RHIZOME DIGEST: 6.04.04

discussion

Posted June 3 2004 20:00

RHIZOME DIGEST: 6.04.04

RHIZOME DIGEST: June 4, 2004 Content: +note+ 1. Francis Hwang: Director of Technology's report, April & May 2004 2. Francis Hwang: commission voting 2004, the debriefing +announcement+ 3. Luci Eyer: [] low-fi update 26 - Broken Histories 4. marc: Chinese Net protestors arrested 5. Kevin McGarry: Steve Kurtz and the CAE Resources + Protest +opportunity+ 6. George: Invitation Elsewhere 7. Christina McPhee: FW: Call for an Emerging Curator 8. eduardo@navasse.net: N_A_R contributing writers 9. Robert Praxmarer: Call for Artistic Director of the Ars Electronica Center 10. Dominique Fontaine: Programme de bourses pour chercheur résident : Date limite le 31 août 2004 / Grant program for Researchers in Residence : August 31 2004 deadline 11. matthew fuller: postgraduate opportunities: MA in Media Design Piet Zwart Institute +scene report+ 12. jonah brucker-cohen: Report from FutureSonic 2004 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 1. Date: 6.01.04 From: Francis Hwang <francis@rhizome.org> Subject: Director of Technology's report, April & May 2004 Hi all, Here are some of the interesting things that happened (tech-wise) in Rhizome-land: 1. Server upgrade This is the big one: We moved Rhizome to bigger, faster, angrier machines, and the results have been pretty dramatic. If you've been wondering why everything is so peppy all of a sudden, well, that's why. 2. Commissions voting Rachel announced the various winners at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/thread.rhiz?thread=13205&text=25275">http://rhizome.org/thread.rhiz?thread=13205&text=25275</a> . In the next month or so I'll write a more techie/community-designy debriefing of our voting process, complete with lots of stats. 3. Hiring FYI, I ended up hiring David Galbraith ( <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/member.rhiz?user_id=1020482">http://rhizome.org/member.rhiz?user_id=1020482</a> ) as my main techie consultant. David's a sound-artist/programmer, and for all his hard work he now has the privilege and honor of hanging out with me in our tiny office and hear me obsess about object-oriented programming. F. + + + francis@rhizome.org added: [6.03.04] Hey T., Our linking policy is a work in progress–I don't know if I could properly call it a "policy", even. I can describe our intent and our implementation for you, though much of this is subject to change. As Curt described at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/thread.rhiz?thread=13229&text=25382#25382">http://rhizome.org/thread.rhiz?thread=13229&text=25382#25382</a> , the intent is that if somebody at another web site links to a page deep inside Rhizome, they should be able to see the first page without being logged in, but further exploration will require registration. The implementation uses the referer field in a web request, which can see if you came from another site. So if you get linked to a Rhizome text from, say, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mteww.com/">http://mteww.com/</a>, the membership system reads the referral field and sees that you came from another site, and lets you in. But any further clicks will ask you to login. This has no effect on RSS, or links in email. The RSS file we have now, /netartnews.rss, isn't password-protected anyway, and it's unlikely that we'll publish any protected RSS in the future. And it's my understanding that clicking on a link in an email won't send a referer value, meaning that you'll be asked to login in the first click. Curt noted that it's possible to hack this. There are some ways to tighten and restrict, but we don't actively pursue them, largely because the solutions cause more harm than good, and there are almost no cases of serious infringement. In general, we want to err on the side of too little control. And for the rest, we depend on the good intentions of the rest of the web, which is sort of how the internet works. Francis + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 2. Date: 6.04.04 From: Francis Hwang <francis@rhizome.org> Subject: commission voting 2004, the debriefing Hi everybody, This year, the Rhizome Net Art Commissions used a membership-driven voting system to help determine who would win an award. Here are some of my notes from the process; I look forward to hearing feedback & discussion from anyone who participated in the process, either as a candidate or a voter or just an onlooker. The full voting rules can be found at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/commissions/2004_voting.rhiz">http://rhizome.org/commissions/2004_voting.rhiz</a> . ISSUES ABOUT MAKING THE PROCESS PUBLIC When we kicked off the voting process I sent an email to all the candidates, asking them to follow a few ground rules: + Candidates can follow along with any discussions about the proposals, but shouldn't take part. + Candidates should not change their web sites in an effort to address criticisms that could come up during the discussion. + Candidates _can_ vote, in the same way that, say, John Kerry will be allowed to vote for himself in the U.S. Presidential election this November. At least a few artists, it seemed, had not been aware of the public nature of this competition, and asked me to remove their works from consideration. Also, one artist expressed a concern about ideas in his proposal being plagiarized, but wasn't concerned enough to withdraw his proposal. The full list of proposals can be seen at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/commissions/all_proposals.rhiz">http://rhizome.org/commissions/all_proposals.rhiz</a> . APPROVAL STAGE During the approval stage, Rhizome members were asked to view proposals, five at a time, and give a simple Yes/No vote. Members could vote for as few or as many as they liked. At the end the proposals were ranked by the percentage of Yes votes they received. In order to make sure that each proposal got enough Yes or No votes, the system rotated what proposals to vote on in such a way that the proposal with the least Yes or No votes was viewed next. I was uncertain about this part of the process, since it's a new strategy for a new voting problem: My quick research on voting methods didn't turn up anything that dealt with this situation well. When this process was done, I was personally satisfied that the finalists represented the opinion of the voting members, but that's a pretty subjective assessment to make. 51 members voted in this phase, registering a total of 1282 individual votes. Each proposal received 26 or 27 Yes or No votes. The list of finalists can be seen at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/commissions/all_finalists.rhiz">http://rhizome.org/commissions/all_finalists.rhiz</a> . RANKING STAGE During the ranking stage, Rhizome members were asked to rank the finalists from most favorite to least favorite. Tallying the votes would involve repeatedly eliminating the candidate with the fewest first-place votes, until one remaining candidate receives the majority of the first-place votes. This is called Instant Runoff Voting, and it's a well-established voting system used in many places, including in national elections in some countries in western Europe. The online ballot for this phase involved an area above for already-ranked proposals, and an area below for proposals that have yet to be ranked. (This interface, FYI, is shamelessly stolen from Netflix.) After the voting was finished, somebody pointed out to me that the order that candidates are listed in may have an affect on how they are ranked. This ballot ordered the already-ranked proposals by rank, but didn't explicitly set the order for the proposals to be ranked–I think they were displayed by the order they were originally submitted. 