:: Saturday, May 03, 2003 ::

Here are the most recent additions to the New Media Fix:

The-cyber-kitchen.org works with artists who incorporate the idea of 'living space' in the internet world.

Dian-network actually has been featured a few times on Net Art Review for the quality projects it often promotes; yet, somehow it was never added to the New Media fix. No worries, it is now officially available for your perusal.

Front Wheel Drive focuses on New Science and New Media. The interviews are very informative.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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The Java Museum presents a diverse group exhibit of contemporary Latino net artists in Netartlatino.net, found here.
The work of 48 artists from Latin American countries is represented through a variety of visual and conceptual approaches. Works include Flash animation and interactive fare, Shockwave, Java, HTML and web works, RealPlayer, and Quicktime movies. Each artist is showing between one to three net art pieces.
The exhibit is vast, but will offer a glimpse into the mindsets of individual artists from different Latin countries all sharing a common heritage.
The interface imagery chosen is a bit stereotypical (a burning jungle) and the site's curatorial and instructive text could stand to be more clear, but at the end of the day, it is the dialogue between this global community of Latino net artists that makes this exhibit one not to miss.




:: Kristen Palana [+] ::
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And now, abstract expressionism is appropriated by net art. b-l-u-e-s-c-r-e-e-n is at it again with Painting. This net project offers users a way to be creative by simply clicking! Yes, all you have to do is click and automatically contribute your IP address. The result is a set of abstract images that constantly change according to the number of people accessing the web page.

A rather interesting take on high modernism's theories of looking and appreciating art for its formal qualities. Painting is actually able to deconstruct the suspension of politics that many modernist theorists made popular around the middle of the 20th Century (especially Greenberg). Even though Painting may present abstract images as the end result, its dependence on the net art community for contributions makes obvious the importance of communication not only for aesthetics, but also for the politicization of aesthetics as a power trope.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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ACM is currently looking for texts and art works that critically engage with "the relationship between genetic science, information technology (IT) and culture." DEADLINE: August 30, 2003

For further information log on to ACM's website and click on 'call for entries'
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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Turbulence's current spotlight is on paperrad, who specialize in self -publishing on print and the internet. Here is part of the press release:

Since 2001 Paperrad has worked non-stop on creating a massive catalogue of self-published comics and cd-rs, video cartoons, tv pilots, hand-painted t-shirts, and stuffed dolls. Their website, paperrad.org, celebrates the power of self-publishing over the internet, merging design and content into one free fantasy Mega-Mall for your spirit.

Also make sure to browse through Lost Guides, which examines the idea of everchange as a lifestyle off and on the internet.


:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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Continuing the line of thought that a lot of new media art especially net.art plays on the idea of remixing ether existing work or culture, "Alan Sondheim by Lewis LaCook" is both an interpretation of an original idea by Alan Sondheim, implemented here (obviously) by Lewis LaCook as a result of a conversation between the two artists and a remix of the sort of styles used by Alan in his work.

Lewis is a regular contributor to net.art review so its good to cast a critical eye over the work thats being created by us rather than others for a change. Both artists work extensively with text / code in a poetic sense and are good examples of the philosophy of code as language / language as code that lies at the heart of much net.art and still manages to inspire net.artists. Lewis and Alan can be seen regularily on lists such as _arc.hive_.
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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DIAN the 'Digital Interactive Artists Network', iniated in 2000, has simple aims to "bring together art that runs on a computer and is distributed through the Internet, art that is made especially for this medium". It executes this with a unique vision of artists as curators unrivaled by any other and certainly not by any formal collection of net.art that I am aware of.

With works ranging from both well-known and accepted net.artists (both from net.artists and institutions point of view) such as Mouchette and Mark Napier to works by lesser known net.artists such as Domiziana Giordano, Reiner Strasser and Mattias Idunger they have managed to excercise a strong selection process, not becoming a victim of institutional selections, and give a good holistic view of net.art in the last three years.

