new media

Lifestyle Experiments and the Crisis of Agency

Working at the crossroads of contemporary art, science, and engineering, Natalie Jeremijenko shows various projects of hers related with environmental issues. Each of them exemplifies a peculiar aspect of her approach that aims at addressing the transformative potential of new technologies in unexpected ways.

Lift conference presents an original program that alternates between a series of conferences exploring the economic and social implications of new technologies, and long breaks that favor meeting people while discovering the creative projects of the Lift Experience.

Because we must touch the world that is moving, because we must see to understand; live the Lift Experience, an immersion into the future, through projects done by artists and designers; a unique opportunity to accompany those who make us see the world differently.

In a comfortable and ambient environment, discover these remarkable and playful installations, presented by different creative people from the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur region, and the French-speaking community.

Wander around in the Garden of Eden and its unusual robots. Express yourself on camera for an interview.

Equip yourself with a funny machine, to question your perception of reality. Let the network overflow from its screen as you VJ sources from the web. Meet other participants around an interactive bar or just have fun by hijacking keyboards and toys to circuit-bend them from their initial usage…

Visit the Lift Experience page to see all the fascinating projects that will be presented in Marseille! Check the conference blog regularly, where two projects will be introduced every week.

Dan Hill is a pioneering figure in the development of innovative information and communications technology products and services since the early ’90s. One of the most impressive roles Dan has had in his fruitful career was that of chief architect for the redesign of the BBC’s web presence, implementing strategies to meet the requirements for the “on-demand” media age, including the development of the BBC iPlayer.

Another role Dan Hill has played was that of Director of Web & Broadcast for the ground-breaking global media Monocle, He also organised the architecture and urbanism conference Postopolis in New York, and runs City of Sound, generally acclaimed as one of the leading architecture and urbanism websites.

Mr. Hill currently works for the multinational design consultancy Arup in Sydney, Australia, where he acts as a senior consultant focusing on urban planning and design, leading Arup into the emerging field of urban informatics and urban information design.

Frank is a researcher and independent consultant specialized on new media. He currently works with the RATP, the Parisian Transport Operator, on the future of the subway. He will be speaking on love in the 21st century, more specifically about “metromantics”: internet messages about romantic encounters in Paris’ metro.

Why LIFT
It’ll be Frank’s first LIFT conference. Having only heard and read about the conference until now he still gave us a wonderful, detailed answer of what he believes LIFT stands for. He feels that a space, where people from all over the world get together to open-mindedly reflect and discuss technology and society is much needed. In the face of the challenges of our time: what can technology, the technologos, do for us and what does it do to us?

Listen in: “We’ve got googleface-tube-iphone-engine-maps-earth-streetviewer-socialgraphs-gps and an enormous amount of real time data about cities-friends-neighboors-theothersideoftheworld in our fingers, on the same screen. And so? And then? Why are so much people feeling so lonely in our cities, what can the Internet do for the housing crisis, or worse … for feeding people? Is it crazy to wait for technology to solve that, and to think that it’s only a question of time with the Internet as the next miracle of the happy global village? The Internet is only a camera. And its power lies more in what this new camera-micro-and-macroscope can bring to light about our non-changing way of life and beings than about the power of radical modernity. So, by discovering the naked world through the eyes of technology, what could we do?”

What Frank expects
Frank would like to share with fellow LIFTers, participate in a gathering that goes beyond technology, assist in the creation of a “campfire of exchanges”.

Ilpyo Hong from the Hope Institute shows the role of new media in activism in the context of Korea. He starts with a history of the candlelight protest (a recent demonstration against US beef import in Korea) and then moved on to a discussion of Hope Institute and its platform for large-scale social activism.

Unfortunately due to technical difficulties, this video was not completely translated in English so be sure to have your Korean dictionaries handy!

Ilpyo Hong from the Hope Institute shows the role of new media in activism in the context of Korea. He starts with a history of the candlelight protest (a recent demonstration against US beef import in Korea) and then moved on to a discussion of Hope Institute and its platform for large-scale social activism.

Unfortunately due to technical difficulties, this video was not completely translated in English so be sure to have your Korean dictionaries handy!