The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program is the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2012 brings together more than 20,000 professionals from five continents, 5-9 August 2012 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Learn more at www.siggraph.org/s2012.
Watch the preview video by clicking here.
The 42nd International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques
08 May 2012
SIGGRAPH 2012 Emerging Technologies Preview
SIGGRAPH 2012 Emerging Technologies provides attendees an exclusive hands-on opportunity to interact with the newest developments in multiple fields including 3D displays, robotics, interactive input devices, and more.
SIGGRAPH 2012, 5-9 August at the Los Angeles Convention Center, welcomes 26 of the latest innovations selected by a jury of industry experts from 99 submissions. Countries represented include Japan, Hungary, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, United States, and China.
“Emerging Technologies demos allow attendees to directly experience novel systems. They provide a forum for presenters to showcase technology innovations and new interaction paradigms,” said Preston Smith, SIGGRAPH 2012 Emerging Technologies Chair from Laureate Institute for Brain Research. “Each one has an interactive component that is best experienced in person and involves either new technology or a novel use of existing technology. In many cases, these technologies won’t be seen by the general public for another three to five years and are right out of a research lab.”
Featured highlights from SIGGRAPH 2012 Emerging Technologies:
TELESAR V enables a user to bind with a dexterous robot and experience what that robot can feel with its fingertips when manipulating and touching objects remotely.
Chair Feedback: “Historically, robots have always been a popular Emerging Technologies attraction. This trend continues with the intriguing robotic presence of TELESAR V, a fifth generation robot that gives the user both the control of the robot and the experience that the robot is going through. Imagine being able to remotely perform some task, but also being able to feel the task that is being performed. The future applications are endless in the entertainment, science, or medical fields."
This futuristic system captures live HD footage with a wide-baseline multi-camera rig and estimates the depth map of the captured video streams based on which content is generated and presented on auto-stereoscopic 3D displays.
Chair Feedback: “Prepare to see something big this year at Emerging Technologies. We have a two-fold exhibit with an innovative camera rig for 3D capture, along with the largest (to date) auto-stereoscopic light-field 3D display! The presentation of this new rigging system is exciting enough, but you have to be able to experience this technology to fully appreciate it. Then witness the display of this amazing output on the impressive 140" (diagonal screen) glasses-free multi-view and light-field auto-stereoscopic 3D display. That is something to you really have to experience in person!”
This new light-field-display technology system uses stacks of time-multiplexed, attenuating layers illuminated by uniform or directional backlighting optimized with non-negative tensor factorization. Tensor displays achieve greater depths of field, wider fields of view, and thinner enclosures compared to prior auto-multiscopic displays.
Chair Feedback: “’Auto-multiscopic displays’ is certainly a mouthful. But saying ’3D without glasses‘ is well understood by all. Tensor displays are an exciting display technology and is the next logical step in our ever-growing home theater experiences. It allows the user to have a 3D experience via the display but without the assistance of glasses or other such wearable devices."
Since the 1960s, Optical Music Recognition (OMR) has matured for printed scores, but research on handwritten notation and interactive OMR has been limited. By combining notation with performance, Gosen makes music more intuitive and accessible.
Chair Feedback: “Music is something that everyone enjoys and is a universal language. Yet one aspect that is less understood is the technical perspective of writing and reading music scores. This is an innovative device that can read any handwritten score and play that music. It can even follow written instruction as far as what instrument is to be played. This will change the way children and adults learn, create, and interact with music.”
BOTANICUS INTERACTICUS is a technology for designing highly expressive interactive plants, both living and artificial. With a single wire placed anywhere in the soil, it transforms plants into multi-touch, gesture-sensitive, and proximity-sensitive controllers that can track a broad range of human interactions seamlessly, unobtrusively, and precisely.
Chair Feedback: “It is not a far stretch to imagine a computer being used to time the watering of plants. But how about using the plant as the actual interface to the computer? Imagine being able to use a plant on your coffee table to fast forward a movie. Lost the remote? Go ahead and use the plant. This is a novel application of a haptic device in a new and inventive way to manipulate technology. Future applications could be in the home or entertainment industry.”
