 |
 |
Hi all, I responded to Will via the comments section of the BBC blog <http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/willgompertz/2010/02/40_wild_birds_play_a_gibson_le.html>, but thought I'd just re-post it here for you too. I think we should invite Will to a public debate about this issue. I'm genuinely curious to hear how he came to this view. I hope to see some of you at transmediale.10 in Berlin. http://www.transmediale.de Best, Honor ________________ Will wrote: "as far as I am aware, no contemporary artist has yet harnessed this extraordinary technology to make a significant artwork." "If you, like me, can't find any net-based art of note, why do you think that is? Why, when there's been such a boom in contemporary art around the world, has no artist made the medium of the web his or her canvas?" This is curious indeed coming from someone who so recently worked closely with Tate's Digital Programmes department, who commissioned the following net.art works: http://www.tate.org.uk/intermediaart/entry15266.shtm http://www.tate.org.uk/intermediaart/borderxing.shtm http://www.tate.org.uk/intermediaart/entry15381.shtm But perhaps the issue is not so much that Will is unaware of these works, for that seems almost beyond comprehension, but perhaps he feels that they lack any "significance"? Perhaps Will agrees with Ekow Eshun who stated when he closed the ICA's New Media Art department last year that the form lacked "depth and cultural urgency". http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2008/oct/23/ica-live-arts-closure I'd be interested to know whether Will agrees with this blanket declaration. Several people before me, including Sarah Cook, have cogently responded to Will's comments, so I will keep this brief for now, but I'm surprised that of the net specific artists that people have mentioned no one has mentioned the work of JODI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodi_(art_collective + http://jodi.org Alongside artists such as Heath Bunting, Olia Lialina, Rachel Baker, Vuk Cosic, JODI helped to establish a visual and conceptual language for net.art in the 1990s, which echoes the Dada-est strategies and aesthetics, which Will commented on in his article. Anyway, greetings from transmediale.10 in Berlin <http://www.transmediale.de>, where we are trying, hopefully not in vain, to gather together artists who are harnessing the extraordinary technology of the internet to create what we would consider to be artworks of significance and value. A couple of examples below. Best wishes, Honor Harger Guest Curator transmediale.10 Bicycle Built For Two Thousand Author: Aaron Koblin & Daniel Massey 2009 http://www.transmediale.de/en/bicycle-built-two-thousand Buscando al Sr. Goodbar Author: Michelle Teran 2009 http://www.transmediale.de/en/buscando-al-sr-goodbar -- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . honor harger present location: berlin .de email: [log in to unmask] phone: +49 1744500718 -> w e b bio: http://www.radioqualia.net/honor -> w o r k guest curator of transmediale.10: http://www.transmediale.de - > a r t r a d i o q u a l i a: http://www.radioqualia.net -> l i s t e n radio astronomy: http://www.radio-astronomy.net -> r e s e a r c h mphil at z-node, ch: http://www.z-node.net/