Eastern Bloc lab is a site for research and production of art existing at the intersection of science and technology. The lab is a platform for experimentation, education and critical thought in practices informed by hybrid, interactive, networked and process-driven approaches. Through artist-led discourse, the lab provides an inclusive space for exploration of contemporary digital culture as it relates to larger societal concerns. Eastern Bloc’s lab is intended primarily, but not exclusively, for emerging artists, both local and international. Our aim is to allow for a new space to emerge for new media creation, through the deconstruction of the digital language and understanding of its fundamental systems and mechanisms. Eastern Bloc's lab is a member of the Canadian network of media labs, LabàLab.
The mandate of the lab is :
- To offer a shared lab space and material resources to emerging and established artists for the research and production of electronic and digital/new media art.
- To provide the emerging artist community with a dedicated space and technical support for artists in residence, as part of an ongoing residency program.
- To foster a community driven space through an open membership
- To promote the democratization of technology through hands-on learning opportunities by way of regular workshop and discussion programming.
- To engage in the current critical discourse relating to digital culture and its socio-political implications through regular conferences, panel discussions and artist talks.
- To develop custom tools and software in collaboration with the membership and in response to specific artistic needs.
- To provide a dissemination platform for projects conceptualized and realized in the lab.
- To support and encourage the Open Source movement, through the use of open software and hardware, as well as Maker culture from an artistic perspective.
- To develop partnerships with other labs on a national and international level and encourage the sharing of resources.
- To foster outreach initiatives with the local community.
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