RHIZOME DIGEST: 8.23.02

discussion

Posted Aug. 22 2002 20:00

RHIZOME DIGEST: 8.23.02

RHIZOME DIGEST: August 23, 2002 Content: +editor's note+ 1. rachel greene: this week +announcement+ 2. y-s ueda: BORDERPANIC 3. app][lick.ation][end.age: Programma augustus 2002 +work+ 4. Curt Cloninger: source4_ +comment+ 5. t.whid: notes on PNG +thread+ 6. Rainer Warrol: A letter to Josephine Bosma (on Documenta XI) 7. Josephine Bosma: final review DXI + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 1. Date: 8.23.02 From: rachel greene (rachel@rhizome.org) Subject: editor's note Josephine Bosma's take on DXI has generated a lot of conversation on Nettime and some on Rhizome in recent weeks. As per the logic and flow of discourse and email exchange, this week's Digest features a 2nd version of Bosma's text she submitted this week, as well as a comment on the 1st version. Sorry for any confusion, but Rhizome's not about straightforward narratives or final theories! Please check out rhizome.org for other posts, and feel free to chime in via list@rhizome.org or the website. – rachel + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +ad+ Leonardo Electronic Almanac (LEA) publishes monthly issues exploring the work of contemporary artists, scientists, developers of new media resources, and other practitioners working at the intersection of art,science and technology. Subscribe now at: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/INFORMATION/subscribe.html">http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/INFORMATION/subscribe.html</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 2. Date: 08.22.02 From: y-s ueda (y-s@aliasfrequencies.org) Subject: BORDERPANIC The borderpanic project brings together artists and thinkers working on current preoccupations with geopolitical and metaphorical borders. Borderpanic is a co-production of the Performance Space, Sydney, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney and Next Five Minutes 5, Amsterdam. 5-21 September Performance Space Redfern . Sydney Wed-Sat 12 -6pm Opening 5/9 - 6pm Performance Space exhibits work engaged in contemporary border debates, surveying across media and borders without attempting to catalogue the diversity of cultural production in the field. Participants include: Dacchi Dang, Horit Herman Peled, Kein Mensch ist Illegal (Germany), No-one Is Illegal (Melbourne), Ruth Watson, Brook Andrew, Bonita Ely, Jamil Yamani, Mel Donat, Bronia Iwanczak, Gordon Hookey, Guan Wei, Geert Lovink, Stephen Best, Hossein Valamanesh, Lisa Andrew, Peter Lyssiotis, Sodacake, Joseph Pugliese, Shafiq Munis, boat-people.org, Think Again, Jassim Al Abaddy, Steve Cannane/JJJ morning show, Trebor Scholz+Carol Flax, Borderland TV, Vivienne Dadour <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.borderpanic.org">http://www.borderpanic.org</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 3. Date: 08.22.02 From: "app][lick.ation][end.age" (netwurker@hotkey.net.au) Subject: Programma augustus 2002 Programma augustus 2002 (English version below) The Pleasure of Language 24 augustus - 28 september 2002 opening 23 augustus 17.00 - 19.00 uur Brandon LaBelle, Péter Frucht, MEZ (Mary Anne Breeze), Netochka Nezvanova & Jaine Evans, Imogen Stidworthy Tijdens de opening: KKEP met See You De populariteit van chatrooms op het internet en de snelheid van het elektronisch mailen heeft geleid tot een enorme groei in de communicatie en daarmee in de verandering van het taalgebruik en het ontstaan van talloze subtalen. In de tentoonstelling spelen kunstenaars met beeld, tekst en geluid in op een veranderend taalgebruik en communicatieproces. In een aantal werken wordt het gedachtegoed en de werkwijze van kunstenaars uit het begin van de vorige eeuw in een eigentijds perspectief geplaatst. Naast de installaties wordt een aantal historische videowerken uit eigen collectie vertoond. Meer informatie: (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/current.htm">http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/current.htm</a>) Uitmarkt 2002 24/25 augustus Videoprojecties onder het Rijksmuseum Programma met werk van Robert Arnold, Yeal Bartana, eddie d., Leon Grodski & Pearl Gluck, Jeroen Kooijmans en Pia Wergius. Extra project KKEP met See You Doorlopend van 12.00 - 18.00 uur Meer informatie: (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/Uitmarkt.htm">http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/Uitmarkt.htm</a>) Workshop Live Art Use of media technology in performance 26 - 31 augustus, Amsterdam Workshop in samenwerking met de Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University. Meer informatie: (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/AMSU.htm">http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/AMSU.htm</a>) 50% beeld dinsdag 27 augustus 2002 Live Art practices met Blast Theory en Matthew Fuller / Graham Harwood Toegang ? 3,- ( studenten ? 2,-) Aanvang 20.30 uur Deur open 20.00 uur Meer informatie: (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/50beeldliveart.htm">http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/50beeldliveart.htm</a>) —————————————————————— Programme August 2002 The Pleasure of Language August 24 - September 28 2002 Opening August 23, 17.00 - 19.00 hour Brandon LaBelle, Péter Frucht, MEZ (Mary Anne Breeze), Netochka Nezvanova & Jaine Evans, Imogen Stidworthy At the Opening: KKEP with See You The popularity of chatrooms on the internet and the speed of electronic mail have led to an enormous growth in communication, and with it, changes in the use of language and the creation of countless vernaculars. In this exhibition the artists respond through image, text and sound to and participate in the ways language-use as well as the communication process are changing. A number of works reflect the body of thought and ways of working of artists at the beginning of the last century placing these ideas in a contemporary perspective. In addition to the installations a few historical video works from the collection will be shown. More information: (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.montevideo.nl/www/english/current.htm">http://www.montevideo.nl/www/english/current.htm</a>) Uitmarkt 2002 Video projections under the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 24/25 August Video programme with work from Robert Arnold, Yael Bartana, eddie d., Leon Grodsky & Pearl Gluck, Jeroen Kooijmans and Pia Wergius. Extra project KKEP with See You Open from 12.00 - 18.00 hour Live Art Use of media technology in performance 26 - 31 August Amsterdam Workshop in collaboration with the Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University. More information: (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/AMSU.htm">http://www.montevideo.nl/www/dutch/AMSU.htm</a>) 50% beeld evening Tuesday August 27 Live Art practices with Blast Theory and Matthew Fuller / Graham Harwood Entrance ? 3,- ( students ? 2,-) Door open 20.00 hour Start 20.30 hour More information: (<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.montevideo.nl/www/english/50beeldliveart.htm">http://www.montevideo.nl/www/english/50beeldliveart.htm</a>) Netherlands Media Art Institute Montevideo/Time Based Arts Keizersgracht 264 NL 1016 EV Amsterdam The Netherlands T +31 (0)20 6237101 F +31(0)20 6244423 E info@montevideo.nl + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 4. Date: 8.20.02 From: Curt Cloninger (curt@lab404.com) Subject: source4_ ahhh… we'll snort with pleasure ahhh… we'll forego washing we'll hold a holiday of love I'm a green tree you're the air I'll follow you there I'll follow you engulf me lover ahhh… we'll take a tumble ahhh… down in the gravel I'll take your hand to lead me over hang our colors in the air I wanna follow you there I wanna follow you engulf me lover and loop me into blue enfold me lover ahhh… we'll taste the nectar ahhh… we'll share the bounty I'll bear the cost of our defense never looking back again I'm gonna follow you in I wanna follow you engulf me lover and loop me into blue enfold me lover enclose me lover - edith frost <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.playdamage.org/4.html">http://www.playdamage.org/4.html</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +ad+ **MUTE MAGAZINE NO. 24 OUT NOW** 'Knocking Holes in Fortress Europe', Florian Schneider on no-border activism in the EU; Brian Holmes on resistance to networked individualism; Alvaro de los Angeles on e-Valencia.org and Andrew Goffey on the politics of immunology. More @ <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.metamute.com/">http://www.metamute.com/</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 5. Date: 8.20.02 From: t.whid (twhid@mteww.com) Subject: notes on PNG notes on PNG ("ping") [ first, if you have no idea what PNG is, check this out: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/pngintro.html">http://www.libpng.org/pub/png/pngintro.html</a> ] PNG - the Portable Network Graphics format The most important feature of PNG for web artists and designers, in my opinion, is the alpha channel. it allows one to create graphics that will appear anti-aliased against any background color, pattern, or other images. The second interesting feature is the built-in gamma correction. This means that those of us developing on Macs don't have to create images which look overly light on a Mac in order look correct on a PC. Images look good cross-platform. I've been very excited about PNG for a few years but never used it because one of the most important features, alpha transparency, wasn't supported in MSIE for windows. But that changed for me today when i found this information which explains how to use PNG with MSIE 5.5 or later on windows: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://webfx.eae.net/dhtml/pngbehavior/pngbehavior.html">http://webfx.eae.net/dhtml/pngbehavior/pngbehavior.html</a>. this technique uses an .HTC file and a proprietary MSIE filter called AlphaImageLoader. MSIE 5.x on Mac supports PNG alpha transparency, so using the method described in the URL above we achieve a cross-platform effect on MSIE. – twhid <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.mteww.com">http://www.mteww.com</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 6. Date: 8.22.02 From: Rainer Warrol (rainerwarrol@hotmail.com) Subject: A letter to Josephine Bosma (on Documenta XI) Back from Kassel Paris, Aug 22 Josephine, Before travelling to Germany I read your review of Documenta XI, and I thought « Is it really that bad »? Maybe I was simply lucky - the sun was shining during my stay there, even though it were those heavy, rainstorm prone days of the end of August. Yes the things you say are accurate, but they need not be interpreted in such a negative way. One would hardly argue with you that there are too many photo shows, too many documentaries, too much repetition of known things, known "gestes artistiques" (done it is true by artists coming from other - non white, non male… - perspectives). Your criticism is often on the spot, but you neglect to take the other point of view: what does this Documenta tell us about the world of art? Take it as a snapshot of what is happening, even if this is not what you (and many others) would like to see happen. Formal creation seems to be out, new media tools no longer advertise the pleasure of their use, the world is reflecting on things done in past 20, 30 years, as a mine to be used - re-used - to reconstruct meaning. The content might be very didactic, but haven't many of the texts accompanying contemporary works had the exact same ponderosity, the « clarification » of the work taking more space than the work itself. Maybe we are witnessing the art world equivalent of the bursting of the Internet dream. It just got to be too much for everyone involved and for the reality of the world. Yes there have been a lot of theoretical advances concerning media art, contemporary art, new forms of cinema, etc. - so many advances that in fact no one except the specialist, writing for other specialists, could follow. You could no longer follow the works being presented. Before moving along, maybe it is time to revisit what have been done, to check what has validity and what has not. And there the repetition through the filter of different backgrounds might be a touch stone. And if part of "la démarche artistique" is also about existing (in the media, in the memory, in politics) then we might have to remember that the evolution of form is not the whole of art history. The absence of new media art? Should we call it techno fatigue, end of bubble or something equivalent? Maybe the theory was moving faster than the world at large. Maybe the concepts were ahead of the public (yes this is the true meaning of avant-garde, but the ?garde³ must be able to follow the avant-garde). This does not of course mean that we should stop moving, simply that there might be some signs to be taken into account. At Documenta, technology art (short hand for many things) is conspicuously absent: and personally I would add, thank God there were only a limited number of computer screens and a reasonable number of TV sets. But technology was also there as the great enabler: quality of the images, of the projections, of multi-screen sync, of special effects was all dependent on the availability of cheap, usable, tools. Video is no longer a sub TV, a sub cinema, this is more and more evident. So maybe there is something to be learned from the confrontation between the retrospectives and the formally quasi classical ³engagé² art shown at Documenta: about the renewed importance of politics, even old fashioned politics, the necessity to reabsorb the formal apertures of the last decades, the dreams of a liveable urban environment, of sustainable development, etc. These might be the demands of consumers of avant garde art and maybe Documenta has been listening to them. Lots of maybes, but then the sun in Kassel helps you to look at Documenta in other ways. No need to be a pessimist, but simply to remember that art does not belong only to the creators of the avant garde they only exist when they are leading where the rest of the word is ready to be led: so if we need a pause, let there be a pause and this should not prevent anyone from continuing to invent, to push further the limits, to invent new languages,… Simply this might no longer be the dominant game in town, for a few years. Regards Rainer + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + 7. Date: 08.22.02 From: Josephine Bosma (jesis@xs4all.nl) Subject: final review DXI Documenta XI: no laughing matter It was as if nature decided to complete the experience the curators of Documenta XI seemed to be creating for us. It rained and rained in Kassel and the rest of Germany when we were there. Streets were flooded and the temperature was way below what it should be in summer. One of the world's most leading art events can be described with one word: depressing. The most positive thing one can say about this Documenta probably is its openness to artists that are not white, male and 'western'. Documenta XI is depressing for three reasons (I am not even counting the curators' ignorance of current new media art). Firstly: the amount of documentary works and sad contemplations on the world's current cultural and political situation was truly over the top. There was an overkill of (somehow disguised) preaching which made one either grow irritated or totally uninterested after a while. Secondly, this is the Documenta of mostly useful art, almost everything has meaning and purpose. Enwezor's need to preach and teach then leads to the third, most poignant reason for depression: Documenta XI is above all dead and dead serious. There is very little humor or anything else ridiculous, useless or grotesque. That is, if one does not count the rather kitschy dramatic effect of the curatorial edit of this show. Individual artists and art works seemed to be drowning in it, something they did not deserve. Main impression Of course it is a relief to see a major art show which somehow reflects the way the world is opening up. It sounds cliché, but communication technologies and mass media culture -have- brought us closer together. Cultures have slowly started to mix and good taste is no longer defined by one or two elites but by many. We see each others faults better too. One of the things this Documenta seems to want to be is what its name implies: a -document- of these changes, a confirmation even maybe. But it does so in a highly predictable, lecturing way. As I said, this is the Documenta of documentaries, of useful 'art' (illustrated best probably by the words of two art tourists, who accidentally talked about the "Documentary festival"). A video about a prison in Uganda (Zarina Bhimji), found footage with images of aboriginals re-edited (Destiny Beacon), a documentary about eskimo's (Igloolik Isuma Productions), so called 'new forms of cinema' (see earlier Documenta review by Lev Manovich) showing the situation around illegal immigrants in the USA (Chantal Akerman), a documentary installation about the tragic death of illegal immigrants (Multiplicity), documentaries on black communities (Black Audio Collective) and a number of works in which artists contemplate on themselves or their background (Pascale Marthine Tayou, Mona Hatoum, Eija Liisa Antilla, Fiona Tan) are mixed with grim looking pieces like an 'archive' covered in black pigment (Chohreh Feyzdjou), dolls in colonial cloths in all kinds of sexual positions (Yinka Shonibare), a room covered in soot (Artur Barrio), black or brown paintings (Leon Golub, Glenn Ligon), black and white films of empty or gloomy spaces (Stan Douglas, Jef Geys) and a labyrinth with 12 signs of depression (Ken Lum). The relatively large number of photo collections made the impression of Documenta as literal document of our times even stronger. Documenta XI (DXI) is not just dominated by documentary works and melancholy or sadness. What is rather puzzling at this Documenta is the odd presence of certain 'old favorites' in the exhibition. One wanders from room to room filled with what I described above and then suddenly, slightly lost, there is a space filled with works by Louise Bourgois, Hanne Darboven, Dieter Roth, Constant or On Kawara. Even if these artists have made very interesting work (the unique Constant exhibition within another exhibition was a nice surprise) seeing them here made one wonder why specifically these artists were chosen. Also interesting works by 'newer' artists or artist groups (Shirin Neshat, Steve McQueen, Atlas Group, Ryuji Miyamoto, James Coleman, Mark Manders, Tsunamii.net, Nari Ward, Simparch, maybe even John Bock, whose work was presented outside in a park) got branded by their presence within this context. The political brainwash of the rest of the exhibition is so strong that it overpowers all works and leaves one with very little room for interpretation. The question then haunts you: what makes the work of these artists fit between the other works? One tries to think like the curators have seemed to think, so here we go: is it because they are somehow documentaries or analyses (tsunamii.net, James Coleman, On Kawara, Hanne Darboven), because the work is made of leftovers (thus a sign of our decadence) and trash (Nari Ward, John Bock), because the work offers new perspectives or contemplations on the spaces we live in (Simparch, Constant, Mark Manders, Ryuji Miyamoto) or simply because the artists who made them are not 'white' and make (again) contemplative, melancholic pieces (Steve McQueen, Shirin Neshat)? Even if the works of the latter two fit in this Documenta perfectly I don't think they really benefit from it. New media DXI does not just suffer from its ideological molding. I can very well imagine that somebody who actually likes the position of the curators still would find some things lacking in the exhibition. Concerning new media DXI's main curator is as well informed as any randomly chosen museum director, which means he isn't. Maybe a special sub-curator for this section would have done the trick. The DXI curators are simply behind when it comes to knowledge about art in media and the exhibition would have gained a lot in credibility if they had, since many issues tackled at DXI are represented so well and abundantly in new media art. If one tries to think from the ideological position of the curators again there are plenty of works that actually -should have been there- but weren't. Walking through the exhibition spaces there were numeral instances that I thought: "Wouldn't RTMark have said this much clearer?" "Wouldn't the Electronic Disturbance Theatre, Heath Bunting or Critical Art Ensemble represent this more appropriately?" "Wouldn't the Old Boys Network be able to cheer this place up in the most suitable politically correct way?". Tsunamii.net had been a pleasant surprise (even if the documentation could have shown a bit more in this case! After the performance had finished there was even less action at the Tsunamii site), but I was disappointed about the Raqs Media Collective (RMC). The presentation of the work "Co-Ordinates: 28.28N/77.15E : : 2001/2002" was very bland, even if it was glossy. Apparently the collective tried to present or recreate the streets of a large Indian city at the exhibition. A black space with a few columns covered in glossy colorful stickers and some flat TV screens showing crowds just didn't do the trick. On line the work looks better, but to call it a solution for questions around authorship (see the Manovich review again) that seems a bit farfetched. Authorship is not a purely technical matter. The work also reminds a bit of other 'open' works on line (if one puts the focus on authorship by RMC aside for a moment), like 10-dencies by Knowbotic Research. Another net art work by Andreja Kuluncic (who, according to the catalogue made the "most exposed Croatian web art today") requested for the audience to upload files to the site, which was more or less impossible from Documenta. This work "Distributive Justice" is a good examply of old fashioned critical net.art, done with better and faster technology. Such a work depends on audience input, on collaboration, yet it has hardly been promoted on the net itself and that weakens it. What these three net art works share is a complexity that is often neglected in selections of net art for large exhibitions. The works at DXI all extend beyond the web alone, and both "Co-Ordinates: 28.28N/77.15E : : 2001/2002" and "Distributive Justice" ask for what I would call a more intimate or deep interactivity then the simple click of a mouse. Finally Political guidance has never been good for art. Why do people forget this so easily? One reason could be that part of the ideological revival in art is more trend then strategy. The art market simply needs new trends to survive. "New products - new art, new artists - are displayed, new trends (video in 1992, collaboratives this year) are announced, new players are introduced and old relationships are reinforced." writes the New York Times about the meeting of art professionals and art dealers at DXI. Looking at it from that perspective Enwezor just might have succeeded in pushing a few new artists to the foreground. Is it impossible then to have a good time in Kassel? Absolutely not. There are still plenty of good works to see. And, as an artist said to me, it always is inspiring to see a bad show. Maybe it would be better to see Documenta XI as an art work itself, a project by the curators, whose message will probably resonate for quite a while after this Documenta has closed, no matter what the final interpretation of it will be. It seems fairly sure that on the short term the Ars Electronica organizers were inspired by it. Their next festival called "Unplugged" will deal with practically the same theme (Does anyone still believe they really don't care about connecting to the art world over there at Ars Electronica? ;)). <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/02/magazine/02OKWUI.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/02/magazine/02OKWUI.html</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://distributive-justice.com">http://distributive-justice.com</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.opuscommons.net">http://www.opuscommons.net</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.tsunamii.net/">http://www.tsunamii.net/</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/02/arts/design/02RIDI.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/02/arts/design/02RIDI.html</a> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.aec.at/festival2002/">http://www.aec.at/festival2002/</a> + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Rhizome.org is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization. If you value this free publication, please consider making a contribution within your means at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/support">http://rhizome.org/support</a>. Checks and money orders may be sent to Rhizome.org, 115 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law and are gratefully acknowledged at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/info/10.php">http://rhizome.org/info/10.php</a>. Our financial statement is available upon request. 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 Rachel Greene (rachel@rhizome.org). ISSN: 1525-9110. Volume 7, number 34. 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. To unsubscribe from this list, visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/subscribe">http://rhizome.org/subscribe</a>. Subscribers to Rhizome Digest are subject to the terms set out in the Member Agreement available online at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://rhizome.org/info/29.php">http://rhizome.org/info/29.php</a>. + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +