I'm Rhizome's Executive Director. Previously based in Los Angeles and Chicago. My .info has more detail (and live links).
BIO
#Review: The New York Times reviews "Design and Violence" at moma.org
Image generated by Online Art Critic (Terry Towery, 1997)
Online exhibitions are nothing new—here's Oliver Laric's incomplete timeline of the form from 2013 (he created this when ARTPLUS called theirs "the first exclusively online biennial exhibition of contemporary art" lol.) And yet reviews of these undertakings remain few and far between, not least at the highest echelons, in the pages of industry publications like Artforum and newspapers like the New York Times.
Notice that I'm speaking about (art) reviews particularly: focused critical writing that takes a qualitative position on an exhibition. Features—writing that points at something happening, or critically reports broader topics and trends—are more common. Here's a feature about an online exhibition in the Times from 2002. Here's a feature noting another online exhibition in Artforum from 2015.
Paul Built a Commodore: A hardware-based restoration of the 'first art videogame'
The original Mike Builds a Shelter (1983) for "GOVERNMENT APPROVED HOME FALLOUT SHELTER AND SNACK BAR" at Castelli Graphics
"Hardware-based restoration—that's nasty business."
Unsurprisingly, this is not an uncommon remark from my colleague Dragan Espenschied, who has staked a path for Rhizome in emulation-based restoration instead. And yet there the two of us were on Tuesday, June 9, at Light Industry, excited to see some impressively nasty hardware courtesy artist/curator/programmer/musician Paul Slocum.
At the front of the packed screening room sat two hardware-based versions of Mike Builds a Shelter, a 1983 videogame by artist Mike Smith, computer graphics designer Dov Jacobson, and programmer Reza Keshavarz. One was a touched-up original Commodore 64 (C64) plugged into a small CRT TV and connected to a coin door and a joystick. The other was Slocum's most current homebrew re-make—a small box which contained a C64 on a chip, modified for stability and other improvements such as the ability to output to a flat-screen like the one attached, with a modern power brick that can take international voltages, connected to a coin door and a joystick. Both versions fed into cherry red KRK speakers, and both required a quarter to run, which Light Industry generously provided. (The coin slot was unboxed, so the single coin just fell out, ready to be reused! #freeculture)
Travess Smalley for Rhizome's Paddle8 Auction (Ending Friday)
Travess Smalley's Composition in Clay 35.7, part of Rhizome's Paddle 8 auction, is on the front page of Rhizome.org through the auction's end this Friday at 3pm EST.
"I think of the home office as the studio," Travess Smalley contends, an interest which is reflected in his use of the flatbed scanner as image-making tool and sculptural object. This embrace of the basics of domestic computing culture speaks to the interests of the "surf club" generation of artists, who in the mid- to late-aughts used group blogs (Smalley was a member of one called Loshadka) to make conversational, collaborative net art out of memes, links, and the semiotics of the web.
And yet Smalley's process of layering clay on the scanner bed, scanning the composition, and digitally altering the result to create a photographic print (as in the piece at auction), results in works relating as much to digital culture as to pop art (think, Jasper Johns), contemporary process abstraction (Gerhard Richter), and early photographic experimentation (Henry Fox Talbot's impressions).
Origins: Lynn Hershman Leeson in NYC
Lynn Hershman Leeson, Roberta's Construction Chart #2, 1975
The sophistication and prescience of Lynn Hershman Leeson's decades-long engagement with identity under networked conditions, bioengineering, surveillance, and on becomes more evident with each year (and its attendant tech, genetic splices, and corporate and governmental intrusions). Gratifyingly, then, 2015 promises the continued run of the artist's retrospective at ZKM | Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie Karlsruhe, with its forthcoming comprehensive monograph, and, opening tonight, a solo presentation at Bridget Donahue's new gallery:
Artist Profile: Jeanette Hayes
The latest in a series of interviews with artists whose work makes use of or responds to network culture and digital technologies.
Zachary Kaplan: A few months back, I was on my way to your studio just as you posted a picture of Anna Wintour walking down the street (maybe at Prince and Thompson?). At first I thought, "Why is Anna Wintour skulking around SoHo alone, and how great is this photo?". But then I worried, "Jeanette's not going to be at her studio; she's out in the world capturing this picture that seems so 'on brand.'" When I arrived at your studio in Nolita, though, you were there working on some stuff for New Hive. That all of this seemed to be happening at once—the instagram of Anna Wintour, the in-progress montages, the general thrum of your studio—felt very specific.
Eric Dymond (1951-2015)
Last week, the son of longtime Rhizome community member Eric Dymond reached out to inform us of Eric's passing. We're saddened by this loss and remember him today as a pioneering artist, and a committed contributor to and supporter of this organization. On behalf of the staff, our sincere condolences to his family.
See and learn about Eric's art: http://www.edymond.com/artseen/index.html
The obituary that recently ran at the Star newspaper: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=176058267
See and learn about Eric's art: http://www.edymond.com/artseen/index.html
The obituary that recently ran at the Star newspaper: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=176058267
Rhizome Program Coordinator
Deadline:
Fri Oct 16, 2015 10:00
Location:
New York,
New York
United States of America
United States of America
Rhizome Program Coordinator
(full-time w/ benefits)
Deadline: Friday, October 16, at 10am EST
Send a cover letter and resume to: jobs@rhizome.org
On the eve of its 20th anniversary, Rhizome seeks a highly capable, communicative, and organized internet native to support its artistic programs and administration. The Program Coordinator will help launch the new rhizome.org, produce public events, handle office tasks, and accrue community buy-in and financial support for Rhizome's work.
As an institution with a small staff, this role will be multifaceted and challenging day-to-day, but quite rewarding to someone wishing to grow as an art professional, particularly in Rhizome's specialist space.
About Us: Rhizome is a non-profit born-digital art institution supporting contemporary art that creates richer and more critical digital cultures. Online since 1996, and an affiliate in residence at the New Museum in NYC since 2003, our offices are based in New Inc., the first museum-led incubator, initiated by the New Museum.
About the Role: This early-career position supports Rhizome's artistic programs and institutional development, via engaged, proactive program coordination (from external affairs to event production) and thorough and detail-oriented administration (from record-keeping to development support).
Like all Rhizome staff, the Program Coordinator will be expected to feed into Rhizome’s overall institutional knowledge of internet culture, technology, and contemporary art, and be a visible presence for the organization at events and openings in NYC.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Artistic Program Support
• Event Production: administrative duties and project management, including booking venues, travel and accommodation, hospitality, liaising with technicians, and more.
• External Affairs: Management of social media, composing press releases, liaising with press about Rhizome initiatives, and maintaining press list
• Attending public events on behalf of Rhizome, reporting back on emerging practices and new developments within its communities, and feeding into Rhizome’s programs overall
Administration
• Managing administrative systems: processing and tracking invoices; maintaining/improving filing; minuting meetings; enabling good communication
• Communications: overseeing Rhizome email campaigns and mailing lists
• Development support for Rhizome's membership drives and fundraising efforts: managing community campaign, tracking, compiling and collating information to feed into fundraising reports and activities, composing and sending thank you letters and other correspondence
• Managing individual membership and organizational subscriptions (universities/colleges), including the driving of new members/subscribers to meet targets
• Managing Rhizome's Fellows and Interns
REQUIREMENTS:
• Broad knowledge of Rhizome’s work and its context in New York City and online/internationally
• Meticulous attention to detail and organization
• Confident coordinator and project manager – works well to anticipate needs and problems, find solutions, pull together and organize information, and prioritize
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication
• Works well independently yet remains accessible, friendly, and responsive to direction from Executive Director and other staff
• An exceptional problem solver; calm under pressure with a positive attitude
• Efficient and motivated to complete work
• Decent level of technical aptitude, and ability to learn new systems quick
DESIRABLE:
• Strong existing networks within Rhizome’s communities, in particular among emerging/mid-career artists or technologists in New York
• A developed online presence and deep engagement with the web
• A demonstrated interest in and specialist knowledge of internet culture, to contribute to Rhizome’s overall internal knowledge and staff culture
Questions and complete applications (resume/cover letter) can be directed to jobs@rhizome.org by Friday, October 16, at 10am.
(full-time w/ benefits)
Deadline: Friday, October 16, at 10am EST
Send a cover letter and resume to: jobs@rhizome.org
On the eve of its 20th anniversary, Rhizome seeks a highly capable, communicative, and organized internet native to support its artistic programs and administration. The Program Coordinator will help launch the new rhizome.org, produce public events, handle office tasks, and accrue community buy-in and financial support for Rhizome's work.
As an institution with a small staff, this role will be multifaceted and challenging day-to-day, but quite rewarding to someone wishing to grow as an art professional, particularly in Rhizome's specialist space.
About Us: Rhizome is a non-profit born-digital art institution supporting contemporary art that creates richer and more critical digital cultures. Online since 1996, and an affiliate in residence at the New Museum in NYC since 2003, our offices are based in New Inc., the first museum-led incubator, initiated by the New Museum.
About the Role: This early-career position supports Rhizome's artistic programs and institutional development, via engaged, proactive program coordination (from external affairs to event production) and thorough and detail-oriented administration (from record-keeping to development support).
Like all Rhizome staff, the Program Coordinator will be expected to feed into Rhizome’s overall institutional knowledge of internet culture, technology, and contemporary art, and be a visible presence for the organization at events and openings in NYC.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Artistic Program Support
• Event Production: administrative duties and project management, including booking venues, travel and accommodation, hospitality, liaising with technicians, and more.
