Olson has served as Editor & Curator at Rhizome, the inaugural curator at Zero1, and Associate Director at SF Camerawork. She's contributed to many major journals & books and this year Cocom Press published Arte Postinternet, a Spanish translation of her texts on Postinternet Art, a movement she framed in 2006. In 2015 LINK Editions will publish a retrospective anthology of over a decade of her writings on contemporary art which have helped establish a vocabulary for the criticism of new media. Meanwhile, she has also curated programs at the Guggenheim, New Museum, SFMOMA, White Columns, Artists Space, and Bitforms Gallery. She has served on Advisory Boards for Ars Electronica, Transmediale, ISEA, the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, Creative Capital, the Getty Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Kennedy Center, and the Tribeca Film Festival.
Olson studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, History of Consciousness at UC Santa Cruz, and Rhetoric & Film Studies at UC Berkeley. She has recently been a visiting artist at Yale, SAIC, Oberlin, and VCU; a Visiting Critic at Brown; and Visiting Faculty at Bard College's Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts and Ox-Bow. She previously taught at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts' new media graduate program (ITP) and was Assistant Professor of New Media at SUNY-Purchase's School of Film & Media Studies. She was recently an Artist-in-Residence at Eyebeam & is currently Visiting Critic at RISD.
Collectible After All: Christiane Paul on net art at the Whitney Museum
The Whitney Museum artport has been an important institutional presence in net art and new media since its launch in 2002. Created and curated by Christiane Paul, artport features online commissions as well as documentation of new media artworks from the museum's exhibitions and collections. This year, artport as a whole was made an official part of the Whitney Museum collection; to mark this occasion, participating artist Marisa Olson interviewed Paul about the program's history and evolution over thirteen years.
Douglas Davis, image from The World's First Collaborative Sentence (1994).
Collections like artport are a rare and valuable window onto a field of practice that, in some senses, was borne out of not being taken seriously. From mid-80s Eastern European game crackers to late-90s net artists, the first people working online were often isolated, by default or design, and were certainly marginalized by the art world, where few curators knew of their existence and fewer took them seriously, advocated for them, or worked to theorize and articulate the art historical precedents and currents flowing through the work. Help me fast-forward to the beginning of this century at one of the most important international art museums. Many of the US museums that funded new media projects did so with dot-com infusions that dried-up after 2000. Artport officially launched in 2001; the same year, you curated a section devoted to net art in the Whitney Biennial. What was the behind-the-scenes sequence of events that led to artport's founding?
I think artport's inception was emblematic of a wave of interest in net art in the US around the turn of the century and in the early 2000s. This more committed involvement with the art form interestingly coincided with or came shortly after the dot com bubble, which inflated from 1997–2000, had its climax on March 10, 2000 when NASDAQ peaked, and burst pretty much the next day. Net art, however, remained a very active practice and started appearing on the radar of more US art institutions. To some extent, their interest may have been sparked by European exhibitions that had begun to respond to the effects of the web on artistic practice earlier on. In 1997, Documenta X had already included web projects (that year the Documenta website was also famously "stolen"—that is, copied and archived—by Vuk Cosic in the project Documenta: done) and Net Condition, which took place at ZKM in 1999/2000, further acknowledged the importance of art on the web.
US museums increasingly began to take notice. Steve Dietz, who had started the Walker Art Center's New Media Initiatives early on, in 1996, was curating the online art Gallery 9 and digital art study collection. Jon Ippolito, in his role as Associate Curator of Media Arts at the Guggenheim, was commissioning net art in the early 2000s and in 2002, Benjamin Weil, with Joseph Rosa, unveiled a new version of SFMOMA's E-space, which had been created in 2000. This was the institutional netscape in which I created artport in 2001, since I felt that the Whitney, which had for the first time included net art in its 2000 Biennial, also needed a portal to online art. The original artport was much more of a satellite site and less integrated into whitney.org than it is now. Artist Yael Kanarek redesigned the site not too long after its initial launch and created version 1.1. Artport in its early days was sponsored by a backend storage company in New Jersey, which was then bought by HP, so HP appeared as the official sponsor. I think it is notable that sponsorship at that point did not come from a new tech company but a brand name that presumably wanted to appear more cutting edge.
booomerrranganggboobooomerranrang: Nancy Holt's networked video
Nancy Holt, Boomerang (1974), still from video.
