RHIZOME DIGEST: 05.19.06

discussion

Posted May 18 2006 20:00

RHIZOME DIGEST: 05.19.06

RHIZOME DIGEST: May 19, 2006 ++ Always online at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/digest">http://rhizome.org/digest</a> ++ Content: +note+ 1. Lauren Cornell: Commissions feedback synthesis +opportunity+ 2. Alejandro Jaimes: ACM Multimedia Arts Program Call for Art/Papers 3. juha huuskonen: Article - a nordic biannual exhibition for unstable and electronic artforms +announcement+ 4. Perry Lowe: Marching Plague by Critical Art Ensemble - Book launch at EYEBEAM 5. Jim Andrews: great page of links to algorithmic art on the net 6. Kanarinka: ARTIFICIAL LIFE IS IMPOSSIBLE IN A COMPUTER 7. Lauren Cornell: NETTIME_NORTH_AMERICA_GATHERING NETTIME_AMERIQUE_DU_NORD 8. jessicaallee@studio27.org: Call For Work: State of Exception +Metadata Thread - Part 4+ 9. Patrick May, Richard Rinehart, Marisa Olson, Lauren Cornell: Metadata + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Rhizome is now offering Organizational Subscriptions, group memberships that can be purchased at the institutional level. These subscriptions allow participants at institutions to access Rhizome's services without having to purchase individual memberships. For a discounted rate, students or faculty at universities or visitors to art centers can have access to Rhizome?s archives of art and text as well as guides and educational tools to make navigation of this content easy. Rhizome is also offering subsidized Organizational Subscriptions to qualifying institutions in poor or excluded communities. Please visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/info/org.php">http://rhizome.org/info/org.php</a> for more information or contact Lauren Cornell at LaurenCornell@Rhizome.org + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 1. From: Lauren Cornell <laurencornell@rhizome.org> Date: May 15, 2006 Subject: Commissions feedback synthesis Hi all: So, I just re-read the Commissions thread. I'd like to synthesize the feedback we received. We will consider it when designing the open voting for next year. 1) Written narratives were too long; voters felt reviewing proposals at 500 word count was onerous, artists felt it kept people from looking at their projects 2) Some artists felt their projects received too few hits; besides being awarded a grant, one benefit artists may receive from submission is visibility and discussion of their work. A question is whether projects are being affected by the way proposals are presented, i.e factors outside their projects 3) "New media" model over voting; voting creates hierarchies that aren't in line with ways that popularity or rank works online. Rhizome staff is also interested in exploring alternate models; the current system was created by previous Director of Technology Francis Hwang and, while we see much value in it, we also see the open voting as an ongoing experiment and therefore open to change. 4) Larger grants. Working on it! Maybe once there are Jim Andrews Foundations, toegristle corporations and Sal Randolph Charitable Trusts, raising money around Internet-based art will become easier :) Lee Wells posted our supporters to the list. In this generous gesture however, he didn't list our individuals members and I'd like to note that without their support granting would not be possible. You can view many of them here: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/community/directory.rhiz">http://rhizome.org/community/directory.rhiz</a> Anything else? Now that we're in the final stage, I'd like to thank everyone who has been involved. This includes the members who voted and gave feedback and the artists who submitted proposals. Submitting your work to an open voting system takes courage and I commend all of the artists who participated. Lauren – Lauren Cornell Executive Director, Rhizome.org New Museum of Contemporary Art 210 Eleventh Ave, NYC, NY 10001 tel. 212.219.1222 X 208 fax. 212.431.5328 ema. laurencornell@rhizome.org + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 2. From: Alejandro Jaimes <ajaimes@ee.columbia.edu> Date: May 15, 2006 Subject: ACM Multimedia Arts Program Call for Art/Papers ***** CALL FOR ART/PAPERS ***** ACM Multimedia 2006 Interactive Arts Program Santa Barbara, California (USA), October 22-28, 2006 <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/acmmm06/arts/">http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/acmmm06/arts/</a> EXTENDED DEADLINE **** June 1, 2006 **** Sponsored by ACM SIGMM. In collaboration with Leonardo. Supported by Intel. ACM Multimedia is the premier annual multimedia conference. The ACM MM Interactive Arts Program brings together the arts and multimedia communities to create the stage to explore, discuss, and push the limits for the advancement of both multimedia technology through the arts, and the arts through multimedia technology. We invite artists working with digital media and researchers in technical areas to submit their original contributions to the following two tracks: *CONFERENCE*: papers describing interactive multimedia artworks, tools, applications, and technical approaches for creative uses of multimedia content and technology. We particularly encourage papers with a strong technical content written by artists, as well as technical papers with a strong art component. * MULTIMEDIA ART EXHIBITION*: "Remote: Networked Realities & Prospective Locative Hacks." We seek multimedia artworks that raise issues related communication (human-human, human-computer-human, etc.) and that place a strong emphasis on the role of the notion of awareness, be it cultural, linguistic, network-centric, spatial or geospatial. The emphasis for the exhibition is on interactive art works that realize powerful artistic concepts using multimedia content and technologies. Emerging and established artists are strongly encouraged to submit. Accepted papers will be published in the ACM Multimedia Conference proceedings and a selection of the works accepted will be published in a Leonardo Gallery in the Leonardo Journal and on line in the Leonardo Electronic Almanac. All submissions (short papers, long papers, and art works) are due JUNE 1, 2006 (firm, extended deadline!). ** Please see the website for details on conference topics, exhibition, etc.**. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/acmmm06/arts/">http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/acmmm06/arts/</a> Please direct any inquiries to acm.arts.inquiry@zwhome.org INTERACTIVE ART PROGRAM 2006 CHAIRS Alejandro Jaimes, FXPAL Japan, Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd. George Legrady, University of California, Santa Barbara Lonce Wyse, Institute for Infocomm Research & NUS, Singapore CURATORIAL COMMITTEE JoAnn Kuchera-Morin, Marko Peljhan, University of California, Santa Barbara G. Legrady, L. Wyse, A. Jaimes + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 3. From: juha huuskonen <juhuu@juhuu.nu> Date: May 15, 2006 Subject: Article - a nordic biannual exhibition for unstable and electronic artforms * Article * - a nordic biannual exhibition for unstable and electronic artforms * Call for artistic contributions * i/o/lab and the curatorial team of Article hereby invite you to submit proposals for artistic work and conference talks to be included in Article 2006. We are interested in productions from areas including but not limited to: - interactive objects - work for mobile devices - video or concepts for broadcast television - internet-based work - installations for public spaces - installations for gallery spaces - public actions - social events - workshops We are primarily interested in completed productions but will give equal merit to incomplete/suggested work and proposals in the evaluation of applications. Article wishes to present work which is either site- or context-specific, or intended for traditional display spaces, work which explores and exploits the potential for artistic expression in everyday surroundings and objects. The artists/groups we invite will receive artists fees and funding for travel and board. We will also offer some production support, technical as well as financial. Article will be launched in the last half of November 2006. * Call for conference contributions * Article will be accompanied by a one-day conference, covering the topics of the exhibition and the field of unstable and electronic artforms. We are interested in contributions in the form of presentations/talks on subject areas relevant to the practice and theory of art in this field. * About Article: * Article is one of the main projects for Stavanger 2008 - European Capital of Culture. Article 2006 will be a pilot project for the 2008 installment, but also to underline that Article is intended as a biannual event BEYOND the scope of the European Capital year. Article will be comprised of: a main exhibition; a conference related to the themes of the biannual; in-depth practical and theoretical workshops and seminars; and contributions from local resources and other collaborative partners. The goal of Article is to promote artforms which don't merely employ electronic techniques in its production and display, but also actively comment on technology, the ethics and politics of technology and the evolution and dissemination of technology. Article wishes to establish an open arena for artforms which critique and engage social processes and present reflected positions on the expressive qualities and contexts of the media. By «Unstable artforms» we intend to encompass art which is not institutionalised and stabilised by traditional frameworks of production and distribution, art which crosses disciplinary boundaries, which engages unusual contexts and references, or art which is not anchored by permanent, static objects. The basic proposition and theme of the biannual is the artistic and democratic potential in the use of technology in a socially engaged art practice. Article will give this ephemeral and experimental art a context, and present it to a local, national and international audience. Article intends to present productions / work which are site-specific or made for traditional exhibition venues, work which explores and expands the potential of artistic expression in our immediate environment and objects. Article will be produced in close collaboration between i/o/lab, the norwegian production network for electronic arts, and invited groups and individuals from the nordic arts scenes. * Application deadline and addresses * Application deadline: 15. June 2006 Your application / project proposal can be sent as attachments to an email to the following address: iolab@iolab.no You can also send us a snail mail to this address: i/o/lab P.O.Box 308 Sentrum 4002 Stavanger NORWAY The application should include: - Project description *OR* outline of conference presentation - Summary / abstract of the project, ~150 words - Budget - CV and biographies - Photo documentation, sketches, DVD, CD (contact us first if you wish to transfer large files over the net) * Evaluation and notification: * The applications/ project proposals will be evaluated by a programme committee and the organizers. Applicants will receive answers ASAP after the 15th of June 2006, and final confirmation within a month, for projects we wish to include in the exhibition. * Selection / Programming Committee / Process * The content of Article 2006 will be selected by a programming committee, comprised of individual artists, organizers and theoreticians specially invited to participate. The invited individuals will form a group of people with rich experience in organizing events such as this. * The Programme Committee * The Programme Committee for Article 2006 consists of Hege Tapio and Kevin Foust from i/o/lab and the following individuals, each with extensive experience in the practice and mediation of unstable arts: Jon Brunberg, Sweden. See: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.brunberg.se">http://www.brunberg.se</a> Juha Huuskonen, Finland. See: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.juhuu.nu">http://www.juhuu.nu</a> Mogens Jacobsen, Denmark. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mogens.info">http://mogens.info</a> * More information / Questions * If you have any questions, you can call Hege Tapio (tel. +47 51 11 54 59) or Kevin Foust (tel. +47 51 11 54 58) or send an email to iolab@iolab.no Our website www.iolab.no will also contain additional information. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Support Rhizome: buy a hosting plan from BroadSpire <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/hosting/">http://rhizome.org/hosting/</a> Reliable, robust hosting plans from $65 per year. Purchasing hosting from BroadSpire contributes directly to Rhizome's fiscal well-being, so think about about the new Bundle pack, or any other plan, today! About BroadSpire BroadSpire is a mid-size commercial web hosting provider. After conducting a thorough review of the web hosting industry, we selected BroadSpire as our partner because they offer the right combination of affordable plans (prices start at $14.95 per month), dependable customer support, and a full range of services. We have been working with BroadSpire since June 2002, and have been very impressed with the quality of their service. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4. From: Perry Lowe <perry@eyebeam.org> Date: May 12, 2006 Subject: Marching Plague by Critical Art Ensemble - Book launch at EYEBEAM Marching Plague from Critical Art Ensemble Book release, talk and screenings Wednesday May 24, 2006 - 6:00-8:30pm at Eyebeam 540 W. 21st Street between 10th & 11th Aves., NYC Please join us for a book launch and an evening of conversation concerning contemporary warfare: an anti-war event. Critical Art Ensemble present their latest book, Marching Plague: Germ Warfare and Global Public Health published by Autonomedia and appearing in conjunction with their piece "Marching Plague" in the 2006 Whitney Biennial. This event is open to the public free of charge and will take place at Eyebeam, 540 W. 21st Street between 10th & 11th Aves. The evening will include brief presentations by artists Gregg Bordowitz and Paul Chan, biotech-hobbyist Eugene Thacker and CAE Defense Fund representative Lucia Sommer. Films from Peggy Ahwesh, Lynn Hershman and the Yes Men, along with the Crtical Art Ensemble's film "Marching Plague", produced/ commissioned by Arts Catalyst, will be screened on monitors throughout the evening. Marching Plague examines the scientific evidence and the rhetoric surrounding biological warfare, particularly the development of anthrax and other bio-weapons, and makes a strong case against the likelihood of such weapons ever being used in a terrorist situation. Studying the history and science of such weapons, they conclude that for reasons of accuracy and potency, biological weapons lack the efficiency required to produce the widespread devasta-tion typically associated with bioterrorism. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 5. From: Jim Andrews <jim@vispo.com> Date: May 14, 2006 Subject: great page of links to algorithmic art on the net this is one of my favorite pages of links on the net: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.gratin.org">http://www.gratin.org</a> . this is antoine schmitt's page of links to algorithmic art. "This site is dedicated to the forms of art using programs as a first class material. So actual and yet so classical. algorithmic art cybernetic art generative art genetic art artificial art interactive art software art => programmed art Systems - models - simulations - processes - cybernetics - real time - artificial entities - animats - robots - interactivity - intersubjectivity -perceptive systems - autopoïesis This site mainly consists in a list of links to sites having to do with dynamic programmed art (exhibitions, theory, documentation of pieces, technologies, critiques)." + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Rhizome Exhibitions The GIF Show, open May 3-June 3, at San Francisco's Rx Gallery, takes the pulse of what some net surfers have dubbed ?GIF Luv,? a recent frenzy of file-sharing and creative muscle-flexing associated with GIFs (Graphic Interchange Format files). Curated by Rhizome Editor & Curator at Large, Marisa Olson, the show presents GIFs and GIF-based videos, prints, readymades, and sculptures by Cory Arcangel, Peter Baldes, Michael Bell-Smith, Jimpunk, Olia Lialina, Abe Linkoln, Guthrie Lonergan, Lovid, Tom Moody, Paper Rad, Paul Slocum, and Matt Smear (aka 893). GIFs have a rich cultural life on the internet and each bears specific stylistic markers. From Myspace graphics to advertising images to porn banners, and beyond, GIFs overcome resolution and bandwidth challenges in their pervasive population of the net. Animated GIFs, in particular, have evolved from a largely cinematic, cell-based form of art practice, and have more recently been incorporated in music videos and employed as stimulating narrative devices on blogs. From the flashy to the minimal, the sonic to the silent, the artists in The GIF Show demonstrate the diversity of forms to be found in GIFs, and many of them comment on the broader social life of these image files. Become MySpace friends with the exhibit! <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.myspace.com/gifshow">http://www.myspace.com/gifshow</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 6. From: Kanarinka <kanarinka@ikatun.com> Date: May 16, 2006 Subject: ARTIFICIAL LIFE IS IMPOSSIBLE IN A COMPUTER ARTIFICIAL LIFE IS IMPOSSIBLE IN A COMPUTER