Crafting Intelligence
Session 3 | July 13–25
Ouroboros Steak by Orkan Telhan, 2019. Steak bullion, plate mat, plate, silverware. Human cells cultured over mycelium scaffolds, 1”x 1” x ½”, Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Dustmark Stuttgart a project by Dietmar Offenhuber as part of the Festival Drehmoment, in collaboration with Luftdaten.info, 2018. Dustmark reverse graffiti on a concrete wall located above a freeway bridge in Stuttgart, Germany.
Every day we are increasingly surrounded by algorithms, chatbots, and language models that alienate us from the art, craft, and materiality of intelligence. But does digital intelligence have to be behind screens, trapped inside tiny chips, or tucked in faraway data centers? Throughout this residency, Orkan Telhan and Dietmar Offenhuber will work on reservoir computing and autographic systems, exploring unconventional methods of computing to create physical systems that grow, live, learn, and think with us. They will share their work with the session community and invite individuals to explore algorithms with plants and microorganisms, build mycelium computers, and bring analog, digital, and biological ideas together to explore a new craft of intelligence.
Orkan Telhan (he/him) investigates critical issues in cultural, environmental, and social responsibility. He leads the Data Systems and Intelligence group at Ecovative, a biomaterials company specializing in mycelium-based food and textiles. Telhan is also a fellow at MIT’s Art, Culture, and Technology program, and serves as president of the Biodesign Challenge. Previously, he was an Associate Professor of Fine Arts in Emerging Design Practices at the University of Pennsylvania. His individual and collaborative works have been exhibited internationally, including the Istanbul Biennial, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, the New Museum in New York, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Walker Art Center, the Design Museum in London, and Museo Reina Sofia.
Dietmar Offenhuber (he/him) is Professor at Northeastern University in the departments of Art + Design and Public Policy. His research focuses on data infrastructures, environmental information, visualization, and evidence construction. He has published several books, including the award-winning Waste is Information – Infrastructure Legibility and Governance ( MIT Press). His new book, Autographic Design - the Matter of Data in a Self-Inscribing World, published at MIT Press, examines design practices based on material forms of information.