KMDI Speaker Series Presents: Vicissitudes of a Transdiciplinary Maverick

The KMDI Speaker Series presents Nina Czegledy, an independent media artist, curator, and researcher.  

About Speaker:

Nina Czegledy, independent media artist, curator, and researcher, based in Toronto, Canada. She collaborates on international art & science & technology projects. The paradigm shifts in the arts in a cross-cultural context, interdisciplinary education, eco art and inter-generational issues inform her collaborations.

Most recent curatorial projects: Agents for change –Facing the Anthropocene, 2020, The Museum, Kitchener, Canada; Who’s you? October 2019, JD Reid Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand; Leonardo 50th at Cyber Arts, September 2018, ARS Electronica, Austria; Shared Passions, Canada/Mexico, on-going 2019-; Senses, Laznia Contemporary Art Centre, Gdansk, Poland, 2019-2021; Cosmos, 2020-24 Laznia, Gdansk, Poland.

Media art projects: Bunker May 2020 for Diefenbunker Project CHAC Canada, CODE on Inca Khibu-s in collaboration with Bettina Schuelke.

Academic Affiliations: OCAD University, Adjunct Professor, Toronto; Knowledge Media Design Institute/ Semaphore Labs, University of Toronto, Research Fellow; Hexagram International Network for Research Creation, Research Collaborator; Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Senior Fellow, Budapest; Moholy Nagy University of Arts and Design, Honorary Fellow, Budapest; Research Member Noema Scientific Committee, Bologna Italy

Board Membership: Leonardo/ISAST, Member of Governing Board (2008- ); Intercreate org. Chair, New Zealand (2014-); Year 01, Media Arts Collective, Toronto (2010-); Leonardo Space Arts Group, Paris (2009-); Critical Media Arts Society, Canada, President (2001-).

Abstract:

Vicissitudes of a Transdiciplinary Maverick

According to my CV, I am an independent artist, curator and researcher in the field of art, science and technology. In reality I work as a “connector” or in other words a Transdiciplinary Catalyst between diverse disciplines in different cultural contexts.

Originally, the term “catalyst” was used in chemistry for the volatile chemical element in a formula, however “Catalyst” has different functions in diverse cultural contexts.

The beginnings: my arrival to Canada several decades ago as a very young refugee from Central Europe, training first in biological research and afterwards in the arts in Toronto will be introduced very briefly.

To clarify the contextual background of my practice in Transdisciplinarity: it occurs when two or more discipline perspectives transcend each other to form a new holistic approach. The outcome will be completely different from what one would expect from the addition of the parts. Transdisciplinarity results in a type xenogenesis where output is created as a result of disciplines integrating to become something (hopefully) completely new (1).

The term maverick is used to refer to individuals who often take an independent unconventional, nonconformist stand and prefer to blaze their own trails. Mavericks are not scared to cross the line of conformity, intriguingly their unorthodox tactics often lead to results!

The illustrated presentation includes disparate examples of a long working practice ranging from selected examples of early biological research leading to peer-reviewed publications to collaborative interdisciplinary art installations, internationally exhibited art videos, television co-productions, educational projects, conference/ workshop presentations and importantly to some pioneering international touring art and science exhibitions/events on five continents.