In her time on this planet, Nancy Holt came to be known as a great American Land Artist, and certainly her brilliant installations, like Utah's Sun Tunnels and collaborations with her partner Robert Smithson and their peers, are profoundly significant, but it was her work in film & video that has had the greatest personal impact on me.
I somehow didn't see Boomerang, her 1974 video performance usually credited to her collaborator Richard Serra, until I was a Ph.D. student in Linda Williams's Phenomenology of Film seminar at UC Berkeley's Rhetoric program, but the time delay was more than made up for by the work's formative resonance. In the video, made during Serra's residency at a Texas television station, a young Holt is seen sitting in an anchor's chair before a staid blue background. Despite brief station ID graphic overlays and one minute of silence in the midst of the ten-minute piece (announced as audio trouble and reminding viewers of the work's live TV origin), the work is in many ways sound-centric.
Sound and Image in Electronic Harmony

On Saturday, April 11th, New York's School of Visual Arts will co-present the 2009 Visual Music Marathon with the New York Digital Salon and Northeastern University. Promising genre-bending work from fifteen countries, the lineup crams 120 works by new media artists and digital composers into 12 hours. If it's true, as is often said, that MTV killed the attention spans of Generations X and Y, this six-minute-per-piece average ought to suit most festivalgoers' minds, and the resultant shuffling on and off stage will surely be a spectacle in its own rite. In all seriousness, this annual event is a highlight of New York's already thriving electronic music scene and promises many a treat for your eyes and ears. The illustrious organizers behind the marathon know their visual music history and want to remind readers that, "The roots of the genre date back more than two hundred years to the ocular harpsichords and color-music scales of the 18th century," and "the current art form came to fruition following the emergence of film and video in the 20th century." The remarkable ten dozen artists participating in this one-day event will bring us work incorporating such diverse materials as hand-processed film, algorithmically-generated video, visual interpretations of music, and some good old fashioned music-music. From luminaries like Oskar Fischinger, Hans Richter, and Steina Vasulka to emerging artists Joe Tekippe and Chiaki Watanabe, the program will be another star on the map that claims NYC as fertile territory for sonic exploration. - Marisa Olson
Tagalicious

The National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in Athens, Greece, has committed itself to curating a number of recent exhibitions of internet art. Their current show, "Tag Ties and Affective Spies," features contributions from both net vets and emerging surfers, including Christophe Bruno, Gregory Chatonsky, Paolo Cirio, JODI, Jonathan Harris and Sep Kamvar, Les Liens Invisibles, Personal Cinema and The Erasers, Ramsay Stirling, and Wayne Clements. The online exhibition takes an antagonistic approach to Web 2.0, citing a constant balance "between order and chaos, democracy and adhocracy." Curator Daphne Dragona raises the question of whether the social web is a preexisting platform on which people connect, or whether it is indeed constructed in the act of uploading, tagging, and disclosing previously private information about ourselves on sites like Flickr, YouTube, and Facebook. Dragona asks whether we are truly connecting and interacting, or merely broadcasting. While her curatorial statement doesn't address the issue directly, the show's title hints at the level of self-surveillance in play on these sites. Accordingly, many of the selected works take a critical, if not DIY, approach to the internet. The collective Les Liens Invisibles tends to create works that make an ironic mash-up of the often divergent mantras of tactical media, culture jamming, surrealism, and situationism. In their Subvertr, they encourage Flickr users to "subverTag" their posted images, creating an intentional disassociation between an image's content and its interpretion, with the aim of "breaking the strict rules of significance that characterize the mainstream collective imaginary..." JODI's work, Del.icio.us/ winning information (2008) exploits the limited stylistic parameters of the social bookmarking site. Using ASCII and Unicode page titles to form visual marks, a cryptic tag vocabulary, and a recursive taxonomy, their fun-to-follow site critiques the broader content of the web ...
