Algorithmic Patterns in Creative Arts, Craft, and Code
Alpaca
Online
Algorithmic Patterns in Creative Arts, Craft and Code
Salon dates: 23/24th November 2023 - please note that we have noticed these dates clash with a public holiday for some, and are looking into changing/adding dates to resolve this issue.
Image: Robot maypole dance, Dave Griffiths
Background
Humans have always explored algorithmic patterns, as creative, culturally-embedded ways to work beyond our imaginations. This salon will bring together people working with creative formalisations for pattern-making, whether they explore heritage or contemporary patterning techniques.
This theme emerges from heritage algorithms, found in ancient/ancestral creative practices in arts and crafts such as weaving, braiding, juggling and music-making, and developed through a long history of continual innovation. These heritage algorithms are structured by the procedures and rules of pattern - shifting, combining, reflecting, rotating, interfering, glitching, and combinations thereof, at multiple scales. They work both in the movements of the maker, and in perception of the result by the beholder.
Patterns are also seen in computing, from the binary operations involved in low-level machine code, to high-level operations used by creative coders. However, the word "pattern" is overloaded, often used to describe simple phenomena such as straightforward sequences in music. On the other hand, the word 'algorithm' is often used to describe unfathomable complexity. In combination, "Algorithmic Pattern" refers to human-made algorithms, where complex and surprising results can result from the combination of simple parts (or rules). This offers us rich ways of making; easy to learn but taking a lifetime to explore.
This call aims to bring people together who value deep, human curiosity into patterns. We hope this call excites you whether you are exploring strange patterns in heritage crafts or contemporary algorithmic art.
Image: Experimental weaving with AdaCAD, by Laura Devendorf and Marianne Fairbanks
Community
To discuss the topic with like-minded people, and browse previous discussions, please join the Algorithmic Pattern online forum.
Key dates
Deadline for submissions: 22nd September 2023
Notification of results: 20th October 2023
Deadline for updates to submissions: 10th November 2023
Salon dates: 23/24th November 2023 - please note that we have noticed these dates clash with a public holiday for some, and are looking into changing/adding dates to resolve this issue.
Location
The salon will be focused on online presentation, with local, in-person gatherings planned in Barcelona in Spain and Hamilton in Canada. Please get in touch if you are interested in hosting a gathering in your locality.
Outcomes
The primary purpose of the salon is to highlight work that helps define Algorithmic Pattern as an active field of research and practice. Accepted submissions will be published as proceedings, with each contribution archived (with a DOI reference). This will be open access, under a Creative Commons (BY-SA) license. Presentations will also be recorded, and with the permission of authors, archived. Contributors will be encouraged to submit further work to a conference the following year.
Submission process
Please note that the submission deadline has now passed.
Submissions to the salon will be via the 'pubpub' platform (see submission instructions below), and may include text, images, and video. Other media (e.g. software) can also be included in your submission via external link.
All submissions will then be reviewed and given feedback. All submissions with a clear contribution to the theme will be accepted wherever practical. Authors of accepted contributions will have the opportunity to respond to reviewers' comments in updating their contribution. This contribution will then be published as part of the salon proceedings.
Accepted authors will also be invited to introduce their contribution as part of the salon itself, via a short presentation.
Image: Internet of Towels, Anuradha Reddy
Finances
There is no charge for submitting a proposal. Participation in the salon will also be free of charge.
All live streams, publications and archives will be freely available as open access.
We are unfortunately not able to pay contributors for their time.
Access
If you have individual access requirements, please let us know and we will do our best to meet them.
Kate Sicchio, Jack Armitage, Paola Torres Núñez del Prado, Timo Hoogland, Tincuta Heinzel, J Reus, Berit Greinke, Daniel Jones, Miguel Carvalhais, Sarah Hennigh Groff-Palermo, Christian Faubel, Charlie Roberts, Mahalia Henry-Richards, Flor De Fuego , Anna Xambo, Becky Stewart, Maria Witek, Bekah Smith, Pablo Padilla, Lea Albaugh, Lina Bautista, Julia Múgica, Roger Pibernat, Lavannya Suressh, David Ogborn, Jia Liu, Benjamin Efrati, Maxwell Neely-Cohen, Raphael Bastide, Alicia Champling , Niklas Reppel, Ryan Ross Smith, Kofi Oduro
We are looking to expand this list, please get in touch if you are interested in helping.
Contact
If anything is unclear, or you have further questions, please do not hesitate to email Alex McLean: [email protected]