This interactive virtual tennis system utilizes an ungrounded haptic device to render the ball impact accelerations and torques experienced in real tennis. Novel features include the A-shaped vibrating element with high-power actuators. The application utilizes racket mass distribution and high-amplitude bending for torque generation and haptic rendering.
Chair Feedback: "Many of our current electronic gameplay devices have done away with controllers. However, being able to receive certain feedback in gameplay is helpful for learning and also enhances the entertainment value. Learning tennis could be difficult if you expected to get a similar experience of playing a digital game with no controller and then made the transition to playing the real sport outside with a racket. This clever advancement provides the torque and impact of a real tennis match.”
Editor's note: The profiles of each of the 26 Emerging Technologies will be available on the S2012 website later this month. We will post an announcement here when they are published.
SIGGRAPH 2012, 5-9 August at the Los Angeles Convention Center, welcomes 26 of the latest innovations selected by a jury of industry experts from 99 submissions. Countries represented include Japan, Hungary, Canada, Singapore, South Korea, United States, and China.
“Emerging Technologies demos allow attendees to directly experience novel systems. They provide a forum for presenters to showcase technology innovations and new interaction paradigms,” said Preston Smith, SIGGRAPH 2012 Emerging Technologies Chair from Laureate Institute for Brain Research. “Each one has an interactive component that is best experienced in person and involves either new technology or a novel use of existing technology. In many cases, these technologies won’t be seen by the general public for another three to five years and are right out of a research lab.”
Featured highlights from SIGGRAPH 2012 Emerging Technologies:
TELESAR V: TELExistence Surrogate Anthropomorphic Robot
Charith Lasantha Fernando, Masahiro Furukawa, Tadatoshi Kurogi, Kyo Hirota, Katsunari Sato, Kouta Minamizawa, and Susumu Tachi, Keio University, Graduate School of Media Design; Sho Kamuro, The University of Tokyo TELESAR V enables a user to bind with a dexterous robot and experience what that robot can feel with its fingertips when manipulating and touching objects remotely.
Chair Feedback: “Historically, robots have always been a popular Emerging Technologies attraction. This trend continues with the intriguing robotic presence of TELESAR V, a fifth generation robot that gives the user both the control of the robot and the experience that the robot is going through. Imagine being able to remotely perform some task, but also being able to feel the task that is being performed. The future applications are endless in the entertainment, science, or medical fields."
3D Capturing Using Multi-Camera Rigs, Real-Time Depth Estimation, and Depth-Based Content Creation for Multi-View and Light-Field Auto-Stereoscopic Displays
Peter Tamas Kovacs, Holografika Kft., and Ferederik Zilly, Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz Institut This futuristic system captures live HD footage with a wide-baseline multi-camera rig and estimates the depth map of the captured video streams based on which content is generated and presented on auto-stereoscopic 3D displays.
Chair Feedback: “Prepare to see something big this year at Emerging Technologies. We have a two-fold exhibit with an innovative camera rig for 3D capture, along with the largest (to date) auto-stereoscopic light-field 3D display! The presentation of this new rigging system is exciting enough, but you have to be able to experience this technology to fully appreciate it. Then witness the display of this amazing output on the impressive 140" (diagonal screen) glasses-free multi-view and light-field auto-stereoscopic 3D display. That is something to you really have to experience in person!”
Tensor Displays
Matthew Hirsch, Douglas Lanman, Gordon Wetzstein, and Ramesh Raskar, MIT Media Lab This new light-field-display technology system uses stacks of time-multiplexed, attenuating layers illuminated by uniform or directional backlighting optimized with non-negative tensor factorization. Tensor displays achieve greater depths of field, wider fields of view, and thinner enclosures compared to prior auto-multiscopic displays.
Chair Feedback: “’Auto-multiscopic displays’ is certainly a mouthful. But saying ’3D without glasses‘ is well understood by all. Tensor displays are an exciting display technology and is the next logical step in our ever-growing home theater experiences. It allows the user to have a 3D experience via the display but without the assistance of glasses or other such wearable devices."
