T0ransmediale

http://transmediale.de/festival

we are looking for cross-disciplinary projects that can engage the  festival audience on multiple levels. Workshops, both theoretical and/or  hands-on are especially welcome, as are thematic discussions, artistic  research presentations, performances, performative lectures and other hybrid formats. Proposals that include several such activities across  the programme are welcome. More specifically, we are looking for  proposals from ongoing local and translocal networks, projects, groups  and collectives that address one or several of the following thematic  streams:

Anxious to Act

This stream deals with the complexity of taking action in a world  consisting of constantly networked flows and the increasing „messiness“  of the global. It zooms in on the irritated ideal scene of „media  activism“ and the multiple logics and meanings of „intervention“  enmeshed in grammars of the artistic or technological. It asks: What  makes people anxious to act today? What possibly hinders them to do so  in more substantial forms according to the micro- and macro-political  scales of a global society characterised by asymmetric power? In a world  poised for change, what fundamental irritations exist about ever more  mediated actions and can these irritations stimulate new effective  assemblages of action???

Anxious to share

The ideal scene of this stream is that of a sharing culture of  micro-practices and cottage industries that emerged as part of  innovative citizen-driven alternatives to the crisis of a receding  public sphere and relentless privatisation. The stream however takes a  critical, post-startup economy look at interrelated topics such as  disruption and displacement, conditions of cultural production, spatial  politics, and network economy. We are anxious to share but do we really  want to take the responsibility for what and how something is being  shared? And from a non-anthropocentric perspective, are new planetary  scales of sharing emerging?

Important to frame the application: 

Even though the themes of the transmediale are set by the curatorial  team, the focus of the individual programmes is developed further in  relation to the works submitted for this call. In this way we strive to  create a dialogue between the thematic ideas and current cultural  practice. The final programme eventually consists of a mix of invited  participants, projects of our all year platform (transmediale/resource)  and contributions selected through the call. Notification about the inclusion in the programme of the festival may take up until October 2015.

"Selected projects will be invited to participate in the relevant  festival programme. If relevant, return travel to Berlin and accommodation for each artist/project are provided. Further conditions  for festival participation will be communicated directly with the  entrants. In the case of group entries or where further support of any  form for participation is essential, the available resources must be  supplemented by additional funding. Further support will be assessed on a  case-by-case basis at the festival's discretion."

Application








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Cultural Institute. A performative space on access to culture and it's consequences.

The Google Cultural Institute (GCI) emerges in a time where publicly funded cultural institutions have to deal with various anxieties produced by the demands of digitalization, appealing to the "democratization of art" and reducing cultural archives to mass digital data repositories. GCI offers these faltering institutes services that are hard to refuse: scanning, indexing and publishing done with a solutionist engineering attitude on a scale that they themselves can not afford. By using the information extracted from the cultural sector as mere data, serving the imagery up in context-defying interfaces that allow no other form of interaction than scrolling under the terms stipulated by the megacorporation's Terms of Service, these archives feed a wide range of free and paid products (like Chromecast). The GCI is a complex subject of interest since it reflects back the colonial impulses embedded in the scientific and economic desires that formed the very collections which GCI now accumulates in its database.  By allowing megacorporations to turn everything into information through digitization, cultural institutions degrade into a service industry, contributing to a society that can be managed in a cheap and scaleable way. The Cultural Institute we want to set-up during Transmediale is an attempt to deal with the frustrating lack of resilience and imagination of 'public' institutions when confronted with the challenges of digitalization.

At this ephemeral Cultural Institute we want to create the conditions for collaboratively interrogating the semantic cloud of "exploration" that both mirrors and reinvents the rhetoric of colonialism, where knowledge and its civilizatory benefits are employing their unique blend of violence, to justify the extraction of resources and the oppression of others.  Through improvisation, performance and experiments we want to expand our vocabulary and methodologies in order to address the planetary wave of techno-colonialism that is currently being acted out on the territory of the cultural archive.

