I am really pleased to take up the Artengine and Apt 613 Critical Blogging Residency. You can find their announcement here: http://artengine.ca/news/2012/megan-smith-en.php
… I’ll be heading to ELEKTRA/ International Digital Arts Biennale at the end of the week to absorb and critique the content of that event. My reflections will be available shortly thereafter.
Big thanks to Artengine + Apt 613 for hosting such a great residency!
Digital domain/ refers within to socially networked space enabled by digital technologies. I associate the term specifically to operating within a technology enhanced learning environment where the defined perimeter of space that physically exists between the gaze of the eye and the application of touch to a networked device actually extends a person in non-linear patterns and trajectories to locations and people around the world. Operating with the digital domain encompasses the experience of taking part in the digital enabled socially networked world.
Placemaking/ is a term borrowed from the research area of Urban Planning & Architecture. Within the digital domain, the act of placemaking refers to carving out individual space and identity. It is about the maker deliberately accessing information then taking a perceptive stance within that data route which results in a demarcation or a personalization of the space. An example used within this document is the activity of geo-locating within the digital domain, where the maker tags through process an identifiable niche across networked platforms that also tie him/her to a physical location. This fusion of actions creates a locality and a new identity that describe the social context of the situation; the culture of the digital domain, which operates in a public and social manner.
Culturescape/ is the story of a place developed through a networked combination of factors, those involving location/region, cultural situation and participant behaviour – and pertaining primarily to a globalized and cosmopolitan culture that is participating in dialogue online.
Socially useful/ is used to reference methods of practice and new media art works that are actively engaging society through participation in positive, constructive and collaborative ways.
Hacking/ is a creative method of practice used to upturn the pattern of giving and receiving data. It is an adopted attitude and is associated with a set of values that often involve mutual collaboration.
Whereas a mash-up refers technically to the blending of tools, visuals, sounds, etc. into a collaged product, that may not be able to be categorically labeled within current Contemporary Art language or medium.
Visualization/ is a visual articulation and/or creative chronicling of an aggregated situation. Within this research I have looked predominantly at new media artists using this process to curate syndicated data from the internet into a new method of storytelling. The works are often experienced by the audience dynamically via a screen and occasionally the visualizations are rendered into digital print format. Visualizations made by artists with a hacker’s ethos are imaginatively repurposing common social tools and public content to draw attention to the new culturescape.
http://megansmith.ca/phd-research-leeds-metropolitan-university/
Politics, whether personal or of national importance, are rarely delivered nor received without at least a hint of emotion. With the heavy incorporation of social media in the last U.S. presidential election waves of euphoria and disgrace rippled across the networked globe. While voters have been able to engage with party leaders through traditional text communication systems (i.e. letters, press articles, surveys) in the past, these methods ultimately stalled the response from the receiver while documents were in transit and then placed in priority piles before the reading of them could commence. Social media has shifted this processing order by enabling immediate access to the
source, be this through an open twitter session with the campaigner and the public, a poignant story articulated by a video that has gone viral which in turn forces campaigners to watch and address the cause, or the use of Facebook to rally people online and in person to force a discussion on a topic of mass opinion. This leveling of power in terms of vocal articulation combined with new and accessible socially networked tools enables each individual to express themselves in the manner that suits them best. The result is a more creative tackle.
Emotional topics, such as radio Dj’ Rush Limbaugh’s recent derogatory comments made about a woman campaigning to the U.S. Congress for the need of health insurance to cover the cost of contraceptive medication sparked debate across the nation and globally, leading to a public scolding of Limbaugh, and a huge debate on women’s rights. Topics discussed not only addressed assistance with birth-control, but also delved into religion and the woman’s right to become a university/college educated member of society. Moving beyond textual critique, social media enables artists like the Reformed Whores to voice their objections to Limbaugh’s comments through humour and song while building their audience and encouraging people to re-look at the social prejudices that still exist in Western society against women.
Running, almost simultaneously to the Limbaugh public outburst was/is the ‘Kony 2012′ or ‘#StopKony’ campaign by Invisible Children that has emotionally gripped millions of people and encouraged them to become educated about Uganda’s history, and to participate in and acknowledge the importance of public action against repression. While this project has received extensive criticism there is no question that in a ‘connected world’ we can no longer ignore problems that arise beyond a political border.