DIAN should be commended for their efforts to raise awareness of net.art, their desire for "net art to become an accepted part within the art scene in general" not alone for their informed decisions but also for the nature by which they make, implement and present these decisions all in a free, not for profit environment.
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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For those of us who love to play, Jean-Luc Lamarque and Jean-Christophe Bumoux's Pianographique is not to be missed. Lamarque and Bumoux have assembled a stellar troupe of multimedia artists to create an audio-visual instrument controlled via keyboard. Among this troupe such luminaries as Nicholas Clauss stand out, whose shockwave work has seduced many in the net art community for years; rapper NKO contributes some dope rhymes in "Rude Boy," and musicians (Jantoma, Serge de Laubier) and visual artists (Jerome and Xavier Pehuet) abound. The result of this collaborative mix is a gorgeous online instrument that will release your inner artiste.

Be warned: this piece is highly addictive, and, once encountered, you will find yourself jamming for hours.
:: Lewis LaCook [+] ::
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Toni Negri, the socio-political writer best known for the influential book Empire is no longer in Italian prison. This is sure to cause an interesting shift in critical circles as he will most likely be asked to lecture around the world. Those unfamiliar with his writing should look into Empire his collaborative publication with Michael Hardt. Some of his other writing can be found at Ruptures.

This is a rather interesting time to release from prison a theorist who was accused of terrorist acts. Negri is sure to become an even more important figure in theoretical circles now that his intellectual reputation has been reinforced with unexpected freedom. (source: nettime)
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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The "complex net art diagram" created by Abe Linkoln (not his real name I'm guessing) and remixed from the "simple net art diagram" created by mtaa in 1997 should be taken with (I hope) the lightness it has been created with. Yet saying this it does highlight some interesting aspects of both net.art and modern culture in general, namely that modern culture (we are talking since the begining of post-modernism here) is a remixed version of everything else that has gone before. No longer does uniqueness play such an important role in what we create as artists (certainly new media artists) as opposed to the documentation of everything and different means of presenting this finite set (granted a large finite set) of elements, whether that be code, music, colour etc.
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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Currently at Turbulence.org, guest Curator Erik Salvagio interviews the next generation of net artists or Duchamp's Ideal Grandchildern; They are Cory Arcangel, Kalx.com, Geoff Lillemont, and Michael Mandiberg. Here is part of Salvagio's press release statement:

"It was Vuk Cosic who said that net.artists were Duchamp’s Ideal Children. I should be clear. This collection is not called “Duchamp's Ideal Grandchildren. There are several reasons for this important distinction of terms. For one, it is a collection of interviews and some new work with artists who are under 25, and working with the web, or in the
tradition of the web. We are the descendants of JODI, of Vuk Cosic, Heath Bunting, and Alexei Shulgin—even though many of us were working at the same time. But, it doesn't matter: for the sake of compliance with the established histories of “Heroic” net.art, we will say simply: Here is a sampling of the ‘next’ (current) generation of internet artists.”

The interviews are actually interesting. But as I often do have a bone to pick with much that is recommended on Net Art Review (a.k.a. criticism), I must admit that the introductory essay when read as a whole exposes an overt craving for historization, specifically in alignment with a heroic hierarchical art stance; something that at some point may run into conflict with the inherent decentralized community based net art practice. Nevertheless, this is a comment on the curatorial position and should not cloud what the net artists have to say. The talent whose brains are picked have made important contributions to the net art community, and I do recommend reading with great care.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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The 2003 European Media Art Festival is on. This year over 1600 submissions were received. The festival trailer is really odd; I am not sure what to think of it as the word funny came to mind, but somehow there is more to it than that. Regarding the website, the over all documentation is not too extensive, but at least one gets some idea about the art work. If you can not enjoy the actual exhibit, at least you can browse the site and view the festival trailer again.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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Turning labels at the theory table is Charles Mudede with The Turntable; a theoretical essay just published in Ctheory.

A brief summary: presents Hip Hop as a slippery element in culture, and refers to the turntable not as a traditional instrument, but as a tool for Hip Hop to keep redefining itself and not follow any rules.

Interesting take -- got tables? Spin the labels.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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