The northern Italian city of Turin will be a hotbed of generative art this weekend, for the second annual C.Stem festival. While the fest is generally dedicated to ‘the applications of electronic systems in cultural and artistic fields,’ this year’s focus is on the conceptual and creative aspects of generative systems, particularly in relation to graphic design and auditory culture. In a project that would make graffiti writer and theorist Ramellzee proud, artist Michael Schmitz explores the relationship between typography and genetics in GynoTyp, asking if font types can reproduce themselves through generative systems. In a complementary project, Spanish artist Ricard Marxer Pinon’s Caligraft uses digital systems to create computational calligraphies. Similar Diversity is a rather stunning and thought-provoking project by Andreas Koller and Philipp Steinweber using Processing and VVVV software to present an ‘information graphic which opens up a new perspective (of) religion and faith by visualizing the Holy Books of five world religions.’ Never forgetting that the digital revolution needs to dance too, Valerio Spoletini will perform with his V-Scratch program on the opening night. Accompanying turntables, it visually responds to the motion of the record player and movements of the DJ in a generative merger of sound and vision. These are but a few of the exciting projects in a diverse and timely festival. [posted by David Michael Perez on Rhizome.org]