For Immediate Release

Joseph Nechvatal

ec-satyricOn 2000

October 26 - December 02


Universal Concepts Unlimited announces the opening of "ec-satyricOn 2000 
(enhanced)+ bodies in the bit-stream (compliant)" – a digital-based 
exhibition of recent work by Joseph Nechvatal, on Thursday, October 26 from 
6-8 PM.

Since 1985, Joseph Nechvatal has been exploring what he calls the 
‘viractual’ image; a complex numeric image which consists of a mixture of 
drawing, digital-photography, painting, written language, and externalized 
computer code - all of which is submitted to computational manipulations 
(including viral attacks). Based loosely around passages from a cyber-sex 
farce novella he wrote in Paris called "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~venus©-~Ñ~vibrator, 
even" - and from certain passages from Gaius Petronius Arbiter’s (~27-66 AD) 
book Satyricon, this exhibition puts forth a mingling of the virtual, the 
aesthetic, and the sexual.

The exhibition consists of six large computer-robotic assisted paintings 
which, together, create a sweeping, immersive environment. Also, a specially 
rubber-bound example of "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~venus©-~Ñ~vibrator, even" will be 
on display, as well as a suite of unique digital prints from the "code x" 
series, and a dvd animated puppet show.

Nechvatal’s stated intentions are to pictorially integrate the occurrence of 
the loss of subjectivity as experienced in sexual transport and sexual 
fantasies with the philosophical loss of sovereignty typical of the 
disembodied finesse encountered when immersed in virtual space. Here - for 
example with the loss of body consciousness specific to total-immersion 
within a virtual reality environment - one frequently senses a transport 
dissolution moving consciousness away from nature, even while developing a 
slightly ridiculous, Fellini-like, human self-consciousness.

In encounters with virtualizing digitization, representations of carnal pulp 
used in fleshing-out "ec-satyricOn 2000" (primarily female silicon-implanted 
breasts, Nechvatal’s testicles, various labia, elbows, knees, and the 
posterior glutinous maximus of both sexes - some procured on-line, others 
via digital photographic techniques) are turned diaphanous through various 
reproductive digital processes and synthetic maneuvers - including viral 
attacks. The programming used to enact the computer viral attacks was 
developed by Nechvatal in 1992-3.

Joseph Nechvatal has exhibited his work widely in Europe and the United 
States, both in private and public venues. He is in the permanent collection 
of the Los Angeles County Museum, the Moderna Musset in Stockholm and the 
Israel Museum in Jerusalem. His web-site, with full CV and collected 
writings, can be found at: http://www.dom.de/arts/artists/jnech/



The "ec-satyricOn 2000" viral computer code:

CLS
DIM 1 V$(9,5)
DIM 251 M$(3,900)
G$=FILES$(1,"TEXT",,V%)
W%=V%
OPEN"I",#1,G$,,V%
INPUT#1,NINFECTION
INPUT #1,NCOL
INPUT #1,NLIGN
FOR I=1 TO 4
FOR J=1 TO 8
INPUT#1,X%
V$(I,J)=CHR$(X)
NEXT J
NEXT I
CLOSE#1
F$=FILES$(1,"TEXT",,V%)
H$=LEFT$(F$,LEN(F$)-2)
FOR K=1 TO 3
IF K=1 THEN F$=H$+".R"
IF K=2 THEN F$=H$+".V"
IF K=3 THEN F$=H$+".B"
OPEN"I",#1,F$,,W%
LONG IF NCOL<=250
FOR I=1 TO NLIGN
READ#1,M$(1,I);NCOL
NEXT I
XELSE
FOR I=1 TO NLIGN
READ#1,M$(1,I);250
READ#1,M$(2,I);NCOL-250
NEXT I
END IF
CLOSE#1
RANDOM
FOR L=1 TO NINFECTION
VERTICAL=INT(RND(NCOL))
HORIZONTAL=INT(RND(250))
U=0
FOR J= VERTICAL TO VERTICAL+3
U=U+1
V=0
FOR I= HORIZONTAL TO HORIZONTAL+7
V=V+1
LONG IF ASC(V$(V,U))<>0
  LONG IF NCOL<250
  DEBUT$=LEFT$(M$(1,VERTICAL),LEN(M$(1,VERTICAL))-1)
  FIN$=RIGHT$(M$(1,VERTICAL),LEN(M$(1,VERTICAL))-HORIZONTAL)
  M$(1,VERTICAL)=DEBUT$+V$(V,U)+FIN$
  XELSE
  DEBUT$=LEFT$(M$(2,VERTICAL),LEN(M$(2,VERTICAL))-1)
  FIN$=RIGHT$(M$(2,VERTICAL),LEN(M$(2,VERTICAL))-HORIZONTAL)
  M$(1,VERTICAL)=DEBUT$+V$(V,U)+FIN$
  END IF
END IF
NEXT I
NEXT J
NEXT L
IF K=1 THEN G$=H$+"-"+STR$(NINFECTION)+".R"
IF K=2 THEN G$=H$+"-"+STR$(NINFECTION)+".V"
IF K=3 THEN G$=H$+"-"+STR$(NINFECTION)+".B"
OPEN"O",#1,G$,,W%
LONG IF NCOL<=250
FOR I=1 TO NLIGN
PRINT#1,M$(1,I)
NEXT I
XELSE
FOR I=1 TO NLIGN
PRINT#1,M$(1,I)
PRINT#1,M$(2,I)
NEXT I
END IF
CLOSE#1
NEXT K
END



For further information contact UCU @ 212.727.7575 and/or see artist 
statement at: http://www.intelligentagent.com/satyricon.html

--
Universal Concepts Unlimited
507 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011

http://www.U-C-U.com

Tel: 212.727.7575 Fax: 212.727.7676 Email: [log in to unmask]


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