[artinfo] V2_: conference: Understanding Media Art and Research

[marije]

Understanding Media Art and Research
	Conference
Date: Thursday 15 January 2004
Location: Groothandelsgebouw, Stationsplein 45, zaal Kriterion, 8e floor
 
Speakers: Saskia Sassen (USA), Ole Bouman (NL), 
Tapio Mäkelä (FIN) and Catherine Richards (CDN).
Moderator: Christine de Baan (NL). Respondents: 
Eric Kluitenberg (NL) and Anna Tilroe (NL).

The conference Understanding New Media Art and 
Research’ will address the beginning and meaning 
of interdisciplinary research projects in the 
field of electronic art, as well as experiences 
of active media practice. By focusing on the 
guiding role of media within the social, 
political and cultural changes currently taking 
place, the conference will link the emergent new 
art practice and new forms of cultural 
organisation to the wider field of our 
technological culture.

Every day we read or hear about 
interdisciplinarity, interaction, the networked 
society, the end of the nation state, but what do 
these words actually mean? What has changed in a 
practical sense and how can artists, art 
institutes and policy makers reflect on this new 
so-called e-culture and help shape it?

At this conference V2_ addresses these questions 
from several angles. Political economist Saskia 
Sassen focuses on general changes in society: how 
have economic, cultural and governmental 
structures changed? Cultural and architectural 
historian Ole Bouman applies the same question to 
art: what has changed in the art world and what 
are the consequences for traditional art 
institutes like museums, foundations and advisory 
bodies? Media theorist Tapio Mäkelä has done 
research into art organisations that deal with 
new forms of art. How do these changes effect 
such organisations? Mäkelä also demonstrates the 
new connections that are made between the arts 
and scientific disciplines and how the phenomenon 
of “research” has entered the art world. Finally, 
artist Catherine Richards discusses the practice 
of the media artist: based on her own experience 
of many years not only as an artist but in art 
education as well, she sketches an image of the 
digital, networked artist, what he or she needs 
to produce electronic art and what alliances 
these new artists form.
 
More information about the program and speakers 
can be found on: http://www.v2.nl/2004.

Concept and production: V2_, Institute for the Unstable Media