19 members voted in this phase, registering a total of 286 votes. Each proposal received from 9 to 15 votes. Carlo Zanni's piece, which was awarded the winner, received 3 first-place votes the first round, winning by process of elimination. By way of comparison, 1 other proposal also received 3 first-place votes (but didn't do as well in the elimination process), and 4 other proposals received 2 first-place votes. One concern of this process is that there are too few voters for too many candidates. Other than getting more people to vote, I'm not certain of the best solution for this. Personally the votes seemed to work out okay; generally speaking the proposals that I would've expected to do well ranked pretty well. (Again, this is pretty subjective.) TURNOUT Turnout was really low. Out of roughly 3000 eligible voting members, 51 (1.7%) members voted in the approval stage, and 19 (0.6%) voted in the ranking stage. I'm not certain why it was so low or how such turnout can be improved next year. Maybe the interface was too slow or confusing? Maybe people didn't know about it? Maybe some Rhizomers just don't care? SECURITY & VALIDITY Mindful of the fact that Rhizome is based in a country that doesn't have a very good track record when it comes to holding elections, I took a number of steps to ensure that the results could be validated if necessary. + Every time somebody submits a vote, it's logged in a separate log file so the votes can theoretically be reconstructed from those logs by hand or by an automated script. + At the end of each phase, I hand-checked the results to make sure they were in line with the results that the software gave me. + I also looked over votes to ensure that people weren't voting with duplicate accounts, trying to notice any cases where two voters' opinions looked suspiciously similar. I didn't find any such cases. IMPROVEMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR I can easily think of a few things that will improve the process next time: + Improve the proposal submission tool. This year it was a sort of a one-time submission process, which means if you changed your mind later you had to resubmit and then email me telling me to fix it. Hassle for me, hassle for the artist. Next year it would be good to have a tool where you create a proposal and then can edit it constantly until the voting begins. + Make it very explicitly to the artist that their proposal will be viewed by the Rhizome community. I can even imagine this taking the form of an opt-in form. Artists should know what they're getting into from the start. + For the ranking process, unranked proposals should probably be presented in some randomized order to prevent any proposal from gaining a subtle advantage. What do people think? Was the process clear? Fair? Easy-to-use? Francis + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Rhizome is now offering organizational subscriptions, memberships purchased at the institutional level. These subscriptions allow participants of an institution to access Rhizome's services without having to purchase individual memberships. (Rhizome is also offering subsidized memberships 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 Rachel Greene at Rachel@Rhizome.org. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 3. Date: 6.03.04 From: Luci Eyers <giraffe@easynet.co.uk> Subject: [] low-fi update 26 - Broken Histories [] low-fi update 26 [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.low-fi.org.uk">http://www.low-fi.org.uk</a> [] guest selection: Steve Dietz on Locative=?Yes? [] low-fi selection: Broken Histories [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.easylife.org/netart/">http://www.easylife.org/netart/</a> [Natalie Bookchin & Alexei Shulgin] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.calarts.edu/~line/history.html">http://www.calarts.edu/~line/history.html</a> [Natalie Bookchin] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mteww.com/images/netartdiagram.gif">http://www.mteww.com/images/netartdiagram.gif</a> [M. River and T. Whid] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.linkoln.net/complex/">http://www.linkoln.net/complex/</a> [linkoln.net] []<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.whitney.org/artport/commissions/idealine.shtml">http://www.whitney.org/artport/commissions/idealine.shtml</a> [Martin Wattenberg] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.verybusy.org">http://www.verybusy.org</a> [Stephan (Spiv) Schröder] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.iniva.org/xspace/index">http://www.iniva.org/xspace/index</a> [InIVA] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sfmoma.com/espace/espace_overview.html">http://www.sfmoma.com/espace/espace_overview.html</a> [SFMOMA, Benjamin Weil] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://193.123.212.249/">http://193.123.212.249/</a> [ICA, Tom Holley] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.walkerart.org/gallery9/">http://www.walkerart.org/gallery9/</a> [documenta XI] [Walker Art Center, Steve Dietz] [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://telematic.walkerart.org/timeline/innertimeline.html">http://telematic.walkerart.org/timeline/innertimeline.html</a> [Steve Dietz] It is now possible to find many histories of new media art. These histories appear as maps, timelines, plots and narratives. This includes a number of totalising monographs, as well as online histories which range from critical (see Introduction to Net Art 1994-1999) to parodic (see Simple Net Art Diagram and Complex Net Art Diagram) to earnestly autobiographical (see x-space and E.space). Each is inevitably partial (some more concerned about their partiality than others). And each attempted history invariably establishes definitions for new media art. A simple observation anchors ?Broken Histories?: beyond their conceptual partiality, many of these histories are literally (and more than literally) broken. Many appear buggy: where dates and events might be, there are gaps or ellipses or scrawls that appear to be graffiti (see Telematic/s). Often, there are long spans between updates and then an abrupt stoppage (see The New Media Centre ICA, Gallery 9, The Story of Net Art, IDEA LINE, Verybusy). What was it about 2001 and 2002 that stymied so many net.art histories? These bugs?the gaps, cessations and glitches?don?t always appear to be tactical or polemical. They seem to want fixing. But what, exactly, is broken? What is it about such histories that so fosters incompletion? Are they, in fact, incomplete? Or are they incomplete-able? Do they challenge what completion might look like or mean in the context of a history which is also a definitional act? Do they make us ask why we would want to finish such a project? Obviously broken histories make us look again at the histories with no obvious flaws. How is the trick effected? Where is the break that has been smoothed over? Histories are machines and as such they have parts and these parts can break: wear out with age, jam, be sabotaged. The history-machines we?ve collected establish a particular image of new media art. New media artworks, in turn, intervene in the process of their own historicisation, even while participating in it. This month?s list invites consideration of the aesthetics and politics of the historiographic glitch: of projects that seek to historicise new media art and of the points in this process where breakdowns are revealed or obscured. Brief abstracts of the projects in ?Broken Histories? follow: ?Introduction to net.art (1994 - 1999)? is the intriguing attempt by Natalie Bookchin and Alexei Shulgin to define, explain and historically locate the term 'net.art.' It is wryly written with a definite air of demystification worthy of any 'for Dummies' publication. It seems at first to belie underlying ambiguities and complexities inherent to the period of self-historicisation in 1999. Bookchin's 'story of net art (open source)' was a teaching tool for her Cal Arts students and as the title suggests it was maybe intended for wider dissemination and modification. This timeline, from a net.art insider, relates net art projects to formative discussions and texts on net.art through a parallel chronology. 'Simple Net Art Diagram' is a humorous and ironic image of net.art creation. Simple and probably true. 'Complex Net Art Diagram: A Remix' of MTAA is a remix of MTAA's simple net art diagram, linkoln.net have created the complex version. It's a map, a history, and a parody of one hundred things: net art and net art's various historicisations, diagrams per se, histories per se, anything at all done in a totalising spirit, etc. 