGGRAPH 2012, Los Angeles, CA
2012/06 – Gallery Gachet, Vancouver, BC

Relevant blog posts: August 31 and October 13. More info, documentation, etc: see the Biopoiesis web site

Proof-of-Process
2012/06 – Gallery Gachet, Vancouver, BC

Relevant blog post: June 13 (I also sent an e-mail to the committee about this on June 13, 2012). More info, documentation, etc: see the Proof-of-Process web site

Protocol
2012/06 – Gallery Gachet, Vancouver, BC

Relevant blog post: June 13 (this piece was part of Proof-of-Process). More info, documentation, etc: see the Protocol web site

Publications / Presentations / Artist Talks
Castellanos, C. & Barnes, S. (2012). “Biopoiesis”. Presented at the Interactive Media Arts Conference (IMAC 2012) & Re-new Digital Arts Festival (Re-new 2012), Copenhagen. http://re-new.org/conf2012-welcome/conf2012-program/, accessed October 30, 2012.
[Note: this paper will be published in the conference proceedings and will also probably be reprinted in a special issue of Leonardo. It was also sent to the committee for review on Sept. 16, 2012. The pdf can be downloaded here. I will be presenting the paper on Nov. 19.].

Castellanos, C. (2012). “Ambiguity and Unknowability in the Emergent Arts”. Presented at the Society of Literature, Science and the Arts, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. http://litsciarts.org/slsa12/program.php, accessed October 30, 2012.
[Note: a draft version of this paper was presented at SLSA in late September (relevant blog post: September 30). The pdf can be downloaded here]

Castellanos, C. & Barnes, S. (2012). “Biopoiesis”. In Leonardo 45(1), pp. 382-383.
[Published in August 2012]

Castellanos, C. & Barnes, S. (2012). “The Message is in the Medium”. Panel Discussion/Artist Talk, SIGGRAPH 2012, Los Angeles. http://s2012.siggraph.org/attendees/art-gallery, accessed October 30, 2012.
[Presented in August 2012]

Castellanos, C. & Barnes, S. (2012). “Biopoiesis”. Poster, presented at Subtle Technologies 2012, Toronto. http://subtletechnologies.com/events/festival-2012/symposium/poster-exhibition, accessed October 30, 2012.
[Presented in late May 2012 (relevant blog post: May 30)]

Dissertation Outline
The dissertation outline, which includes the chapters, a summary of each and work done on each is contained in this blog post which was e-mailed to the committee on July 11, 2012.

Etcetera
Currently I am teach two new media art courses at San Francisco State University, in the Conceptual/Information Arts Department (formerly headed by the late great Stephen Wilson). I was originally scheduled to teach one but there was an emergency and I got pulled into teaching two. It has slowed down by dissertation writing a little bit but I am still on track to finish in Spring 2013.

I am also co-authoring (with Steven Barnes) a white paper for the Network for Sciences, Engineering, Arts and Design (SEAD) International Call for White Papers on art/science collaboration. From the call: “We are seeking to survey concerns, roadblocks and opportunities, and solicit proposed actions for enhancing collaboration between sciences and engineering with practitioners in arts and design.” (source)

These papers will eventually be submitted as part of a report to National Science Foundation (NSF) in the U.S.