PULSE Art + Technology Festival 2020
January 22, 2020–January 26, 2020 Jepson Center- This event has passed.
Telfair Museums’ annual PULSE Art + Technology Festival faces the future with exciting exhibitions, lectures, and educational events for all ages. PULSE 2020 showcases artists and creatives who demonstrate how technology can either work against us or help us solve global problems. The exhibition Machines of Futility features interactive works that question technology’s usefulness, while installations in the museum’s TechSpace connect virtual and augmented reality and games with the natural world. The festival’s two evening events include an opening panel by featured artists and “Designing the Future: A Climate for Change.” The festival also features morning programs for students by artists and scientists, a Free Family Day, tours, and workshops.
Daytime admission to PULSE is free to all City of Savannah and Chatham County residents, and students with ID.
Investment is provided by the City of Savannah, the Georgia Council for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Media sponsor: Connect Savannah.
PULSE OPENING NIGHT
Join us for an exciting evening with an artist panel featuring artists; Neil Mendoza, Alicia Eggert, and R. Luke Dubois. Reception to follow with projections by John Collette.
Members free / non-members $8. Pre-registration is required.
Exhibitions
Machines of Futility: Unproductive Technologies
Thursday, January 23–Sunday, July 12
Jepson Center
This exhibition of interactive and kinetic art highlights artists making machines that use humor and absurdity to question the usefulness of technology. The exhibition includes artist Neil Mendoza’s Robotic Voice Activated Word Kicking Machine, in which the viewer’s spoken words come out of a horn-like tube as text and are kicked across a screen. The artist’s Anti-Vanity Mirror pokes at self(ie)-obsession, turning away as the viewer attempts to look. Blake Fall-Conroy’s Minimum Wage Machine comments on labor and the generation of income, dispensed as pennies. Alicia Eggert’s clock-like work repeatedly forms the word “Now” in an impossible attempt to visualize the present moment. R. Luke Dubois’ Learning Machines are vintage voting machines augmented with digital technology to present an illusion of choice. These artists demonstrate that machines and technology do not always function as planned and may function mysteriously, or even counter to our input.
TechSpace: Second Nature
Thursday, January 23–Sunday, July 12
Jepson Center
Technology often exists in opposition to nature, but it has also been used by scientists, artists, and designers to further understanding of the environment. Second Nature brings together technology-based art from Telfair’s permanent collection and new audiovisual works that reference nature. Included is an augmented reality installation by Max Almy and Teri Yarbrow that visually unlocks the hidden energy of trees. Virtual reality footage of Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary brings viewers into contact with an underwater wilderness off the Georgia coast. Other works include artist Katja Loher’s video sculpture that reflects the decline of pollinators. Videogame makers Earthgames and the Hydrous, a VR/education initiative, use technology to educate their audiences about the effects of climate change. Ian Bogost’s videogame ensemble A Slow Year imitates the four seasons. In Daniel Rozin’s Sunset Mirror, a digital reflection of your image causes the sun to set as you walk toward it. Together these artists and filmmakers speak to our increasingly fraught relationship with the natural world.
PULSE Art + Technology Festival Schedule
Is Technology Useful? Panel and Q&A
Thursday, January 23, 11am
Students grades 4 through college level are invited to participate in a panel and Q&A on the topic “Is Technology Useful?” with Machines of Futility artists Neil Mendoza, Alicia Eggert, and R. Luke Dubois.
Grades 4 and up. Free to students by advance registration.
Please RSVP to daughtryc@telfair.org or 912.790.8827.
PULSE Curator’s Tour Machines of Futility: Unproductive Technologies
Thursday, January 23, 2pm
Join Senior Curator of Education and PULSE Curator Harry DeLorme for a tour of Machines of Futility: Unproductive Technologies. Please RSVP to daughtryc@telfair.org or 912.790.8827.
Free to students by advance registration.
Tech Talks for Students: Technology, Design and Climate Change
Friday, January 24, 11am:
Speakers include Dr. Russell Clark of the Georgia Institute of Technology who will discuss Georgia Tech’s Sea Level Sensors project. Dr. Catherine Edwards of the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography will discuss hurricane gliders, marine robots used to help predict storms. Please RSVP to daughtryc@telfair.org or at 912.790.8827.
Grades 4 and up. Free to students by advance registration.
Artist tour of Second Nature.
