LAb(au) explained

LAb[au]| image =| caption = laboratory for
architecture and urbanism| formation = | purpose = | location = Brussels, Belgium| coords = | membership = digital art, electronic art| website = }}

LAb[au] is an artist group founded 1997 in Brussels, Belgium with the aim to examine the influence of advanced technologies in the forms, methods and content of art.[1] Members are: Manuel Abendroth and Jérôme Decock. Former members were: co-founder Naziha Mestaoui (until 2000), Grégoire Verhaegen (until 2003), Pieter Heremans (until 2006),Alexandre Plennevaux (until 2009) and Els Vermang (until 2022).

From the name 'LAb[au]' one can read in ‘LAB’ (standing for an experimental approach) and ‘BAU’ (ger. = construction / providing a link to Bauhaus[2]) both a reference to the group's approach to work.[3]

Laboratory for Architecture and Urbanism

With a background in architecture its members and projects are concerned with the construct of ‘space’ and the way it can be planned, experienced and conceptualised in the Information Age.[4] The attention lies in the relation between architecture, light and advanced technologies.[5]

The projects of LAb[au] deal with processes and systems based on different rules.[6] This method is determined by the technological and artistic parameters and qualified by the artists as metadesign.[7]

MediaRuimte

This alliance between theory and practice motivated the group to found the gallery 'MediaRuimte' in the city centre of Brussels in 2003. The gallery work stands for LAb[au]'s typical function as a collaborative art agency as for a trans-disciplinary work,[8] being expressed through a program ranging not only over exhibitions, screenings and audiovisual performances, but also to conferences, artist-residencies and workshops.[9] Featured artists range from Manfred Mohr to Nicolas Schöffer, Casey Reas, Limiteazero and Frank Bretschneider to Mika Vainio.[10]

Exhibitions

Artworks/Projects

  • 2001-... sPace Navigable Music
  • 2003-05 Man in (with Marc Wathieu, res publica, Marianne Descamps & Claudia Miazzo)
  • 2003-07 liquid space (with many artists ranging from Marius Watz to Frank Bretschneider, Holger Lippmann & Lev Manovich)
  • 2005 liquid space book
  • 2005 point, line, surface computed in seconds[12]
  • 2006 PixFlow#1
  • 2006 12m4s
  • 2006 EOD #02 (with Frederik de Wilde)[13]
  • 2006 Touch (on Dexia Tower)
  • 2007 Who's afraid of Red, Green & Blue? - chrono.tower (on Dexia Tower)
  • 2007 spectr[a]um (on Dexia Tower with Limiteazero, H. Lippmann, O. Bender & F. Bretschneider from raster-noton and the Balanescu Quartet)
  • 2007 PixFlow#2
  • 2008 Who's afraid of Red, Green & Blue? - weather.tower (on Dexia Tower)
  • 2008 Binary Waves[14]
  • 2009 SwarmDots
  • 2009 Chrono Prints
  • 2009 Framework f5x5x5

External links

Notes and References

  1. 2002, Spark-Online Magazine Version 31.0 connective inter.face—archite[x]tures]
  2. Susanne Maßmann in: Exhibition Catalogue of 'Young Belgian Painter Awards', Brussels 2009
  3. F. Massad & A. Guerrero Yeste in: Experimenta Magazine #45, page 74, July 2003, Madrid
  4. 'Bright, architectural illumination and light installations' by Frame Publishers & Die Gestalten Verlag, 2008
  5. http://www.tasarimgroup.com.tr/eng_hakkimizda.htm Tasarim
  6. Yves Bernard & Domenico Quaranta: 'Holyfire - art of the digital age', Brussels, 2008
  7. Maurizio Vitta - 'Agora, Dreams and Visions', published in: l'ARCA nr. 176, December 2002, Milan, Italy
  8. Club Transmediale: 'CTM 07 catalogue', Berlin 2007
  9. Liesbeth Huybrechts - 'Crossover - Kunst, media en technologie in Vlaanderen', BAM & Belgian Lannoo Campus, 2008
  10. https://archive.today/20120722131927/http://www.brusselnieuws.be/artikels/cultuur/de-laatste-radioadem-van-mika-vainio BrusselsNieuws
  11. Web site: Sankt Peter Köln | Jesuitenkirche Sankt Peter Köln.
  12. Web site: Point, Line, Surface computed in seconds – Lab[au] | Interactive Architecture Lab.
  13. Web site: Networked_Performance — EOD 02 _ electric organ discharge 02 [Paris].
  14. Web site: Comatics Festival • Appreciating Art + Design.