We want to set up a space where various anxious archivists, restless researchers and stressed cultural workers can gather, compare notes, exchange tactics and use the opportunity to work through their shared troubles and archivalist anxieties by way of performance techniques, collaborative media training and strategic writing as a form of information group therapy. The Cultural Institute is a stage that will take many forms, inviting participants to use their bodies and voices to speak back to the way commercial archive practices are actively redefining the concept of access into 'browseability'.

Against the fallacy of "access" without context, intent or consequence and to support the emergence of knowledge as a relation that always depends on the context, riddled with the overwhelming weight of the very idea of the archive, we propose the Cultural Institute as a site for remedy.

Cultural Institute follows from the intersection between the research of Geraldine Juarez into ........, and Mondotheque, a loose band of artists, archivists and activists concerned about the state of infrastructures for knowledge production. Mondotheque was triggered by the complicated entanglements of  an Internet giant searching for European roots, local governments in need of a future, and the wanderings of the historical archive of Paul Otlet.

Organizers
Geraldine Juárez -- Artist  
Jara Rocha -- Cultural mediator, Mondotheque
Dick Reckard -- Mondotheque
Femke Snelting -- Artist, designer, Mondotheque

Guests wish list
Laurence Rassel --  Artes Combinatorias http://www.fundaciotapies.org/site/spip.php?rubrique916
Paul Preciado -- Decolonising the Museum http://www.macba.cat/en/decolonising-museum
Sophie Springer -- Fantasies of the Library http://hkw.de/media/texte/pdf/publikationen_2/2015_4/intercalations1_fantasies_of_the_library.pdf
Shinjoung Yeo -- Powered by Google: Widening Access and Tightening Corporate Control http://www.leoalmanac.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/LEA_Vol20_No1_SchillerYeo.pdf

- Geraldine: Intercolonial Technogalatic Essay/ Exhibition of piece documentation
- Femke: Fathers of internet, various iterations of it, Mondotheque + images
+ illustrated project plan



This needs a bit more: Cultural institute is collaboratively prepared on the mailinglist mondotheque. We try to approach our research processs as performance.  Straight from archive to press room. How we work on the performative part, do we need some drama-coach, spin doctor :-) Therapeutic part.
So is in our interest to invite people interesting in performative research-acts to join us.


The presentation format may vary but there are a few we can already identify:
- The Archive: Abundant materials produced by the Google Cultural Institute; relevant bibliography, communiques, press releases, archive materials.                                       
This archive is the source material for performances and re-enactments , as well as available for the public to consult during office hours. 
- The Office: Collaborative production of performance scripts and press releases, based on prior research of organisers, guests and participants. [mornings]
The office will be open during office hours. [mornings]
- The Press Room: Hosts two types of activities. We imagine short presentations of research by participants and invited guests that can act as information therapies, tactic sharing etc.. interspliced with re-enactments of GCI press conferences and promotional videos, performance of interfaces, archives, access, context. Threading their history throught their own words, we try to appropriate the format of the press release as the neoliberal way par excellence of how corporations "communicate" with their subjects. [afternoons] The Press Room will perform in extra working hours. [afternoons]


Describe stage/pressroom/archive (also include in PDF)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/10833852@N02/2620128827/in/photolist-4ZwR1X-hgo4kE-amFJ6j-4xKLZP-6v8Dfo-p56SBV-nfvXMb-8DLaqj-6KMZMM-dBmdWb-4iSj5L-9j5yms-pzyBCZ-j5PspA-7PckB2-8ZfyM3-qYF7N6-4t4b6a-7nnnx4-r6XsAX-gCL3we-8kdrWF-uWxWBq-dgxqDt-9kyRvk-dPLF56-5UUsf9-5RDaQ5-fgEQWT-ef4PZC-9CGKrU-r3Vir9-9Fa1B7-5gWVpT-aRGHxX-eckwhL-kdQr5U-4vMg5F-uz8zqX-8MZPJq-4B9wa5-9YcQf8-8nRTJ2-c4PXTE-6j8a1A-gSUj3H-dhJXih-vUtMgW-8nV4jd-9rU2Yu
http://www.migrationpolicycentre.eu/images/events/Press_Room.jpg
https://www.flickr.com/photos/edvardkozusnik/12188913274
https://www.flickr.com/photos/_gk/3756109224/in/photolist-6HV3pS-5A68DM-7HAGVU-8DvZNe-5GmR3q-eAfhnc-7YX6Vb-bwrKpD-hifcdh-bvY4QR-a47Kpf-ef4dZL-d9fh7s-eB1GPF-hQcmTQ-bDXqjW-p4doUh-fzxoGa-dokLvC-odkQtT-7YWK4N-8vQBFX-nV71ST-8wecpQ-9yMDuW-9F31Re-er4VjU-dNLsRW-azzUPw-6KeyuG-79emQd-o1fDLG-9LVwUA-dbFQnv-da6EqS-ef476L-98kDiG-bNzgK-9Wfwtr-822LZm-jABcUi-dRpv5m-dbFQr4-74eD31-4a6mdh-5MuBzC-4ZTRBt-4obDZ3-ef4UYY-adn2K7