Friday, January 24, 2pm
Join artists Max Almy, Teri Yarbrow and other artists represented in the TechSpace exhibition Second Nature for a tour and demonstration of AR, VR, and interactive works on view.
Grades 4 and up. Free to students by advance registration.
Please RSVP to daughtryc@telfair.org or at 912.790.8827.
Chatham County Free Family Day/STEAM Expo.
Saturday, January 25, 1-4pm
There’s something for the whole family at this Chatham County Free Family Day for the PULSE Festival at the Jepson Center. We invite you to participate in hands-on art projects, and demonstrations of cool technology by local artists, and students from Heard Elementary School, Savannah State University and more. Create DIY masterpieces or explore the interactive art in the museum’s TechSpace.
Free admission is for Chatham County residents and students currently enrolled at area colleges only.
Proof of residency/enrollment is required for admission.
Deep “Hear the Pulse” Open Mic / Poetry Slam with interactive visuals by James Gladman
Sign Up/Young Artists Meet & Greet: 1:30
“An interactive youth poetry experience”
Sunday, January 26, 2-4pm
This year’s Deep Center slam team will be joining forces with the Telfair’s Pulse Festival to bring you an afternoon of intense, literary performances, accompanied by live interactive visuals by artist James Gladman. Come out and support Savannah’s rising spoken word artists as they recite original works in preparation for regional and international poetry slam competitions. The stage will also be open for local middle and high school youth that would like to sign up and share their art on the mic. Seating is limited, so make sure to arrive on time and get your chance to Hear The Pulse!!!!! Free to all participants.
PULSE Curator’s Tour Second Nature
Sunday, January 26, 3pm
Join Senior Curator of Education and PULSE Curator Harry DeLorme for a tour of Second Nature. Please note that space is limited. Please RSVP to daughtryc@telfair.org or 912.790.8827.
Free to students by advance registration.
PULSE Opening Night Artist Panel and Reception
Wednesday, January 22, 6pm
The festival kicks off Wednesday, January 22 at 6pm with a panel moderated by PULSE Curator Harry Delorme with visiting artists Neil Mendoza, Alicia Eggert, and R. Luke Dubois. Free to museum members/$8 non-members.
Opening lecture and reception is free to museum members; non-member tickets cost $8.
Audiovisual Installation Tree / Music, by John Colette
Wednesday, January 22, 7-9pm
Savannah-based artist John Colette will present audiovisual work based on biodata from Savannah’s live oak trees. Sensors attached to trees will record bio signals which will be used to play and sequence digital instruments and generate changes in a projected installation in the Jepson Center atrium.
Designing the Future: A Climate for Change, an immersive evening presented by W Projects
Thursday, January 23, 6pm
This immersive evening focuses on technology helping our world face the results of climate change. The experience will include a short film screening, expert speakers from Perkins and Will, Gulfstream Aerospace, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. An interactive reception will feature virtual reality stations, interactive art projects, and hands on experiences.
Free admission
Raising STEAM Youth workshop: Intro to Game Development and Coding (ages 7-12)
Thursday, January 23, 4-5:30pm
Students will be introduced to available learning platforms that teach coding through game design.
Instructors: Malcolm and Fern Howard
Free to students by advance registration.
This workshop is full, please call Kip Bradley at 912.790.8823 to be placed on the waitlist.
Raising STEAM Youth workshop: Intro to Game Development and Coding (ages 7-12)
Friday, January 24, 4-5:30pm
Students will be introduced to available learning platforms that teach coding through game design.
This session is a repeat of the session on January 23.
Instructors: Malcolm and Fern Howard
Free to students by advance registration.
Raising STEAM Youth workshop: Useless Gadgets
Saturday, January 25, 10am
Join Chris Thompson from Maven Makers for this fun project. Come build a useless (but cool!) mystery gadget and have fun learning soldering and electronics in the process.
Ages 7-12.
Instructor: Chris Thompson
Free to students by advance registration.
This workshop is full, please call Kip Bradley at 912.790.8823 to be placed on the waitlist.
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Neil Mendoza, Robotic Voice Activated Word Kicking Machine, 2016, baritone horns, tubing, microphone, speakers, a mechanical foot and a projector, software written in openFrameworks;
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Max Almy, Teri, Yarbrow, Immanence, 2020, Digital Waterjet Cut Patinated Copper, Projection, and Augmented Reality Experience.
