Rachel “Sheepy” Donahue: “Where’s the next checkpoint?!” & Max Kazemzadeh: “From Computer Vision to Metaphysical Machines: The Phenomenon of Human Interaction via Semi-Conscious Interfaces”
Rachel “Sheepy” Donahue
Where’s the next checkpoint?!
In their seventh generation, videogames are nearing the level of cultural significance previously achieved by books, albums, and (static) artwork. And yet, they are battling for legitimacy in much the same way cinema did until the 1960s. And just like film, original videogame materials may be lost forever due to neglect and the industry’s intense focus on the here-and-now. In this talk, Rachel, doctoral student at the iSchool, will discuss her findings from a preliminary survey of videogame industry (and player community) preservation and records management practices.
Rachel Donahue is a doctoral student at the University of Maryland’s iSchool, researching the preservation of complex, interactive digital objects. She received a BA in English and Illustration from Juniata College in 2004, and an MLS with a specialization in archival science from UMD in 2009. Rachel is a Research Assistant at the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities, currently supporting the Preserving Virtual Worlds and Computer Forensics and Born-Digital Content in Cultural Heritage Collections projects. Additionally, she supports the research and communications activities of the National Archives and Records Administration’s Center for Advanced Systems and Technology.
Max Kazemzadeh
From Computer Vision to Metaphysical Machines: The Phenomenon of Human Interaction via Semi-Conscious Interfaces
Max will talk about his interest and work in the area of interactive art using hardware, software, sensors, computer vision over the last 10 years up to his present course of PhD research at the Planetary Collegium in the UK dealing with machine consciousness.
Max Kazemzadeh is an electronic and emergent media artist who recently relocated to DC for a tenure track Assistant Professorship of MediaArt & Technology at Gallaudet University. His work over the last ten years focuses on how constructed, semi-conscious interfaces influence human interaction. Kazemzadeh has served on panels, curated exhibitions, organized conferences, given workshops, received grants,written articles, given performances, and exhibited internationally in the area of electronic and emergent media art. Some exhibitions include the Microwave Festival (Hong Kong), the Boston CyberArts Festival, Medialab-Prado’s Interactivos 08 (MexicoCity), Dashanzi International Art Festval (Beijing), IDMA IDEA’s Exhibition/Symposium (Ohio), Fotofest (Houston), Macedonia Museum of Contemporary Art (Greece), Maker Faire (Austin), LA Center for Digital Art (Los Angeles), The Gerald Peters Gallery (NYC), and the Dallas Center for Contemporary Art (Dallas). Kazemzadeh organized the conference Texelectronica ’06 (Dallas), served as the chair of the electronic media art session at the College Art Association-CAA 2008,served on the Creative Capital Grant Review in 2008, served as a juror for SIGGRAPH ‘2007, and has given annual interactive hardware/software workshops at the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing since 2004. He is currently exhibiting an interactive installation in an exhibition called “this.Ability” at the new CAFA museum in Beijing.
Kazemzadeh recently began pursuing a PhD program at the Planetary Collegium within the University of Plymouth in the UK where he is furthering his investigation in machine consciousness and interactive artificial intelligence systems.
We packed the house with smiling hackers at the first monthly HacDC Lightning Talks. The talks were awesome and so were the cookies. Thanks to everyone who participated and made this event such a success! Next month will be even better organized with more space, better arrangement, more advance scheduling, video recording, and publishing of slides and speaker content.