Re: [-empyre-] digitalarts.vodafone.co.nz

[Helen Varley Jamieson <helen@creative-catalyst.com>]

there was quite a bit of discussion about these awards on the ada 
list when they were first announced (mostly around the omission of a 
sound art category). it's a bit hard to make anything of it when it's 
the first one but at least digital arts are starting to be recognised 
in a wider context (even if there is a corporate agenda attached to 
it). can we call NZ$40,000 (less than 20,000 euros) across four 
categories a "major investment"? by nz standards perhaps it is - & 
it's definitely better than nothing. the vodaphone awards, ada list, 
hitlab workshops, version festival & various events coming up this 
year are all helping to  establish a local/national forum for our 
work as well as opportunities to meet & network & generate a sense of 
community in aotearoa/nz. maybe the australia council's move will 
have a negative impact on creative nz's new media strategy (i hope 
not) but it seems to me that the energy & desire is there at a 
grassroots level which is healthy & ultimately more self-sustaining.
h : )

> On a different tack, though in relation to the state:  I wonder what people
> make of the recent Vodafone digital art awards -
> http://www.vodafone.co.nz/vdaa/home.jsp
>
> I realise Su that you won't be able to talk about this, but in an
> environment of low public investment in new media arts, and a culture
> without a strong tradition of private philanthropy, it seems interesting to
> me that that it should be a multinational mobile phone provider making a
> major investment in  "Digital Arts". Perhaps this could be read productively
> alongside the disbanding of the Australia Council New Media Arts board? Are
> we going to see more of this?
>
> Danny
>
> --
> http://www.dannybutt.net
>
> #place: location, cultural politics, and social technologies:
> http://www.place.net.nz
>
> [ Lilith] laughed bitterly. "I suppose I could think of this as fieldwork -
> but how the hell do I get out of the field ?" (Octavia E. Butler, _Dawn_)
>
>
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--
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helen varley jamieson: creative catalyst
helen@creative-catalyst.com
http://www.creative-catalyst.com
http://www.avatarbodycollision.org
http://www.writerfind.com/hjamieson.htm
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