Panel Discussion

Why does situatedness matter in exploring the dynamic relationship between art and information technology?

Focus of the Panel Session

Although originating in feminist studies, the notion of ‘situatedness’ has been widely applied in information technology research. From Lucy Suchman’s groundbreaking work on interface design through ‘situated action’ to William J. Clancey’s situated approach to human knowledge and computer representations, the idea that the human mind is ontologically and functionally intertwined with environmental, social, and cultural factors is widely accepted. However, with the notable exception of media artists like Simon Penny, the relevance of situatedness for the production and presentation of art, particularly at the intersection with information technology, is less commonly acknowledged. In this domain, the dominant modes of creation and presentation remain studio-based practice and white cube exhibition. This panel invites participants to illustrate and reflect on the rich tradition of situated approaches in information technology and to discuss their relevance for the ArtsIT community.

Panel Chair

Michel van Dartel

Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology, Avans University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands

Bio:

Michel van Dartel (b.1976) is tenured Research Professor of Situated Art, Design and Technology at the Avans Centre of Applied Research for Art, Design and Technology (CARADT). He holds an MSc in cognitive psychology and a PhD in artificial intelligence, both from Maastricht University, and was affiliated with V2_Lab for the Unstable Media between 2005 and 2024. Alongside his work at CARADT, Van Dartel also acts as an independent curator and freelance advisor to art and design academies, presentation platforms, funding and governmental bodies.

Panel Speakers

Elizabeth Churchill

Dept Chair and Professor of Human Computer Interaction,
MBZUAI – Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, UAE

Bio:
Dr. Elizabeth F. Churchill is a recognized pioneer and global leader in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Social Computing.

An Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Fellow and former Vice President of both the ACM and ACM’s Special Interest Group on Human Computer Interaction (SIGCHI), she has consistently built bridges between abstract social science theory and large-scale commercial innovation. She is renowned for translating insights from psychology, cognitive science and work practice studies into actionable design principles for consumer and designer/developer products and platforms.

Her executive leadership in research at organizations including PARC, Yahoo Research, eBay, and Google has ensured that her human-centered design approach has had significant impact across a number of technical arenas.

Beyond product development, Churchill has been instrumental in setting standards, innovating research methods, and collaboratively establishing ethical governance of the global HCI and UX profession. As the founding department chair of the HCI Department at MBZUAI, her current work remains a critical link between academia and industry, focused on the practical, responsible design of complex systems and the emerging challenges of Human-AI Co-Design.

Eirini (Irene) Mavrommati

Professor, School of Applies Arts and Sustainable Design,

Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece

Bio:

Eirini (Irene) Mavrommati is a Design Professor at the School of Applied Arts and Sustainable Design of the Hellenic Open University. She directs the Master of Arts Programs: “Design of Visual Effects and Animation” (SOK) and “Graphic Arts – Multimedia” (GTP) and coordinates the GTP51 Thematic Unit: Graphic Design. She has previously worked for Computer Technology Institute CTI-Diofantos (Patra), Philips Design (Eindhoven), University of the Aegean, University of Patras. She is involved in user experience design, interaction design and graphical user interfaces, interactive applications, with a focus on end user development and pervasive computing experiences. She has coordinated competitively funded European FET research projects. She served as a board member in the Disappearing Computer Network, and founding member in Convivio Network and IoT council, among others. She has served as organizing committee in international networks events, exhibitions and conferences, and as invited editor in thematic issues of scientific journals. She participates in art and technology exhibitions with interactive installations, research prototypes and products. Her research work focusses on interacting with pervasive computing environments, design teaching, and the role of creative ideation in technological products creation