Posts for September 2009.
Door kunstvlo op
September 29, 2009 12:47.
12 comments
To know where we are heading, we have to know where we come from. In other words: we have to make an inventory of projects done in the past, inspiring artists and leading institutions.
During my humble expedition into the world of new media arts, I quickly came across the Dia Art Foundation and its Artist’s Web Projects.
In a very comprehensive way Dia supports extraordinary artists’projects that might not otherwise be supported by more conventional institutions (as they say it) by giving them an online forum.
Because they have consistently been doing this since 1995, the Artist’s Web Projects has grown into a database of reference.
The overall view is very clear due to the fact the contents are highly curated. This way of working also has a down-side: Artist’s Web Projects is very canonical and hardly leaves any room for beginning, experimenting artists.
Still, it is a great example and obligatory knowledge for everyone dealing with new media art!
tagged: the guide, dia art, new york, canon, highly curated
Door kunstvlo op
September 14, 2009 15:02.
53 comments
Two weeks ago I had a meeting in Amsterdam and being in this wonderful city I made use of the situation to visit some museums. Impossible to go by one of my old time favorites, Foam.
The photography museum had several interesting exhibitions scheduled. Massimo Vitali’s ‘holiday’ pictures caught my eye because of their beauty on the one hand and their sense of awkwardness on the other. I was also very impressed by the work of young talent Kim Boske: she really swept me of my feet with her ‘tree-photographs’. Or how a simple idea can have so much meaning…
Maybe it is a bit exaggerated but I have the bad habit to visit exhibitions either on their opening or their closing day (or there about). When I am able to grasp expositions that are this wonderful, I feel extremely lucky to have made it just in time. ‘Spreading the word’ is rather useless though since people won’t be able to visit after me. This is especially annoying when you want to recommend an exhibition like Avenue Patrice Lumumba by South African photographer Guy Tillim (also in Foam). Pictures of everyday life in several African countries after periods of prosperity. The sense of passed splendour, of people trying to hold on to a life they once knew… This really is an exhibition that is worth seeing.
And what a pleasant surprise it is when luck is on your side and you find out that this particular exposition is travelling and is even landing in your hometown! Like mine! Please go to Extra City, one of Antwerp’s greatest Kunsthalle at this very moment and live Tillim’s photographs. It is really worth the trip.
tagged: the artist, foam, , amsterdam, antwerp, guy tillim, patrice lumumba
Door kunstvlo op
September 11, 2009 09:39.
20 comments
It is commonplace to state we are living in a visual world. We’re surrounded by images but we should ask ourselves to which degree we really understand them. For seeing them doesn’t mean we are able to read them as well. What’s an image trying to tell us? What’s the (underlying) message? The medium that illustrates this perfectly is photography.
Although we have the illusion that a snapshot helps us to grasp a moment in time, reality most of the time gets completely distorted through the photographer’s lens. Photo-technology really makes fun of us here. What do we see? Pictures full of beautiful colors, touching sceneries and nice people. But why is it often so different in our recollection? Our past in pictures is usually a lot more vived and spectacular than we have experienced it in real life.
A great example in this respect is the work of photographer William Egglestone. Egglestone is known for the photographs he took in the 1960s and 1970s and for his use of bright colours. Consequently, his pictures of American daily life often emanate a kind of nostalgic sweet atmosphere but this is deceiving. When you try to look further his works very quickly lose their idyllic character and feelings of discord and isolation arise instead. The same desolation you can find in paintings of Edward Hopper.
The key concept here is ‘visual literacy’, i.e. the ability to look at images, to analyse, interpret and evalute them critically. In future posts I’ll get back to this and try to explain how you can help your viewers to improve their visual literacy.
For what you see is not always what you get.
tagged: the guide, learning tools, visual literacy, william egglestone, photography, edward hopper
Door kunstvlo op
September 10, 2009 10:16.
23 comments
Getting your message across. Doing it in the most beautiful and striking way. That’s what an artist wants. Mario Cacciottolo’s Someone Once Told Me is a wonderful example of this urge using photography and the internet.
Like a lot of succesful things, the basic idea is simple. You are asked to write down a line someone once told you. The next step is to take a black and white photograph of yourself holding the plate with words in your hands and to send it to the Someone Once Told Me platform. Mario collects and selects the photographs and also makes them himself. For the record: he says to use the platform to improve his personal photographing skills.
