The Foundation has supported further research and development of the Art and Science Laboratory's Electronic Art Archive and Server as well as its Aesthetic Research Program, which has already welcomed several prominent artists and researchers in 2000 and 2001.
The Electronic Art Archive and Server makes available an enormous amount of information dealing with key periods in the history of electronic art. Thousands of pages of documents are currently accessible in PDF format. The valuable catalogue
Pioneers of Electronic Art (originally titled
Eigenwelt der Apparatewelt) is also available as a PDF document. This Electronic Art Archive and Server is highly significant since it disseminates a large mass of information that was previously not as widely accessible. The physical documents digitized for the project are housed in the Centre for Research and Documentation of the Daniel Langlois Foundation.
The Aesthetic Research Program is a framework within which artists, researchers, programmers and designers are invited to the Art and Science Laboratory to investigate specific themes. The themes for 2001 and 2002 were:
Music and Complexity Theory
The history of mathematics and music in the western world has been deeply intertwined since ancient times. Music has often looked to physics for its theoretical basis. Is there a new scientific armature upon which the theoretical principles for music in the coming century can be based?
Cognitive and Epistemic Space: Virtuality, Interactivity and Human-Machine Interface
Does the variety of approaches to using computing technology in art and science define a new kind of human perceptual space? Can this new perceptual space transcend a mere accommodation to the technical means of culture?
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Although a young organization, the Art and Science Laboratory has already proven itself to be a vital centre for discussion and experimentation. As it grows and develops in the coming years, the lab will continue to support cross-disciplinary research into electronic and digital arts and sciences.