S+T+ARTS E(C)HO

In the digital age and the decades of societal and environmental emergency states that we live in, science, technology, and industry have hit the innovation ceiling. New approaches, alternative perspectives, and creative solutions to inspire progress and accelerate development are needed: Artistic thinking can provide the boost we need to tackle the great challenges of our times. 

Science, Technology and Arts form a nexus at which insightful observers have identified high potential for innovation. STARTS EC(H)O’s main objective is building towards the triple transformation and developing artist-led approaches through creative experimentation and recognising the most successful ones:

• Through S+T+ARTS residencies, artists are enabled to develop new pilots on human-centered and sustainable technologies in the fields of AI, high-performance computing, simulation & visualisation, digital twins, medical tech or circular economy. This is the pillar HLRS is involved in the most by hosting 4 such residenies along the following challenges:
  • “VR Terroir” by Bernat Cuní - Virtual Representations of Users (Challenge #5)
    VR Terroir by Bernat Cuní is a research project exploring user representation in Virtual and Augmented Reality environments. While HLRS provides advanced solutions for immersive scientific data exploration, one of the challenges with building such collaborative VR environments lies in creating user avatars that avoid the “uncanny valley,” support non-verbal communication, and balance realism with abstraction. Inspired by the concept of terroir in winemaking—where local soil, climate, and culture shape the final product VR Terroir proposes a new approach to digital identity. Instead of generic, sterile, and biased representations, avatars would reflect hyperlocal cultural and environmental influences, grounding virtual presence in meaningful, place-based authenticity.
  • “Looping” by Oliver Kruse - Technological solutions inspired by nature (Challenge #6)
    In his project Looping Oliver Kruse draws inspiration from nature’s aerodynamics, more specifically the maple seed’s effortless flight patterns. His project combines his unique artistic vision with advanced computational modelling, simulation and visualization - core competences of HLRS. Within the timeframe of the residency, the aimed for result is a 6 meter wide maple seed inspired wing sculpture built out of metal by collaborators at Kälin Aero and at least one test flight. The way there is riddled with artistic/scientific experiments, flight simulations and a multitude of prototypes out of diverse materials. The initial interest of the aerodynamics community is a promising sign for the possibility of a more concrete exploitation of the project’s results in the realm of aircraft design.
  • “HPC Data Symphonies” by Krill Benzi - Transforming Logs into Visual Narratives (Challenge #7)
    With HPC Data Symphonies Kirell Benzi transforms the high-performance computing logs of HLRS into immersive WebVR visualizations, making it easy and intuitive to interact and even converse with this otherwise rather abstract data. His work with HLRS' converged computing department explores real-time data interaction through clustering algorithms and local language models, merging aesthetics and technology.
  • “Merging Visions” by Merve Sahin - Urban Digital Twins for the Salzburg Festival (Challenge #8)
    Merging Visions by Merve Sahin is a research-driven project that explores and extends the concept of digital twins by combining the artist’s creative vision with the HLRS visualization department’s experience with urban digital twins using our consortium partner Salzburg Festival and their latest building project as a case study. Together they aim to create a mixed-reality experience that combines digital media with tangible interfaces and allows audiences to explore urban twins in a new way. Specifically, the newly planned festival area of Salzburg Festival will become the main exploration point - though this research could have a broader impact on the way cities, urban environments, festivals and public spaces are planned and envisioned.
• S+T+ARTS Prize highlights and promote outstanding technology-driven artistic projects and the achievements of the teams behind them towards the green transition and social sustainability. Two Grand Prizes, for Artistic Exploration and Innovative Collaboration, each with €20,000 prize money, are offered to honor innovative projects at the intersection of science, technology and the arts: The emphasis of both prizes lies on the creative appropriation and employment of technologies as well as the search for unique constellations of collaboration from the S+T+ARTS fields;
• An annual AIxMusic program at Sónar Festival will create an international platform for pushing limits of digital technology and exploring the compatibility of digital with human values and needs through artistic thinking.