CONFLUX
/ˈkänˌfləks/
noun, another term for confluence
- the junction of two rivers
- the process of merging
from Latin, meaning con- ‘together’ + fluxus
Who are we?
Conflux is a student organization at Harvard dedicated to exploring and expanding the intersection between contemporary art and cutting-edge technology. We research, critique, and develop cross-disciplinary art tech ideas, methods, and projects that integrate technological innovation with artistic practice. Through creating large-scale, participatory installations, Conflux practices what it means for humans and technology to create together.
Our institutional support spans Office for the Arts, SEAS Active Learning Labs, Cabot Science Library, metaLAB, and the Visualization Laboratory. We are advised by Prof. Martin Wattenberg, Prof. Fernanda Viégas, and Prof. Katarina Burin.
What do we do?
We strive to build an interdisciplinary collective of artists and technologists who will collaborate with each other and computational tools to expand the future of art tech at Harvard and beyond. Through projects, events, and our residency program, we not only discuss, but also practice what it means to imagine, understand, and create art tech that encompasses both form AND content, artistic creativity AND technological innovation.
Current Themes
Transmedia Narratives
& Digital Humanities
& Digital Humanities
explores the growing use of media technology to enrich the conception and experience of stories (e.g. collaborative storytelling platforms).
Posthumanism
& Human Augmentation
& Human Augmentation
explores art created by collaboration between our natural and artificial selves (e.g. generative/algorithmic art).
Enactive Systems
& Responsive Environments
& Responsive Environments
explores the complex social relationship between actors, observers, and their environments (e.g. wearable tech).
Immersion
& Imagination
& Imagination
explores the spectrum between reality and unreality through dynamic, immersive experiences. (e.g. XR applications that bring the imagination into reality).