Artist Javier Téllez, amidst a larger project, organized for the human cannonballist David Smith to be shot across the U.S. – Mexico border between Tijuana and San Diego, essentially making light of the actual border and instead placed the line into the realm of human concept, reducing the physical barrier to a mere mindset.
Javier Téllez (2005) One Flew Over the Void (Bala perdida) Photo: Alfredo De Stefano
Social media also has altered the way politicians run their campaigns and it has influenced the development of their political profile. After the emotional blow of 9-11, President Bush’s office addressed the public with several absolute statements. This method is increasingly impossible for President Obama. He must discuss more than one point of view within his public addresses in order to demonstrate that his government understands that voters may feel differently to him and have diverse beliefs. Addressing issues from several angles strengthens government support; as the U.S. could not
possibly have a unilateral opinion on any given topic as its citizens are empowered by their right to free-speech, to celebrate their ethnicities, their religions and their languages.
Artists play a large part in drawing attention to controversial issues, but on a whole society is becoming both more vocal and more creative in their attempt to broadcast their opinions. Importantly, social media allows citizens to speak collectively and to raise emotional issues while ensuring that they are discussed. As debates become increasingly accessible to everyone, and the voices of citizens are propelled into the limelight, individuals become the driving force of a more democratic electoral system. By becoming a society of visual communicators global perceptions of regimes, awareness campaigns, biases, and even borders can be re-examined and importantly cross-examined by the public, forcing a more transparent and humanist approach to living.
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These are some initial thoughts as I start to think about developing a body of work in response to the social and emotional outbursts that take main stage across social media in the lead up to the U.S. election. These topics have the potential to become driving forces within the election and may influence the outcome.
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Furthermore – Ottawa’s inaugural Nuit Blanche call for projects is due on April 15th. We are looking for ideas that develop our theme of ‘Life is Beautiful/La vie est belle’- we want the creative community to become extroverted – to show off their political stance – to shake our city up – to expose our human nature and to celebrated.
http://www.nuitblancheottawa.ca
Links/
http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/30/president-barackobama-to-hold-first-townhall-on-twitter-next-week/
http://www.facebook.com/BreastCancerAwareness
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/mar/10/america-war-on-sex-hots-up?CMP=twt_gu
http://www.reformedwhores.com/
http://www.youtube.com/embed/fZK75pXLlbY
http://whitney.org/www/2008biennial/www/?section=artists&page=artist_tellez
http://www.invisiblechildren.com/
http://www.onedaysculpture.org.nz/assets/images/artist_images/Javier-Tellez.jpg
I’m really pleased to be managing the Open Call for Ottawa’s inaugural Nuit Blanche-22/09/12. The guidelines and application forms for artists, as well as contact information for getting involved as a volunteer can be found on the website/ http://www.nuitblancheottawa.ca/
Our facebook page is here/ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nuit-Blanche-Ottawa-2012/276477209048098
Artist Information Session / 27 March 2012 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Club Saw, 67 rue Nicholas Street, Ottawa, ON, K1N 7B9
RSVP/ art@nuitblancheottawa.ca
The deadline for application/ 2 April 2012
Theme/ Life is Beautiful-La vie est belle
An ode to life, the first edition of Nuit Blanche Ottawa will present a spectacular array of visual, media and performance art from the National Capital region and around the world, paying homage to the incredible creative human spirit. In the darkest of times, artists have been able to shine light where there was none; capable of reimagining the world as a perfect place where peace, love and equality reigns for all. An exhibition like no other, incorporating performances, new media, street art, video installations, and interdisciplinary art, Nuit Blanche Ottawa will be a passionate manifestation of our collective hopes and dreams.
Life is Beautiful will bring together diverse artists who will interpret in their own unique way the beauty and dignity of human life. Can artists positively influence how we perceive the world, and each other? Can art propogate better understanding, change and progress?
For this first edition of Nuit Blanche Ottawa, we call upon artists to submit projects that encourage community development, interaction, collaboration, celebration and commemoration. Works can be political or personal, grandiose or intimate, educational or playful – all we require is that projects be positive, hopeful and life-affirming. As thousands upon thousands of visitors converge in Ottawa’s growing cultural districts for an all-nighter of art and exchange, let us take this opportunity to celebrate the transformative power of art and the creative human spirit that binds us all.