'IDEA LINE' is a beautiful and very functional representation of web-based projects that is displayed in a timeline, arranged in a fan of threads. Each thread corresponds to a particular kind of artwork or type of technology. The brightness of each thread varies with the number of artworks that it contains in each year, so you can watch the ebb and flow of different lines of thought over time. The time line maps web based work up to 2002, and was created from a public request for projects. The Verybusy.org site, created in 1998 and still operative, works as a combined interactive portal, forum and archive for net.art where user collaboration is what creates the portal. Verybusy has consciously created non-hierarchical ways to access their database so that no particular work is privileged or made more visible than another. They are working against the tendency to select and historicise. As the user collaboration is infrequent at the time, the site is now dozing, and the archive contains many abstracts attached to links which no longer exist in the webspace any more. Since 'x-space' was launched in 1996, this repository and archive of commissioned artworks is self-proclaimed as 'central to inIVA's online presence.' Yet with its most recent work dated May 2002, we can only assume that this 'online presence' is not too central to inIVA as a whole. 'E.space' launched in spring 2000. Most of the work is a museum collection of digital, online projects acquired between 1997 and 1999 by Aaron Betsky, former Curator of Architecture, Design, and Digital Projects at SFMOMA. The site is an exhibition space for work acquired by the museum. Other commissioned work is also represented on the site. The last commissions date from 2001. The ICA's newmediacentre site is a further example of an institutional new media site which is completely out of date. Although the ICA has maintained a small new media programme, this hasn't had any online presence since 2001/2. "Gallery 9 is the Walker Art Center's online exhibition space. Between 1997 and 2003, under the direction of Steve Dietz, Gallery 9 presented the work of more than 100 artists and became one of the most recognized online venues for the exhibition and contextualization of Internet-based art" [from the website]. But Steve Dietz hasn't been there for some time now, and the juxtaposition of present and past tense here is curious. The 'Open Source Telematic Timeline' was developed in relation to the show on communication based art curated by Steve Dietz 'Telematic Connections: The Virtual Embrace'. The open contribution system has allowed a broad approach and the timeline starts with some interesting entries with for example info on a proposal in 1684 for 'The First Coded Optical Telegraph System'. The timeline remains useful and relevant but the unmoderated system has allowed the system to break down with some graffitied and spurious, futurist contributions at the end of the timeline for instance "end of all life on 3rd planet from sol" should have occurred earlier this year. [] Artists are welcome to submit info on new projects to the database - please use the submission form on low-fi locator. [] LOW-FI [] <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.low-fi.org.uk">http://www.low-fi.org.uk</a> [] net art locator + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4. Date: 6.04.04 From: marc <marc.garrett@furtherfield.org> Subject: Chinese Net protestors arrested ====================== Chinese Net protestors arrested ====================== Chinese authorities have detained a number of Internet dissidents as the 15-year anniversary of a massacre of pro-democracy activists looms. The latest such arrestee, Liu Xiabo, had written a number of articles, including an essay that condemned the Chinese government for using subversion laws to prosecute and silence its online critics. He had also launched a campaign to free cyberdissident Du Daobin, who himself had been forced to plead guilty to subversion charges in a trial that was savaged by various groups, including Reporters Sans Frontieres (RSF-a GILC member). Liu has since been placed under house arrest. Liu's detention comes just after two other Internet activists, Yang Jianli and Liu Shui, were convicted and sentenced by Chinese criminal courts on charges that are being widely perceived as politically motivated. Many of these individuals had participated in the pro-democracy protests at Beijing's Tienanmen Square that the government brutally suppressed on 4 June 1989. In addition to this wave of arrests, Chinese censors are also stepping up restrictions on various forms of Internet activity. For example, government agents have closed down over 8600 cybercafes over the past three months, claiming that they provide "unhealthy information online"-a term that apparently covers political commentary and material critical of the country's rulers. Additionally, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency, a government committee will be formed to stop the flow of imported computer games that contain messages that are deemed taboo by Chinese authorities, such as discussion of Taiwanese and Tibetan sovereignty or the Falun Gong spiritual movement. The Chinese government has already banned Hearts of Iron, a computer game made in Sweden that, among other things, portrayed Tibet as an independent nation. For more on the Liu Xiabo case, visit the RSF website under <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=10466">http://rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=10466</a> Further details regarding the Du Daobin case are posted at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=10432">http://rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=10432</a> See "China silences Tiananmen critics," BBC News Online, 3 June 2004 at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3772629.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3772629.stm</a> Read "Net activist's trial unfair: watchdog," South China Morning Post, 24 May 2004 at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=11470">http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=11470</a> For more about the Yang Jianli and Liu Shui cases, click <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10388">http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10388</a> See "China jails journalist for posting articles on Net," South China Morning Post, 12 May 2004 at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=11098">http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=11098</a> Read "China censors online video games," BBC News Online, 1 June 2004 at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3766023.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3766023.stm</a> See "China bans game for 'distorting history,'" Agence France Presse, 31 May 2004 at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/31/1085855471013.html">http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/31/1085855471013.html</a> Read Chow Chung-yan, "Special censors to root out 'unhealthy' internet games," South China Morning Post, 25 May 2004 at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=11474">http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=11474</a> See also Jonathan Watts, "Nanny knows best," Guardian Unlimited (UK), 14 May 2004 at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1216808,00.h">http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1216808,00.h</a> tml + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + SPECIAL FOR MAY 15 - JUNE 15: All those who sign on to Copper or higher hosting plans during these dates will receive three months of full service for only $1.00! That's (Copper) starting you out with 400MB disk storage space, 2GB of data transfer, 5 POP accounts, and 5 email forwarding accounts. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 5. Date: 6.06.04 From: Kevin McGarry <kevin@rhizome.org> Subject: Steve Kurtz and the CAE: Resources + Protest [the following is a selection of posts relevant to Steve Kurtz and the CAE's ongoing struggle with the US FBI - pertinent links, a briefing of the situation, and letters of support for you to sign, translate, and distribute] Links CAE Defense Fund - <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.caedefensefund.org/">http://www.caedefensefund.org/</a> CAE - <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.critical-art.net">http://www.critical-art.net</a> press from the washington post - <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8278-2004Jun1.