Gosen: A Handwritten Notation Interface for Musical Performance and Learning Music
Tetsuaki Baba, Tokyo Metropolitan University; Yuya Kikukawa, Toshiki Yoshiike, Tatsuhiko Suzuki, Rika Shoji, and Kumiko Kushiyama, Graduate School of Design, Tokyo Metropolitan University Since the 1960s, Optical Music Recognition (OMR) has matured for printed scores, but research on handwritten notation and interactive OMR has been limited. By combining notation with performance, Gosen makes music more intuitive and accessible.
Chair Feedback: “Music is something that everyone enjoys and is a universal language. Yet one aspect that is less understood is the technical perspective of writing and reading music scores. This is an innovative device that can read any handwritten score and play that music. It can even follow written instruction as far as what instrument is to be played. This will change the way children and adults learn, create, and interact with music.”
BOTANICUS INTERACTICUS: Interactive Plants Technology
Ivan Poupyrev, Disney Research, Pittsburgh and Philipp Schoessler, University of Arts Berlin BOTANICUS INTERACTICUS is a technology for designing highly expressive interactive plants, both living and artificial. With a single wire placed anywhere in the soil, it transforms plants into multi-touch, gesture-sensitive, and proximity-sensitive controllers that can track a broad range of human interactions seamlessly, unobtrusively, and precisely.
Chair Feedback: “It is not a far stretch to imagine a computer being used to time the watering of plants. But how about using the plant as the actual interface to the computer? Imagine being able to use a plant on your coffee table to fast forward a movie. Lost the remote? Go ahead and use the plant. This is a novel application of a haptic device in a new and inventive way to manipulate technology. Future applications could be in the home or entertainment industry.”
Ungrounded Haptic Rendering Device for Torque Simulation in Virtual Tennis
Wee Teck Fong, Ching Ling Chin, Farzam Farbiz, and Zhiyong Huang, Institute for Infocomm Research This interactive virtual tennis system utilizes an ungrounded haptic device to render the ball impact accelerations and torques experienced in real tennis. Novel features include the A-shaped vibrating element with high-power actuators. The application utilizes racket mass distribution and high-amplitude bending for torque generation and haptic rendering.
Chair Feedback: "Many of our current electronic gameplay devices have done away with controllers. However, being able to receive certain feedback in gameplay is helpful for learning and also enhances the entertainment value. Learning tennis could be difficult if you expected to get a similar experience of playing a digital game with no controller and then made the transition to playing the real sport outside with a racket. This clever advancement provides the torque and impact of a real tennis match.”
Editor's note: The profiles of each of the 26 Emerging Technologies will be available on the S2012 website later this month. We will post an announcement here when they are published.
04 May 2012
SIGGRAPH 2012 Courses Preview
Courses are short (1.5 hours) or half-day (3.25 hours) structured sessions that often include elements of interactive demonstration, performance, or other imaginative approaches to teaching. Attendees learn from leading experts in the field and gain inside knowledge that is critical to career advancement.
The spectrum of Courses ranges from an introduction to the foundations of computer graphics and interactive techniques for those new to the field to advanced instruction on the most current techniques and topics. Courses include core curricula taught by invited instructors as well as Courses selected from juried proposals.
A few highlights of Courses to look out for at SIGGRAPH 2012:
Physically Based Sound for Computer Animation
Authors: Doug James, Jeffrey Chadwick, and Changxi Zheng, Cornell University
This course addresses the need to make the principles and methods of physically based sound accessible to a broader graphics audience. It covers sound source models for numerous animated phenomena (rigid bodies, fracture, thin shells, cloth, fluids and fire), and take a hands-on approach to implementing practical systems.
Computational Displays: Combining Optical Fabrication, Computational Processing, and Perceptual Tricks to Build the Displays of the Future
Authors: Gordon Wetzstein, MIT Media Lab; Douglas Lanman, MIT Media Lab; Diego Gutierrez, Universidad de Zaragoza; Matthew Hirsch, MIT Media Lab
This course introduces computational displays that exploit the co-design of optical elements and efficient computational processing while taking particular characteristics of the human visual system into account; applications include 3D displays, next-generation projection systems, high dynamic range displays, perceptually-driven devices, and computational probes.
The complete Courses schedule will be available later this month. Click here for a list of 2011 Courses.
The spectrum of Courses ranges from an introduction to the foundations of computer graphics and interactive techniques for those new to the field to advanced instruction on the most current techniques and topics. Courses include core curricula taught by invited instructors as well as Courses selected from juried proposals.
A few highlights of Courses to look out for at SIGGRAPH 2012:
Physically Based Sound for Computer Animation
Authors: Doug James, Jeffrey Chadwick, and Changxi Zheng, Cornell University
This course addresses the need to make the principles and methods of physically based sound accessible to a broader graphics audience. It covers sound source models for numerous animated phenomena (rigid bodies, fracture, thin shells, cloth, fluids and fire), and take a hands-on approach to implementing practical systems.
Computational Displays: Combining Optical Fabrication, Computational Processing, and Perceptual Tricks to Build the Displays of the Future
Authors: Gordon Wetzstein, MIT Media Lab; Douglas Lanman, MIT Media Lab; Diego Gutierrez, Universidad de Zaragoza; Matthew Hirsch, MIT Media Lab
This course introduces computational displays that exploit the co-design of optical elements and efficient computational processing while taking particular characteristics of the human visual system into account; applications include 3D displays, next-generation projection systems, high dynamic range displays, perceptually-driven devices, and computational probes.
The complete Courses schedule will be available later this month. Click here for a list of 2011 Courses.
03 May 2012
SIGGRAPH Media Registration Now Open
At SIGGRAPH 2012, artistic ability, scientific innovation, and everything in between converge to inspire and be inspired by the largest, most diverse gathering in computer graphics and interactive techniques in Los Angeles for the 39th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, 5-9 August 2012.
Online media registration is now open. To receive the latest breaking news from SIGGRAPH 2012 exhibitors, register by 29 June. Online registration will close 2 August.
Please note: Even if you have qualified for a SIGGRAPH media badge in the past, you must re-qualify for SIGGRAPH 2012. Register online and return all required supporting documentation via fax, mail, or email to the address below:
SIGGRAPH 2012 Media Relations
401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: +1.312.673.4933
Fax: +1.312.673.6707
media@siggraph.org
For a list of the documents required to complete your registration, please reference the SIGGRAPH 2012 Media Policies. For questions and assistance with your pre-show coverage, contact: media@siggraph.org.
SIGGRAPH Mobile: A first-time SIGGRAPH program developed to showcase the incredible advancements in mobile development. Experience the latest discoveries in the field of mobile graphics and apps during a full day of presentations, panels, workshops, and demonstrations.
Computer Animation Festival: The leading annual festival for the world's most innovative, accomplished, and amazing digital film and video creators. This year’s selections include outstanding achievements in time-based art, scientific visualization, visual effects, real-time graphics, and narrative shorts. The Computer Animation Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award.
Real-Time Live!: Real-Time Live! is the premier showcase for the latest trends and techniques for pushing the boundaries of interactive visuals. As part of the Computer Animation Festival, an international jury selects submissions from a diverse array of industries to create a fast-paced, 45-minute show of cutting-edge, aesthetically stimulating real-time work.
Technical Papers: The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program is the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics and interactive techniques. At the conference, paper authors provide brief overviews of their work in the Technical Papers Fast Forward event, then they present their complete papers in 22.5-minute sessions that include 4.5 minutes of Q&A. A complete listing of all selected papers will be available on the web site in late May.
Courses: Presented by experts in the field, SIGGRAPH 2012 courses provide attendees inside knowledge that is critical to career advancement. The spectrum of Courses ranges from an introduction to the foundations of computer graphics and interactive techniques for those new to the field to advanced instruction on the most current techniques and topics.
Keeping you informed: Stay up to date on everything SIGGRAPH 2012 with our monthly conference newsletter SIGGRAPHITTI, Facebook, and Twitter.
For complete details on all of the dynamic content available at SIGGRAPH 2012, or to register as media for the event, visit the For Media section of the SIGGRAPH 2012 web site.
Online media registration is now open. To receive the latest breaking news from SIGGRAPH 2012 exhibitors, register by 29 June. Online registration will close 2 August.
Please note: Even if you have qualified for a SIGGRAPH media badge in the past, you must re-qualify for SIGGRAPH 2012. Register online and return all required supporting documentation via fax, mail, or email to the address below:
SIGGRAPH 2012 Media Relations
401 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2200
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: +1.312.673.4933
Fax: +1.312.673.6707
media@siggraph.org
For a list of the documents required to complete your registration, please reference the SIGGRAPH 2012 Media Policies. For questions and assistance with your pre-show coverage, contact: media@siggraph.org.
SIGGRAPH 2012 Media Highlights include:
SIGGRAPH Mobile: A first-time SIGGRAPH program developed to showcase the incredible advancements in mobile development. Experience the latest discoveries in the field of mobile graphics and apps during a full day of presentations, panels, workshops, and demonstrations.
Computer Animation Festival: The leading annual festival for the world's most innovative, accomplished, and amazing digital film and video creators. This year’s selections include outstanding achievements in time-based art, scientific visualization, visual effects, real-time graphics, and narrative shorts. The Computer Animation Festival is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival. Since 1999, several works originally presented in the Computer Animation Festival have been nominated for or have received a "Best Animated Short" Academy Award.
Real-Time Live!: Real-Time Live! is the premier showcase for the latest trends and techniques for pushing the boundaries of interactive visuals. As part of the Computer Animation Festival, an international jury selects submissions from a diverse array of industries to create a fast-paced, 45-minute show of cutting-edge, aesthetically stimulating real-time work.
Technical Papers: The SIGGRAPH Technical Papers program is the premier international forum for disseminating new scholarly work in computer graphics and interactive techniques. At the conference, paper authors provide brief overviews of their work in the Technical Papers Fast Forward event, then they present their complete papers in 22.5-minute sessions that include 4.5 minutes of Q&A. A complete listing of all selected papers will be available on the web site in late May.
Courses: Presented by experts in the field, SIGGRAPH 2012 courses provide attendees inside knowledge that is critical to career advancement. The spectrum of Courses ranges from an introduction to the foundations of computer graphics and interactive techniques for those new to the field to advanced instruction on the most current techniques and topics.
Keeping you informed: Stay up to date on everything SIGGRAPH 2012 with our monthly conference newsletter SIGGRAPHITTI, Facebook, and Twitter.
For complete details on all of the dynamic content available at SIGGRAPH 2012, or to register as media for the event, visit the For Media section of the SIGGRAPH 2012 web site.
02 May 2012
Hébert Wins SIGGRAPH Lifetime Achievement Award in Digital Art
A steel ball rolls across a table covered with sand, its movement directed by one of Jean-Pierre Hébert's algorithms. The result is a mandala-like geometric pattern. © Jean-Pierre Hébert
From 1989 on, his work has appeared in 17 SIGGRAPH Art Galleries to date. In 1995, he co-founded “The Algorists” with Roman Verostko, joined by Hans Dehlinger, Helaman Ferguson, Manfred Mohr, Ken Musgrave, and Mark Wilson. Jean-Pierre Hébert was appointed Artist in Residence at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at UC Santa Barbara in June 2003.He has been awarded grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in 2006 and the David Bermant Foundation in 2009.
An image from the Hubble telescope of the most distant observed galaxies is interpreted by Hébert's software to create a network of lines on a large-format digital inkjet printer. (Original about 24 inches across.) © Jean-Pierre Hébert
Additional selected venues have included the Kavli Institute of Theoretical Physics, Brooklyn Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Tweed Museum, Getty Research Institute, New York Drawing Center, DAM (Berlin, Cologne). Hébert has resided in Santa Barbara, California since 1985. In addition to international exhibitions, he shows in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles venues and galleries.
Jean-Pierre Hébert is active as a public speaker and advocate for digital art and algorithmic methods of creating art. He has participated in SIGGRAPH panels in 1995, 1998, and 2005, the UCSB Art Symposiums in 1999 and 2007, Pratt Institute, UCLA, University of Chicago, Rhode Island School of Design, Pasadena Art Center College of Design, Southern California Institute of Architecture and many other conferences and artist talks.