It will be great to be back in Leeds for a quick visit and while I’m there I’m excited to be involved in the 10th Leeds Girl Geek evening! I hope to see several familiar faces there.
the evening’s guest speakers are…
megan l. smith // @cawsand is a new media artist, with a PhD in Contemporary Art & Graphic Design from Leeds Metropolitan University. Her projects probe new systems for delivering syndicated data through narrative structure and she often works with Arduino, geo-location, digital print, video, installation, and community projects as methods for storytelling.
Her work has been shown at ‘Unleashed Devices‘, Watermans Art Centre, London, ‘Twitter/Art+Social Media’, Diane Farris Gallery, Vancouver, and the Leeds pavilion at the ‘Amsterdam Biennale’, 2009.
leann erickson // Director and Producer of Top Secret Rosies, LeAnn Erickson is an Associate Professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and has been an independent filmmaker for over 20 years.
Her work has appeared on television, in galleries, and has won international recognition in video/film festivals.
She is a recipient of regional and national production grants for her work from such funding sources as the National Endowment for the Arts, the Jerome Foundation and the Leeway Foundation.
6pm – Registration, refreshments
7pm – Megan Smith
8pm – Screening of Top Secret Rosies, the true story of WW2′s “female” computers
9pm – Skype Q&A with director LeAnn Erickson
9:30pm – Close
DEFUNCT aims to creatively uncover and re-tell stories about decommissioned, or abandoned bases, in Canada using as narrators inhabitants who lived at these locations. It aims to bring to the public realm aspects of Canadian history. A particular emphasis will be given to the collection of stories, views and experiences of immigrants who came to Canada after World War II and undertook a military career.
First-hand stories from people who lived and worked on the bases are sought. The project is currently collecting stories about CFB Cornwallis, in Nova Scotia. Some of the people who lived on these bases are veterans of World War 11, and hence the current priority of the project is to collect as many of these narratives as possible, as this target group is an ageing population. The project is also seeking stories from civilian family members who lived on the bases.
The project will collect oral histories in the form of video and audio recordings that will be broadcast online and at festivals nationally and internationally. The video will combine footage of the bases, in the defunct state that they exist in today, with imagery from archived film footage and photographic stills, obtained from personal collections. Importantly, this project should also be understood as a means of building an accessible digital archive of stories that are tied to people, locations and moments in Canadian history.
The public dissemination of the online content will be gradual throughout the production phase and a video will be released in the lead up to November 11th 2012.
List of Defunct Bases/
CFB Calgary, Alberta
CFB Centralia, Ontario
CFB Chatham, New Brunswick
CFB Chilliwack, British Columbia
CFB Clinton, Ontario
CFB Cornwallis, Nova Scotia
CFB Gimli, Manitoba
CFB London, Ontario
CFB Moncton, New Brunswick,
CFB Penhold, Alberta
CFB Picton, Ontario
CFB Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
CFB Rivers, Manitoba
CFB Rockcliffe, Ontario
CFB St. Jean, Quebec
CFB Summerside, PEI
CFB Toronto, Ontario
CFB Uplands, Ontario
CFB Winnipeg, Manitoba
MEGANSMITH.ca delicious.com/cawsand
7th Berlin Biennale/ Art Wiki Project
Launching with the beginning of the 7th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art the Art Wiki is hosting 1800+ artist profiles. I am pleased to count myself among the first participants in this growing project. My profile is here: http://artwiki.org/Megan_Smith
“ArtWiki.org started with the 7th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art as an open platform for artists to share artist biographies as a free and open historiography for contemporary art.”
ArtWiki.org, project introduction by Pit Schultz, 7th Berlin Biennale
artwiki.org, project introduction by Pit Schultz, 7th Berlin Biennale from dmovies.net on Vimeo.
http://vimeo.com/37666499
http://artwiki.org/ArtWiki
http://www.berlinbiennale.de/blog/en/7th-biennale/projects
Twitter/ https://twitter.com/#!/ArtWiki