Reappearance of the Undead

In 1997, internet art hall-of-famer Olia Lialina made a "net drama" called Agatha Appears that was written for Netscape 3 and 4 in HTML 3.2. One of the main features of the interactive narrative was the travel of the eponymous avatar across the internet. Let's just say the girl got around. But the magical illusion of the piece was that she appeared to stay still, even when links in the narrative were clicked and the viewer's address bar indicated movement to another server. But in time, both the browser and code in which the story was written became defunct and the piece unraveled as the sites previously hosting the links and files upon which Agatha was dependent disappeared or cleaned house. Such a scenario is common to early internet art (and will no doubt continue to plague the field), as ours is an upgrade culture constantly driving towards new tools, platforms, and codes. Many have debated whether to let older works whither or how it might be possible to update these works, making them compatible with new systems. For those who are interested, some of the best research on the subject has been performed by the folks affiliated with the Variable Media Initiative. Meanwhile, luddites and neophiles alike are now in luck because Agatha Appears has just undergone rejuvenation. Ela Wysocka, a restorer working at Budapest's Center for Culture & Communication Foundation has worked to overcome the sound problems, code incompatibilities, and file corruption and disappearance issues, and she's written a fascinating report about the process, here. And new collaborating hosts have jumped in line to bring the piece back to life, so that like a black and white boyfriend coming home from war, Agatha now offers us a shiny new webring as a token of ...
Rhizome's reblog & Net Art News syndication
I also wanted to encourage everyone to add our blog to their own feedlists and blogrolls. The blog is right up front, on our site, athttp://www.rhizome.org.
Thanks to the dedication of Rhizome's Superusers, the blog is updatedseveral times daily, with both refeeds from other blogs (which includecalls and opportunities, art project descriptions and images, andother interesting new media-related news) and Raw posts that getpublished to Rare--which is handy if you're only on Raw, or if youcan't wait until Friday to receive your digest and see whatinteresting things are being announced & discussed on the list!
And while I'm on the subject of sharing and redistributing, don'tforget that it's fun and easy to syndicate Net Art News on your ownwebsite and/or have it delivered to your favorite handheld devices.More info can be found here:http://www.rhizome.org/netartnews/
Enjoy!Marisa
-----------------------------------------Marisa S. OlsonEditor and Curator at LargeRhizome.orgmarisa (at) rhizome.org
Digest will now go out on Fridays
I just wanted to make an informal announcement that we're going to
begin sending the Rhizome Digest out on Fridays, rather than Sundays,
beginning this week.
There's no super brilliant reason for this other than the fact that it
works best with my schedule, as Editor, and it seems like the best
weekday to summarize the week's activities, on Raw. I hope it works
nicely with your inbox flow, as well.
Your feedback is always welcome, of course!
All the best,
Marisa
---------------------------------------------------
Marisa S. Olson
Editor and Curator at Large,
Rhizome.org
marisa (at) rhizome.org
Fwd: World Wide Wrong --- JODI
Date: Mon, August 22, 2005 5:29 am
To: marisa@rhizome.org
World Wide Wrong
JODI<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
August 27 - October 22, 2005
Opening: Friday, August 26, 5:00 p.m.
The conventions regarding how we interact with and use computers were
accepted very quickly. People all over the world use the same graphic
icons and interface. With notes, recycle bins and files, the desktop
of a computer is a graphic reflection of a real desk. These
conventions appear to simplify the use of the computer for everyone.
On the other hand, they also strongly reflect a virtual reality which
makes it seem that the user has control over the machine. But everyone
who works with a computer knows that it's a different story. A
computer can run amok, freeze up, or simply refuse to do what you want
it to do. The artist pair JODI (Joan Heemskerk and Dirk Paesmans)
occupy themselves specifically with disruptive miscommunication of
this sort.
