British New Media Art: Conference and Book
Saturday April 3, 2004, 10.00- 17.30
British New Media Art
At Tate Britain, Clore Auditorium
Millbank, London SW1P 4RG
New Media Art: Practice and Content
in the UK 1994-2004
April 2004
Co-published by Arts Council England
and Cornerhouse Publications
ISBN 0 948797 88 6
In the past 10 years, Britain has fostered a unique set of practices in the field of new media. This conference will look at these diverse characteristics and preoccupations. From the net to CD-Roms to mobile technology, British artists have found innovative, provocative and cutting-edge ways to explore themes of popular culture, conceptualism, social interventions, identity formations and networks and modes of distribution.
This one-day event will present some of those practices and explores how to critically engage with new media art. What are the contexts and structures informing curatorial decisions, public reception and artistic practice? Finally it will consider its own history and use the past to inform the present.
Speakers and participants include Steve Dietz (keynote), Saul Albert, Geoffrey Batchen, Sarah Cook, Nick Crowe, Steve Dietz, Desperate Optimists, Matt Fuller, Charlie Gere, Shilpa Gupta, Lucy Kimbell, Julian Stallabrass, Thomson & Craighead and Carey Young.
This conference, initiated by the Arts Council England in association with Tate Britain and Film and Video Umbrella, coincides with the launch of New Media Art: practice and context 1994 – 2004, an ACE/Cornerhouse Publications publication (available c/o Cornerhouse Publications www.cornerhouse.org/publications and at the conference.)
New Media Art: Practice and Content in the UK 1994-2004
Part theoretical/historical reader, part showcase of new and recent artists’ projects funded by Arts Council England, this book provides a context for new media arts practice in the UK from 1994 to the present day. A series of snapshots of this most exciting and contemporary of artistic forms, the book combines newly commissioned essays and discussions with illustrated project descriptions to offer an overview of key developments in new media arts, drawing on the experience of practitioners, producers, curators, writers and critics from the UK and abroad.
Geoffrey Batchen and Charlie Gere chart the early history of new media Steve Dietz defines the elusive qualities of net.art Matt Locke considers the cultural importance of text messaging Sadie Plant writes on gaming and play Nico Macdonald explains the origins and features of current information technologies Peter Suchin looks at the appropriation of conceptual art Sarah Cook and Beryl Graham highlight new curatorial challenges Erik Kluitenberg discusses developing notions of online community Heath Bunting and Rachel Baker provide practitioners’ first-hand accounts John Ippoliti, Lawrence Lessig and Jon Naughton wrangle with the complexities and politics of intellectual property.
Complex, fast-moving and constantly evolving, new media work by artists can often be difficult to grasp – for general and artworld audiences alike. Echoing its longstanding institutional support for and recognition of this diverse area of new media practice this Arts Council England publication is the perfect introduction to this extraordinarily creative and innovative field.
For more information: www.tate.org.uk/britain/eventseducation/artnewmedia
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