Project documentation
- Mondotheque: description
- Intercolonial Technogalactic: description
- Fathers of the Internet (and other iterations): description
- Digital Revolution in Stockholm. I have all the documentation (maybe we can put it Mondoteque)?

Press Releases / Promotional materials of GCI (for potential re-enactment)

Research material
devart: https://devart.withgoogle.com/
Digital Revolution Franchise site:
    Google Press Release:http://www.barbican.org.uk/media/upload/artform%20news/2794Digital%20Revolution%20press%20release%20FINAL.pdf
http://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/devart-art-made-with-code.html
    - Images  https://www.barbican.org.uk/bie/upcoming-digital-revolution/visuals
    - PPT https://www.barbican.org.uk/bie/tour_packs/bie_digitalrevolution_ppt2014.pdf
    - "Terms" https://www.barbican.org.uk/bie/upcoming-digital-revolution/terms
    - Barbican Franchise https://www.barbican.org.uk/bie/upcoming-digital-revolution
    - Digital Revolution Stockholm: http://www.tekniskamuseet.se/1/5673.html
Bibliography
Dan Schiller & Shinjoung Yeo, Powered by Google: Widening Access and Tightening Corporate Control.  http://www.leoalmanac.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/LEA_Vol20_No1_SchillerYeo.pdf
Sophie Springer and Etienne Turpin, Fantasies of the Library http://hkw.de/media/texte/pdf/publikationen_2/2015_4/intercalations1_fantasies_of_the_library.pdf
Irmgard Emmelhainz, Conditions of Visuality Under the Anthropocene and Images of the Anthropocene to Come by  http://www.e-flux.com/journal/conditions-of-visuality-under-the-anthropocene-and-images-of-the-anthropocene-to-come/
Comite invisible, A nos amis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coming_Insurrection   (I personally think to our friends is a terrible reactionary libertarian text.... [libertarian? I thought it was communist disguised as insurrectionary anarchist :P ] , but yeah if needed. Ippolita much more point. ) Have many troubles with it
Ippolita, The Dark Side of Google http://networkcultures.org/blog/publication/no-13-the-dark-side-of-google-ippolita/
Hito Steyerl, The Wretched of the Screen http://indexofpotential.net/uploads/46385/Steyerl,%20Hito%20-%20The%20Wretched%20of%20the%20Screen.pdf

Related projects
ART PROJECT 2023 (2013) by João Enxuto and Erica Love http://www.sept6.info/art-project-2023/
Paul Preciado, Decolonising the Museum http://www.macba.cat/en/decolonising-museum

technical needs: 
- Electricity, Open room, Lights, Cameras, Tables, Printer, Paper, Microphones, Chairs, A stage, podium-like. Think a press center..
duration of the project, in case of workshop formats: duration / number of participants / required materials. 
- Duration: 2 days
- Number of Participants: 
Geraldine + Mondotheque team + guests = 8
Max. 15 additional participants (?)


