How I Learned to LOVE RFID

20 Mayıs 2006

The series of lectures brings together approaches and projects that artistically and critically deal with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technology - a technology that is significantly being developed and advanced by companies and research institutes in Dortmund. This technology which at first glance seems to be a simple further development of the bar code (well known from the supermarket) is much more powerful that
the good old bar code technology. RFID tags are passive radio transmitters, which upon receiving a minor wireless energy impulse are sending back the information stored on their memory.

Today, this information can be read already at a distance of six meters - without the process getting noticed. In addition, with its unique
identification numbering system, this technology will allow for a precise identification of every object worldwide. What will it be like to live in a world where all the objects constantly will be talking to each other?

PROGRAM

10:00 Begruessung und Einfuehrung / Welcome and Introduction
Dr. Inke Arns (Hartware MedienKunstVerein, Dortmund) Rasa Smite (RIXC, Center for New Media Culture, Riga) Francis Hunger (Hartware MedienKunstVerein, Dortmund)

11.00 Keynote: Bruce Sterling (Autor, Belgrad / writer, Belgrade)
Bruce Sterling is a science fiction writer who has, among others, shaped the notion of “cyberspace" together with William Gibson
(“Neuromancer"). In his blog blog.wired.com/sterling/ he discusses future technological developments.

12:00 Rena Tangens, padeluun (FoeBuD e.V., Bielefeld) Rena Tangens and padeluun are the most articulate and outspoken critics of RFID technology in Germany. They will speak about their Stop-RFID
campaign, the Metro scandal, the use of RFID in the context of the World Cup and sketch a future vision for the use of RFID compatible with privacy issues.

13:30 Break

14:30 Rob van Kranenburg (Virtual Platform, Amsterdam)
Rob van Kranenburg will speak about RFID and
Pervasive Computing, i.e. how computer technology
increasingly permeates our everyday life. He sees
RFID as an unavoidable logistics technology that
poses the question of social control.

15:30 Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Lammers (Fraunhofer
Institut Materialfluss und Logistik, Dortmund)
The Dortmund Fraunhofer Institute is one of the
most significant research centers for RFID
technology in Germany. An overview of its working
areas and current research projects will be given.

16:30 Rasa Smite, Raitis Smits (RIXC, Center for
New Media Culture, Riga) und Honor Harger, Adam
Hyde (radioqualia, NZ/AUS/GB/NL)
Rasa Smite and Raitis Smits will introduce RIXC,
the Center for New Media Culture in Riga and its
activities in the field of Locative Media. Honor
Harger and Adam Hyde (radioqualia) will speak
a.o. about Solar Radio Station, an installation
developed in cooperation with RIXC.

18:00 Pause

19:00 - 21:00 Solar Radio Station - Live
Installation (also on Sunday May 21, 2006)
The Riga based group Clausthome and VJ Martins
Ratniks (F5/RIXC) will perform live in the Solar
Radio Station. The live audio stream from the
VIRAC radio telescope in Irbene, carrying data
from the sun and from space, will be
electronically enhanced by Clausthome and
interpreted visually by VJ Martins Ratniks.

The lectures take place as a part of the workshop
“How I learned to love RFID" in the framework of
the exhibtion “mit allem rechnen/face the
unexpected. Media art from Estonia, Latvia and
Lithuania".
Cf.: www.hmkv.de/dyn/e_program_exhibitions/detail.php?nr=1225

“How I learned to love RFID" is a cooperation
between HMKV (Dortmund) and RIXC (Riga).

Venue:
Hartware MedienKunstVerein at the PHOENIX Halle,
Dortmund - Hochofenstr./ Rombergstr.,
Dortmund-Hoerde

Road description:
www.hmkv.de/dyn/e_contact_roaddescription/

URL:
www.hmkv.de
www.rixc.lv

Supported by:
Kulturbuero Stadt Dortmund, 38. internationale
kulturtage der stadt dortmund / scene: estland
lettland litauen in nrw, Kunststiftung NRW, Der
Ministerpraesident des Landes
Nordrhein-Westfalen, Kultusministerium der
Republik Lettland, Kultusministerium der Republik
Estland, Kultusministerium der Republik Litauen,
Botschaft der Republik Litauen in der
Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Lietuvos Institutas,
dortmund-project, LEG, PHOENIX, Coolibri (media
partner)