Knowbotic Research
Encyclopedia
Knowbotic Research is a German
-Swiss
electronic art
group, established in 1991. Its members are Yvonne Wilhelm, Christian Hübler and Alexander Tuchacek. They hold a professorship for Art and Media at the University of the Arts in Zurich.
Switzerland.
The Knowbotic Research group has experimented with the intersection of technology
, information
and knowledge
, interface
, immersive virtual reality and networked agency. In their work Simulation Mosaik Data Klaenge from 1993, they experimented with so called intelligent agent
, applications which can conglomerate diaphanous information by themselves (also called knowbot
s) and intelligent virtual spaces (flexible information-environments distributed in electronic networks). Knowbotic Research KR+cF has regularly invited people from non-art fields to participate in their projects, such as scientists, philosophers and engineers, depending on the concept of each project. In partnership with the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Knowbotic Research KR+cF has founded Membrane, a laboratory for media strategies, in 1995. In their more recent work, they created media-based projects that try to intervene in the (physical or digital) public domain
.
Knowbotic is a coinage that combined “knowledge” with “robot
”, meaning intellectual agent on the Internet. Knowbotic has developed some projects themed on an information environment and a computer interface. Since 1998, it has become more flexible, and with these main three of them, different members from various fields such as art, science, and philosophy, have joined in each program. In 1997, it worked with Japanese art group, Canon Art Lab, in Tokyo. This project aimed at revealing the function of the city by interacting between real and virtual world
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
electronic art
Electronic art
Electronic art is a form of art that makes use of electronic media or, more broadly, refers to technology and/or electronic media. It is related to information art, new media art, video art, digital art, interactive art, internet art, and electronic music...
group, established in 1991. Its members are Yvonne Wilhelm, Christian Hübler and Alexander Tuchacek. They hold a professorship for Art and Media at the University of the Arts in Zurich.
History
Yvonne Wilhelm (born 1962), Christian Huebler (born 1962), Alexander Tuchacek (born 1962) are based in ZurichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
Switzerland.
The Knowbotic Research group has experimented with the intersection of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, information
Information
Information in its most restricted technical sense is a message or collection of messages that consists of an ordered sequence of symbols, or it is the meaning that can be interpreted from such a message or collection of messages. Information can be recorded or transmitted. It can be recorded as...
and knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
, interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
, immersive virtual reality and networked agency. In their work Simulation Mosaik Data Klaenge from 1993, they experimented with so called intelligent agent
Intelligent agent
In artificial intelligence, an intelligent agent is an autonomous entity which observes through sensors and acts upon an environment using actuators and directs its activity towards achieving goals . Intelligent agents may also learn or use knowledge to achieve their goals...
, applications which can conglomerate diaphanous information by themselves (also called knowbot
Knowbot
A knowbot is a kind of bot that collects information by automatically gathering certain specified information from web sites.KNOWBOT is the acronym for Knowledge-Based Object Technology...
s) and intelligent virtual spaces (flexible information-environments distributed in electronic networks). Knowbotic Research KR+cF has regularly invited people from non-art fields to participate in their projects, such as scientists, philosophers and engineers, depending on the concept of each project. In partnership with the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, Knowbotic Research KR+cF has founded Membrane, a laboratory for media strategies, in 1995. In their more recent work, they created media-based projects that try to intervene in the (physical or digital) public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
.
Knowbotic is a coinage that combined “knowledge” with “robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
”, meaning intellectual agent on the Internet. Knowbotic has developed some projects themed on an information environment and a computer interface. Since 1998, it has become more flexible, and with these main three of them, different members from various fields such as art, science, and philosophy, have joined in each program. In 1997, it worked with Japanese art group, Canon Art Lab, in Tokyo. This project aimed at revealing the function of the city by interacting between real and virtual world
Virtual world
A virtual world is an online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. The term has become largely synonymous with interactive 3D virtual environments, where the users take the form of...
.
Awards
Knowbotic Research has been exhibited widely and has received several prizes, including:- Two Prix Ars ElectronicaPrix Ars ElectronicaThe Prix Ars Electronica is one of the most important yearly prizes in the field of electronic and interactive art, computer animation, digital culture and music...
Golden Nicas (in 1994 and 1998) - The Claasen Prize for Media Art and Photography, Cologne
- The international ZKM Media-art award
- The August Seeling-Award of Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum