On April 15, 2015, Beijing International Media Architecture Summit 2015 was held at the Auditorium of CAFA Art Museum, and the meeting was the highest-level summit in the field of international media architecture to be held in China. This summit brought together the pioneers and explorers at home and abroad, introducing their most recent achievements, situations and ideas in media architecture, and a discussion on the innovative cooperative mode of art and technology, in order to promote the establishment of an interdisciplinary academic exchange platform and an organizational mechanism.

First of all, Su Xinping, Vice President of CAFA and Chang Zhigang, Deputy Dean of the School of Architecture, CAFA addressed the opening ceremony, they expressed their pleasure in the fact that CAFA pays attention to and supports media architecture as well as a summary of the action and plan for media architecture. Then, Dr. M. Hank Haeusler and Dr. Martin Tomitsch, founders of MAI (Media Architecture Institute) briefly introduced the nature and main work of MAI. Subsequently, Vita Jan Edler, an architect from Germany, Professor Dave Colangelo from the University of Toronto, Canada, Zhao Zizhong, Dean of the Institute of New Media, Communication University of China gave a speech.

After the event in the morning, Chang Zhigang, Dr. M. Hank Haeusler and Dr. Martin Tomitsch, Zhang Jiarui, Chairman of the Grand Canyon Technology Corp. Vita Jan Edler, an architect from Germany attended the press conference, held at the VIP room of CAFA Art Museum. The media questioned them about the definition of media architecture, the relationships between media architecture, the intelligent city and future of human society, as well as the relationship between CAFA and media architecture, etc.

Chang Zhigang said, “We still lack the definition for media architecture which is approved of by everyone. Seen from the definition declared by MAI, media architecture is the intersection of physical space and virtual space, where the medium size landscape operations and architectural structures can be generated. Seen from three aspects of media architecture, firstly it is the strong characteristics of media and digital imaging which is combined with the external and internal skin of the building, so that the building has the property of public media and social communication. Secondly, there is an attribute to art as to some extent, media architecture is public art, with an indispensable concept of public art, exerting an artistic and positive social effect in public space. Rather than the stacked technologies, art is an important trait. Thirdly, it is the trans-boundary characteristic, media architecture is the combination of various categories, such as architecture, planning, sociology, communication and intellectual control, interactive media, visual communication, public art, energy saving and public management of the government, which is in need of collaboration and innovation within various disciplines.” M. Hank Haeusler added that comparing media architecture with light, which only changed the atmosphere, media architecture offered a variety of forms, such as text, imaging, etc., to communicate with the audience. Martin Tomitsch thought media architecture was facing a key challenge on how to interact with people. Vita Jan Edlersaid the building itself was already media which was deduced by the parts of the building, living in the eyes of the public.

Chang Zhigang highlighted that art played an important role in the media architecture, which was one of the reasons why CAFA organized the summit. Chang said the establishment of the “Media Architecture Studio” of the School of Architecture, CAFA was grounded on the breakthrough of the original architectural teaching framework which integrated more new and interdisciplinary ideas. “Media Architecture Studio” collaborates with “National Semiconductor Lighting Project Research and Development Industry Alliance”, where the designers, scientists, artists help each other, understand each other, to jointly promote the building becoming a social impact. “Media Architecture Studio” was later renamed “Media Architecture Experimental Studio”, employing the professionals in a variety of fields from different countries to offer teaching, and it is supported by “Beijing High-Tech and the Innovation Centre for Visual Art”.

Definition of an Intelligent City:Minutes of Beijing International Media Architecture Summit 2015

At 1:30 pm on April 15, 2015, presided over by M. Hank Haeusler, “Definition of an Intelligent City”, a section of Beijing International Media Architecture Summit was held at the Auditorium of CAFA Art Museum.

M. Hank Haeusler started from Australia and the related media architectures, to discuss how modern science and technology, combined with LED technology, internet networks, intelectual control, was more systematically applied to urban planning, to provide people with a more convenient and comfortable living environment.

Professor Zhang Guoqi from Delft University of Technology, Nederland, said the relationship between technology and art was subtly complementary or contrasting when the product value of the high-tech company quickly decreased along with time, the artwork had lasting charm, if they both obtained a new exchange, it would be able to upgrade the connotation and value of science and technology.

Professor Martin Tomitsch, from Australia, put forward the concept of the “intelligent environment”, designing and creating the software that perceived the environments in a variety of sizes, which could be adjusted according to individual demands, and could be used in the home, hospital, etc.

He believes that the interactions between creations and technology in architecture, the transformation of visual information has become its core, which can be used in various ways in diferent venues, if combined with the ingenuity of designers, the application of energy can be taken into account.

Exploration and Experiment of Media Architecture: Minutes of Beijing International Media Architecture Summit 2015

Firstly he talked about the start, exploration and prospect of media architecture, then the scholar Prof. Rong Haolei said he was like a lighting designer, who was expected to respect the building, follow the rhythm of the building, to make the spatial turns so forming an interest with walls.

David Castaneda said that, in the future, lighting was not only for illumination, but also focused on the problems of energy and the environment at the same time.

Professor Zheng Jianwei said that, in addition to meeting the basic functions, the specific ideology was hidden by urban architectureat the same time, so it used specific discourse to claim the national identity and position which was different fromforeign ones.

Text by Zhang Chi and Chen Wenrou, Photo by Zhang Wenzhi/CAFA ART INFO

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO