:: Friday, July 04, 2003 ::

The interdiciplinary creative team Birgé - Clauss - Silhol recently released the online project Somnambules. The art work combines elements of film, dance, photo and painting to bring us a refreshing interpretation of abstract narratives carefully developed around multilayered musical loops. The shockwave presentation seamlessly merges online technology with well established codes in visual culture.

The project is approached with the usual structure of most dance recitals; that is, where the performance is often split into various linear segments culminating in a grand finale. While borrowing this approach, Somnambules presents twelve segments that can be viewed in any order, with the option of viewing the pieces in the proposed linear order as well. The result is an odd experience that leaves the viewer inbetween the many creative languages that are used in the project. This is also supported by the abstracted dance loops which can only be completed when the user interacts with the performers on the virtual stage.

This project is proof that creativity is heavily influenced by the advancement of technology. Three years ago the implementation of video as it is used in Somnambules would not have been possible; but now, thanks to Macromedia Director's latest perks, netizens can enjoy a well developed libretto from the comfort of the home. The best part of the net project is that the artists' balance of content and form has led to a piece that will most likely be referenced in the future for the merging of extremely complex visual languages.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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This is a call for web proposals (only to exist on the web) on "Improbable Monuments" to be curated by "SF Camerawork", San Francisco, America as part of "Monument Recall", an exhibition of work scheduled for Autumn, 2004.

"Monument Recall is an exhibition of work by artists who are challenging ideas of 'monument.' Through scale, material, subject matter and concept, the work in this exhibition reframes and challenges conventions and traditions of public monuments in public spaces. Improbable Monuments is a web component of this exhibition, calling for work that will only be exhibited on-line."

The Deadline is 29/08/03. For further information please see the website.
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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The "Prix Ars Electronica 2003" Winners, awards and honorory mentions were announced on the 25/06/03. As usual the festival has choosen some strange choices (in terms of being pretty classical and mainstream) assuring controversy but possibly also side-lining the festival in the eyes of new media artists.
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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Next Tuesday the 08/07/03 from 2-4pm at the Commonwealth Institute, London, England, there will be a panel event on the theme of "Curating Digital Art". The event is part of "Plug-in 03", the annual degree show of the "London College of Music and Media" and admission is free to the general public.

Panel members include, Honor Harger, writer, curator, artist and founder of "radioqualia", Walter van der Cruijsen, Director of "Hull Time Arts" who formily worked at "ZKM" in Germany as both independent artist and new media curator and Beryl Graham, Research Fellow at the "University of Sunderland" and founder of the "New Media Curating Resource (CRUMB)", which she now co-edits.

Topics to be raised include "Can digital art be considered within a larger visual arts framework", "What are appropriate means for presenting digital art" and "Who is shaping these new models of artistic production?". I'll be attending so if you see me say hi!
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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Fernando Llanos recently released the project Artista Invitado/ Invited Artist consisting of 6 short quicktime video clips plus one photo still by seven artists.

The online exhibit is simple and to the point, giving the video clips and photo-still enough room to function on their own while also being part of a group. Some great pieces are sure to be found; from a rat in a cage to disappearing animations, the videos make obvious that, in art, what is important in the end is understanding the necessities of creativity. The videos have a casual feel and this makes them all the more powerful -- especially when shown in a small quicktime window.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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Turbulence.org is currently featuring N.A.G. by Jason Freeman. Here is part of the press release:

"N.A.G. (Network Auralization for Gnutella) is interactive software art for Mac OS X and Windows 2000/XP that turns the process of searching for and downloading MP3 files into a chaotic musical collage."


:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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Wasssupp with Mp3 à la blog: The mp3blog
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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For the très geek: Siggraph 2003, this year happening at San Diego, California.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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Did I ever mention slashdot? For those in the know, need not bother, but anyone who is not familiar with the website must definitely check it out.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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What is the buzz about IBM and Linux? Follow the debate at nettime.org The commercial necessities of Hollywood may be what is needed to save Linux.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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"Here nor There" "a collective of artists and musicians from Bristol and its twin cities of Tbilisi and Hanover involved in collaborative & interdisiplinary projects", is launching a project (and we literally mean launching) entitled "where r u?" with some collaborators "at sunset from the banks of the River Avon on July 13th 2003" (thats in England folks!).

Here nor there would like to ask people, no matter where they are, to contribute to the work by responding to the following question "where r u ? where would u like 2 b ?" before Friday July 11th 2003 in one of four ways...

1) pick up a postcard from the Arnolfini Box Office in Bristol, England, fill it in and hand it back or post it to: Box 92, Green Leaf Bookshop, Bristol. BS1 5BB

2) fill in the form on the "Here Nor There" website (http://www.herenorthere.org/)

3) respond to the question via email (info@herenorthere.org)

4) respond to the question by text message (0797 172 1204)

For further information on participation or attendance at the event, please see the "Here nor There" website or contact the Arnolfini box office in Bristol.
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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Annie Abrahams has developed a number of remarkable online projects dealing with the reshaping of human relationships due to people's dependency on computer technology -- more specifically in relation to online interactivity. A piece which I have looked through, and actually added a few lines of text at one point in the past is I am not an artwork; a meandering narrative challenging the viewer to make sense of the role of the artist through a rhetorical play on personalized negative definitions of the work of art. Also, reassurance, one of the basics needs of all human beings (I think it is safe to say) is explored and questioned as a communicative structure in Reassuring; here, the user can choose a language in which to find emotional support; the result is a benevolent gesture reading as a generic abstraction of kindness, that need not be specific to a situation.

Following this line of work, Abrahams now brings us ne me touchez pas / don't touch me. Here, a woman tells a story about her experience with her mother. It is best that the viewers experience the piece on their own, so I will not describe what happens with the interactivity, but I will suggest to click as much as possible, when it feels appropriate.

Abrahams aims, once again (as with her other projects), to question issues of intimacy and communication. The viewer will react differently to the web project depending on his/her gender. ne me touchez pas / don't touch me is a minimal yet psychologicaly loaded piece which I suggest to view in both English and French, as the nuances of each language makes the project a unique experience -- even if one is not fluent in a foreign language. Click, click, and then click some. But be warned, you might feel as an intruder depending on your personal projections.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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Here are the additions to the New Media Fix:

CCA Glasgow The Center for Contemporary Art in Glasgow, dedicated to promoting new media exhibitions online and offline. Currently featuring the work of Carlo Zanni (check out the weekly feature on Epic Tales)

Digital Visions Although this is really an exhibition rather than a straight ahead resource, the writing and interviews makes it worthwhile to be listed as a regular link.

Histories of the Internet deals with, well... what else history of the net, along with net theory.

The recommended fix of the week is the well written Random online New Media magazine.
:: Eduardo Navas [+] ::
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The Melbourne, Australia based "Next Wave Festival" is making a call for entries for its event held next year from 18th - 30th May 2004. The festivals theme is "Unpopular Culture" and the deadlines are Friday 1st August 2003 (Round 1), and Friday 31st October 2003 (Round 2). Proposals from the fields of music, visual art, theatre, dance, performance, text, and new media will all be considered. Please see the website for dossier requirements and further information.
:: Garrett Lynch [+] ::
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