ACM SIGGRAPH is honored to recognize Jean-Pierre Hébert. He is one of the pioneers who have led the way towards new forms of creative expression using digital techniques and algorithms. His consistent record of art production, exhibiting his work and public speaking as an advocate of digital art make him an exceptional individual in the field.
Click here to link to much more detailed information and artwork.
26 April 2012
SIGGRAPH 2012 Exhibition Sales Exceed 2011 and Still Surging
 |
| Mike Weil |
He continued, "SIGGRAPH 2012 first-time exhibitors include Infinite Z, producers of an all-encompassing virtual holographic experience, Leonar3Do with their virtual reality desktop kit, and VanGogh Imaging, delivering the latest in mobile 3D apps.”
View demographic information on why companies choose SIGGRAPH.
View more information on becoming a SIGGRAPH 2012 exhibitor or advertiser.
Here's a list of 2012 exhibitors as of today:
09 April 2012
Conference Chair Previews SIGGRAPH 2012
Following below is a brief conversation with Rebecca Strzelec (pictured below), SIGGRAPH 2012 Conference Chair from Penn State Altoona, on her inspirations, background, and what to expect at SIGGRAPH this year.
When I decided to apply for the position of conference chair in 2009, it seemed like a natural progression of my volunteer work for SIGGRAPH. I felt like I had a pretty good sampling of the various roles within the conference from being an attendee, contributor, sub-committee member, and program chair. I could not have been more proud to be selected to serve in this role. I said “yes” for many reasons, but the most important was because I thought it would be both challenging and fun to be a part of the conference planning at this level.
The look and feel of the overall conference does a great job of defining and highlighting a large percentage of our attendees who consider themselves to be linked to, or practicing art. A difficult choice for most of our constituency (including myself) is that they don’t categorize themselves into just one thing. For instance, I take turns alternating between my “I AM ART” and “I AM SCIENCE” t-shirts.
Attendees should expect excellence. From day one, I asked our planning committee to find and choose the very best content. At SIGGRAPH, content always takes precedent and this year will be no different and will go a long way to setting the bar for Anaheim in 2013. Also, attendees who haven’t been to LA in a few years need to be aware that the convention center area has blossomed into quite the place to be. “LA Live” has really allowed SIGGRAPH to carry its happenings into the nearby restaurants and places that are wonderful for networking and making new contacts..
Editor's note: the SIGGRAPH Business Symposium was new in 2011 and sold out. For more details on it this year, check the SIGGRAPH 2012 web site.
In addition, SIGGRAPH continues to establish the Studio venue each year. This creative space is designed to allow attendees to learn new about new tools, processes, and materials as well as actually spend time making art of all kinds. This creative experimentation space is an unusual addition to most conferences, especially when you consider that there aren’t additional fees to use the space other than conference registration. It is these three key areas as well as the other amazing content that makes for a relevant, educational, and enriching art experience at SIGGRAPH.
What made you agree to take on the volunteer position of conference chair in 2012?
 | ||
| Rebecca Strzelec - '12 Conference Chair |
Given your art background, how will art play a role this year that is different from previous years?
SIGGRAPH has made more concerted efforts to support the art areas of the conference over the last five or so years. Art has always been one of our core areas, but we’ve launched some new projects, including our collaboration with MIT’s Leonardo, the Journal of the International Society of the Arts, Sciences and Technology that will continue to grow stronger and more significant with each year. So that changes the landscape a bit. Our Art Gallery and Art Papers areas continue to have high submission rates and extremely rigorous selection thresholds allowing for the very best art and research to be brought to the conference.  |
| Official SIGGRAPH 2012 Conference T-Shirts |
In general, what should attendees expect this year in LA?
 |
| LA Live is a fantastic addition to the SIGGRAPH experience |
Is it too late for someone to submit content?
