thanks for this interesting reference. The development of research oriented/arts and science labs is of course not a UK phenomenon alone, but an international one, with interesting precursors (say, interdiscplinary arts & design schools and workshops as they were formed in the Bauhaus) reaching back to the early 20th century.... and with quite fascinating lineages that probably deserve a complex media lab archaeology, if you also think of the emergences of sound art and sound research in the 20th century.
As to the history of sound art experimentation, there is a stunning exhibition currently on view (until January 2013) at ZKM in Karlsruhe, I can recommend it. Sound Art. Sound as a Medium of Art http://soundart.zkm.de/en http://soundart.zkm.de/ The website publishes the two key essays of the catalogue, on sound art, by Peter Weibel and Julia Gerlach. In 1999, Michael Century (now at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) presented an extensive study and outline on research/media labs: Pathways to Innovation in Digital Culture, 1999. This is still available at: http://www.nextcentury.ca/PI/PImain.html Kerstin Evert, who I believe now works for the Hamburg Kampnagel Fabrik, wrote her dissertation about dance labs: Dance Lab: Zeit genössische Tanz und Neue Technologien. Wuerzburg: Königshausen und Neumann, 2003. In the Netherlands, Anne Nigten (formerly with V2) published her findings in Processpatching, Defining New Methods in aRt&D, Phd Thesis, University of the Arts London (Lulu publishing ISBN 1409299260) (2007) see also: http://www.patchingzone.net/ http://www.processpatching.net/publications (also: Joke Brouwer, with Arjen Mulder, Anne Nigten, Laura Martz, eds., aRt&D: Artistic Research and Development, Rotterdam: V2_Publishing/NAi Publishers, 2005) It would be interesting to know whether there are similar studies and overviews of media lab culture in Asia, Australia, and the Latin continent, but also, for example, in Russia (since Vitebsk/Unovis and VUKhUTEMAS) and Eastern Europe. In 2000 a series got started in France, Anomalie digital_arts, which I believe has issued six volumes so far, and the no. 5 was dedicated to Brazil media arts. I would be particularly interested in reports on performance/media lab culture. with regards Johannnes Birringer director, Interaktionslabor http://interaktionslabor.de +++++ Subject: [NetBehaviour] Media Lab Culture in the UK Media Lab Culture in the UK By Charlotte Frost http://www.furtherfield.org/features/articles/media-lab-culture-uk Though the term ‘lab’ conjures the image of a fairly sanitised environment optimised for scientific experiments and populated by people in white coats, media labs – centres for creative experimentation – are quite different. At their most basic, they are spaces – mostly physical but sometimes also virtual – for sharing technological resources like computers, software and even perhaps highly expensive 3D printers; offering training; and supporting the types of collaborative research that do not easily reside elsewhere. They saw the internet’s myriad ways of changing the way we make, think about and share art – not to mention its capacity for social empowerment – and wanted to harness these qualities quickly and effectively. With many practitioners coming from the spaces, practices and communities forged by the independent film and video movement, the phenomenon of the UK media lab was born. However, despite the importance of these spaces as the hybrid homes of the then emergent and now embedded creative activities that characterise today’s rich field of digital and media practices, their history and contribution to current lab environments has been little discussed outside a niche arena. This article is part of a much larger survey commissioned by Furtherfield called 'Collaboration and Freedom – The World of Free and Open Source Art'. All other articles/files can be found on the P2p Foundation wiki site. http://p2pfoundation.net/World_of_Free_and_Open_Source_Art Commissioned by Arts Council England for Thinking Digital 2011. -- Other Info: Furtherfield - A living, breathing, thriving network http://www.furtherfield.org - for art, technology and social change since 1997 Also - Furtherfield Gallery & Social Space: http://www.furtherfield.org/gallery About Furtherfield: http://www.furtherfield.org/content/about Netbehaviour - Networked Artists List Community. http://www.netbehaviour.org http://identi.ca/furtherfield http://twitter.com/furtherfield _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
