James Stevens (United Kingdom)
The issue is still about the effectiveness of local action over global hegemony, where and when to manipulate situations for chaos, dissolution, engagement or entropy. Art is a muddle of mixed motives and metaphors out of which rare moments of clarity and dumb luck challenge or cushion situations. No single strategy or response can relieve tensions or escape complicity; artistic expression is the conduit for rhetoric and our resistance often comes too little too late. Our responses must find resilience, boost faith and embrace change.
The presentation draws on a range of collaborative projects utilising WiFi, AV
and print mechanisms to further the development of cross-cultural,
counter-commercial initiatives for self provision and evolution of social
environments. The presentation will concentrate on particular examples:
<BLINK>is the public access media channel that uses streaming media,web and mail servers to host the daily production and archival residue of 5 years direct contact with innovation,experiment and interference of use.
It invites open contribution and engagement - you decide what 's on,and when. Consume.net
has championed the use of microwave radio data networks to trip the local
loop and challenge the incumbent telecommunication 's industry. It invites
users to make your switch to a user--owned and user- organised
infrastructure, and thus consume the net, asserting free exchange at the
network 's edge and undermine commercial preoccupations.