Not at all. The Late-Breaking submission deadline is May 1 and Talks and Posters can still be submitted there. For folks who missed the submission deadlines in other areas, my suggestion would be to attend the conference and check out the submissions that were accepted. It is a great way to get a lay of the land to see how best to prepare for 2013.
How has the conference managed to stay relevant given the overall trend of smaller and more targeted shows?
Believe it or not, SIGGRAPH has become more targeted as well. From the conference schedule you’d never think it…but for the last few years SIGGRAPH has worked incredibly hard to make sure that we are focusing on our key areas of content. We have found that we can add a couple of new things each year, but for the most part we focus on what we are really good at and make sure the conference is filled with excellent content. In 2012, we are expanding to include the venue SIGGRAPH Mobile and also bringing back the extremely successful SIGGRAPH Business Symposium.Editor's note: the SIGGRAPH Business Symposium was new in 2011 and sold out. For more details on it this year, check the SIGGRAPH 2012 web site.
How are Exhibition numbers looking?
By the nature of our community’s density around LA, we typically have strong years there from both an attendee and an exhibitor perspective as well. This year is no different. We are already out-pacing last year’s numbers and once again we will have a very strong international presence on the floor.
What specifically are you looking forward to at the 2012 conference?
I can’t wait to see it all come together in person. When you work on something for so long—especially when it remains abstract or described in images or emails, it is amazing to actually see it installed, presented, and celebrated. I suppose that is what I most looking forward to: celebrating the SIGGRAPH 2012 Committee for all of their achievements. They are an outstanding group of people that made my job really fun and rewarding.
Any advice for someone new to the group?
Other than introduce yourself to someone not-so-new to the group? In all seriousness though, my first SIGGRAPH was in 2003 and I was at the conference because I had a piece in the Art Gallery. I had no idea what to expect and was instantaneously overwhelmed by the pace and scope of the conference. I wandered into the Studio that year and made some friends, and they helped me to take full advantage of all that the conference has to offer. By the second day, I was hooked and felt very much in the know. There truly is no other experience that comes close to SIGGRAPH in depth and quality.
On a personal level, what inspires you as an artist at SIGGRAPH?
Having attended other art-based conferences, the thing that inspires me most about SIGGRAPH is that not all of the attendees are making art. It is quite wonderful to strike up a conversation with a non-artist at the conference. I often find I come to SIGGRAPH with a dozen or so loose ideas for new work and through interaction with the content and people at SIGGRAPH, I turn to processes and solutions that I otherwise would never have considered, or didn’t know existed. I always come home with such rich and lasting material. That kind of energy exists at other conferences, but the form it takes at SIGGRAPH is unique and something I cherish.
Why is SIGGRAPH relevant in the art world?
SIGGRAPH exhibits and publishes some of the most exciting and groundbreaking art and art papers in the world in the context of computer graphics and interactive techniques. The international juries that select this work are major contributors to their fields—going to great lengths to choose work that adds to the dialogue of art and art research. And while the work seen in the Art Gallery and presented as part of Art Papers are proudly included in the annual special issue of MIT’s Leonardo the Journal of the International Society of the Arts, Sciences, their presence at the actual conference allows for a special kind of synergy. In addition, SIGGRAPH continues to establish the Studio venue each year. This creative space is designed to allow attendees to learn new about new tools, processes, and materials as well as actually spend time making art of all kinds. This creative experimentation space is an unusual addition to most conferences, especially when you consider that there aren’t additional fees to use the space other than conference registration. It is these three key areas as well as the other amazing content that makes for a relevant, educational, and enriching art experience at SIGGRAPH.
How did this year's theme evolve and how would you explain it in your own words?
The theme of this year’s SIGGRAPH is a mirror reflecting back on the people that make SIGGRAPH the vibrant thriving community that it is. The theme is actually a multi-year endeavor. Starting with 2012’s “I AM ART” and “I AM SCIENCE” the conference is highlighting two of our major groups of people at the conference. The theme evolved from conversations with the committee and our design team. I really wanted to have art as part of the theme somehow, but SIGGRAPH is so many things it really isn’t right to choose one. It quickly became clear that it would take many conferences to describe and capture all that SIGGRAPH’s attendees do and create.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)