Antoine Schmitt
Encyclopedia
Antoine Schmitt is a French contemporary artist, programming engineer and designer.
After his engineer diploma of the Telecom Paris
in 1984, he works as programming engineer specialized in artificial intelligence and human-machine interactions, in Paris, especially for the company Act Informatique for 5 years (1985–1991), and in the Silicon Valley
as R&D engineer for the NeXT
company with Steve Jobs
for 3 years (1991–1994). He has been technical assistant to the film-maker Chris Marker
, and collaborated with the companies Hyptique, Incandescence, Virtools
, the BBC
and more recently with violet. He creates specialized software, especially Xtras (plugins) of Adobe Director, like the asFFT Xtra.
Since 1994, he works as a visual artist, recognized by numerous awards and exhibitions. Artist of the movement, digital art
ist, Antoine Schmitt develops his work around the notion of shapes "programmed to be free". His artworks, minimal, abstract and efficient, tackle contemporary or intemporal themes like the condition of being free, the systems of reality or the forces and their shape. He places programming, an artistic medium that he considers as radically new because of its active dimension, at the heart of the majority of his creations. Using techniques coming from artificial life and intelligence, influenced by philosophical and psychoanalytical approaches, Antoine Schmitt crafts objects or situations, generative
or interactive physical, visual or audio systems, which question the modalities of the free human being in a complex world. Also, alone or though collaborations, Antoine Schmitt confronts his approach with more established artistic fields like dance, music, cinema, architecture or literature, and revisits their codes.
In 1995, he publishes "puppetsprite 1", first artistic CD-Rom, with the visual artist Alberto Sorbelli.
In 1997, under the pseudo Georges Victor, he launches the olalaParis mailing-list of artistic events, the first, still active, mailing-list of contemporary art in France.
In 1998, he publishes with Jean-Jacques Birgé
, "Machiavel", interactive behavioral CD-Rom.
In 1999, he is the author with Vincent Epplay of the "infinite CD for unlimited music", first CD-Rom of generative music
.
In 2000, he founds the web portal gratin.org, Groupe de Recherche en Art et Technologies Interactives et/ou Numériques, a reference in programmed art.
In 2003, the company violet handles him the design of the behavior of the Dal lamp. Since then, he designs the infra-verbal behavior and the visual languages of all the objects of the violet company : the Nabaztag
rabbit, the mir:ror, dal:dal, etc...
In 2004, he launches with Adrian Johnson the sonicobject label, first label of original mobile phone ringtones, gathering 16 contemporary composers and 200 ringtones downloadable under Creative Commons
licence.
Biography
Antoine Schmitt was a self-made programmer at the age of 16.After his engineer diploma of the Telecom Paris
École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications
Télécom ParisTech is one of the most prestigious and selective grandes écoles in France and one of the finest institutions in the field of Telecommunications...
in 1984, he works as programming engineer specialized in artificial intelligence and human-machine interactions, in Paris, especially for the company Act Informatique for 5 years (1985–1991), and in the Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
as R&D engineer for the NeXT
NeXT
Next, Inc. was an American computer company headquartered in Redwood City, California, that developed and manufactured a series of computer workstations intended for the higher education and business markets...
company with Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
for 3 years (1991–1994). He has been technical assistant to the film-maker Chris Marker
Chris Marker
Chris Marker is a French writer, photographer, documentary film director, multimedia artist and film essayist. His best known films are La jetée , A Grin Without a Cat , Sans Soleil and AK , an essay film on the Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa...
, and collaborated with the companies Hyptique, Incandescence, Virtools
Virtools
Virtools is a software developer and vendor, created in 1993 and owned by Dassault Systèmes since July 2005.-History:Virtools was a company founded 1993. They offered a development environment to create 3D real-time applications and related services, targeted at system integrators, game studios and...
, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and more recently with violet. He creates specialized software, especially Xtras (plugins) of Adobe Director, like the asFFT Xtra.
Since 1994, he works as a visual artist, recognized by numerous awards and exhibitions. Artist of the movement, digital art
Digital art
Digital art is a general term for a range of artistic works and practices that use digital technology as an essential part of the creative and/or presentation process...
ist, Antoine Schmitt develops his work around the notion of shapes "programmed to be free". His artworks, minimal, abstract and efficient, tackle contemporary or intemporal themes like the condition of being free, the systems of reality or the forces and their shape. He places programming, an artistic medium that he considers as radically new because of its active dimension, at the heart of the majority of his creations. Using techniques coming from artificial life and intelligence, influenced by philosophical and psychoanalytical approaches, Antoine Schmitt crafts objects or situations, generative
Generative art
Generative art refers to art that has been generated, composed, or constructed in an algorithmic manner through the use of systems defined by computer software algorithms, or similar mathematical or mechanical or randomised autonomous processes....
or interactive physical, visual or audio systems, which question the modalities of the free human being in a complex world. Also, alone or though collaborations, Antoine Schmitt confronts his approach with more established artistic fields like dance, music, cinema, architecture or literature, and revisits their codes.
In 1995, he publishes "puppetsprite 1", first artistic CD-Rom, with the visual artist Alberto Sorbelli.
In 1997, under the pseudo Georges Victor, he launches the olalaParis mailing-list of artistic events, the first, still active, mailing-list of contemporary art in France.
In 1998, he publishes with Jean-Jacques Birgé
Jean-Jacques Birgé
Jean-Jacques Birgé is an independent French musician and filmmaker, at once music composer , film director , multimedia author , sound designer Jean-Jacques Birgé is an independent French musician and filmmaker, at once music composer (co-founder of Un Drame Musical Instantané which with he records...
, "Machiavel", interactive behavioral CD-Rom.