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8278-2004Jun1.html</a> + + + from: ryan griffis <grifray@yahoo.com>: Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2004 21:28:59 -0400 (EDT) From: CAE Legal Defense Fund <caedefense@caedefensefund.org> Subject: <nettime> ARTISTS SUBPOENAED IN USA PATRIOT ACT CASE June 2, 2004 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Beatriz da Costa, <a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:media@caedefensefund.org">mailto:media@caedefensefund.org</a> ARTISTS SUBPOENAED IN USA PATRIOT ACT CASE Feds STILL unable to distinguish art from bioterrorism Grand jury to convene June 15 HELP URGENTLY NEEDED - SEE BELOW Three artists have been served subpoenas to appear before a federal grand jury that will consider bioterrorism charges against a university professor whose art involves the use of simple biology equipment. The subpoenas are the latest installment in a bizarre investigation in which members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force have mistaken an art project for a biological weapons laboratory (see end for background). While most observers have assumed that the Task Force would realize the absurd error of its initial investigation of Steve Kurtz, the subpoenas indicate that the feds have instead chosen to press their "case" against the baffled professor. Two of the subpoenaed artists–Beatriz da Costa and Steve Barnes–are, like Kurtz, members of the internationally-acclaimed Critical Art Ensemble (CAE), an artists' collective that produces artwork to educate the public about the politics of biotechnology. They were served the subpoenas by federal agents who tailed them to an art show at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. The third artist, Paul Vanouse, is, like Kurtz, an art professor at the University at Buffalo. He has worked with CAE in the past. The artists involved are at a loss to explain the increasingly bizarre case. "I have no idea why they're continuing (to investigate)," said Beatriz da Costa, one of those subpoenaed. "It was shocking that this investigation was ever launched. That it is continuing is positively frightening, and shows how vulnerable the PATRIOT Act has made freedom of speech in this country." Da Costa is an art professor at the University of California at Irvine. According to the subpoenas, the FBI is seeking charges under Section 175 of the US Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act of 1989, which has been expanded by the USA PATRIOT Act. As expanded, this law prohibits the possession of "any biological agent, toxin, or delivery system" without the justification of "prophylactic, protective, bona fide research, or other peaceful purpose." (See <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/175.html">http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/175.html</a> for the 1989 law and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ehrs.upenn.edu/protocols/patriot/sec817.html">http://www.ehrs.upenn.edu/protocols/patriot/sec817.html</a> for its USA PATRIOT Act expansion.) Even under the expanded powers of the USA PATRIOT Act, it is difficult to understand how anyone could view CAE's art as anything other than a "peaceful purpose." The equipment seized by the FBI consisted mainly of CAE's most recent project, a mobile DNA extraction laboratory to test store-bought food for possible contamination by genetically modified grains and organisms; such equipment can be found in any university's basic biology lab and even in many high schools (see "Lab Tour" at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.critical-art.net/biotech/free/">http://www.critical-art.net/biotech/free/</a> for more details). The grand jury in the case is scheduled to convene June 15 in Buffalo, New York. Here, the jury will decide whether or not to indict Steve Kurtz on the charges brought by the FBI. A protest is being planned at 9 a.m. on June 15 outside the courthouse at 138 Delaware Ave. in Buffalo. HELP NEEDED Financial donations: The CAE Defense Fund has so far received over 200 donations in amounts ranging from $5 to $400. This is a wonderful outpouring of sympathy, but a drop in the bucket compared to the potential costs of the case. To make a donation, please visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.caedefensefund.org/">http://www.caedefensefund.org/</a> Letters of support: Letters and petitions of support from biologists, artists, and others, especially those in positions of responsibility at prominent institutions or companies, could be very useful. See <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.caedefensefund.org/">http://www.caedefensefund.org/</a> for a sample letter of support. Legal offers and letters of support: If you are a lawyer, offers of pro bono support or offers to write amicus briefs would be very helpful. + + + from: "marisa@sfcamerawork.org" <marisa@sfcamerawork.org>: Original Message: —————– From: Amanda McDonald Crowley amc@autonomous.org Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 20:55:44 +0300 To: reader-list@sarai.net Subject: [Reader-list] CAE - open letter of protest - request for signatories Helsinki / Amsterdam, June 4, 2004 Dear friends and colleagues on the Sarai reader list, We are sure that many of you have been following the deeply worrying events around the subpoenas that have been served to members of the US-based arts collective Critical Art Ensemble and have read Shuddhabrata Sengupta's recent posting on this issue. We, Eric Kluitenberg and Amanda McDonald Crowley (with support from a range of colleagues), have taken the initiative to write an open letter of protest asking for an immediate cessation of legal proceedings against our esteemed and distinguished colleagues. We think that this case signals a most worrisome trend in public political life in the United States and cannot be left unaddressed. We ask all of you who have worked with the Critical Art Ensemble in recent years, and others who feel offended by this unacceptable infringement on artistic freedom, to contact us to sign this letter of protest as members of a deeply concerned professional community. Please find the letter below. if you wish to sign send either one of us an email stating your name, your profession, your institutional affiliation (if you have one) and possibly a url that best represents your work or professional activity. Thank you. Amanda McDonald Crowley amc@va.com.au Eric Kluitenberg erick@balie.nl —————- To whom it may concern, We, the undersigned artists, curators, critics, cultural producers, theorists and writers who have worked with or followed the work of the collective known as Critical Art Ensemble, are writing to express our serious concern over legal proceedings brought against members of this highly respected artists group. Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) is a collective of internationally recognised artists who work within pedagogic frameworks and art contexts to raise awareness of a range of social issues. Most recently their work has been directed towards providing the general public with awareness and understanding of issues to do with biological research. Their work is not alarmist but rather provides knowledge. CAE's work is always undertaken in a safe and considered way, using materials which are commonly available in scientific education and research practices. Their main motivation is to provide the public with the tools needed to make informed choices. It has come to our attention that there was a recent seizure of a substantial amount of the artists' work and research material. The international art scene was shocked and surprised to learn that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, following an analysis of the materials by the Commissioner of Public Health for New York State which returned the result that the material seized posed no public safety risk, have continued with their investigation and are now seeking to charge members of the collective under the US Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act as expanded by the USA Patriot Act. Whilst it is perhaps understandable in the current international political climate that such research might raise alarm bells with American authorities, it would have also been clear, upon investigation, that the aims of CAE are not a terrorist act, but an awareness raising action undertaken with cultural, artistic and educational agendas. Indeed CAE's work is quite in keeping with mainstream art practices, which have, throughout history, had pedagogical aims. Having worked with CAE in various settings throughout the world we have found CAE's approach has always been to understand and to know the topic that they are presenting. It comes as no surprise, given the current focus of their work, that the research tools included biological material. However, those of us in the art world who have worked with this artists' group also know that their work is undertaken with thorough research, in continuous consultation with members of the scientific community, in order to ensure that the artworks they produce are safe, but also real, in terms of the investigations they pursue. The work of CAE is internationally recognised as thorough, investigative, educative and safe. This matter is one that raises serious concerns internationally that the actions of the American government undermine the freedom of artistic expression, a fundamental democratic right, which is one of the cornerstones of the liberal democracies. As the materials have been tested and been shown to pose no public health threat, we demand that the American Government immediately cease legal action against members of the Critical Art Ensemble collective. The good reputation of Critical Art Ensemble must be immediately restored. Yours faithfully, Amanda McDonald Crowley, cultural worker/ curator, currently executive producer ISEA2004 (International Symposium of Electronic Art 2004), Australia/Finland <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.isea2004.net">http://www.isea2004.net</a> Eric Kluitenberg Head of the Media Program De Balie - Centre for Culture and Politics Amsterdam, The Netherlands <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.debalie.nl">http://www.debalie.nl</a> Signatories: name/profession/position/country/url + + + from Dante Smirnoff <dante.smirnoff@gmail.com> Here's a translation into spanish of the letter. Translations han help to raise help worldwide. Best. DS [Introductory text] ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. El caso de Steve Kurtz y otros miembros del Critical Art Ensemble(<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.critical-art.net">http://www.critical-art.net</a>), que están siendo investigados por el FBI en virtud de las nuevas leyes antiterroristas en EEUU (Patriot Act), trae de cabeza a la comunidad artística de Internet. Para quien no conozca el caso, la pesadilla comienza para Kurtz cuando su mujer y colaboradora Hope fallece en el domicilio de ambos de un ataque al corazón. Al presentarse la policía a requerimiento del propio artista, los agentes efectúan una inspección de la vivienda y encuentran en ella parte del material con el que Kurt trabaja: cultivos biológicos. Parece ser que cualquier cosa distinta del bricolage doméstico es capaz de despertar susceptibilidades en los agentes del orden estadounidense, así que la policía informó al FBI, estos se presentaron en el escenario de la desgracia y detuvieron al desolado esposo, requisaron su material… y el cuerpo de la fallecida. Y a su gato, puestos a dar detalles ridículos. En estos momentos, tanto Kurtz como otros miembros del Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) están sometidos a investigación por parte del FBI y si la paranoia no remite serán juzgados por cargos que pueden ir desde bioterrorismo a asesinato (se investiga también la muerte de Hope). La biotecnología es uno de los campos en los que se desarrolla el trabajo de CAE, también ampliamente conocidos por su difusión de los Tactical Media, una práctica artística cada vez más difundida entre artistas y activistas que combina investigación, crítica social y nuevas tecnologías para crear situaciones que denuncian las tendencias autoritarias en un contexto político. Lo que le faltaba al FBI: bacterias, cadenas de ADN y crítica al sistema. En el actual escenario de pánico inducido la suma de todo esto te convierte en alguien necesariamente sospechoso. Pero al margen de lo anecdótico y de la tragedia personal de los implicados, este caso es uno más en la larga lista de acciones contra la libertad de expresión en las democracias occidentales, muy especialmente en los EE UU, en los últimos años. La uniformidad y la previsibilidad parecen ser los únicos comportamientos sociales lícitos, y cualquier otra actividad, en especial si es crítica con los poderes, se consedera como mínimo sospechosa. Es importante que quienes se sientan preocupados por estos ataques a la libertad de expresión y artístíca manifiesten su apoyo a Kurtz y al CAE firmando la carta que se incluye bajo este texto (u otras de contenido similar) y la envíen a: media@caedefensefund.org Más información sobre el tema se encuentra en: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.caedefensefund.org/">http://www.caedefensefund.org/</a> ………………………………………………………………………………. [Translation] ……………………………………………………………………………….. Carta de apoyo a Steve Kurtz y Critical Art Ensemble (traducida del original de Amanda Crowley y Eric Kluitenberg) ……………………………………………………………………………….. Aquien pueda interesar: Nosotros, los abajofirmantes, artistas, comisarios, críticos, productores culturales y escritores que hemos trabajado con o seguido la obra del colectivo Critical Art Ensemble, escribimos para expresar nuestra seria preocupación por el proceso legal abierto contra miembros de este respetado grupo de artistas. Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) es un colectivo de artistas internacionalmente reconocidos que trabajan dentro de marcos pedagógicos y contextos artísticos para crear conocimiento sobre diversos temas sociales. Recientemente su trabajo se ha dirigido hacia la difusión entre el público general de temas relacionados con la investigación biológica. Su obra no es alarmista sino divulgativa. El trabajo de CAE es siempre abordado de manera segura y consciente, empleando materiales comunmente disponibles para la educación científica y las prácticas de investigación. Su principal motivación es proveer al público de las herramientas necesarias para decidir informadamente. Ha llamado nuestra atención que se haya producido la reciente requisa de un conjunto considerable de obra y material de investigación de estos artistas. La escena internacional del arte está asombrada y sorprendida de saber que el FBI, después de un análisis por parte de la Comisión de Salud Pública del Estado de New York que concluyó que el material requisado no suponía un riesgo para la seguridad pública, haya continuado la investigación y ahora acuse al colectivo según la Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act (medidas contra el terrorismo con armas biológicas), ampliadas por el Patriot Act. Si bien es tal vez comprensible en el actual clima político internacional que tal investigación pueda levantar sospechas de las autoridades de EE UU, también debería haberse aclarado, tras la investigación, que los objetivos del CAE no son realizar un atentado terrorista, sino una acción divulgativa emprendida en un contexto cultural, artístico y educativo. La obra de CAE está en armonía con prácticas artísticas habituales que han tenido, a lo largo de la historia, objetivos pedagógicos. Quienes han trabajado con ellos saben que el enfoque de CAE ha sido siempre comprender y conocer el tema que presentan. No sorprende, dado el campo en que desarrollan su trabajo actualmente, que sus herramientas de investigación incluyan material biológico. También es sabido que su obra siempre se desarrolla mediante cuidadosos estudios, en continua comunicación con miembros de la comunidad científica para asegurar que las obras que producen son seguras, pero también reales. La obra de CAE se considera en todo el mundo cuidadosa, investigadora, educativa y segura. Este asunto ha provocado la alarma al considerar que el gobierno americano está minando la libertad de espresión artística, un derecho democrático fundamental y una de las piedras angulares de las democracias liberales. Toda vez que los materiales han sido analizados y se ha demostrado que no suponen una amenaza para la salud pública, exigimos que el Gobierno de los Estados Unidos de América cese inmediatamente la acción legal contra los miembros del colectivo Critical Art Ensemble. La reputación de CAE debe ser inmetiatamente restituida. Sinceramente, Amanda McDonald Crowley, cultural worker/ curator, currently executive producer ISEA2004 (International Symposium of Electronic Art 2004), Australia/Finland <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.isea2004.net">http://www.isea2004.net</a> Eric Kluitenberg Head of the Media Program De Balie - Centre for Culture and Politics Amsterdam, The Netherlands <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.debalie.nl">http://www.debalie.nl</a> Firmas: nombre/ profesión / cargo / país / url + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 6. Date: 5.28.04 From: George <conceptuallyconfused@yahoo.com> Subject: Invitation Elsewhere ELSEWHERE, art processes re-invent Art contexts. (interpret THE SPLACE speaking TO ITSELF) Dear eyes right at origin, Elsewhere Artist Collaborative, a conceptual artists space in Greensboro, NC, is seeking journeypeople to pursue artistic creations and criticism in a contextually interpreted and designed environment. Participating in a residency-like program, Journeypeople will be provided access to a 12,000 sq. ft. converted thrift store and haunted mansion (stuck in a locational palindrome). Artists are expected to integrate the plethora of 70 years of thrift resources: toys, furniture, books, clothing, fabric, etc. or their experience at Elsewhere into the content (subject or object) of their work. Elsewhere artists explore traditional and emerging media and media fusion, representational possibilities, and community/communication models. Elsewhereâ??s non-commercial space is a constantly reflexive environment where artwork becomes the medium of expression between other members of the living installation. Located in Greensboro, NCâ??s small town, historical district, the experience of southern America offers a backdrop to Elsewhereâ??s conceptual, artistic and intellectual realm, which houses a gallery, orientation center, press office, studio, kitchen, performance venue, library, closet, lounge. Artists are encouraged to redesign space and its accompaniments (objects) for a contextual artistic experiment that can be as powerful as the works created within. Elsewhere seeks writers, musicians, painters, designers, and others to make-up the living art installation piece. Toys are people too. Journeypeople are needed to engage projects: spatial development and construction, documentation via still and video photography, fashion design, interior design, graphic design, magazine and newspaper publishing run via the press office, archiving, research, educational programming and design, and artistic pursuits in traditional and emerging art forms. After participating in the community for a week, Journeypeople will submit proposals for independent or collaborative projects. With a project underway, you will be given free rent (some utilities are requested), inexpensive meal options with the food co-operative, access to the seemingly infinite resources, customizable space within which to work, and involvement in a community of artists all speaking to and interacting in a post-modern thematic of Americana and re-application. Journeypeople will also be involved in the larger conceptual project which includes a functioning performance venue in addition to other community interfacing programs. Gallery and performance space will also be made available to journeypeople free of cost. Work becomes property of Elsewhereâ??s concept and contextual environment for a negotiated period of time. Nothing of the space leaves the space (objects function like a number set), however possibility exists for works to become part of a national collaborative show. Those interested in the residency program or in booking a performance or art show should contact George Scheer and/or Stephanie Sherman at wanderingzoo@mac.com or 336.549.5555. We will respond with a brief application to gauge interest and experience. Elsewhere, a 501©3 organization, is funded in part by a grant from Greensboroâ??s United Arts Council. For more information, check out www.homepage.mac.com/wanderingzoo. Signed, the understated. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 7. Date: 5/30/04 From: Christina McPhee <christina112@earthlink.net> Subject: FW: Call for an Emerging Curator – soundart performance videoinstallation multimedia painting theory <www.christinamcphee.net>; <www.naxsmash.net>; <www.naxsmash.net/inscapes>; —— Forwarded Message From: Emma Stewart <Emma.K.Stewart@uts.edu.au> Date: Sun, 30 May 2004 22:47:03 +1000 To: christina112@earthlink.net Subject: Call for an Emerging Curator Hi Christina, I was wondering if you could forward the below information to Rhizome again? - it would be great if you could. thanks, emma stewart. Electrofringe Festival - Call for an Emerging Curator 30 September -  4 October 2004, Newcastle, NSW Australia Electrofringe is a hands-on, all-in new media arts festival dedicated to unearthing emergent forms, highlighting nascent trends and encouraging young and developing artists to explore technology and its creative possibilities. Electrofringe 2004 is looking for an EMERGING CURATOR to co-curate a media art based exhibition at Rocket Art Gallery, Newcastle. You will be working with Ashley Whamond from Rocket art based on the ideas of  mediation of the everyday through technology. You will also be able to assist in the curation of the Net.Art exhibition with Electrofringe co-directors. The ideal person will have a good knowledge of the Australian media art landscape, have some experience in curating, is able and willing to collaborate and can work with limited resources. (You do not have to be NSW based.) The exhibition will run from  September 16 until October 4 2004, at the Rocket Art Gallery Hunter Street, Newcastle. For more info on Rocket Art go to <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rocketart.org">http://www.rocketart.org</a> Please send us a one page biography/description of your prior work to electrofringe@octapod.org with subject header Electrofringe Emerging Curator Deadline: June 17 2004 More information on the Festival www.electrofringe.org + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 8. Date: 5.31.04 From: <eduardo@navasse.net> Subject: N_A_R contributing writers Net Art Review is looking for contributing writers. Contact: Lora McPhail at editor@netartreview.net Eduardo Navas at info@netartreview.net Net Art Review (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.netartreview.net">http://www.netartreview.net</a> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.netartreview.net/">http://www.netartreview.net/</a>> ) has been online for over a year and is glad to still be going strong. We, the netKru, would like to invite members of online communities to join us. Writing in other languages other than English is welcomed. Current netKru: Lora McPhail <<a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:editor@netartreview.net">mailto:editor@netartreview.net</a>> – Editor in Chief (Los Angeles, CA) Eduardo Navas <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.navasse.net">http://www.navasse.net</a>> – Founder/Contributing Editor/ Webmaster (Los Angeles/San Diego, CA) Yong S. Kim <<a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:yongskim1969@yahoo.com">mailto:yongskim1969@yahoo.com</a>> – Copy Editor (Los Angeles, CA) Garrett Lynch <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.asquare.org">http://www.asquare.org</a>> – Information Architecture Developer/Contributing Writer (Kent, UK) Garland Kirkpatrick <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.helveticajones.com">http://www.helveticajones.com</a>> – Design Consultant (Santa Monica, CA) Contributing Writers : Ana Boa-Ventura <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.boa-ventura.com">http://www.boa-ventura.com</a>> (Austin, TX) Neil Jenkins <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.devoid.co.uk">http://www.devoid.co.uk</a>> (Bristol, UK) Lewis LaCook <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.lewislacook.com">http://www.lewislacook.com</a>> (Richmond, VA) Peter Luining <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ctrlaltdel.org">http://www.ctrlaltdel.org</a>> (Amsterdam, NL) Francesca De Nicolò <<a rel="nofollow" href="mailto:fradenic@libero.it">mailto:fradenic@libero.it</a>> (Rome, IT) Kristen Palana <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.kpalana.com">http://www.kpalana.com</a>> (Brooklyn, NY) Isabel Saij <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.saij-netart.de/index.html">http://www.saij-netart.de/index.html</a>> (Paris, FR) Ludmil Trenkov <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ludmil.com">http://www.ludmil.com</a>> (Pasadena, CA) If you are interested in opining, critiquing or simply sharing your ideas about works of art in the field of net art and its crossover to new media, then become a contributing writer and join our netKru. Net Art Review focuses on net-art and its crossover to other new media fields. The purpose of the site is to provide a space for sharing links to net-art works that contributing writers find interesting; these include actual net-art projects, exhibition opportunities, as well as online resources. Net Art Review was founded on a community based approach, which means that anyone can become a contributing writer. If a person has the time to comment, and shows a strong understanding of new media and net art, then we welcome the writing, as long as the contributor respects the posting guidelines (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://netartreview.net/faqs.html">http://netartreview.net/faqs.html</a> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://netartreview.net/faqs.html">http://netartreview.net/faqs.html</a>> ). For details please contact Lora McPhail at editor@netartreview.net or Eduardo Navas at info@netartreview.net We hope to hear from you <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.netartreview.net">http://www.netartreview.net</a> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.netartreview.net/">http://www.netartreview.net/</a>> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 9. Date: 6.02.04 From: Dominique Fontaine <dfontaine@fondation-langlois.org> Subject: Programme de bourses pour chercheur résident : Date limite le 31 août 2004 / Grant program for Researchers in Residence : August 31 2004 deadline ***ENGLISH FOLLOWS*** Programme de bourses pour chercheur résident : Date limite le 31 août 2004 Veuillez noter que dans le cadre de son concours international ouvert aux historiens, aux conservateurs, aux critiques, aux chercheurs indépendants, aux artistes et aux scientifiques, la fondation Daniel Langlois offre la possibilité à deux chercheurs de travailler au Centre de recherche et de documentation (CR+D) à Montréal, à même ses fonds documentaires et ses fonds d'archives. Les projets de recherche doivent porter sur un des fonds d'archives de la fondation ou sur des projets soutenus par la fondation. Vous pouvez consulter le profil des collections de la fondation à l'adresse suivante : <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/f/index.php?NumPage=147">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/f/index.php?NumPage=147</a> Vous pouvez consulter les projets soutenus par la fondation à l'adresse suivante : <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/f/index.php?NumPage=148">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/f/index.php?NumPage=148</a> <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/f/index.php?NumPage=148">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/f/index.php?NumPage=148</a>> Pour lire les lignes directrices du Programme de bourses pour chercheur résident : <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/f/programmes/bourses.html">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/f/programmes/bourses.html</a> ***************************************** Grant program for Researchers in Residence: August 31 2004 deadline Please note that as part of its international competition open to historians, curators, critics, independent scholars, artists and scientists, the Daniel Langlois Foundation is offering the chance for two researchers to work at the Centre for Research and Documentation (CR+D) in Montreal, specifically in its documentary and archival collections. Research projects must be directly related to one of the Foundation's archival collections or research projects supported by the foundation. A description of the collections is available at: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/e/index.php?NumPage=147">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/e/index.php?NumPage=147</a> Descriptions of the project supported by the foundation is available at: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/e/index.php?NumPage=148">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/flash/e/index.php?NumPage=148</a> Guidelines for the Grant Program for Researchers in Residence: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/e/programmes/bourses.html">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/e/programmes/bourses.html</a> ********************************************************************************************* La fondation Daniel Langlois a pour vocation de faire avancer les connaissances en art et en science en favorisant leur rencontre sur le terrain des technologies. La fondation souhaite ainsi encourager l'épanouissement d'une conscience critique à l'égard des implications des technologies sur l'homme, ainsi que l'exploration d'esthétiques propres aux nouveaux environnements humains. Par le biais de son Centre de recherche et de documentation (CR+D), la fondation contribue à documenter l'histoire, les oeuvres et les pratiques associées aux arts technologiques ou médiatiques, électroniques et numériques, et à rendre cette information accessible de manière innovatrice par des moyens télématiques. [<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/</a>] <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/</a>]> ****************************** ****************************** The Daniel Langlois Foundation's purpose is to further artistic and scientific knowledge by fostering the meeting of art and science in the field of technologies. The Foundation seeks to nurture a critical awareness of technology's implications for human beings and their natural and cultural environments, and to promote the exploration of aesthetics suited to evolving human environments. The Centre for Research and Documentation (CR+D) seeks to document history, artworks and practices associated with electronic and digital media arts and to make this information available to researchers in an innovative manner through data communications. [<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/</a>] <<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.fondation-langlois.org/">http://www.fondation-langlois.org/</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 10. Date: 6/02/04 From: Robert Praxmarer <cubic@fl.aec.at> Subject: Call for Artistic Director of the Ars Electronica Center Artistic Director Your Responsibilities: + Acting as top management spokesperson + Artistic-substantive program development in all of Ars Electronicaâ??s fields of activityâ??the Ars Electronica Festival, the Prix Ars Electronica, the Museum of the Future and the Ars Electronica Futurelab + Public relations and press relations + Planning and execution of the Ars Electronica Festival and the Prix Ars Electronica Your Qualifications: + Excellent knowledge of and connections to the international art and technology scene + Outstanding track record in an artistic and/or scholarly leadership position and proven ability to provide substantive orientation and leader- ship to a top international cultural institution + Team-oriented approach that makes for a good fit in a cooperative management model + Fluency in English and German Short-listed candidates will be invited to interview in person. The successful applicant will be signed to a five-year contract with an option to renew. for more informations visit: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.aec.at/en/ausschreibung/">http://www.aec.at/en/ausschreibung/</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 11. Date: 6.03.04 From: matthew fuller <fuller@xs4all.nl> Subject: postgraduate opportunities: MA in Media Design Piet Zwart Institute MA in Media Design Piet Zwart Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands The MA in Media Design is a two-year full-time english-language course offered by the Piet Zwart Institute. We are the postgraduate centre for art and design of the Willem de Kooning Academy Hogeschool Rotterdam. Systems not surfaces Too often, media design has simply been the arrangement of pixels and plug-ins. For us, the computer and the networks are where dynamics that are aesthetic, social, political, technical, spatial, linguistic, economic and numerical, meet and shape each other. The role of the designer is to track, sort and remix these dynamics in relation to others. A primary focus of the work is the internet, thorough education in these technologies is a staple part of our work. Core themes in our programme are: transmission, use, behaviour, and experience; knowledge and memory; the political economy of the information society; citizens and consumers, public and private identities; urban and virtual reality, network and diaspora. Theory, Practice, Technology In a working context where software is doing half the thinking and doing for you, where is the divide between theory, technology and practice? This course is committed to a fundamental revaluation of the division between these terms. We will look for and invent the technology that is in media philosophy; find the conceptuality of an operating system; and design in a way that synthesises the power of all three. Connected to the MA programme is that of Media Design Research, hosting a set of projects testing the social and experimental possibilities for networked and computational digital media. Researchers in this programme also act as tutors, guaranteeing a wide range of contacts and insight for students. For participants, work is carried out as a series of group and self-initiated projects. Information on these projects can be found on the website below. In certain cases participation in single projects may also be arranged. Find more information and application forms at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://pzwart.wdka.hro.nl/">http://pzwart.wdka.hro.nl/</a> Application dates for 2004-2005: Recommended: July 1st Final application deadline: September 1st For further information contact Leslie Robbins, l.j.drost-robbins@hro.nl + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 12. Date: 5.24.04 From: Jonah Brucker-Cohen (jonah@coin-operated.com) Subject: Report from FutureSonic 2004 Mobile Connections April 30-May 1, 2004 <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.futuresonic.com">http://www.futuresonic.com</a> by Jonah Brucker-Cohen (jonah_at_coin-operated.com) Held in the oblong shaped, glass-surfaced, URBIS center in Manchester, UK, the Futuresonic festival began with a conference focused on the theme of "Mobile Connections", or the role of mobile technology and location-based media in creative arts practice. Covering everything from mixed reality mobile gaming to mobile ad-hoc networking to biometric recording devices, the conference and accompanying exhibition provided a concise overview and impressive showcase of emerging mobile media projects. Media theorist Sadie Plant opened the event with a keynote address on the history of technology-mediated communication and the social ramifications of this phenomenon on our daily lives. She outlined how human behavior shifts when communication is siphoned through different mediums. For instance, when using the Internet a typical question asked among users is "Who are you?" since anonymity of identity remains important. In contrast, the fixed telephone causes people to ask "How are you?" since in most cases you already know who you are calling and it being a specific location. Finally, the mobile telephone sees people asking "Where are you?" since their location plays a key role in determining the type and duration of the conversation. These subtle clues attest to how people adapt to shifting contexts of interaction and how these nuances play out within the corresponding spaces of each device. Following this discussion was the "Network Commons" panel, moderated by Armin Mendosch, which brought up some interesting debate and arguments centering around the use and deployment of community wireless networks in urban areas. I presented my Wifi-Hog project as an example of a device that challenges the claim of ownership over public wireless spaces by corporate nodes looking to populate urban centers with their pay-per-use networks. Although the project has received numerous negative reactions from proponents of free networks, its main point is to examine both the positive and negative effects of territorialism with networks that seep from private spaces into public areas. Also on the panel, Adam Burns from London's Consume.net outlined a plan for ways community groups could overthrow the mobile carriers by building home-spun GSM access points. However, this approach still requires centralized access points, placing control in the hands of few. In contrast, an ad-hoc network approach would allow everyone to be a router and pass information directly to each other without the need for a central relay. The second day featured a keynote by Matt Adams of Blast Theory, the artist group responsible for launching a wave of pervasive gaming projects, most notably "Can You See Me Now?" and "Uncle Roy All Around You". These games pit online players against "runners" on the street who try to chase each aother down in both spaces simultaneously through the use of mobile digital devices and wireless technology. Adam's speech outlined a remake of Hakim Bey's "Temporary Autonomous Zones", where instead of merely occupying a space in physical proximity and association, technology mediated spaces affect our actions and thus produce "Temporary Performative Zones". For instance, when receiving a call on a mobile phone we must "perform" to separate ourselves from people in our immediate area or mask our discussions if they become too personal. Halfway through Adams' talk, he received strong opposition from the audience who accused him of "selling out" to corporate sponsors since his emphasis on the growing mobile communications industry seemed to overshadow his artistic intent with Blast Theory's work. Although the idea of pure art might seem utopian, Adams was quick to point out that it is "naive to think that this cultural form is independent from the capitalist economy that these devices are coming from." In a sense, these games and project comment on the current and future uses of these devices as they gain ubiquity. The exhibition featured a wide range of work focusing on both the negative and positive effects of mobile technology in physical spaces. One of my favorites was "Mobile Clubbing", a flash-mob-like urban performance where participants with portable MP3 players and headphones show up in public spaces like train stations and party down. Reactions caught on video by onlookers were amusing. Playing off the health risks of mobile phones was Rupert Griffith's "Telenono", a sealed phone booth that supposedly blocks out all radiation from devices such as mobile phones, televisions, radios, and Bluetooth signals. When inside, the booth forces others to physically find you to communicate. Around the URBIS grounds, several projects were on demo that allowed visitors to traverse the urban landscape of Manchester. "InterUrban", by Naomi Spellman, Jeremy Hight, and Jeff Knowlton, consisted of an interactive narrative that constructed itself based on a person's movement around the physical grounds such as time of day, distance traveled, and actual direction. Going for abstraction was the Japan-based artist Akitsugu Maebayashi's "Sonic Interface", a wearable sonic re-sampler that inputted live audio, remixed it, and spit it back out to the wearer's headphones. The exhibition traded slick production value for proof of concept and rapid deployment to gain feedback from the attentive audience. As the conference ended, a prevalent theme seemed to form around the concept of "minimal aesthetics" and social potential. The most successful projects were realized with little technological overhead and simultaneously created a space for collaborative intervention among members of the public or a specific location. Mobile Connections was meant to highlight the rift between location-based media and everyday experience, where technology takes a backseat to human and critical engagement. This was felt at the event, but the question remains if theses devices should maintain a foreground or background role in our everyday lives. Does the effort to interact with a technology overshadow the result of the interaction? Since the inclusion of digital technology in social situations creates tension over accessibility, perhaps increased transparency will help to relieve this conflict. Futuresonic initiated a debate on these questions and provides a good starting point to examine the sociological and personal effect of mobile technology on society at large. -Jonah Brucker-Cohen (jonah_at_coin-operated.com) + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 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 Kevin McGarry (kevin@rhizome.org). ISSN: 1525-9110. Volume 9, number 23. 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