[-empyre-] A few opening remarks.

["Patrick Lichty" <voyd@voyd.com>]

Hello, everyone.

Once again, thanks for the introduction, and thanks to Melinda for having me
here.

I don't know the exact date for my departure from this discussion, so let's
say roughly two weeks or the end of the month.  I'll be talking about two
main topics during my time.

This first has to do with the (re)distributions PDA/IA art exhibition I
recently curated at http://www.voyd.com/ia . In addition, I woudl also ask
you to take a look at my essay, "Towards a Culture of Ubiquity"
http://www.voyd.com/ubiq .

That being said, let me start off with a few broad questions.  When looking
at the widening acceptance of net art as such, one can say that the
traditional art world politics will hold sway eventually, and in addition,
the net will be (and is becoming) inundated with prosumer-based would-be net
artists.  Although this widening popularity of net art and the populist
shift is another issue in itself, it skips the point I wish to get at
entirely.

My question is, what is the role of the mobile device as platform for
expression?  Is is merely an extension of the web, or does it exhibit
gestural charactersitics unique to itself?  If so, how so?  What modes of
expression are entrinsic to handheld and wearable devices, and how are they
conveyed through these devices?

In addition, what are the agendas inscribed upon the user and artist when
working with this method of communication?

Also, with the nascent nature of this field of art, is there any hope of
curatorial presentation, and how can this work be shown in traditional
spaces, or is that anaethema to the nature of the device, and how does that
affect institutional agendas (mainly museums)?

 Next week will be on technological determinism and digital art.

Let's have some fun.