RE: [-empyre-] galleries & establishments

[Christiane_Paul@WHITNEY.ORG]

-----Original Message-----
From: Reiner Strasser
To: empyre@imap.cofa.unsw.edu.au
Sent: 7/4/02 3:32 PM
Subject: Re: [-empyre-] galleries & establishments

>> new media definitely isn't "on the level" yet. [...] There is a
>> growing number of new media exhibitions but I feel that the way new
>> media are represented within large survey shows is an indicator of 
>> where this art form stands. 

>Hmmmm - how do you mean this?
>In the "public"/art scene mind or aesthetically?

In the "public" / art scene. There definitely is growing interest, and new
media art is moving through the stages that any "new" medium is going
through (nothing new here). But it is still far from being accepted, and I
think that the treatment of new media art in large survey shows is at least
an indication of the role it plays in the art world at large.

Judging from my experience, there is a huge gap between the level of
understanding and approaching this art in the "new media community" vs. the
art world and public at large. When it comes to the latter, you're often at
the very basic level of introduction because there is a profound lack of
critical "vocabulary" and understanding of the basics of the medium. (Not
meant as a criticism, it's part of the evolution of a medium.) Why is is
art? still remains the main question. 

For me, a net art show at a museum is a good opportunity for a first
introduction of this art to a completely new audience. Even if the
installation isn't too successful and inviting, it is an opportunity to show
people that this art exists and hopefully inspire them to take a look at it
again at their home computer. It's always interesting to observe the myriad
forms of reactions and rejections. Of course, ideally you want a form of
presentation that is engaging and shows you the work in a way you couldn't
experience it at home. While net art is ultimately "public" art, it is a
challenge to successfully show it in public places and I believe there needs
to be a connection between the public space of the net and the public space
of the gallery. The Apartment is a very good example (Marek mentioned the
way it was shown at Eindhoven earlier). In that form of installation, you
can experience it in a way that would never be possible at home and it
really benefits from that form of extension.

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