TELE-INTERNET
The 2010 Ars Electronica Internet Shop!
Digital Communities 2010 curated by Aram Bartholl
The Digital Communities category that debuted in 2006 is being showcased on a larger scale this year. But just how does one go about exhibiting a digital community, a network of chaotic internet experts or a spontaneous Facebook group? Where and who are all these people? What does this internet look like and where can I find it?
Your typical local internet shop represents the internet in a very basic, simple form. In what might be termed a semi-public space packed full of computers set up in little cubbyholes, anyone can get temporary internet access at a very reasonable price. In contrast to the wireless internet of mobile telephony/3G and WLAN that’s omnipresent and surrounds us like the air we breathe, here the internet is confined to a particular space. Several people gather at a semi-public place to simultaneously use the internet individually. This type of internet café symbolizes the prejudices held by a certain segment of Western society towards the internet. For many, the internet is uncontrollable, deceitful, emblematic of the decline of our culture. But in most parts of the world, the internet café is the only place where people can get online. It’s the only possibility to hook up to the big data stream and take part in the (hopefully) free exchange of information with all its attendant advantages. The internet is here!
A genuine original Linz internet shop set up in the Tabakfabrik constitutes Digital Communities’ core. It features a fully functional kiosk purveying a nice selection of merchandise, Turkish pop music, and 12 internet-capable computers arrayed on quintessential internet café furniture. But that’s not all: *TELE-INTERNET* is also a meeting place, project space, workshop area, chill-out lounge, marketplace, lobby, stage, and co-working zone for the digital communities that have convened in person. The principals of prizewinning projects (winners and honorable mentions) as well as an interesting assortment of internet activists, coders, artists and purveyors of chaos will be working, discussing, performing and presenting their work at tables, seating arrangements, on stage or on the banks of the Danube. In addition to the digital communities’ diverse projects, the classic core topics of the CCC (Golden Nica at the 2010 Prix Ars Electronica) will play an important role: private sphere, internet & computer security, open source, etc. Plus, digital communities (which succeeded the Prix Ars Electronica’s net.art category in 2006) will be represented by artistic positions in the form of workshops, presentations and performances. How are artists working in the fields of net.art and new pop.net.art coming to terms with all the developments in the internet?
*TELE-INTERNET* is an organically growing structure, a hacker space, a conference, a stage, an exhibition, a BarCamp, Commune 0/1, and a site for anyone who’s interested in discussing the development of the internet, exchanging ideas, and presenting their own projects. Ars Electronica festivalgoers are invited to take the plunge and join the fun, to contribute to the discussion of the social web, or to chill out on the couch with a clubmate and a notebook.
Aram Bartholl 2010
The Digital Communities presentations at the 2010 Ars Electronica Festival were developed on the basis of the SPEED SHOW exhibition format. http://fffff.at/speed-show
SPEED SHOW manifest
Hit an Internet-cafe, rent all computers they have and run a show on them for one night. All art works of the participating artists need to be on-line (not necessarily public) and are shown in a typical browser with standard plug-ins. Performance and life pieces may also use pre-installed communication programs (instant messaging, VOIP, video chat etc). Custom software (except browser add-ons) or off-line files are not permitted. Any creative physical modification to Internet cafe itself is not allowed. The show is public and takes place during normal opening hours of the Internet cafe/shop. All visitors are welcome to join the opening, enjoy the art (and to check their E-mail).
Aram Bartholl 2010
The SPEED SHOW exhibition series was started by Aram Bartholl in June 2010. The first show vol.1 took place in Berlin, vol.2 was shown in Vienna in July 2010. To be continued …
TELE-INTERNET 2nd-6th September 2010 Digital Communities, Ars Electronica
Curatorial Statement
TELE-INTERNET
The 2010 Ars Electronica Internet Shop!
Digital Communities 2010 curated by Aram Bartholl
The Digital Communities category that debuted in 2006 is being showcased on a larger scale this year. But just how does one go about exhibiting a digital community, a network of chaotic internet experts or a spontaneous Facebook group? Where and who are all these people? What does this internet look like and where can I find it?
Your typical local internet shop represents the internet in a very basic, simple form. In what might be termed a semi-public space packed full of computers set up in little cubbyholes, anyone can get temporary internet access at a very reasonable price. In contrast to the wireless internet of mobile telephony/3G and WLAN that’s omnipresent and surrounds us like the air we breathe, here the internet is confined to a particular space. Several people gather at a semi-public place to simultaneously use the internet individually. This type of internet café symbolizes the prejudices held by a certain segment of Western society towards the internet. For many, the internet is uncontrollable, deceitful, emblematic of the decline of our culture. But in most parts of the world, the internet café is the only place where people can get online. It’s the only possibility to hook up to the big data stream and take part in the (hopefully) free exchange of information with all its attendant advantages. The internet is here!
A genuine original Linz internet shop set up in the Tabakfabrik constitutes Digital Communities’ core. It features a fully functional kiosk purveying a nice selection of merchandise, Turkish pop music, and 12 internet-capable computers arrayed on quintessential internet café furniture. But that’s not all: *TELE-INTERNET* is also a meeting place, project space, workshop area, chill-out lounge, marketplace, lobby, stage, and co-working zone for the digital communities that have convened in person. The principals of prizewinning projects (winners and honorable mentions) as well as an interesting assortment of internet activists, coders, artists and purveyors of chaos will be working, discussing, performing and presenting their work at tables, seating arrangements, on stage or on the banks of the Danube. In addition to the digital communities’ diverse projects, the classic core topics of the CCC (Golden Nica at the 2010 Prix Ars Electronica) will play an important role: private sphere, internet & computer security, open source, etc. Plus, digital communities (which succeeded the Prix Ars Electronica’s net.art category in 2006) will be represented by artistic positions in the form of workshops, presentations and performances. How are artists working in the fields of net.art and new pop.net.art coming to terms with all the developments in the internet?
*TELE-INTERNET* is an organically growing structure, a hacker space, a conference, a stage, an exhibition, a BarCamp, Commune 0/1, and a site for anyone who’s interested in discussing the development of the internet, exchanging ideas, and presenting their own projects. Ars Electronica festivalgoers are invited to take the plunge and join the fun, to contribute to the discussion of the social web, or to chill out on the couch with a clubmate and a notebook.
Aram Bartholl 2010
The Digital Communities presentations at the 2010 Ars Electronica Festival were developed on the basis of the SPEED SHOW exhibition format. http://fffff.at/speed-show
SPEED SHOW manifest
Hit an Internet-cafe, rent all computers they have and run a show on them for one night. All art works of the participating artists need to be on-line (not necessarily public) and are shown in a typical browser with standard plug-ins. Performance and life pieces may also use pre-installed communication programs (instant messaging, VOIP, video chat etc). Custom software (except browser add-ons) or off-line files are not permitted. Any creative physical modification to Internet cafe itself is not allowed. The show is public and takes place during normal opening hours of the Internet cafe/shop. All visitors are welcome to join the opening, enjoy the art (and to check their E-mail).
Aram Bartholl 2010
The SPEED SHOW exhibition series was started by Aram Bartholl in June 2010. The first show vol.1 took place in Berlin, vol.2 was shown in Vienna in July 2010. To be continued …