Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Interview With Paddy Johnson

Interview with Aron Namenwirth of artMovingProjects

By Paddy Johnson on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 at 3:36 pm.

Two years ago Caitlin Jones observed in NYFA Current that net artists working in multiple formats were increasingly finding venues to show. Today, the art world is still figuring out how to manage the practicalities of dealer and artist relationships. I spoke with Aron Namenwirth, of artMovingProjects, in an effort to better understand the challenges, and solutions, digital media presents to contemporary galleries with a focus on New Media. - Paddy Johnson

One topic that's come up on Rhizome's blog is the rematerialization of art (the idea, according to Ed Halter, "that innovations such as the flat-screen monitor, the digital print, and the editioned DVD, have helped transform immaterial forms like video and net.art into a new generation of physical, sellable objects"), so I wanted to talk to you about this a little. Is it critical to display new media art in the gallery?

I think new media art, like old media, needs a physical place for critical and social discourse. On the computer screen in the privacy of your home, you can do research, and email other professionals on the merits of a piece, but it's not the same as looking at it in a real space, walking around it, and experiencing it. A lot of new media work requires interaction, and that interaction is mediated by the spectator and the user together.

optidisc.jpg
Tom Moody, OptiDisc, 2007 (Installation at artMovingProjects)

It seems to me that there's a lot to be said for going into a space, and experiencing that work with someone else too. A dialog can occur, that, as you mention, is more spontaneous. Which I think can be important for new media, particularly because the bias of the medium is "cold."

Of course, the beauty of some new media art projects is that you can view it anytime you want online. Continues here:
rhizome.org/editorial/6

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