[artinfo] residency to develop a web-based artwork

[Janos Sugar]

The University of Luton is recipient of a Year of the Artist award which is=
 being used to host an artist=B9s residency to develop a web-based artwork. =
 We are seeking applications from interested artists who fulfil our person=
 specification given below


Outline of the project

The residency is to form part of the on-going development of the website of=
 Convergence: The Journal of Research into New Media Technologies.  The=
 journal is edited from the Media Arts Department of the University of Luton=
 and published by the University of Luton Press.  It is currently a paper=
 journal, published quarterly, and is just entering its seventh year of=
 publication.  The journal=B9s website is currently a text-based information=
 site only. Although it has has recently been given an award by=
 Key2Resources because it is one of the top 50 most visited sites on=
 Conferences and Journals, the design of the site does not reflect the=
 creative possibilities offered by the web which have been discussed in the=
 pages of the journal.  The aim of the residency would be to create a=
 web-based artwork exploring the convergence of communication technologies=
 on the web, which would be located at and integrated with the Convergence=
 website. =20

Two aspects of the new media have repeatedly been the subject of discussion=
 in the journal =AD the nature and quality of =8Cinteractivity=B9 in on-line=
 media; and the need to redefine our notions of =8Cnarrative=B9 within new=
 media =8Ctexts=B9 =AD and we would like these concerns to inform and direct=
 the artwork.  This would be with a view to the artist also exploring, as=
 part of the residency, possible ways of creatively presenting the=
 information already lodged on the Convergence site, while retaining the=
 accessibility of that information.  It is not intended that the artwork=
 simply be an add-on extra to the site, rather it is important that the site=
 retains its overall coherence.  For instance, the artwork could form the=
 homepage for the site and provide an imaginative but accessible route into=
 the site=B9s other pages.

Although the specific nature of the project would be finalised via=
 discussions between the artist appointed and the project managers, one=
 possible way we see this project developing is to have the artwork and=
 development of the site go live early on, so that it develops over time=
 on-line.  This would enable the showcasing of the artist=B9s work as it=
 evolves over a period of several weeks.  As part of this process, comment=
 and feedback would be invited from visitors to the site, readers of the=
 journal, via our on-line Convergence discussion list, and from students=
 enrolled on our multimedia modules at both under- and postgraduate level. =
 As the residency comes to an end, the artwork would take its final form and=
 become a permanent =8Cstatic=B9 part of the Convergence website.

=20