A public lecture by spurse for the RISD Digital+Media Program ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ARTIFICIAL LIFE IS IMPOSSIBLE IN A COMPUTER RISD Auditorium 7 p.m. In this lecture, spurse will definitively define the following concepts: 1) emergence 2) artificial life 3) digital 4) analog 5) algorithm 6) cooking 7) bacteria 8) computer In addition to RISD Digital+Media students, this lecture will also be of interest to: architects, philosophers, scientists, gardeners and the hospitality industry. ABOUT SPURSE Spurse is an international collective composed of individuals with experience in a wide variety of fields. spurse has no (fixed) content or members ? rather it is a viral multiplicity that is continuously reforming itself as it becomes new projects and new events. In this, it is open to change, contradiction, multiplicity, tangents, infection, and betrayal. Spurse is interested in considering the public as that which must be continually constructed as a part of the invention of public space. In this we are interested in emergent forms of individuality ? swarms, crowds, the person, groups, and ecosystems. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.spurse.org">http://www.spurse.org</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://dm.risd.edu">http://dm.risd.edu</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Rhizome.org 2005-2006 Net Art Commissions The Rhizome Commissioning Program makes financial support available to artists for the creation of innovative new media art work via panel-awarded commissions. For the 2005-2006 Rhizome Commissions, eleven artists/groups were selected to create original works of net art. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/commissions/">http://rhizome.org/commissions/</a> The Rhizome Commissions Program is made possible by support from the Jerome Foundation in celebration of the Jerome Hill Centennial, the Greenwall Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Additional support has been provided by members of the Rhizome community. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 7. From: Lauren Cornell <laurencornell@rhizome.org> Date: May 16, 2006 Subject: NETTIME_NORTH_AMERICA_GATHERING NETTIME_AMERIQUE_DU_NORD ===================== MUTEK & UPGRADE MONTREAL PRÉSENTENT: +++++++++++++++++++++ NETTIME_NORTH_AMERICA_GATHERING NETTIME_AMERIQUE_DU_NORD \CRITICAL PRACTICE RESUSCITATION (CPR) \ contenu libre / tactical media / open source hacktivism / medias hackers / no borders / sans frontières VJs / DJs / net.art / net-performance grassroots strategies / pensée rhizomatique techno-nomadisme / NETTIME.ORG! ++++++++++++++++++ mardi 30 MAI 2006 tuesday ===================== @ SAT, 1195 St. Laurent 10h00 - 24h00 GRATUIT / FREE MONTREAL, CANADA ==================== [TOUTES LES INFOS / ALL INFORMATION HORAIRE / SCHEDULE ETC. [[[[[ <a rel="nofollow" href="http://theupgrade.sat.qc.ca">http://theupgrade.sat.qc.ca</a> <— ] avec (international) participants: Ted Byfield / David Garcia / Stephen Kovats Ken Werbin / Abe Burmeister / NAW & VJ Nokami John Sobol / Johnny Ranger / Fishead / Lucille Calmel JoCool / M.I.L.F. / Au Travail / Bob the Builder / Kirsty Robertson / Gita Hashemi / Kevin Yuen Kit Lo Michael Lenczner / Aaron Lakoff / Omar Bickell Koumbit.org / Ile Sans Fil / CKUT V2 / Next Five Minutes .. * un jour de débats publics, présentations et performances * * a day of public discussion, presentation & performance * partenaires / partners: Mutek.ca / Turbulence.org / Rhizome.org / SAT CKUT 90.3 FM / esse / Parachute / V2 Upgrade International / Nettime.org ++++++++++++++++++++ [english below] Le mardi, 30 mai 2006, Upgrade Montréal sera l'hôte de la première rencontre nord-américaine de la liste de diffusion internationale <nettime>. La Rencontre inaugura aussi l'édition 2006 du festival des arts numériques de Mutek. Nettime.org est depuis longtemps le point focal du indymedia mondial, du net-art, des médias tactiques et des arts technologiques. Depuis 1994, sa liste de diffusion, ses discussions enligne et hors ligne, ses publications et ses rencontres ont galvanisé une quantité de réseaux transnationaux de même que leurs praticiens, développant ainsi une expression de cette culture sous le nom de "net.criticism." En 2006, Nettime célèbre son 11e anniversaire, fort d'une décennie de publications, d'interventions et de débats. __Cela étant dit, quel est le rôle continu et l'impact de Nettime de nos jours_? Étant un noeud d'Upgrade International, un réseau grassroots d'art technologique en expansion, la Rencontre posera une série de questions à l'égard du futur de Nettime: quels en sont les nouveaux participants, et quelles sont les nouvelles directions prises par les médias tactiques? Membres du public, artistes, théoriciens, auteurs, codeurs, et curieux de tous genres sont les bienvenu(e)s à cette série de présentations et de panels qui seront suivis dÅune soirée de musique et de performance dédiées à Nettime, ses membres, ses oeuvres, ses passés et ses futurs. Des membres internationaux de Nettime seront de la partie, ainsi que des modérateurs de liste. Nettime est une liste ouverte et cet événement est ouvert au public! ==== [english] On Tuesday, May 30th 2006 the Upgrade Montreal will bring together the first North American gathering of the global mailing list, <nettime>. The Gathering will also launch the 2006 edition of the Mutek festival of digital culture. Nettime.org has long been the focal point of global indymedia, net-art, tactical media and the technology arts. Since 1994 its mailing lists, online and offline discussions, publications and gatherings have galvanized a flurry of global networks and their practitioners, developing an expression of Net culture known as "net.criticism." In 2006, Nettime celebrates its 11th birthday against the backdrop of over a decade of publications, interventions and