You are on page 1of 35

20012.

1016 LISA Conference, Guggenheim NYC

The futility of media art


in a contemporary art
world
Provocations based on 17 years of experience with
media art and the intimate knowledge of realities
of life as a full-time media artist.

Marius Watz
http://mariuswatz.com
http://twitter.com/mariuswatz

background
Me: Self-taught artist, educator and sometime
curator. Involved in media art since 1995.
1984: First computer (TRS-80)
1993: Computer Science
1994: End of Computer Science

background
1996: Co-curator of Electra, major media art
exhibition at Henie-Onstad Art Center, Oslo.
Featured large-scale interactive installations,
experimental design, historical works. Virtual
Reality, experimental hardware, interactive video
etc. 42000+ visitors.
Artists: Laurie Anderson, Diller + Scofidio,
Ulrike Gabriel, Perry Hoberman, Knowbotic
Research, Greg Lynn, Sommer + Mignonneau etc. etc.
(Also: Sense:less - VR installation by Mork, Pendry, Stenslie and Watz)

Sense:less (1996)

Mork, Pendry, Stenslie, Watz


VR installation

Relevance?
Due to art world politics and an unforgivable
lack of documentation Electra has been completely
forgotten and might as well never have happened,
despite being seen by 42000+ people.
Furthermore: The artists in the show were
considered highly successful at the time, but many
have since stopped making work. As a result, most
media artists I know have no knowledge of their
practices or significant works.

background, Cont.
1997-2002: The Lost Years. Web design, dotcom
idiocy, experimental personal web projects,
corporate identity consultancy.
2003: Post-dotcom crash relocation to Berlin,
committing to making art full time.
2005: Curated Generator.x as a reaction to the
media art establishments ignorance of generative
art and formalist abstraction based on code.
2012: Still making art full time.

Initial artistic focus


(2003-2008)
Investigation of software processes as art
objects in and of themselves
Semi-autonomous generative systems producing
visual abstractions based on constrained random
parameters
Displayed on screens or as projections, often as
ambient visual environments in public situations
(festivals, public spaces etc)

System_C (2004)

Realtime software

Illuminations (2006)

Realtime software

Illuminations (2006)

Realtime software

Electroplastique (2005)

Multi-screen video

Transition to objectmaking
Frustration with screens as mediating mechanism,
lack of physical presence combined with growing
interest in spatial structures
Experimentation with digital fabrication
processes to produce physical objects as the
direct consequence of software processes
Product: 3D printed objects, drawings made with
CNC tools, parametric sculpture, rule-based
light installations, tape drawings based on
projected images

Grid Distortion (2011)

Laser on plywood

Grid Distortion (2011)

Laser on plywood

Grid Distortion (2011)

Laser on alumminum

Wall Exploder + Form studies

(2011)

Tape drawing, Makerbot 3D prints

Probability Lattice (2012)

Parametric objects intended for


lo-fi 3D printing (Makerbot)

Probability Lattice (2012)

Parametric objects intended for


lo-fi 3D printing (Makerbot)

Modular (2012)

3D printed objects (Makerbot)

KBG - screentest (2012)

StandardVision test for facade


at Taman Anggrek, Jakarta

Arcs[Rockheim] (2012)

Public facade

Reality check, 2012


(Cheerleading not included)
Media art remains largely ignored by the
mainstream art world as constituted by curators,
critics, museums, galleries, biennials, art
fairs, trade magazines and collectors.
Contemporary art discourse continues to be
remarkably clueless (or perhaps willfully
ignorant) about the intersection of tech and
culture, not to mention central concerns in
media art.
(Open Source has gotten some traction, but
usually liberally re-interpreted)

Reality check, 2012


A small minority of media artists have
successfully crossed over into the mainstream,
showing in galleries, museums and art fairs and
having their works collected.
(Examples: Cory Arcangel, Jim Campbell, Claudia Hart, Ryoji Ikeda,
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Carsten Nicolai, Jennifer Steinkamp...)

Increasingly, media artists are leveling up and


playing the art market game with varying degrees
of success. Established art schools having media
art programs is fuelling this trend.
(Examples: Aram Bartholl, Joanie Lemercier, Eva and Franco Mattes, Casey
Reas, UBERMORGEN...)
Obviously, the examples given here are inexhaustive and completely
subjective.

