Adil Bokhari PhD Cand. ETH Zürich
Agostino Nickl PhD Cand. ETH Zürich
Prof. Dr. Karla Saldaña Ochoa University of Florida
Prof. Lee-Su Huang University of Florida

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PANELS

DAY 1 - 12.06 - 10:30 CEST

Measuring Distances in the Manifold
Dimensions, Measures, Distances

Moderated by: Karla Saldana Ochoa / University of Florida

Our planet's multifaceted and elusive features compel us to understand its complexity through abstractions. We develop tools to precisely describe this complexity, creating maps and models to measure these inherent intricacies. Derived from the Latin "Modus" (manner) and "Modo" (to measure), a model abstracts and measures dimensions, projecting them onto a simplified geometrical space. Thus, models serve as specific renderings of partial maps of reality. Today, Artificial Intelligence stands at the forefront, with digital data as the modern map and various representations emerging as models. In architecture, maps and models are crucial in describing design outputs. Architects process digital data to create specific articulations, bridging the gap between abundance and specificity. This panel will explore how AI models embody spatial abundance, illustrating this concept through comprehensive examples.

Talks by:

1. Andrew Witt / Harvard GSD - Certain Measures

2. Frederick Chando Kim / EPFL

3. Agostino Nickl + Adil Bokhari / ETH Zurich

DAY 1 - 12.06 - 14:30 CEST

Projecting Dimensions in the Sensible
Surfaces, Textures, Appearances

Moderated by: Adil Bokhari / ETH Zurich

This panel will explore the concept of dimensional reduction and its relationship to human senses. We'll examine how while working with neural networks we are in a mathematical space that connects billions of data points beyond our sensory perception, yet we translate these connections into visual, auditory, or tactile experiences. For instance, OpenAI's GPT model, trained solely on text, understands that purple lies between red and blue. This "vicarious" sensing by AI intersects with our own sensory experiences, creating a unique form of synaesthesia. We will discuss how this phenomenon compels us to rethink, augment, and even invent our senses. How do we navigate this new scale of AI where sensing is outsourced to non-human intelligences? What new formats, forms of coherence, and storytelling ideas emerge from this sensory collapse?

Talks by:

4. Mariana Popescu / TU Delft

5. Benjamin Dillenburger/ ETH Zurich

6. Elena Manferdini / Sci-Arc - Atelier Manferdini

DAY 2 - 13.06 - 10:00 CEST

Sculpting Bodies in Light
Volumes, Stereotomies, Bodies

Moderated by: Lee-Su Huang / University of Florida

In an era inundated with multimodal data and diverse media, how do we rethink the concept of form existing simultaneously in various spaces? Mass, weight, and volume now transcend pure physicality, challenging traditional notions of presence and structure. This panel will delve into contemporary notions of form, exploring how digital media and data reshape our understanding of continuity, unity, and iconicity. We will discuss the implications of creating forms with multiple facets and how light and digital tools redefine our perception of volume. The conversation will focus on articulating different aspects of a project through multiple algorithms, highlighting how today's practitioners navigate and utilize this vast array of information to address volumetrics. Emphasis will be placed on innovative approaches and the profound impact of technology on shaping and perceiving space and form

Talks by:

7. Julius von Bismarck / Studio Julius von Bismarck

8. Sara Codarin / LTU

9. Kathrin Doerfler / TU Munich

DAY 2 - 13.06 - 14:00 CEST

Telling Stories in Synchronicity
Presence, Fabulation, Characters

Moderated by: Agostino Nickl / ETH Zurich

Everything communicates, storing, sending and receiving information; Distinctions between what’s on- and off-screen seem superseded, and categories as actual or virtual feel strangely out of time. What forms of contemporary storytelling can emerge from such an interconnected condition? Behind the ever more impressive graphics and sounds our computers process, there are tropes, imaginaries, fabulations and imaginaries at play that are integral to the human experience. The discussion will focus on innovative approaches to storytelling that leverage this digital synchronicity, examining the possibilities for new narrative forms, immersions, characters and architectures that emerge from our hyper-connected reality.

Talks by:

10. You+Pea / Bartlett UCL

11. Lee-Su Huang + Jimmy Cheng / University of Florida

12. Karla Saldana Ochoa / University of Florida + Zoe Ryan / Nvidia