Innovation Fusion 2020: The Intersection of Art and Technology
Watch the recording of this exciting event on FIBA’s Vimeo account here.
The fourth-annual Innovation Fusion event of the Florida-Israel Business Accelerator (FIBA), focused on the intersection of art and technology with celebrated artist and innovator, Tampa native Janet Echelman, as keynote speaker. The event was held virtually due to COVID-19, and took place on September 23, from 6-7:30PM.
The work of Janet Echelman defies categorization as it intersects across disciplinary boundaries, from Fine Art, Architecture, and Urban Design, to Material Science, Computer Science, and Structural and Aeronautical Engineering. Using unlikely materials — from fishnet to atomized water particles — Echelman combines ancient craft with original computational design software to create artworks that have become focal points for urban life on four continents. Echelman was named an Architectural Digest Innovator for “changing the very essence of urban spaces.” Her TED talk “Taking Imagination Seriously” has been translated into 35 languages with more than one-million views. Oprah ranked Echelman’s work #1 on her List of 50 Things That Make You Say Wow! Echelman’s permanent commissions have transformed urban environments worldwide, and include Bending Arc at the newly renovated Pier in St. Petersburg. Bending Arc was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” It contains over 1.66 million knots in recognition of the interconnections of humanity, and is built to withstand winds of up to 150 miles per hour—all while appearing delicate and exquisitely responsive to the surrounding weather and environment.
The intersection of art and technology discussion came full circle with Rob Anders, Co-founder and CEO of Niio, an Israeli startup company holding one of the biggest names in “new media art” and aspires to become the Spotify of visual art. Niio enables a global network of 4,000 leading artists, galleries, libraries and institutions from 70 countries to self-publish media art-forms, which can then be viewed on connected display devices anywhere in the world.
The event also included an update about how the tech eco-systems in both Florida and Israel are thriving despite the pandemic. Jamal Sowell, Florida Secretary of Commerce and the President & CEO of Enterprise Florida, provided updates on Florida’s tech eco-system and Ori Kaufman-Gafter, Head of International and Tech banking at Bank Leumi USA, provided insights on how the Israeli tech ecosystem weathered the pandemic.
Keeping with FIBA’s tradition of featuring success stories of Israeli companies thriving in Florida, the event featured Israeli company, Aviv Clinics, that recently launched its hyperbaric oxygen therapy clinic in The Villages. David Globig, CEO of Aviv Clinics, explained why Aviv chose Florida as its first site outside of Israel and how the technology works.