This project, that started off in 2006, has become a really fascinating art project that succesfully integrates art and technology. It is especially intriguing because it involves people in everyday life situations. You and me: all ordinary and at the same time exceptional. This video gives a nice round-up.
tagged: the guide, sotm, art project, literature, photography, mario cacciottolo, everyday life
Door kunstvlo op
September 08, 2009 10:23.
14 comments
On EBSQ, Art Meets Blog. I read a blogpost that might interest you. Natasha Wescoat, a young artist and technology freak tries to explain what it takes to be a successful artist. I recommend you to read the whole article because it is clear and refreshing. Look in her 6 ways to free yourself for inspiration! By the way, interesting about Natasha Wescoat is that she is an expert in using new technologies (web 2.0.) to communicate and promote her work. Check out all these links to find out more:
http://natashasartcandy.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/natashawescoat/
http://www.natashawescoat.com/
http://www.vimeo.com/natashawescoat
http://blog.ebsqart.com/author/natashawescoat/
Natasja’s work on Etsy.com
http://twitter.com/natasha
http://www.facebook.com/natashawescoat
tagged: the artist, ebsq, natasha wescoat, tips, web 20, user generated content, flickr, vimeo, etsy, , facebook
Door kunstvlo op
September 07, 2009 11:29.
13 comments
What makes you an artist? Splendid ideas? Genius? Sure, but most of all you need guts and faith. This thought repeatedly crossed my mind the last few days. The immediate cause for my musing was the Sophie Calle exposition that I saw in Brussels, Bozar last week.
Sophie Calle (°1953) is a French artist, who uses a diversity of media in her work that is largely autobiographical. As a writer and a photographer she tries to capture sceneries from everyday life. Her work doesn’t merely consist of observations and interpretations. She manipulates and creates new realities of her own.
Like for example when she decides to be a private investigator and starts following someone in the street (ad random), writes down what he does and documents his moves with photographs. Or when she takes a job as a chambermaid and goes through the personal affairs of hotel guests, takes photos and tries to imagine what kind of people they are.
Calle’s ideas are not that world-shaking. On the contrary, to me (and you?) they even sound familiar: I guess once in a while we all wonder about how other people live their lives, how they succeed and fail.
The difference between Calle and a lot of us is that she takes her thinking one step further. When our rational minds tell us to ‘get real’, her artist mind tells her to begin her journey.
Joseph Beuys has said we’re all artists but we are not. You can only be one when you are capable of letting the mainstream interpretation of rational reality go. Can you do that? Are you willing to do this? Are you willing to make this kind of sacrifice? Probably not.
A real artist will and that’s why we should admire and cherish her or him. Sophie Calle has done it in an exceptional and fascinating way. Hurry up: go to Brussels this week and visit a wonderful exposition in Bozar. Until the 13th of September.
tagged: the artist, bozar, brussels, sophie calle, beuys, photography, writer
Door kunstvlo op
September 07, 2009 09:16.
20 comments
A difficult name to remember: EBSQ. Off course, there is a history attached to it written in 2000 by John Seed, a California artist and educator. In short, the concept behind EBSQ is to support living artists in a variety of ways. This platform is very valuable for Edosia because it sets an example.
EBSQ has become an online artist community and is a portfolio site. It also offers artists user-friendly tools to create a web presence and to connect with other artists worldwide. Above, EBSQ designs online exhibitions on a monthly basis and informs its viewers about the newest marketing techniques via social media.
EBSQ certainly is an example that is worth looking into although it doesn’t really satisfy me. The look and feel of the site is disturbed by adds and the general site overview is inconvenient. I guess it reminds me too much of commercial initiatives. Artists sometimes write very interesting pieces for the site, but there should be more blog posts of this high standard. Something to think about…
tagged: the guide, ebsq, 20, art blog, edosia, , critique
Door kunstvlo op
September 04, 2009 15:36.
14 comments
One of the most important lessons I learn when surfing, searching and drifting is that art in a digital context is very quickly or almost automatically (?) linked to economic issues. This is off course hardly remarkable when we are dealing with commercial websites such as Amazon or Netflix. It gets harder though when we come across an initiative as Etsy.