Reality check, 2012


However: Most media artists not only do not have
access to galleries and fairs, they dont even
speak contemporary art or know how to approach
a gallery.
Several artists who have gained gallery
representation have since been moved to B
rosters or downgraded to dealer relationships,
despite their status as movers and shakers in
the media art world.
Caveat: Its obviously not a birthright to have gallery
representation or be collected, nor is it an indication of
inherent artistic relevance. Still, itd be nice to know
that some of your work will survive if you get run over by
a bus.

Reality check, 2012


Common denominators for crossover artists:
Practices with conceptual overtones combined
with the production of spectacular (and
collectable) objects using relatively stable
technology.
Conspicuous avoidance of media art terminology
combined with knowledge of contemporary art
world mechanics.
Produce works that can be understood as
extensions of conventional art practices (video,
sculpture, installation etc.)

Reality check, 2012


A small number of galleries do specialize
in media art (Bitforms, [DAM]Berlin etc.),
participating in art fairs and educating a small
if growing collector base.
A somewhat larger number of commercial galleries
represent occasional media artists that fit their
rosters (often conforming to the crossover
criteria described previously)
Increasingly, media artists recognize the
dangers of being boxed into the media art
ghetto, adapting their work and terminology
accordingly.

The Media art Ghetto


By which I mean the isolation of the media
art scene from other contemporary art arenas,
complete with a separate discourse and dedicated
exhibitions and festivals (esp. in Europe)
Benefits: Access to earmarked cultural funding,
freedom to develop ideas unique to media art,
dedicated platform allowing emerging artists to
produce and show work. Some media art events
have achieved popular
Pitfalls: Media art becomes irrelevant to
contemporary art. Media artists are marginalized
and have difficulty gaining recognition outside
the ghetto.

The Media art Ghetto


Furthermore:
Focus on integrated festival concepts is not
always conducive to optimal presentation of art
Such events are invariably group shows, limiting
artists to a single spectacular gesture rather
than a nuanced narrative
Alternative art venues and integrated events
are awesome, but contemplative works rarely do
well next door to a glitchcore concert.

media art falsehoods


Media art is immature and not capable of
producing great works (FALSE)
Media art is not collectable due to
instability of technology (FALSE, mostly)
Media art is only concerned with novelty
and gadgetry (FALSE)
BTW: Theres plenty of bad art being made in all media. Why discriminate?

Provocations...
Warning: Cynical observations incoming,
many of them sadly true.

Provocations...
The success of media art is NOT a matter
of time. Media art history is constantly
being forgotten.
The current historical interest and
re-discovery of media artists from
the 1960s does not significantly help
artists working today.
The idea that future art history will
vindicate the current generation of media
artists is of very little comfort.

Provocations...
The disparity between the proven
popularity of media art with lay
audiences and the willingness of art
world gatekeepers to show / curate /
write about it is telling.

Provocations...
To say that art is digital or made
with computers is meaningless.
Anthony Gormley is not considered a
digital or generative artist, despite
his use of custom parametric software
systems.
Wade Guytons solo show at Whitney might
be Painting, Rebooted (NY Times), but
describing it as based on technology is
trite in the extreme. Printing press, anyone?

...but at least Im not a


Provocations...
painter.

To say that art is digital or made


with
computers
is meaningless.
For all
the moaning
that can justifiably
be done about the lack of recognition for
Anthony
Gormley
is not
considered a
media art,
consider
this:
digital or generative artist, despite
his
use
of custom
Media
artists
haveparametric
skill setssoftware
that are
systems.
supremely bankable. Web dev might not be
glamorous, but at least youre not giving
Wade
Guytons
solo
at Whitney
might
painting
lessons
toshow
ladies
on the upper
be
Painting,
Rebooted (NY Times), but
east
side.
describing it as based on technology is
trite in the extreme. Printing press, anyone?

Finally:
Keep in mind that a successful artist is any
artist who pays her bills.
Bonus points: Be able to afford health care.

(Thanks for your time. )


mariuswatz.com

You might also like