• External Affairs: Management of social media, composing press releases, liaising with press about Rhizome initiatives, and maintaining press list
• Attending public events on behalf of Rhizome, reporting back on emerging practices and new developments within its communities, and feeding into Rhizome’s programs overall
Administration
• Managing administrative systems: processing and tracking invoices; maintaining/improving filing; minuting meetings; enabling good communication
• Communications: overseeing Rhizome email campaigns and mailing lists
• Development support for Rhizome's membership drives and fundraising efforts: managing community campaign, tracking, compiling and collating information to feed into fundraising reports and activities, composing and sending thank you letters and other correspondence
• Managing individual membership and organizational subscriptions (universities/colleges), including the driving of new members/subscribers to meet targets
• Managing Rhizome's Fellows and Interns
REQUIREMENTS:
• Broad knowledge of Rhizome’s work and its context in New York City and online/internationally
• Meticulous attention to detail and organization
• Confident coordinator and project manager – works well to anticipate needs and problems, find solutions, pull together and organize information, and prioritize
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication
• Works well independently yet remains accessible, friendly, and responsive to direction from Executive Director and other staff
• An exceptional problem solver; calm under pressure with a positive attitude
• Efficient and motivated to complete work
• Decent level of technical aptitude, and ability to learn new systems quick
DESIRABLE:
• Strong existing networks within Rhizome’s communities, in particular among emerging/mid-career artists or technologists in New York
• A developed online presence and deep engagement with the web
• A demonstrated interest in and specialist knowledge of internet culture, to contribute to Rhizome’s overall internal knowledge and staff culture
Questions and complete applications (resume/cover letter) can be directed to jobs@rhizome.org by Friday, October 16, at 10am.
Feed my Feed: Radical publishing in Facebook Groups
Relevant to this post, the New Inquiry published a short reflection by Teju Cole, that had originally appeared as a Facebook post on the writer's personal page, about NY Mag's cover story featuring 35 women testifying to Bill Cosby's history of rape and assault.
Cole's original FB post: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10153087620542199&id=200401352198
Tumblr version of NY Mag story that Cole had linked to (at the time, the NY Mag website had been taken offline by a distributed denial-of-service attack): http://nymag.tumblr.com/post/125179609945/im-no-longer-afraid-35-women-tell-their
TNI repost: http://thenewinquiry.com/blogs/dtake/improving-on-silence/
From Cole's intro: "I should say that this note was first written for my Facebook page, on July 27 2015, and I think it will retain some of the tone of that context: discursive, reactive, and addressed directly to my followers. But my editor at the New Inquiry thought I should share it here, with a broader audience, and I agree."
Perhaps the piece will circulate more widely on TNI; it will circulate differently, for sure. I'm still not sure what "independent" means, but on one count—the writing standing alone rather than within the feed with prominent attachment—its "independence" on TNI is perhaps detrimental in that it competes with the NY Mag story. (Cole acknowledges this in his intro.) The comments on the original post (ranging from simple thank yous, to lengthy responses, to, as across the web, gross parsing) are immediate and interesting, and they won't run on TNI.
In any event, it's a piece of what I think is meaningful, critical writing instigated by Facebook, with a tone and position resulting from the social media giant's culture, and the publics it can gather.
Cole's original FB post: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10153087620542199&id=200401352198
Tumblr version of NY Mag story that Cole had linked to (at the time, the NY Mag website had been taken offline by a distributed denial-of-service attack): http://nymag.tumblr.com/post/125179609945/im-no-longer-afraid-35-women-tell-their
TNI repost: http://thenewinquiry.com/blogs/dtake/improving-on-silence/
From Cole's intro: "I should say that this note was first written for my Facebook page, on July 27 2015, and I think it will retain some of the tone of that context: discursive, reactive, and addressed directly to my followers. But my editor at the New Inquiry thought I should share it here, with a broader audience, and I agree."
Perhaps the piece will circulate more widely on TNI; it will circulate differently, for sure. I'm still not sure what "independent" means, but on one count—the writing standing alone rather than within the feed with prominent attachment—its "independence" on TNI is perhaps detrimental in that it competes with the NY Mag story. (Cole acknowledges this in his intro.) The comments on the original post (ranging from simple thank yous, to lengthy responses, to, as across the web, gross parsing) are immediate and interesting, and they won't run on TNI.
In any event, it's a piece of what I think is meaningful, critical writing instigated by Facebook, with a tone and position resulting from the social media giant's culture, and the publics it can gather.
Feed my Feed: Radical publishing in Facebook Groups
Here is just one public-facing thread on Facebook (that I've highlighted on this very site before) that rises above "chit-chat" about "mom's gmail" (ugh at the phrasing and innuendo):
https://facebook.com/micol.hebron/posts/10152847041920752
https://facebook.com/micol.hebron/posts/10152847041920752
Feed my Feed: Radical publishing in Facebook Groups
No one was blocked. (Though we didn't let through one comment from Pastasauce that failed to meet our commenting policy: "Content may not include any material that defames any person," which this one did.) The new comment, along with one from Dorothy on the Pew data, was stuck in moderation because I was away for a long weekend. :-) They're both public now.
