[-empyre-] citizens and conflict in flux

[Timothy Murray]

>Dear Larissa and Isak,

Given the limited news reporting coming out of the Middle East in the 
past couple of weeks, and that most of what we in the US can access 
via the television derives from CNN/ABC through the lens of a only a 
handful of reporters and camera views, I'm hoping the list will weigh 
in on your accounts of the power shifts of conflict and how they 
manifest themselves (or not!)  in the visual sound bites of the media.

One of the benefits of the overlapping platforms and networks of new 
media, as I understand them, has been the ability to make evident, 
through media overlaps, simultaneous texting and tweeting, not to 
mention video and cinematic grabs and recyclings, the "conflicting" 
images and accounts that disturb and undermine the homogenous news 
coverage flooding the televisual airwaves whenever, it seems, the 
Middle East is concerned (although why limit news homogeneity to the 
Middle East).

Of tremendous importance is how frequently the complex interfaces of 
new media art and installation make manifest the very deep sense of 
'conflict' and 'citizenry in flux', of which Larissa speaks so 
forcefully and which Isak notes becomes washed out by the homogeneity 
of commodified news footage.

It would be fantastic to hear more about how particular pieces you've 
created or admired address these dynamics of conflict and flux and 
perhaps how you understand their temporal and political relation to 
current events in the Middle East.

Perhaps other members of -empyre- would be interested in weighing in 
here as well.

Looking forward to the dialogue.

Best,

Tim


-- 
Timothy Murray
Director, Society for the Humanities
http://www.arts.cornell.edu/sochum/
Curator, The Rose Goldsen Archive of New Media Art, Cornell Library
http://goldsen.library.cornell.edu
Professor of Comparative Literature and English
A. D. White House
27 East Avenue
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853