Artist Biography
Leon Cmielewski (born Adelaide, 1956) and Josephine Starrs (born Adelaide, 1955), are Sydney-based artists who have worked together on several projects including the interactive CD-ROM Dream kitchen, 2001, the modified computer game Bio-Tek kitchen, 2003, and the interactive installations Trace, 2002, Pathfinder, 2005, and Floating territories, 2005. Their work has been shown widely in Australia and Europe, including ISEA, 2004, and the 2nd Beijing International New Media Exhibition and Symposium, 2005. In late 2005 they spent time researching at Waag Society for Old and New Media, Amsterdam; and Sarai, Delhi. Cmielewski lectures at the School of Communication, Design and Media, University of Western Sydney; Starrs lectures at Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney.
Works
Seeker 2006
Artist Statement
We use play in our work as a strategy for engaging with the contradictions inherent in contemporary society. The project is to navigate the mountains of data to extract and visualise what is relevant to current issues around mapping, personal territory, conflict commodities and human displacement.
The artists would like to acknowledge the support of the New Media Arts Board of the Australia Council; Asialink Residency Program; WAAG Society for Old and New Media, Amsterdam; Sarai, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi; kein mensch ist illegal. Satellite imagery courtesy of spaceimaging.com. Programming: Adam Hinshaw