Femke and Geraldine as contacts

We need bios of participants (so Geraldine, Femke, Martino, Jara)



Notes

We are bothered by Google's Cultural Institute, yet another initiative by the well-known megacorporation. In their words it is a service to the cultural sector, in ours they offer up the leavings of their engineering products and re-circulate them as a 'fascinating resource for art-lovers'. Reducing cultural archives into mass digital imagery first, they subsequently serve them up in slick context-defying interfaces that allow no other form of interaction than stipulated by the megacorporation's own Terms of Service. We are frustrated by the behaviour of conventional institutions (formerly known as 'public'), their lack of resilience and imagination that resulted in the expensive disaster Europeana. Instead they happily invite the megacorporation to reap their archives, blindly chiming in to  the argument of 'access' over critical culture [mwah].

In a way this space ideally should be loaded with the overwhelming weight of the archive. 

reverse philantropic work

Not wanting to be invisible, but using modest means

Scrolling GCI, Strolling museums. which kind of knowledge emerges when you just stroll or scroll. Is just consumption. 

I like to tuse the therapy language the same way of the press release. Like all this neoliberal formats of communication. "group therapy" what a concept these days. Yes. It fits well with the post-human, somehow.

Another angle important is the scale of archives, Not only the archival impulse but the planetary scale at this point. So the scale of Archives, how this affect or not the archive, the impossible task of archiving the "world's information" and the need to use cultural philantrophy to wash their business. The influence of the colonial thought in Google, the bad part of Enlightment, was absorbed by GCI. 

Another thing that i think is important, or maybe just a different technique, instead of "hack the archive" we should highlight how close [closed?] is it. What we talk about no API, no right click, all this super close environment shoudl not be opened because often this strategies end up doing reverse philantropic work for this types of corporatios. 

Ideas: 
Scripts, skits, press release, research as press release. 

[1] (focus on this? not sure, mayber we could add something like: and related "cultural intiatives" in the form of platforms? Like for instance, Europeana is weeeird. it is. totally. but I don't want us to get too broad, i've been in sooooo many discussions etc. already around this -- also, europeana is direct response(and completely failed) to Google so it gets hard to aim and shoot, yes ok GCI is good ot focus, it crosses with Europeana anyway, yes. also like the direct approach. is good. Also in Germany they dont like them hihi). Jean-Noël Jeanneney, then director of the National Library of France wrote a book, or more of a pamphlet as a (what I interpret to be a) call-to-arms in response to Google Book Search around 2005. Europeana is not a direct outcome of that text of course, but I dare to say they stem from same discourse and same people too. Jeanneney's text is called Google-And the Myth of Universal Knowledge, I read the english 2005, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0-226-39577-7 translation and published a review here https://xmacex.wordpress.com/2009/07/27/jean-noel-jeanneney-google%E2%80%93and-the-myth-of-universal-knowledge/. I recommend everyone interested in Europeana, Google book digitalization, cultural colonialism, public cultural institutions etc. to check out Jeanneney's text.

- Geraldine can contribute with Intercolonial Technogalatic
- Femke: Fathers of internet?
-
.

Press Room.
Lights, table, tablecloth. (haha) eh what is a mantel? like a tablecloth?, yes. ;)

- Reseach Papers
- Press Releases
- Books
- Mondoteque

- Duration: 2 days?
- NUmber of Participants: Femke, Jara, Geraldine, 




====================================

i think it is a gathering of people concerned by certain questions. so an opportunity to get together and compare notes, tactics for response


[[[[[Moving these below. [I have a call at 17.30.. but im here.... just need to get onto that meeting really fast.. but we keep going here? :)  ok, i have like an hour more and than we need to see what still needs doing. yes ill be back in abit. but i think we are on the right track to present to others too yes. and be ready for the 10th deadline . ) 
most important: need two or three more groups/participants. will think. Yes of course. I will also thnk in this, but i think withing Mondotque group right?. Can be .. mondotheque has many elements so let's see. would be great to have someone from around finnish/dutch datacenters. or californian buses? hmm. no, better to stay with Culture Ihehe. buses are culture submarines but i understand. guess? hey C vs c ;-) :)  I can look into the datacenter thing around here while that.. maybe not finalnd but sure mayeb i found someone in Sweden or something, WIll think.  OK BRB]]]]]