Etsy is sometimes described as ‘E-bay for Handmade Arts’ but in my opinion this statement is too bold. The main purpose of this website is to sell all kinds of handmade artifacts via the principle of auction, so it basically is a platform with commercial goals: it would be unwise to deny this fact. On the other hand it is so much more and for that reason it may not be downgraded to a merely commercial initiative that aims to sell and make profit. Between brackets: you understand that I am the kind of stubborn old-fashioned person who can’t help associating certain values to commercial products.
Etsy is more than an auction site. The Etsy team succeeds in creating a whole personal world with a strong community. People tell moving stories about their favorite objects and off course, marvelous works are for sale. Based on a strong organizational and business model Etsy’s power lies in this wonderful combination of bringing us beauty and communicating it to us by means of an incredible user-friendly platform.
Etsy reminds me in a sense of the Belgian auction site of recycle shops Kringding. Although this platform needs more content and storytelling to give it added value, it holds a lot of potential. Maybe the coordinators should take a look at Etsy to get inspired?
tagged: the guide, etsy, e-bay, auction sites, kringding, belgium, recycle shop
Door kunstvlo op
September 04, 2009 14:00.
17 comments
A confession: I believe in art. I cannot be accused of going to galleries for the sake of other peoples thoughts. I go because I need to, because I want to feel astonishment for the creativity and the extraordinary way of thinking of artists. Although I wish to be open minded I must admit that most probably my interpretation of ‘art’ is rather classic. Online art, art in a digital space, art mediated through technology: all quite new to me. I even have to admit that:
1) I am not a freak of (new) technologies or ‘geek’. On the contrary: I am probably pretty conservative in this respect, I do not feel the urge to buy the latest new stuff on the market;
2) In my opinion ICT is still a nerdy business, although being a nerd is nowadays very hipster;
3) I’m struggling with the feeling that technology might ruin the art experience;
4) And yes, like so many others I have a certain fear of the unknown, although fear is probably too big a word for it. It is probably more appropriate to call it a feeling of anxiety.
The good news is that in preparation of Edosia my prejudices (time to face them) have already started to melt. I’ve already come across projects and online art works that made my heart beat faster, filled my body with warmth, made my fingertips tingle and shook my weary head awake. What a feeling! Time to get going!
tagged: the guide, technology, demystifyer, online art, digital art, personal
Door kunstvlo op
September 03, 2009 13:00.
18 comments
Digital art, e-art, putting your art online in a Free Space: that’s what Edosia is all about. Artists can use the Edosia platform, personalize their pages and get going. But Edosia is also about seeking inspiration, understanding, meaning making, learning and fulfilment. It is also for you, with an interest in the online art scene.
The online art scene: what am I talking about? I’ll be honest with you: I’m not really sure yet. Although I’ve built up some knowledge in topics related to art history, art sociology, education, visual culture and museum studies and have done some research in the field of e-culture, I can hardly be considered to be an expert of the digital art world. Reality check: since this world is a big mystery for the majority of you I don’t really feel uncomfortable. Not claiming to be an expert is refreshing and a rather advantageous starting point. Plus, it should provide me with a good dose of empathy with all the other outsiders.
In the following posts I’ll take you with me on my journey in this ‘new world’ and point out the wow experiences I come across. Next to this kind of evangelical mission I set for myself Edosia has the intention to be an inventory of artists and institutions that do stuff online. Please note that Edosia holds high the free speech-principle meaning that you are more than welcome to comment, to make corrections and to add posts yourselves!
Let’s see what I am looking for!
- Art: I’ll be looking for sites and initiatives that strike me and you as being ART with the BIG A: I know it is hardly been done anymore nowadays, but let’s set the example. And go beyond the common, the mainstream and the downtrodden paths.
- Learning Tools: Seeing is also about learning and thus about methods and tools to stimulate it. I’ll also systematically search for interesting examples of learning tools and strategies. These insights are important for educators, art teachers and policy makers interested in the online art scene.
- Communication strategies: Getting inspired, seeing, learning and be creative: you can only get all these things when you plunge in to them. Do it yourself is the credo, but to get real satisfaction you’ll have to get off your cosy island! Meet the world and even more important, let the world meet you! I’ll give you tips and tricks to set up or improve your communication strategies.
tagged: edosia, the guide, digital art, art, communication strategies, learning tools
