RE: [-empyre-] Forward from Kominos Zervos: re Tangent:software/conceptual art

["Jim Andrews" <jim@vispo.com>]

> and this is proved conclusively in films like 2001 space odyssey,
> bicentennial man, the matrix, robots, etc.
>
> i'm with florian on this one

Great, Komninos. You're with Florian that there is no such thing as
self-modifying code? But Paul has mentioned it does exist, has given
examples of its use in art, and if you do a google search for
'self-modifying code' you'll find hundreds of documents from as many
different sources verifying that it does indeed exist.

I realize that it is somewhat outrageous that it *does* exist. It means that
computers are not yer average machine, doesn't it. It would seem to imply
that we are not simply dealing with a communications medium here, or a fancy
cash register+typewriter+record player+telephone etc but, instead, are
dealing with process as potentially self-modifying as we can occassionally
be ourselves. Apparently we are not dealing with simply another art medium
or typewriter but process as flexible, very likely, as thought itself. This
has implications concerning what we think computers are capable of and,
perhaps more relevant to this list, should have implications on one's
conception of the flexibility and range, the nature of, digital art.

ja
http://vispo.com