[-empyre-] answers and comments

[marc garrett]

Hi Johannes,

 >You mention Heath Bunting in passing, and i remember hearing
 >him give a presentation on his illegal border crossings, those
 >journeys were linked/documented on the web, i am not sure
 >whether the BorderXrossing site is still active  (  
http://status.irational.org),   

Regarding Heath's BorderXrossing project. The 2002-3 version was 
commissioned by the Tate Gallery (believe it or not). It can be found in 
the 'Intermedia Art New Media, Sound and Performance' section. 
(http://www.tate.org.uk/intermediaart/borderxing.shtm) It was originally 
commissioned as an net artwork, for what was then the Tate's own Net Art 
on-line section. Since then, Kelli Dipple has formulated a wider context 
for (new) media arts, which is probably a good idea because this means 
more will be represented whether it be net art or something similar or 
different.

I was at the presentation that evening, at the Tate. It was a strange 
affair, especially when they were supporting a project such as this, 
with issues around terrorism, immigration and crossing of borders etc.

"... Borders are there to be crossed. Their significance becomes obvious 
only when they are violated - and it says quite a lot about a society's 
political and social climate when one sees what kind of border crossing 
a government tries to prevent." H.Bunting.

I recently received one of Heath's projects called 'map of terrorism' in 
the post.

On the web site it says "Making a map is often a prelude to colonisation 
and control. I have  recently been under investigation and detention by 
the UK police for terrorism related offences. This case was fabricated 
by the Sussex police force, probably an attempt to frighten and probe 
me. My response to this, instead of seeking public sympathy and support, 
was to consolidate my existing links with national cultural 
institutions. Hence my proposal to make this map of terrorism, in 
context of an invitation for a new commission for Tate. I am still under 
state surveillance, but no longer under Her Majesty's detention." 
http://status.irational.org/map_of_terrorism/

In respect of his other piece called 'the system' or 'the status 
project' http://status.irational.org/ - I have been asked to write a 
forward for Heath about the project which will be a publication about 
the project. It is massive, and has quite a few other smaller projects 
coming out of it.  

 >In Brasil i remember the activities of the group Corpos Informáticos
 >(www.corpos.org), and their interest in the body and performance
 >interventions (networked/telematic) might interest some of you;
 >their latest on site installation was in Rio de Janeiro
 >(http://cubobranco-br.blogspot.com/2008/06/bia-medeiros-e-
 >corpos-informticos.html) this past June & July.

Yes it does interest me - thanks. One of the problems with not speaking 
Portuguese is that I miss out a lot of what is happening with Brazilian 
artists/groups. And it would be great to get someone to send projects in 
English here, so that our own communities could observe (even 
participate with) what is happening.

Your list of examples, Marc, is rather eclectic, isnt' it?  which is
beautiful, but does not answer Anna's question about sustainability.  
But the notion of sustainabibility in itself is open to questioning as well.

Yes, I think that you may have a point here...

What bill said "are there new developments that are too diversified and 
unclassifiable to "make sense" and be told (as a discourse) as a form 
that can be institutionalized?"

I agree with what Bill says above...

We are all facing an urgency that rightly needs something to be 
formulated and used so that we and others can build or deal with the 
contemporary issues, or else. Even though we have the use of the 
Internet to support our forums and ideas, we are divided by many 
different factors which are to do with our own social conditioning, this 
holds us back from working together as well as we could. We need more 
concrete examples/models of working as well as projects that challenge 
and critique. Being critically engaged does not always help if its just 
about challenging and not actually offering alternatives out of the 
trappings that we are all currently caught up in.

If changes are to be made, we all need to break out of our own socially 
orientated 'mind sets' to really get things happening.

Can we join forces, is it allowed?

marc


Hi Marc, and all;

thanks for your extensive response and these examples.  there is much to 
reflect.

You mention Heath Bunting in passing, and i remember hearing him give a 
presentation on his illegal border crossings, those journeys were 
linked/documented on the web, i am not sure whether the BorderXrossing 
site is still active  (  http://status.irational.org),   
At that presentation he gave, there were also talks by George Legrady   
(his catalog of found objects is at 
http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/~g.legrady/glWeb/Projects/fo/found_obj.html)
and, fascinatingly, by Ewen Chardronnet,  a tactical media researcher 
linked to the activities of the MakroLab by Slovene artist Marko 
Peljhan.   he was involved ina project called Planete Laboratoire and 
also "Star City" ( http://www.orbit.zkm.de/?q=node/290)

In Brasil i remember the activities of the group Corpos Informáticos  
(www.corpos.org), and their interest in the body and performance 
interventions (networked/telematic) might interest some of you; their 
latest on site installation was in Rio de Janeiro 
(http://cubobranco-br.blogspot.com/2008/06/bia-medeiros-e-corpos-informticos.html) 
this past June & July.

Having attended some smaller and some larger media arts festivals over 
the years (CYNETart in Dresdem, Cyberarts Boston, DEAF/Rotterdam, etc), 
i wonder whether we have an overview/info site to look at the media arts 
festivals or workshops that might happen the year round, in the east and 
west, north and south.  I remember the Arnolfini did a collaborative 
project with Australian media arts centers a little while back. Is 
Location One still operative in New York?   how do we relate locally to 
"our" media arts venues, or generate such, and how do we relate globally 
to others that we might now of,  is there exchange, cooperation?   is 
there a "festival curcuit" as it exists in the "hegemonic" 
disciiplines?  or to follow Marc's suggestions, and Bill's good comment, 
are there new developments that are too diversified and unclassifiable 
to "make sense" and be told (as a discourse) as a form that can be 
institutionalized?   Your list of examples, Marc, is rather eclectic, 
isnt' it?  which is beautiful, but does not answer Anna's question about 
sustainability.  But the notion of sustainabibility in itself is open to 
questioning as well.

regards
Johannes Birringer