[spectre] V2_: conference ‘Understanding Media Art and Research’

[marije]

‘Understanding Media Art and Research’
Conference
Date: Thursday 15 January 2004
Time: 13:00 - 17:00 hours
Admission: 10,- Euro, students 8,- Euro
Location: Groothandelsgebouw, Stationsplein 45, zaal Kriterion, 8e floor
Registration: Please contact Chelique Clementina, workshop at v2.nl or +31 
(0)10 206 72 72.


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.

V2_ over the years has built both a national and international network and 
hopes to fulfil its role as “connecting machine” by bringing together these 
speakers from various backgrounds and thus make an active contribution to 
the debate.

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
The conference Understanding Media Art and Research is supported by: 
Cultural Affairs, City of Rotterdam, the Department of Education, Culture 
and Science, and Luna Internet.