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.

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.

• University profile
• LinkedIn profile

TBA