about kaotec

    I do experiments in life, music, source code, hardware, sound, images, food and anything in between. Especially anything in between actually.

    I stated I believe in collaboration before. Humans and machines together in a society where decisions are often made by one having an impact on the other. People do not always connect with each other. Often they do connect with their machines though, letting algorithms decide what they do, where they eat and who they love. Better understanding of the human soul and the ghost in the machine results in the needed resilience. Only depth and focus can bring you there, whether it is talking, interacting and opening yourself up to someone to get a full understanding or diving into a technology to fully understand what it is capable of. I try to get this out in a performative way, building tools to improve all forms of collaboration... I have not yet given up humanity, and I seek the right way to embrace technology while remaining critical for what humans want to use it for. This is my quest...

    In my portfolio I try to highlight the output of my artistic research and production. Craftsmanship combined with digital possibilities and conceptual thinking.

    data

    Data is matter. It can be used to contruct a signal that can be interpreted, structured, linked and consumed. It can be collected from noise after filtering or it can be found.

    data flow chain

    Data exists in many shapes and depending on the shape, different operations are needed to construct a signal from it. The schematic below illustrates the operations I use on data to create matter to work with.

    matter

    Once refined I use data to construct a signal. My raw data sources, my frameworks in which I operate and apply interactions to contruct a story that becomes a signal.

    noise

    Noise is a very interesting concept. It can represent complete randomness, or it may be the ultimate order. It is a building block of the world around us, and it can apear in many forms and energies. In my work it represents the breeding space of projects. Trying out new technology, experiments and short projects to understand how somnething works. Noise can grow into data over time...

    Conceptual works, research and talks

    My artistic practice is rooted in the hacker culture where technology is liberated from its intended use and the freedom to operate and use technology for the purpose of new applications is encouraged. Hacking involves disrupting the status quo and challenging artificial limits on technology set by business or political actors. So called hacktivism challenges how society adopts and uses (new) technologies.

    I try to communicate the problems I think may arise from using new technology ahead of the mass adoption and I try to show the potential of inevitable use by society. With great power comes great responsibility. With this work I try to understand and explain the chain of power and challenge how accountability is enforced.

    The research I do gets transformed into tweets, public speaking, art, papers or workshops. I create noise/data/signal from the interactions happening between technology and people around me. One persons noise is another persons data.

    zuck9000, a slide I made for a talk about data and privacy (2017)

    signal

    A signal is a recognisable format in which data is encapsulated for transmissions. Kaotec delivers this as expos, performances, workshops or talks.

    talk

    talk/keynote/workshop (Dutch, English, French)

    Artificial intelligence/Artistic intelligence

    Kasper wraps his insights on the contemporary applications of AI and the endless possibilities for cultural players in inspiring presentations.

    He challenges the cultural world to use AI in its own functions, to give citizens ownership of the technology that is increasingly prominent in our lives today.

    There is a partially justified fear of AI today. We use technology that we inherently do not understand so we have a natural reflex to distrust that technology. On top of that, the technology is controlled and managed by the big commercial companies. They work with generalist AI’s. When we bring that tech to the cultural world we have an inherent bias because at that point it is focused on the most commercial demand.

    Kasper calls on cultural players to be one step ahead of development, to bring the technology into the hands of users, individuals, artists and critical citizens. We must claim technology and use it for people and culture to empower ourselves.

    Kasper outlines a world where everyone has their own AI. He describes a society where data and technology are owned by citizens, and where citizens and individuals can freely use them to creatively address the big complex issues we face today.

    Talks and workshops are custom made to fit your timing, topic and budget, contact me kasper@kaotec.be for more info. Here are some example talks and workshops from the past

    expo

    In an expo Kasper transmits data through custom build installation art. The work often tries to convey data literacy, constructing story from data, shaping it using old and new technology.

    performance

    The performance art often uses self-built instruments and software and range from music to images and experimental interactive installations that are not to be used by unauthorised personel. Lately this takes form in livecoding visuals and music combined with modular synth.

kaotec bv
Londenstraat 40
9000 Gent
Belgium
VAT BE0784540750