>From the birth of the Internet, JODI were already actively involved
with net art. They simulated computer crashes, viruses and error
messages with programs they wrote themselves. These projects were a
response to the rules of the Internet, and confront the visitor with
the cleverly designed interfaces and websites by showing the flip side
of the technology, the possibly ugly side. Before you know it dozens
of screens or a page full of programming codes appear on the desktop.
But the pair are not computer freaks constantly searching for new
opportunities. The goal is not to deregulate or reprogram the
computer. JODI's interest is primarily in the possibilities the
medium has for communication, within which it is primarily the
limitations of coded communication that they raise as issues.
In the late 1990s their attention shifted from the computer itself to
computer and video games. There are also many pre-programmed codes to
be found in the game culture which make it easier for the player to
quickly understand the game. JODI approaches such limits and
simplifications with the requisite skepticism. Through simple
interventions, they let us see other possibilities and applications.
For instance, the color architecture of the Quake game is simply
replaced by black and white fields, eliminating the player's sense of
direction and dimensionality. In their latest work they are searching
for the possibilities (and impossibilities) of GPS systems.
Just like many older video artists such as Nam June Paik and the
Vasulkas, for instance, JODI are consciously concerned with raising
technical standards for discussion, and modifying them. But rather
than producing predictable results, JODI go a step further by
employing the unpredictability in the use of software and playing with
the expectation patterns of the viewer/user.
The exhibition gives an overview of JODI, from their first computer
experiments on the Internet through their three-dimensional video
installations of game modifications.
Opening hours exhibition: Tuesday - Saturday and the first Sunday of
the month: 1 - 6 p.m.
Entrance 2,50 (1,50 with discount)
More information / Images: Marieke Istha Communication:
<mailto:istha@montevideo.nl> istha@montevideo.nl
Netherlands Media Art Institute
Montevideo/Time based Arts
Keizersgracht 264
1016 EV Amsterdam
The Netherlands
www.montevideo.nl <http://www.montevideo.nl/>
================================
VideoCube
Warning!!! Contains 220m3 video
26, 27 en 28 augustus tijdens de Uitmarkt
World Wide Wrong
JODI
27 augustus - 22 oktober 2005
opening vrijdag 26 augustus, 17.00 uur
=============================
CFP: CAA New Media Caucus Panel on Autonomy & Relationality
CALL FOR PAPERSThe New Media Caucus panel at theCollege Art Association's 93rd annual conference
Panel title:"From database and place to bio-tech and bots: Relationality vs autonomy in media art"
Conference Dates: February 22-25, 2006 Boston, MassachusettsDEADLINE: Proposals must be e-mailed to<marisaso(at)gmail(dot)com> by Friday, September 16, 2005.
NOTE: Panelists are NOT REQUIRED to be members of CAA.
Panel Chair:Marisa S. Olson, Artist; Editor and Curator at Large,Rhizome.org; UC Berkeley, Rhetoric/Film Studies.
Panel Description:
Two predominant theories have emerged in the discourse surrounding newmedia: autonomy and relationality. On the outset, these notions seemto contradict each other. The theory of autonomy focuses attention onthe discrete elements involved: individual pieces of information,individual artists or viewers, and separate components/artworks.Relationality puts the emphasis on interconnectedness: data, artwork,artists, and viewers are inextricably intertwined, without a singlepredominant object or viewpoint and no fixed, absolute form.
While these theories may seem to be contradictory, contemporary mediaart relies on a notion of autonomy and, yet, suggests that noinformation is autonomous
Re: Rhizome Announces Marisa S. Olson as Editor and Curator at Large
I am thrilled to have accepted the post of Editor and Curator-at-Large
for Rhizome. It is an honor to be following in the footsteps of such
esteemed colleagues as Alex Galloway, Rachel Greene, and Kevin
McGarry, and I hope to live up to their good examples.
As you may know, I've been a member of the Rhizome community for
several years and I have grown, learned, and become so inspired by the
conversations we've had online and through my relationships with
Rhizome staff members, past and present.
