[-empyre-] Re: Models and Perspectives for Media Centers and Net Art organizations

[Simon Biggs]

Those Onet artists¹ Marc refers to were never a homogeneous group. Some
(especially the younger amongst them) started out as net artists. Others
came to the net later in their artistic development and integrated it into
their established new media arts practice. What all of those artists shared
was an interest in a very particular medium, with very specific
characteristics, a novel means of distribution and, most excitingly, new
ways of creating and communicating with audiences. It is reasonable to state
that more than any other medium the net integrates its means of production
and distribution. This allows the forging of novel relationships between
producers and consumers and even the de-differentiation of those
relationships. Some of those Onet artists¹ are still producing net art,
although perhaps less in the limelight.

The idea of Oever new media¹ would seem directly related to this month¹s
Empyre theme. We have to ask ourselves why media centres and networks exist?
What are their purpose? I would argue that a key element in their missions
is to foster the creation of new audiences for new artforms, to encourage
novel forms of public engagement and to question the often moribund dynamics
between all those with a stake in the field, whether as artist, curator,
theorist or consumer. Certainly, for myself, the key reason for working with
new media is that it offers ever new modalities of interpersonal engagement.
New media practices are founded upon a conceptualisation of artistic media
that requires they are constantly challenged and pushed in order that new
types of art and new relationships between people can be forged.

Regards

Simon


Professor Simon Biggs
edinburgh college of art
s.biggs at eca.ac.uk
www.eca.ac.uk

simon at littlepig.org.uk
www.littlepig.org.uk
AIM/Skype: simonbiggsuk



From: <empyre-request at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
Reply-To: <empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:00:32 +1000 (EST)
To: <empyre at lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au>
Subject: empyre Digest, Vol 45, Issue 8

Marc wrote:
>>
Many artists who were once
net artists have taken the decision to move away from making work that
is specifically for the Internet, and have adapted their practice to
reflect in their work an ecologically conscious remit, as individuals or
groups.>>


Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: https://mail.cofa.unsw.edu.au/pipermail/empyre/attachments/20080826/cdce8d95/attachment.html