transmediale.02 - international media art festival berlin
5 - 10 February 2002

go public!


Conference & Panels


Thursday, 7.2., 16.00
Conference 1: Public Space Invaders

Public space is not a control-free gathering place for enlightened
citizens; rather it is a technically and highly media equipped system
combining visibility, vigilance and control. Publicity today is rather
something which takes place in the pseudo- private spaces of the television
than in urban spaces. In digital space, the border between private and
public data, between communication and information is disappearing. And
yet, we are not only the slaves of mobile communications services, of
biometric systems and public displays. Resourceful artists and media
activists are appropriating the necessary technologies, and creating
creative and critical media for digital publicity.
With:
Konrad Becker (at), director of Public Netbase Vienna, on the research and
information project World-Information.Org; Matthew Fuller (uk), media
theorist from London, on tactical media and 'TextFM', a project developed
together with G. Harwood which combines private SMS with radio; Tim
Pritlove (de) of Berlin's Chaos Computer Club on the spectacular
Blinkenlights installation at the Haus des Lehrers on Alexanderplatz; Andy
Bichlbaum of TheYesMen (int), a group of activists who say an irritatingly
loud yes! to globalisation. Additionally we show a video by the
Surveillance Camera Players (us), who play theatre in front of surveillance
cameras, and a commercial break by ubermorgen.com.


Thursday, 7.2., 20.30
Conference 2: Global Public

Global Public: The New World Order of Broadcasting

Globalisation is not merely an economic and political phenomenon, it is
also taking place to a substantial degree in the media, which increasingly
enables a connected audience worldwide to take part live in global events.
The conditions for global media reportage have changed fundamentally over
the past years. The co-existence of satellite, internet, and terrestrial
broadcasting channels has led to the disappearance of the boundaries
between global concerns such as CNN, regional stations such as the Arabic
Al Jazeera, or the media activist network Indymedia. Representatives of
such networks discuss the 'new world order' of broadcasting. (Participants
to be confirmed)


Friday, 8.2., 16.00
Conference 3: Images in Process

Images in Process

Media images in the digital era are no longer static representations of
reality; rather they are temporary constructions based on software and
codes. Images are mixed, sampled, and interpreted technically. The
significance of these images is dependent on the technical and cultural
conditions under which they can be received, reproduced, and manipulated.
The truth and the authenticity of images, which with photography had still
been tied to the immediacy of the moment, can, in the digital flood of
images, only be depicted as a tendency, as a pattern, as a possibility,
which can be eradicated again at any moment by a more recent overwriting.
Those who wish to report and publicise events have to learn to move with
the image process. History is an interactive account of events; every image
within it is a passing approximation.
With:
Edmond Couchot (fr), Prof. emeritus at University of Paris 8, on generative
image processes and the 'second interactivity'; Michael Punt (uk) of
University of Wales College Newport, on the aesthetics of the 'post-digital
analogue'; Peter Lynch (ca), film maker, on digital film production and the
totally media-driven perception of 'Cyberman' Steve Mann.
Moderation: Thomas Y. Levin (us) Professor in Film Studies at Princeton
University


Friday, 8.2., 20.30
Conference 4: Software Speculations

Software Speculations

The growing social significance of computer software is indisputable.
Countless processes within the Information Society are being shaped by
software, and from Apple Macintosh, to Napster, free software and 'open
source', it is clear that software is not a value-free instrument, but
represents in each case a wilful cultural artefact. Artists and cultural
scientists are therefore increasingly reflecting upon the political,
ideological, ethical and aesthetic dimensions of software and software
design. The transmediale competition for 'software art' pays tribute to
this development.
At the beginning of the programme, the projects nominated for the
transmediale 'software award' will be presented by the artists:
Daniel Hahn/Dietmar Schifferbauer (de), Joan Leandre (es), Local Area
Network (ch), Alex McLean (uk)
With:
Manfred Fassler (de), cultural and media anthropologist at the University
of Frankfurt, about the constitution of social spaces through software;
Matthew Fuller (uk), media theorist, about speculative software and the
research project 'Software=Culture'; Margarete Jahrmann (at), artist and
media theorist who teaches at art academies in Linz, Wien and Zuerich,
about software as a generative art-machine.
Moderation: Florian Cramer (de), lecturer in Comparative Literature, FU Berlin


Wednesday, 6.2., 20.30
Panel: Concepts of Interactive Art

Concepts of Interactive Art

The artists in the exhibition present their different concepts and areas of
expertise: the works shown are based on artificial intelligence,
biofeedback, voice recognition or deliberate, physical navigation. Under
discussion are the artistic chances and risks of interactive projects, as
well as the rules under which interface design functions. Particular
attention has been paid to the unusual conditions and demands placed on the
visitor's reception of the work, in order to develop a clearer definition
of the term "interaction".
Presentations by: Peter Frucht (hu/de), robotlab (de), Jonah Brucker-Cohen
(us) Panel: Luc Courchesne (ca), Seiko Mikami (jp) Masaki Fujihata (jp),
Kenneth Rinaldo (us)


Thursday, 7.2., 14.00
Panel: SMS Encounters
(in German)

"SMS Encounters: The intensification of the public sphere?"