debates. __But what is the continuing role and impact of Nettime today_? As a node in the expanding, grassroots technology arts network Upgrade International, this Gathering poses a series of questions to the future of Nettime: _who are the new practitioners & what are the new directions in tactical media_? Members of the public, artists, theorists, writers, codemonkeys and the curious are welcome to attend a series of talks and panels followed by an evening of music and performance devoted to Nettime, its members, it works, its pasts and its futures. International members of Nettime will be in attendance including list moderators. Nettime is an open list and this event is open to all of the public! === [upgrade] LÅUpgrade est une organisation autonome, internationale et rhizomatique de rendez-vous mensuels pour la culture numérique et les arts technologiques. Upgrade Montréal bénéficie du soutien généreux de la Société des arts technologiques [SAT], ainsi que de ses réseaux formant Upgrade International, des divers partenaires avec lesquels il collabore, des artistes faisant don de leur temps, et de l'énergie bénévole de son triumvirate organisateur. <a rel="nofollow" href="http://theupgrade.sat.qc.ca">http://theupgrade.sat.qc.ca</a> | <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.theupgrade.net">http://www.theupgrade.net</a> The Upgrade is an autonomous, international and grassroots organisation of monthly gatherings for digital culture and the technology arts. Upgrade Montreal is generously supported by The Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), through the networks of the Upgrade International, the various partners we work with, the artists who donate their time and the personal energies of its organiser triumvirate. —- bisous from the triumvirate: tobias c. van Veen Sophie Le-Phat Ho Anik Fournier tobias c. van Veen _Concept Engineer - Director, Upgrade Montréal <a rel="nofollow" href="http://theupgrade.sat.qc.ca">http://theupgrade.sat.qc.ca</a> | @ : + (SAT) Society for Arts and Technology Montréal, Canada | <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sat.qc.ca">http://www.sat.qc.ca</a> - + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 8. From: jessicaallee@studio27.org <jessicaallee@studio27.org> Date: May 18, 2006 Subject: Call For Work: State of Exception Studio 27, a micro-cinema showcasing experimental media in the San Francisco Bay Area, is looking for recent short videos and films. Our next screening, in July, takes its title and theme from the book State of Exception by Georgio Agamben. Agamben describes a political condition that has a compelling contemporary resonance in the United States. In states of siege or war, governmental institutions have justified the suspension of civil law, arguing that the higher law of sustaining the state?s well-being requires that certain civil liberties be withheld. We are interested in showing documentary and experimental media that responds to this condition, or that opens a dialogue for discussing the necessity or consequences of the current administration?s direction. We welcome work from all sides of the political spectrum. Possible themes might include: human rights and responsibilities, conditions of crisis that are under-represented, the impact of terrorism on everyday life, subversive action and celebration, the degradation of basic civil liberties, the resurgence of racism and discrimination, nationalism and xenophobia, $ymbols for a better tomorrow, new techniques for keeping the public anxious or apathetic, how enhanced surveillance technologies are eroding our privacy, immigration and alienation, and incarceration without due process. For more information on our ongoing quarterly series visit www.studio27.org We will accept work under 30 minutes in length on data DVDs (as a Quicktime movie file, especially for digital animations), playable DVDs (all region), or MiniDVs (ntsc). Submission Deadline (received by): June 30, 2006 Include with your submission a brief written description of the work, and a short filmmaker bio. Also include a SASE if you would like your materials returned to you (only U.S. mail will be returned). Mail to: Wago Kreider Studio 27 633 Post Street, #11 San Francisco, CA 94109 Please direct questions to: wagokreider@studio27.org + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 9. From: Patrick May <patrick@rhizome.org>, Richard Rinehart <rinehart@berkeley.edu>, Marisa Olson <marisa@rhizome.org>, Lauren Cornell <laurencornell@rhizome.org> Date: May 16-19, 2006 Subject: Re: Metadata +Patrick May posted:+ Hello, On May 1, 2006, at 6:33 PM, Richard Rinehart wrote: > Yes, perhaps a hybrid model would work. Actually, I think that > technically, the folksonomy/tagging bit might be the hardest to > implement (but worth it), whereas also having the AAT/etc terms in > a list is a pretty easy and fairly static entity to include. Making the Artbase a folksonomy will go beyond adding tags to the metadata. Websites like Flickr ordel.icio.us give up some control in an effort to encourage participation. The premise is that the main constraint on the success of a classification system is the actual work of tagging. These sites focus first on getting more people to tag and assume that valuable information can be aggregated from the result. To implement a folksonomy with the Artbase, I suggest we create other rewards besides the act of tagging itself. Instead of submitting to the Artbase, artists could "send a Linked Artwork to RAW". The artwork could be online, linked from the artist's profile, and a notification could be sent to the RAW mailing list. There also could be a way to browse the RAW Linked Artworks, just like there are ways of browsing the calendar or opportunities. At the same time, these RAW Linked Artworks could be queued for selection into the curated Artbase, just like RAW emails are queued for