In 1999, he is the author with Vincent Epplay of the "infinite CD for unlimited music", first CD-Rom of generative music
Generative music
Generative music is a term popularized by Brian Eno to describe music that is ever-different and changing, and that is created by a system.- Theory :There are four primary perspectives on "Generative Music" Generative music is a term popularized by Brian Eno to describe music that is ever-different...
.
In 2000, he founds the web portal gratin.org, Groupe de Recherche en Art et Technologies Interactives et/ou Numériques, a reference in programmed art.
In 2003, the company violet handles him the design of the behavior of the Dal lamp. Since then, he designs the infra-verbal behavior and the visual languages of all the objects of the violet company : the Nabaztag
Nabaztag
Nabaztag was a Wi-Fi enabled ambient electronic device in the shape of a rabbit, invented by Rafi Haladjian and Olivier Mével, and manufactured by the company Violet...
rabbit, the mir:ror, dal:dal, etc...
In 2004, he launches with Adrian Johnson the sonicobject label, first label of original mobile phone ringtones, gathering 16 contemporary composers and 200 ringtones downloadable under Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
licence.
Art works (selection)
- 1995 : puppetsprite 1, with Alberto Sorbelli, interactive CD-Rom
- 1996 : Le Pixel Blanc, minimal behavioral installation
- 1998 : Machiavel, with Jean-Jacques Birgé, behavioral CD-Rom, nominated Prix Moebius
- 1999 : Les Lignes-mobiles, installation, 1rst prize Interférences 2000 (Belfort, France)
- 2000 : Avec détermination, installation Net ArtInternet artInternet art is a form of digital artwork distributed via the Internet. This form of art has circumvented the traditional dominance of the gallery and museum system, delivering aesthetic experiences via the Internet. In many cases, the viewer is drawn into some kind of interaction with the work...
- 1rst prize video-dance UnescoUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
(Paris), Honorary Mention VIDA5.0 2002 (Madrid) - 2000 : Vexation 1, générative installation, honorary mention in software artSoftware artSoftware art refers to works of art where the creation of software, or concepts from software, play an important role; for example software applications which were created by artists and which were intended as artworks. As an artistic discipline software art has attained growing attention since the...
at transmediale 2001 (Berlin). - 2001 : Display Pixel, with Vincent Epplay, audio-visual performance
- 2002 : nanomachine, custom software musical instrument and audio-visual performance, Honorary Mention CynetArt 2004 (Dresden)
- 2004 : puppetpresident, net art
- 2005 : Gameplay, interactive contemporary dance, with Anne Holst and Jean-Marc Matos (companie K.Danse)
- 2006 : Christ Mourant, installation not interactive
- 2006 : Nabaz'mob, opera for 100 smart rabbits, with Jean-Jacques Birgé, Ars ElectronicaArs ElectronicaArs Electronica is an organization based in Linz, Austria, founded in 1979 around a festival for art, technology and society that was part of the International Bruckner Festival. Herbert W. Franke is one of its founders. It became its own festival and a yearly event in 1986. Its director until 1995...
Award of Distinction Digital Musics 2009 - 2006 : still living, installations, second prize transmediale.07 2007 (Berlin)
- 2007 : Facade Life, in situ installation on architecture
- 2008 : TIME SLIP, real time installation
Exhibitions (selection)
- Musée d'art contemporain de LyonMusée d'art contemporain de LyonThe Musée d'art contemporain de Lyon is a museum devoted to the contemporary art, located in the 6th arrondissement of Lyon, in the Cité Internationale, next the cinema, in front of the Parc de la Tête d'Or...
(1997) - Musée d'art moderne de la Ville de ParisMusée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de ParisMusée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris is the City of Paris Museum of Modern Art dedicated to the arts of the 20th/21st centuries. It is located at 11 Avenue du Président Wilson in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.-Description:...
(1999) - transmediale festival, Berlin, (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009)
- Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, Paris, (2004, 2006)
- SónarSónarSónar is an annual three-day music festival held in Barcelona, Spain. It is described officially as a festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art. Music is by far the main aspect of the festival....
Festival, Barcelona, (2002, 2004, 2005) - iMal, Bruxelles (2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009)
- Ars ElectronicaArs ElectronicaArs Electronica is an organization based in Linz, Austria, founded in 1979 around a festival for art, technology and society that was part of the International Bruckner Festival. Herbert W. Franke is one of its founders. It became its own festival and a yearly event in 1986. Its director until 1995...
, Linz, (2003, 2009) - Siana Contemporary Art Center, Italy (2004)
- Villette Numérique, Paris (2004)
- Scopitone Festival, Nantes, France (2004, 2007, 2008)
- Ososphère Festival, Strasbourg, France (2005, 2007, 2008)
Awards (selection)
- transmediale.01 (Berlin 2001), honorary mention
- Vida 5.0 (Madrid 2002) : honorary mention
- CYNETArt (Dresden, DE, 2004) : honorary mention
- transmediale.07 (Berlin, DE, 2007) : second prize
- Ars Electronica 2009 (Linz, Austria) : Award of Distinction Digital Musics
Sources
- (French) Video interview Magnetic Room Magazine, 2008
- (Italian) article on Gameplay, Neural.it, 2005
- (French) Nanomachine, une performance autonome, visuelle et sonore sur écran, Marie Beloeil, transfert.net, 2003
- (English) Article and Interview on turbulence.org, Jim Andrews, 2003
- (French) Le travail du temps : programmer un mode d'être, Samuel Bianchini, Parpaings n°32, Éd. Jean-Michel Place, Paris, avril 2002
- (English) Interview, Jose Luis de Vicente, SonarOnLine, 2002