SMS-fever - not only means E-speed lyrics between two people. Novels and
sports news are also obtainable with an SMS subscription. The Afghanistan
war has also meant that troops are dealt with via SMS. Culture and media
producers are experimenting with the private medium in order to make use of
the mobile telephone as enter key for new forms of public broadcasts. For
some time now, a semipublic communications network is taking on vague
contours. TV and radio are also being short-circuited through the private
remote control. Do infringements between the private and the public sphere
take place when a private mobile medium is shortcircuited with immobile
public media? The panel SMS encounters intends to shed light on the
production environment of (intermedial) SMS-applications, and clarify their
definition of the public.
With:
Olaf Arndt, Kuenstler, www.bbm-ww.de; Alexandra Bohn, Autorin, u.a.
www.spex.de; Klaas Glenewinkel, Medienproduzent, www.okb.de; Christoph
Maire, CEO, www.gate5.de; Nils Roeller, Medientheoretiker, www.khm.de;
Matze Schmidt, Medienaktivist www.n0name.de.
A cooperation between Berliner Gazette + Media Arts Lab/ Kuenstlerhaus
Bethanien
www.berlinergazette.de
www.bethanien.de/mal


Saturday, 9.2., 12.00
Panel: Young Russian Media Art

Young Russian Media Art

In spite of all the changes and new orientations in Russia's intellectual
landscape they do not forget their post-soviet "rituals of understanding"
and are developing ways of describing new spiritual processes with euphoric
composure and ironic self-exaggeration. Young media artists from Moscow and
St.Petersburg present their work.
With:
Eldar Karhalev, developed the Wap-Portal WAPICONA; Sergei Teterin,
describes a heavenly Nirvana in 'All Media Artists Go To Heaven', where
media artists enter after their death, to work with the internet, pagers,
and mobile phones; Ivan Khimin, studied art history and media art at Pro
Arte Institute in St. Petersburg; Anna Kolossava, plays with virtual and
physical spaces; Yuri Popov, works with the artistic possibilities of the
Flash format.
Moderation: Alexei Shulgin


Samstag/Saturday, 9.2., 12.00
Panel: Digital Cultural Heritage
(in German)

Digital Cultural Heritage

Art and culture live by their confrontation with tradition. The
digitalisation of large areas of our cultural production means that our
society faces the challenge of preserving this most recent inheritance for
us, and for posterity. What will happen when in a few decades the necessary
combinations of hardware, operating systems and software no longer
function? The answers to these questions are not only of great importance
to art historians, but are of interest to the whole of society. From the
annual balance sheet to the computer game; is there any information left
that is non-digital in nature - and are we facing the great post-digital
age of forgetting?
With:
Konrad Becker, Public Netbase Wien, www.world-information.org
Rudolf Frieling, ZKM Karlsruhe, www.zkm.de
Oliver Grau, Humboldt Universitaet Berlin,
www.arthist.hu-berlin.de/arthistd/mitarbli/og/og.html
Hans Dieter Huber, Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste Stuttgart,
www.art.net.dortmund.de/ger/ per/hu_4fr.html
Andreas Lange, DiGA - The Digital Game Archive Berlin,
www.computerspielemuseum.de


Sunday, 10.2., 14.00
Panel: Paper.Hype

Paper.Hype

Under the title 'Paper Hype' the transmediale.02 is for the first time
organising a meeting of editors of a number of different European magazines
dealing with digital culture. Representatives from England, France,
Austria, Germany and Italy will introduce their print media and will
discuss the conditions for publishing in the internet era. What does it
mean to produce a magazine, a paper publication about digital culture in an
era of apparently total digitalisation? Mute calls it: Proud to be Flesh!
With:
Jan Rigos Hillmann, DE:BUG, Berlin, zeitung fuer elektronische
lebensaspekte, www.de-bug.de
Christian Hoeller, springerin - Hefte fuer Gegenwartskunst, www.springerin.at
Fran Ilich, undo, Mexiko, www.cmca.gob.mx/undo
Armelle Leturque, CRASH, Paris, www.crash.fr
Alessandro Ludovico, NEURAL, Bari, www.neural.it
Pauline van Mourik Broekman, MUTE, London, www.metamute.com



Sunday, 10.2., 12.00
Panel: Public Vote/Public Bet > K 1

Stuart Rosenberg: Public Vote/Public Bet

The project Public Vote/Public Bet was developed by Stuart Rosenberg
specially for transmediale. 02. Instead of leaving the decision about the
award winners to the expert jury, festival visitors can vote on the best
projects and choose their own Public Vote Award in the three award
categories. A second 'go public!' is added to this first one: in the
'Public Bet' betting booth the festival visitors can place bets on the
winners of the Public Vote Award. If you guess correctly, you win the
jackpot! On the day after the prize ceremony, Rosenberg presents the
project and discusses the implications of different types of open, public
and democratic decision making processes.



info: www.transmediale.de [full programme online 15 january]


********************************
DR. OLIVER GRAU
Kunsthistorisches Seminar
Humboldt University Berlin
Dorotheenstr. 28; 10117 Berlin
fon: +49 (0)30 2093-4295 (direct) - 4288 (secr.)
Fax: +49 (0)30 2093-4209
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www.arthist.hu-berlin.de/arthistd/mitarbli/og/og.html
www.diejungeakademie.de
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