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Dearest crumb-ers, a note of clarification:

[note to Frederic/Chris: this list is not a new media art list, it is a
new media curating list (and I know, you can't curate without art, but
we don't curate on this list)...]

I asked the artists Jodi if they would be so kind as to contribute to a
discussion on the crumb list regarding an artist's perspective on being
curated. My request to them was as a result of some comments they had
made during the weekend in Amsterdam around the net art / art criticism
panel organised by Josephine Bosma, and in light of their recent gallery
show in Glasgow. When Jodi responded to my invitation with list-serv net
art rather than with discussion, list co-moderator Beryl Graham and I
unsubscribed them so as not to bring down the whole list and cause you,
our quiet readers who came here to read and learn and contribute, to
unsubscribe.  That is the result of the e-mail correspondence you have
all now read, in forwards from Frederic Madre. Self-promotion by artists
is not allowed on our list and that is a rule stated when one subscribes
and is a simple rule we try to adhere to. Both Beryl and I have e-mailed
jodi and asked if they would like to contribute to the discussions, we
have not had a reply as yet. I hope that our other invited respondents
for february (Josephine Bosma, Frederic Madre, Tilman Baumgartel...)
will continue to post their thoughts about art criticism and curating.
(FYI, I am copying for you below the correspondence regarding Chris
Byrne's reference to the Spectre list.)

I am glad to see that the crumb list continues to be a useful forum for
the discussion of issues regarding the commissioning, presentation and
exhibition of new media / networked art. I especially appreciate list
members initiating their own topics ... and generally have no problem
even when they diverge from the main topic of the day-to-day practice of
curating (as is often the case when we begin to discuss definitions of
web/net art, etc. Afterall, if you can't define the practice how are you
going to curate it?) The list is a year old this month, and the number
of subscribers continues to grow each day. Again, I invite you all to
make this your space to talk about the questions you have as
professionals in the field - Beryl and I welcome suggestions for monthly
topics and for invited respondents - we'd love to extend the trail of
crumbs left for others to follow.

Perhaps this experience of inviting an artist, being given something
other than what was expected, and having to adjust tactics in order to
maintain the structure is itself something worth discussing. It strikes
me that this is in fact a regular experience for curators organising
exhibitions where new work is being commissioned. Do other curators feel
a similar frustration and anxiety simply because of the technology
involved? As Josephine has hinted, there is a question of
"responsibility" here which perhaps differs from a more traditional
curatorial practice (how?).

Josephine wrote: "... we have moved from artist-led activity, and
artists as curators in the developmental stage to a relatively
professionalised infrastructure emerging now, where museums and
institutions feel more confident about getting to grips with the
technologies and artistic concerns in the field (....) the art world is
now equivalent to artist led initiatives in other media."

Discuss?

thanks
Sarah



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on Spectre
Andreas Broekman writes:

dear jodis,

we have unsubscribed you for now; it has always been made very clear that
spectre is *not* a performance space for artists - that's what brought the
syndicate down.

if you want to post stuff like this to spectre occasionally, please, talk
to us. mez does, and there is no problem with the occasional poem from her.
we abandoned syndicate because there was too much of what you now seem to
be starting here on spectre.

again, both inke and i are happy to talk about this with you. so far, you
have not responded to any of our messages.

you are welcome to read the list in the archive, you can even post and inke
and i will approve what we think is appropriate on the spectre list.

with best regards,
-a

NETIQUETTE ON SPECTRE:
- no HTML, no attachments, messages < 40K
- meaningful discussions require mutual respect
- self-advertise with care!

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