“Co-Lab: Collaboration and Confluences” presented by Lawler-Dormer and Joseph

Co-Lab is a newly established transdisciplinary innovation centre located in Auckland New Zealand. It is based on communities, convergence and collaboration enabled through new technologies to support creative expression and innovation.

The initiative is founded on a partnership that spans the binary divides of art & science, academy & community, gallery and market place. It draws from faculty at the Auckland University of Technology , bringing together researchers and practitioners from the disciplines of Art, Design, Mathematics, Computer Science, Engineering and Communication Studies and is supported by the position of MIC Toi Rerehiko as New Zealand’s leading contemporary creative media and interdisciplinary arts centre. Co-Lab has established relationships across the arts and technology sectors including other arts organisations, community groups, creative practitioners, technology developers and suppliers.

The paper will present some current projects using mobile phone, internet, gaming and screen technologies that are being developed by multidisciplinary teams at Co-Lab. These will be discussed in terms of the methodology of collaboration as a dialogue, a process of experimentation and iteration which can lead to the development of more effective and affective works of art and to more creative software applications. Issues of intellectual property and authorship, and how they are being approached within this collaborative environment will also be considered.