The Design Research Lab is a network of people, organisations, and non-human agents engaged at the intersection of technologies, materials, and social practices. Our aim is to design socially and ecologically sustainable tools, spaces, and knowledge that support people’s participation in a digital society – based on common principles of inclusiveness and respect for the planet. This puts the basic democratic right to take part in the digital sphere into practice. We start our research from individual lifeworlds and the needs of minoritized groups, beyond consumer majorities.
We are an interdisciplinary team of designers, researchers, tech-enthusiasts and critical thinkers from Berlin University of the Arts, German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, as well as Einsteincenter Digital Future (ECDF).
In this week’s Virtual Colloquium session, Harry Kumar will discuss the relationship between the Arts, Science, and Technology, examining the role of quantum physics and technology in shaping the arts and cultures of the future. Harry will explore how this crucial relationship is evolving and provide an introduction to Moth, a new technology and arts start-up with a mission to unlock the potential of quantum for creativity.
The second part of Harry’s talk will focus on ‘Quantum Aesthetics,’ loosely defined by ‘The Quantum Aesthetics Group’ as a way of practicing art with a theoretical basis in quantum physics. The concept of ‘Quantum Aesthetics’ will be explored through examples of ‘quantum art’ and related literature. The session will conclude with an open discussion on how ‘Quantum Aesthetics’ may evolve as a result of advances in quantum technology.
Harry Kumar is the co-founder & CCO of Moth, with a background in the arts, philosophy and mathematics. Harry ensures that quantum is present, accessible and understood by the next generation of creatives and developers. Key to his role is the cultivation of critical social discourse around emergent technologies. In the summer of 2023, Harry organised a workshop at Oxford University to discuss quantum physics, technology and the arts, with attendance from leading quantum physicists, philosophers, musicians and artists. Prior to founding Moth, Harry co-founded a gallery in London, worked as an independent curator, trained as a sound engineer, and held several artistic advisor positions.
The Virtual Colloquium this semester is organized in cooperation with Goethe-Institut’s Studio Quantum. The Zoom link to join the Virtual Colloquium will be the same for all sessions: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82954605489?pwd=VP3XBDzVogeuQtLWaXbWEFpm9ObxiQ.1
Meeting-ID: 829 5460 5489
Kenncode: 079532