selection into RARE. > You mention an interesting note about ArtBase including licenses > for commercial software as having the original software (or better > yet, source code, see previous post) is helpful for preservation. I > do rememeber that Howard Besser at NYU had mentioned a couple years > ago the idea of convincing Congress to give software companies a > tax break to release their old software into the public domain > because it has little value for them, but great value for > preservation. Does anyone else know about this project and what > became of it. It might be relevant here…… This does not directly relate to metadata, but I'd like to make suggestion about Artbase preservation techniques. At present we "clone" an artwork onto our server. This requires a review of the artworks being cloned, making the cloning process more time-consuming. I think we could have a smoother process by focusing just on "preservation": + The artist could upload an archive ( zip / sit / tgz / etc ) of the project. + The archive would be preserved for future reference. + If the original link goes dark, either Rhizome or other interested parties could choose to clone the project This would allow us to preserve more artworks, including those which do not match Rhizome's hosting environment. I'm sure on the internet there are artworks created in LISP that are worth preserving :-) Cheers, Patrick +Richard Rinehart replied:+ Patrick, These are great ideas. Here are some additional thoughts in two separate emails: On submitting artwork to Rhizome/RAW/ArtBAse, it looks like we'll need to ask for more metadata in the future, in which case it will require a form, etc. I guess as long as it's clear that one is submitting to the ArtBase as well as RAW, that would let folks know why it requires a form, etc. Of course there would presumably still be the option of sending a quick announcement to RAW without submitting to the ArtBase, no? But having the incentive that when you submit to the ArtBase, you are also submitting to RAW, is of course appealing and, hopefully, motivating. In addition to a full blown folksonomy, I think it would still be important to have the contributor/artist tag their work with a controlled vocabulary standard term (AAT, etc) as well. The controlled list is much easier to include in a system (it's just a static list) and I think would be in parallel to the folksonomic system. This would, however, provide a) immediate and near term compatibility with the large range of external systems using these standards and b) provide a long term mapping between the controlled terms and the developing folksonomies that could help, in the end, to improve and expand said controlled vocab sources. Thus, Rhizome's and Rhizome members' are able to impact and educate the larger art world. + [….] + I would propose that the artist be able to choose/select if they want their entire archive to be downloadable. Some of these submitted works will include multi-purpose source code, etc. and I know from collecting such work into a museum that some artists are skittish about giving such code away. But I also agree that having an open archive of digital works would be a boon to the community of working artists and educators too. If you default to giving everything away, then you might lose some people from participating/submitting, but if you allow the option then you are able to include the skittish as well as the generous and everyone can play. no? + [….] + Here are some thoughts on the second part of your proposal: This portion of your proposal deals with "cloned" works in the ArtBase. One thing to clarify is that this is more of a storage solution than a preservation solution. It's important to draw a distinction to set up realistic expectations in the community. One difference is that a preservation solution would require that the files be stored in an archival or semi-archival format and from what I've heard, compressed files or compressed file groups are the worst for archival storage. But perhaps compression is just for the initial upload, whereupon they are unpacked and stored in "raw" form. But a more important distinction is that preservation would require that upon ingest into the ArtBase, the files are checked for file validity and that, in perpetuity, they are periodically checked so that obsolete formats can be migrated to new formats in addition to migrating the files themselves to newer storage solutions. BUT, even if a true "preservation repository" is too expensive to achieve initially, I agree that Rhizome could prove invaluable to the community by taking some early steps such as offering a storage solution. Then future grants, funding, and staff could be sought to flesh out the thornier, more labor-intensive preservation issues. In relation to source code, I guess it would also make sense to ask/prod the submitting artist to include the original source code and/or editable/extractable versions of the files too. For instance, when uploading C-based works; they would upload source as well as compiled programs and For Flash-based works they would upload .fla files as well as .swf. The closer to the source; the easier to preserve because you can generate new copies. Anyway, I think the idea of having a level of service at Rhizome that is storage (and not committing to keeping the project running online forever) would be a good move and a huge help to a growing community. And you've suggested two good ways to improve the workflow, thus allowing Rhizome to collect/ingest/store even more works. +Marisa Olson posted:+ Dear Rhizomers, I've really appreciated your comments, in this thread. I wanted to take some time to observe and absorb before jumping into the conversation. Of course, I bump up against Metadata issues every day, as Editor & Curator, because these tags are used to describe not only ArtBase entries but also TextBase