As Editor, I don't really seek to rock the boat as far as list-based
discussions go. I've always admired Rhizome's largely self-governed,
organic sensibility and it's not my intention to change those things
that I've always loved about it. My effort, in steering the Digest and
Net Art News publications, and continuing to participate in Raw
dialogue, is to continue promoting the ideas, projects, and events in
which the Rhizome community is involved. Rhizome's always been a great
place to exchange thoughts, opportunities, and announcements, and all
of us at Rhizome are committed to furthering your ability to do so.
It is amazing to think that Rhizome is approaching its tenth
anniversary! One of the most exciting things to me, personally, about
coming on board, is that Rhizome not only has a great past but also a
great future. I know this sounds like PR mumbo jumbo, but the vision,
energy, and ambition that Lauren and Francis have for enhancing
Rhizome is palpable and contagious. Working with them is going to be
such a treat!
We all know that Rhizome's members are a huge part of what make it
such a viable, thriving resource and as I begin settling in to this
position, I hope to have more direct communication with each of you.
I'd like to welcome your feedback on the ways in which you would like
to see Rhizome grow, and your suggestions for how you might be
involved in that growth. Until then, I look forward to our continued
chats on Raw.
All the best,
Marisa
On 8/12/05, Lauren Cornell <laurencornell@rhizome.org> wrote:
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
> Rhizome.org Announces Marisa S. Olson as Editor and Curator at Large
>
> NEW YORK, NY, August 12, 2005 - Rhizome.org, a leading online resource for
> new media art, announced today that Marisa S. Olson will be the new Editor
> and Curator at Large effective August 15th.
>
> As Editor, Olson will manage Rhizome's two publications, Net Art News and
> the Rhizome Digest; she will also develop special editorial projects and
> oversee the content published on Rhizome's front page. In her role as
> Curator at Large, a new position created specifically for her, Olson will
> promote new media art on Rhizome's behalf in diverse contexts throughout the
> country and internationally. She will also be responsible for growing
> Rhizome's online archive, the ArtBase; coordinating the Guest Curator
> program; and organizing public programs and gallery exhibitions that further
> Rhizome's mission of supporting the "creation, presentation, discussion and
> preservation of contemporary art that uses new technologies in significant
> ways."
>
> Olson brings excellent editorial and curatorial experience as well as an
> expansive knowledge of new media art to bear on the position. She previously
> worked as Associate Director of SF Camerawork, Curator at Zero:One, and
> Director of Media Arts at GenArtSF. As an Independent Curator, she has
> organized important programs at festivals and venues internationally,
> including the Getty Museum, Artists' Space, and SFMOMA,
> where she was co-founder and Editor of SMAC!, the quarterly journal of the
> SF Media Arts Council. Olson has written extensively on new media art for
> magazines, academic journals, and exhibition catalogues
>
> "Marisa brings a tremendous amount of experience and energy to the
> organization," said Lauren Cornell, Rhizome's Executive Director. "I am
> thrilled to have her on board and in the position to direct Rhizome's
> critical voice." Olson added, "the organization has been an important part
> of my life since I became a member in the mid-nineties. While they prepare
> to celebrate their tenth anniversary, it's my honor to join Rhizome's staff,
> board, and my fellow members in further contributing to the important field
> of media art."
>
> Olson is also an actively exhibiting and performing artist who is a PhD
> candidate at UC Berkeley. "Marisa is very active and well-respected in the
> field, and has over the years demonstrated a deep commitment to the Rhizome
> community in particular," said Cornell. "The fact that she is based
> primarily in San Francisco and also very connected to artists, writers and
> venues internationally will help confirm Rhizome's presence on the West
> Coast and abroad."
>
>
> ###
>
> About Rhizome.org
>
> Rhizome.org is an online platform for the global new media art community.
> Our programs support the creation, presentation, discussion and preservation
> of contemporary art that uses new technologies in significant ways. We
> foster innovation and inclusiveness in everything we do.
>
> CONTACT:
> Lauren Cornell
> Executive Director
> Rhizome.org
> 210 11th Avenue, 2nd Floor
> New York, NY 10001
>
> Email: laurencornell@rhizome.org
> Tel: (212) 219-1288 x208
> Fax: 212.431.5328
>
> URL: http://rhizome.org