bitforms gallery

In Addie Wagenknecht’s series of Youtube "Beauty Hacks" she teaches methods of cybersecurity, in the guise of hair and makeup lessons. Through humor, she subverts the make-up tutorial, repurposing it to dismantle the patriarchal and alienating status quo in information security. This work was commissioned by The Art Gallery at NYU Abu Dhabi, for the exhibition "not in, of, along, or relating to a line."

As we move (even more) online, Radical Software is a jolt for the cyber-soul, a panacea for the Zoom-fatigued. At its best, it feels like what the internet should be: overflowing and alive, anonymous and free.

Panelists: Christiane Paul, Anna Frants, Lev Manovich, Anne Spalter Moderator: Natalia Kolodzei Digital, computer, internet, software, and multimedia art forms — from CD-ROM-based multimedia projects to net.art — have been created for many years and have entered the mainstream art world. Milestone exhibitions such as the Whitney Biennial included digital works as early as 2000 and Whitney Museum's artport was launched in 2001. University art departments around the world are formalizing digital media programs; textbooks on digital art have been published; conferences around art and technology are thriving; and gradually museums and private collectors are beginning to accession works in digital media into their art collections.

In this episode of Art21's exploration of borderlands, Lozano-Hemmer highlights the intimate, personal relations in a public space that is otherwise systematically dehumanizing. The artist explains, “The most important role that art can play is that of making complexity visible. The usage of technology is inevitable; it’s up to the artist to use those technologies to create experiences that are intimate, connected, and critical.”

Curator Lucia Pietroiusti asks: What role do artists play when it comes to climate change? Can art change the way we see the world and help us to attune ourselves to non human-centred points of view? We meet artists Olafur Eliasson and Marina Zurkow who are working to help heal the disconnect, developing democratic and expressive tools for storytelling and dialogue that encourage everyday activism. Can changing the way we communicate around climate change help us find solutions for the trouble ahead?

In times of crisis, artists are often among those most affected. In addition to health concerns, this is a challenging moment for many in the community as we deal with cancelled income and trying to make plans during uncertain times. Creative Capital has always been anchored by a rich spirit of community and mutual generosity, and believe that continuing communication and exchange are crucial for all of us. As COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States, Creative Capital has created a list of resources for artists working in all disciplines, as well as arts philanthropists, and arts professionals.

Jason Bailey writes, “Like it or not, we are all computer nerds now. All aspects of our lives are driven by computation and algorithms: how we learn, work, play, even date. Given this situation, one could argue that generative art—work created at least in part with autonomous, automated systems—is the art that best reflects our time.”

Samsung Electronics announced the launch of an open call competition in collaboration with Niio, a premium platform for new media art. Now open for entries from nascent, emerging and established artists, the Samsung The Wall x Niio Art Awards aims to discover the most inspiring digital art from around the world. Entrants will compete for a chance to be exhibited internationally on Samsung’s The Wall, the highest quality, large form factor 4K Micro LED digital art canvas, and qualify for up to $15,000 in cash prizes. The competition will culminate in summer exhibitions at ten international showcase locations.

ART WITH A PLUG, Introduction to Electricity and Electronics will take place May 28 – 31, 2020. This four-day course will provide an introduction to electricity and electronics in the context of modern and contemporary art. Topics will include: basic principles of electricity, power supplies, soldering, circuits, circuit schematics, and components such as resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, and motors. Also included will be an introduction to programming microcontrollers and the operation of electronic test equipment, such as digital multimeters, oscilloscopes, and sensors.

Commiserate Chicago is an inaugural new media arts festival seeking to reflect on the state of media art, particularly in the context of Chicago, a city with a legacy of new media art and an emerging generation of artists. Local and international artists are invited to exhibit work and share their process through talks and workshops.

Deadline for submissions: Friday December 20, 11:59pm Event Date: Saturday February 8, 2020. 10am – 5pm Processing Community Day is a non-profit, community conference, consisting of activists, artists, designers, teachers, programmers and students.

The weekly CAA Conversations Podcast continues the vibrant discussions initiated at our Annual Conference. Listen in each week as educators explore arts and pedagogy, tackling everything from the day-to-day grind to the big, universal questions of the field.

Alina Cohen describes a video art renaissance derived from an ever-growing range of exhibition methods, improvements in technology, wider institutional acceptance, and artists’ growing ambitions.

From data sharing to hyperreality, Refik Anadadol’s new installation at Light Art Space explores how our world will transform as humans and computers come closer together. Words by Alice Bucknell.

Aleksandra is a creative services consultant, currently advising software companies within the art industry. In this article, together with prominent digital artists and experts, they explore art market perceptions towards AI art.

Squeaky Wheel’s Workspace Residency is a project-based residency for artists and researchers working in media arts. Offered twice per year, the residency is open to applicants from Buffalo and across the United States who are seeking resources, time, and studio space to support ongoing projects or the creation of new work.

Cooper Hewitt’s new show, featuring R. Luke DuBois, drills down into the inherent biases lurking within computer intelligence systems.

“In the art market, almost everything sold is an object such as a drawing, a painting, a sculpture, an installation, or a photograph, but there are some exceptions. These deviations may include a contract, a set of instructions, a digital video file, or a software file. These are all examples of art as information rather than material.“

The Politics of Images in Machine Learning Training Sets

Why are exhibits that seem so ephemeral and abstract so important today?

Claudia Hart is a pioneer of media art, one of the very few that worked at the onset of merging art and simulation technologies in the 1990s. Starting with early 3D virtual imaging then-used in the military only, she subsequently experimented with upcoming techniques such as AR and VR in an all-embracing capacity. But is being technologically vanguard enough for artists to gain credibility? Is it just about mastering new tools? These questions ask to ponder the blurring of roles between a creative and an engineer or IT specialist.

What happens when changing technologies render once-avant-garde works of art outdated? See how a growing group of conservators is trying to keep art alive.

“The aim of this contribution is to contest itself — or, rather, its title. It is to demonstrate that, at the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century, we have reached an evolutionary phase in the so-called digital arts in which there is no longer any point hypothesizing about whether it is necessary to develop specific exhibition strategies that may facilitate public presentation in the display spaces of contemporary art of works that make use of digital media in their production or distribution, and/or make reference to the themes, aesthetics, and procedures that have emerged alongside digital media.”

Watch interviews with leading thinkers—curators, writers, and conservators—who offer unique insight into the rewards and challenges of their work.

The 2019 Art+Tech Summit will explore the ways in which artificial intelligence is making its impact in the art world, as well as addressing its potential implications for the future.

Eyebeam’s 2020 Residency Open Call asks applicants to consider refusal as it relates to technology and its impact on society.