pieces–i.e. posts to Raw that get filtered into Rare. I'll be the first to point out the datedness or frustrating aspects of the current language, but I would also err on the side of caution before totally discarding the system. It seems obvious to me that we can't throw out all of the old terms, because: * They are attached to so many works; * Whether or not they were excited by the terms, artists have previously used them to describe their work, so we're in the domain of artistic intention; and * The terms are a historical reflection upon the evolving discourse of new media, and as such they index not only texts and artworks, but other historically important things like trends, vernaculars, etc. In my opinion, they should be augmented with additional terms and then the architecture of these options could be improved. There is currently some redundancy–perhaps even some contradiction, between the tags offered in the type, genre, and keyword categories, which I believe can be easily smoothed out. David Chien pointed this out, here, when he suggested that these all be collapsed under the heading "category." But, backing up, we would really like to hear from *you* what terms you'd like to see added. Perhaps we can think of this as a preliminary form of folksonomy, as it will clearly be generated by you folks! And then I think that the tagging system can be opened up to additional, simultaneous self-tagging. The concerns many have expressed over the practice of choosing from an existing menu of tags, or a "controlled vocabulary," I think relate to larger concerns that many of us have about the insider vs. outsider nature of the field. When I look back over some of the more memorable Raw threads related to the criticism and historiography of new media art, I see a tension between those who want to rebel against existing aesthetic models (and all that they imply, from art stardom to the military industrial complex), and those who see a need to situate work in relationship to these models. I also know that the notions of hierarchy and control often get pitted against those of collaboration and sharing, but I think that there is a need for both–and that they need not be mutually exclusive. I personally think that a dual-model in which ArtBase contributors and Site Editors can engage with the controlled vocabulary while also augmenting it with their own expressions is the best way to reach a happy medium. This really gets to Rick's question as to the audience of the ArtBase and TextBase. I tend to imagine a future-tense audience looking back on works and texts and trying to take them not only for face value, but also to understand them in relationship to other works and texts of that time period and/or of that self-identified genre. This is a scenario in which an existing, shared vocabulary is extremely helpful. It would also enrichen the study of a work's context, as Rick pointed out when he said: "Although, if one did use a hybrid model, then that would itself create the mapping (each work would have both standardized terms and folksonomic terms applied, so averaging among many works, you'd be able to tell what terms mapped to each other." I would like to conclude with one more plea for you to contribute constructive suggestions for "category" tags to include among our Metadata. I would also say that our collectively-authored "shared vocabulary" has potential not only to impact the preservation and interpretation of works and texts in our own archives, but that it can also be shared with the field at large. This is an incredible opportunity for us to share our insights with the field. I thank you for continuing to share your thoughts. Marisa +Richard Rinehart replied:+ Thanks Marisa, That's a great summary, and I totally agree that we can have our cake and eat it too. As a digital or net.artist, I often feel I want to defend/promote/identify what is unique about digital practice in contrast to the larger art or cultural worlds. [In an interesting aside about language; at UC Berkeley we had a long debate about what to call this "genre" for our campus Center for New Media and decided that 'computational media' was the most accurate at defining what is unique about these media and separate them from other artistic media and separate this artistic practice to some extent because computation affords functions and opportunities that are new and unique - BUT in actually naming the Center in a way that is not too geeky and is understandable to campus administrators, we went for 'new media'. Ironic, eh?] But in my day job at a museum, I don't want to see digital media continue to be ghetto-ized the way performance/conceptual/installation art still is (let's face it, museums never really solved the problems inherent in collecting those genres either). I agree that we can develop our own vocabulary and at the same time deploy a parallel standardized one. I also hadn't thought of it, but of course the existing artbase terms are perhaps the beginnings of the new folksonomy. As to Type/Genre/Keywords specifically; I still feel that type and genre are distinct ideas: one is more general and conceptual (Genre=Impressionism), whereas the other is more about the format of the work (Type=painting). If we wanted to simplify things (not a bad idea) it would be important to define what we mean by Category if it's to be a useful metadata element. And, if indeed a folksonomy is used, then Keyword, however, becomes obsolete. Just my 2c again, and to echo Marisa, it would be great to hear from more people on this list; we're talking about creating the historic record here and this can't be the purview of just a few people (well, shouldn't anyway!) +Marisa Olson replied:+ Hi, Rick. Thanks or your response. > As a digital or net.artist, I often feel I want to > defend/promote/identify what is unique about digital practice in > contrast to the larger