Paul, wow, that link brings back memories (mostly positive). That was an
interesting time in Australia for new media arts, with the Australia Council
taking enough of an interest to fund the CSIRO fellowships and also support
(initially behind the scenes, from 1983, then financially from 1986) the
establishing of the Australian Network for Art and Technology. I left
Australia in 86 so wasn¹t party to developments after that time, but we all
know Australia has, for a country of its size, been a leader in this area
over the past 20 or so years. In large part that was down to this strategic
support, which in turn was down to the vision of very specific individuals
(like Andrea Hull) in the Policy and Planning office of the Council. It¹s a
pity that more recently the Australia Council¹s commitment in this area has
seemed less clear.

The model that was employed for the CSIRO residency was very similar to an
earlier one developed for the LACMA programme for artists in industry (full
details at http://www.fondation-langlois.org/html/e/page.php?NumPage=706 )
which involved Robert Irwin, James Turrell and James Lee Byars, all key
figures from early on in this field. My impression was that the Australia
Council took a lot of its pointers from this earlier exercise and learned
from it, the main innovation being to focus on a research rather than
industry oriented platform. It also did not pressure the artists to produce
anything. It was about the process and creating new working relationships,
taking the longer view. The success of the programme was also down to the
Director of the CSIRO¹s National Measurement Laboratory at the time (I have
forgotten his name, which is unforgivable). He was very sympathetic and had
an inclusive understanding of science, exemplified by his being the
Australian member at the time for UNESCO. He had a socially oriented view of
the value of science and was not a purist. We probably need more scientists
like that.

We also need more politicians who can learn to be modest in the face of the
facts. The current argument between the scientific community in the UK and
the government, over drugs policy, only makes the politicians looks like
pig-ignorant populists.

The CSIRO programme in turn possibly influenced the UK¹s Arts Council/Arts
and Humanities Research Council artist¹s fellowships in scientific
institutions programme between 2001-2007. As a beneficiary of that programme
I can attest to how lessons were learned progressively and information was
not lost. The UK programme added a number of excellent innovations, such as
each artist having a mentor who worked within and knew well the workings of
the institution and a project observer working with them, allowing for the
most effective engagement with the scientists and a reflexive approach to
the whole process. The data generated from that programme could be useful in
informing future pedagogical and research practices.

I am sure Bronac will have something to say on this...

Best

Simon


Simon Biggs

Research Professor
edinburgh college of art
[log in to unmask]
www.eca.ac.uk

Creative Interdisciplinary Research into CoLlaborative Environments
CIRCLE research group
www.eca.ac.uk/circle/

[log in to unmask]
www.littlepig.org.uk
AIM/Skype: simonbiggsuk



From: Paul Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Paul Thomas <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 20:33:17 +0800
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: [NEW-MEDIA-CURATING] Art-Science and Science-Art Curricula:
Call for Contributions

Dear all

Thanks for the list topic and I hope that this beginning will lead to other
areas that Simon has mentioned. It would be interesting to see where
curating art and science curricula fitted into this list.

I am not sure of the categories that Roger mentions in Media art are so
clearly delineated. Media arts evolution have been so closely linked to
social, cultural and scientific influences. Recently I came across a 1984
Art and New Technology residency program here in Australia as part of the
media art scoping study that was calling for artists working with CSIRO
Division of applied Physics.
http://mass.nomad.net.au/1984/12/

 Simon being one of the recipients demonstrates that inter and trans
disciplinary approaches have been taken overtime. It also demonstrate the
role that media art organisations have on curricula development. The sharing
of curricula like Roger and Victoria's twine and others will assist in
establishing a more sustainable future knowledge pool for artists working in
an interdisciplinary mode.

We need to expand ideas to be inclusive of new paradigms in dealing with the
effects of emerging sciences and their relationship on being human.


Best Paul


Dr Paul Thomas
Associate Professor
Director of Centre for Research in Art, Science and Humanity
Curtin University of Technology
Founding Director Biennale of Electronic Arts Perth
Co-chair Media Art History Conference Re:live09

http://crash.curtin.edu.au
http://www.visiblespace.com
http://www.beap.org
http://mass.nomad.net.au
http://www.i-500.org
Mobile +61(0)431 06 44 22
Phone +61 8 9266 3561
Skype: visiblespace
[log in to unmask] 
 


On 2/11/09 6:46 PM, "Simon Biggs" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> This is an incredibly useful list and it is generous of you and Victoria to
> make it available.
>
> Although the theme this month is art-science I would prefer to broaden the
> scope immediately as other disciplines are also relevant. In particular,
> whilst the creative arts attempts to engage science gain a degree of
> attention, it is important to note other interdisciplinary combinations. My
> own interests range from the creative arts (visual art, dance, performance,
> creative writing, architecture), social sciences (ethnology, anthropology,
> linguistics, etc), cultural theory and humanities to the techno-sciences
> (computing, informatics, physics and chemistry).
>
> The agenda, I would argue, is interdisciplinary creative inquiry ­ asking
> what all these disciplines can do for one another, what might emerge (or has
> emerged) and what are the problems inherent in working across disciplines.
>
> Simon
>
>
> Simon Biggs
>
> Research Professor
> edinburgh college of art
> [log in to unmask]
> www.eca.ac.uk
>
> Creative Interdisciplinary Research into CoLlaborative Environments
> CIRCLE research group
> www.eca.ac.uk/circle/
>
> [log in to unmask]
> www.littlepig.org.uk
> AIM/Skype: simonbiggsuk
>
>
>
> From: roger malina <[log in to unmask]>
> Reply-To: roger malina <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 10:30:35 +0100
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [NEW-MEDIA-CURATING] Art-Science and Science-Art Curricula: Call
> for Contributions
>
> for the november topic Art, Science, and Methods
>
> you may be interested in this compilation of curricula
> of art science courses that are currently being taught
> in universities that victoria vesna and i are working on,
> hoping that this will lead to to a workshop or conference
> on the teaching of art-science and science-art
>
> Whereas there is a developing curriculum base in teaching
> new media that grew out of the computer art courses in the
> 1970s and 1980s, the art-science area is only just developing
> in universities through a few pioneering individuals= and there
> is nothing like a standard base curriculum. In many universities
> it is not possible to get course accreditation for art science
> classes as pointed out by pier-luigi capucci for italy
>
> I have asked the question whether there can be a standard
> curriculum or not= in fields ranging as far as art and medecine,
> art and meteorology, art and genetics, art and anthropology,
> art and astronomy etc
>
> I have been struck by the report on The Future of Learning
> Institutions in a Digital Age funded by Marcarthur Foundation
> and just published by MIT Press ( available for free on line
> at HASTAC)= it advocates ten principles or learning instutions
> in the digital age that are surely applicable to art-science
>
> here is the call for art science curricula
>
> roger
>
>>
>> Art-Science and Science-Art Curricula: Call for Contributions
>>
>>
> http://www.twine.com/twine/12hmrlnzz-260/art-science-and-science-art-curricu
> la
>>
>> Leonardo Education Forum co chair Victoria Vesna and
>> Leonardo Executive Editor Roger Malina are interested
>> in examples of courses and curricula that are in the
>> art-science field- such as courses on art and biology, art and
>> mathematics, art and chemistry, art and environmental
>> sciences etc.
>>
>> We are not collecting art and new media curricula, but the
>> broad range of arts ( all forms from performing ,
>> sound, visual etc) connecting to all sciences, hard and
>> social sciences. We are including art and new
>> technologies if they are not new media ( eg nano tech).
>>
>> People who have taught an art-science or science art class,
>> at university or secondary school level,
>> in formal or informal settings are invited to contact
>> roger malina, with details of their curriculum, at
>> rmalina---at----alum.mit.edu
>>
>
>
> Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number
> SC009201


Edinburgh College of Art (eca) is a charity registered in Scotland, number SC009201