art or cultural worlds. Yep, this is exactly what I was getting at with the suggestion that we build a shared vocabulary together, but then allow individuals to.. individualize it. > As to Type/Genre/Keywords specifically; I still feel that type and > genre are distinct ideas: one is more general and conceptual > (Genre=Impressionism), whereas the other is more about the format of > the work (Type=painting). Yes, I agree that this is true in the world at large, but I think that there is redundancy in our case. Some words appear on both the Type & Genre list (at least for the TextBase), while others are obviously missing. There also continues to be debate, in our field, about how to classify & categorize works of new media art. (This is, perhaps, most often manifest in the distinction between whether one uses a technology as a tool or as an object, in their work. To say nothing of using it as a subject!) One issue (or at least this is how I interpret it) is that these lists are a holdover from the listserv nature of Rhizome's origin. I always look at the 'Type' terms as terms that describe the type of listserv posting being archived… But then these terms, on these lists, cross over between specific works (ie ArtBase index pages) and list posts (ie TextBase 'pages'). > If we wanted to simplify things (not a bad > idea) it would be important to define what we mean by Category if > it's to be a useful metadata element. Category may or may not be a great word. Perhaps we could even use something like 'search terms.' In the end, that does seem to be the whole point–or a major point. Actually, I just peeked at the area in which MySpace users can upload videos and they distinguish between 'categories' and 'tags' this way: << >> Categories: Select 1-3. Animals Animation/CGI Automotive Comedy and Humor Entertainment Extreme Videos Instructional Music News and Politics Schools and Education Science and Technology Video Blogging Sports Travel and Vacations Video Games Weird Stuff Tags: Tags are keywords associated with your video. Separate tags with spaces. For example: Tom snowboard face plant << >> The point is that people who come to search can now compare what two different people called 'Weird Stuff;' they could see what personal words the artist used to describe the work; they could get a suggestion of what to look for if they don't know what they are looking for; or they could search for random tags; etc…. But what we'd need, in order to do something like this, is an agreed upon list of [search terms]. I think the old ones should stay there, even if no one uses them now, to acknowledge that people once used 'collider' and there are works indexed under that heading. In fact, none of these terms are so bad, it's just that they desperately need to be augmented. So many things are missing. And who decides (and how much does it matter) whether we use the word(s) audio, sound, phonography, radio, music, podcast, mp3, wav, etc…? I would say, though, going back to people's tag cloud suggestions, that it would be nice to offer these, too. Del.icio.us does this, if you're bookmarking something that's been bookmarked before. It suggests tags that others have used. You can take them, leave them, edit them, etc. And I think that a cloud in which more popular tags are bigger (common among tag clouds–see the one at the bottom of the blog We Make Money Not Art: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/#more_cat">http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/#more_cat</a>) could give a nice sense of the popularity or folksonomic effects of a tag. We could even look into visualizing not only the frequency but also the duration of a tag. (ie Many people starting using the term 'meme' around this time, but then it lost popularity in early 2008.) And there are many ways to track the connectedness of terms–so one could easily see that, say, 17 people who selected the "shared vocabulary" term "broadcast" also used the tag "reality_tv," and then navigate to those 17 database objects. I think that these are the kinds of things that many people appreciate about taxonomies/ taxonomic interfaces that happen to be 100% folksonomic, but I think that they can still be done (if not done better–building a stronger archive, delivering better search results, providing deeper documentation & contextualization) by combining the shared vocabulary and the opportunity for folksonomy. > we're talking about creating the historic record here and this > can't be the purview of just a few people (well, shouldn't anyway!) Yes! Absolutely! So please send [search term/category] suggestions, everyone! Thanks so much, Marisa +Lauren Cornell replied:+ Hi all: I'd like to start wrapping this stage of the Metadata project up. Of course, discussion can continue on the list for however long. But, Rhizome staff is going to consider the recent RAW discussion with a group of preservation professionals next week. We're hoping to finalize our plan for moving ahead through this discussion. SO, please send any final comments our way over the weekend. I want to thank everyone for their input on and off-list, and also Rick for his excellent moderating! Thanks, Lauren + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Rhizome.org is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization and an affiliate of the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Rhizome Digest is supported by grants from The Charles Engelhard Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Rhizome Digest is filtered by Marisa Olson (marisa@rhizome.org). ISSN: 1525-9110. Volume 11, number 19. Article submissions to list@rhizome.org are encouraged. Submissions should relate to the theme of new media art and be less than 1500 words. For information on advertising in Rhizome Digest, please contact info@rhizome.org. 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