The Rhizome Digest merged into the Rhizome News in November 2008. These pages serve as an archive for 6-years worth of discussions and happenings from when the Digest was simply a plain-text, weekly email.

Subject: RHIZOME DIGEST: 7.24.05
From: digest@rhizome.org (RHIZOME)
Date: Sun, 24 Jul 2005 10:42:44 -0700
Reply-to: digest@rhizome.org
Sender: owner-digest@rhizome.org

RHIZOME DIGEST: July 24, 2005

Content:

+note+
1. Lauren Cornell: Front page
2. Francis Hwang: Announcing: Rhizome Location

+opportunity+
3. hroffice AT bennington.edu: Bennington College: Digital Arts Technician
4. Jessica Ivins: Eyebeam's "Circuit" - A new program for emerging artists

+comment+
5. Alexander Galloway and Eugene Thacker: Notes for a Liberated Computer
Language

+work+
6. abe linkoln: magnum i.p.

+commissioned for Rhizome.org+
7. Jonah Brucker-Cohen: Report from Artbots 2005

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Rhizome is now offering Organizational Subscriptions, group memberships
that can be purchased at the institutional level. These subscriptions allow
participants at institutions to access Rhizome's services without
having to purchase individual memberships. For a discounted rate, students
or faculty at universities or visitors to art centers can have access to
Rhizome?s archives of art and text as well as guides and educational tools
to make navigation of this content easy. Rhizome is also offering
subsidized Organizational Subscriptions to qualifying institutions in poor
or excluded communities. Please visit http://rhizome.org/info/org.php for
more information or contact Lauren Cornell at LaurenCornell AT Rhizome.org

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

1.

Date: 7.18.05
From: Lauren Cornell <laurencornell AT rhizome.org>
Subject: Front page

Hi everyone:

Our new publishing system ­ a modified version of the reBlog
(www.eyebeam.org/reblog) - is now live on the front page. Many thanks to
Francis Hwang for making this happen, and also to our Superusers for
adapting to this new system.

Best,
Lauren


--
Lauren Cornell
Executive Director, Rhizome.org
New Museum of Contemporary Art
210 Eleventh Ave, NYC, NY 10001

tel. 212.219.1222 X 208
fax. 212.431.5328
ema. laurencornell AT rhizome.org

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

2.

Date: 7.22.05
From: Francis Hwang <francis AT rhizome.org>
Subject: Announcing: Rhizome Location

Hey kids,

I just rolled out the next Member feature here at Rhizome.org:
Location. Go here to see what I'm talking about:

http://rhizome.org/location.rhiz

Location gives Members the option to be searchable by their country of
residence. Right now we imagine this will be most useful for those
Members who live in countries where the new media arts scene has a ways
to grow. For example, right now we've got two Rhizome Members who live
in Finland:

http://rhizome.org/location.rhiz?location=fi

Each specific location also has an RSS feed, so you can be notified of
new Members coming on in your country. (RSS for everything! Yay!) For
example, Finland's RSS feed is:

http://rhizome.org/syndicate/location/fi.rss

Not everyone will want to publish this information, of course. So if
you want to opt-out, you can do so by following these steps:

1. Log in to the Rhizome web site.
2. Go to your preferences page at http://rhizome.org/preferences/ .
3. Click on the "Hidden" checkbox by the Country field, and then click
"Submit" at the bottom of the page.

( I already sent out this info to every Member last week, but you never
know. Sometimes people don't read their email. )

And, of course, if you think this is cool and you're not yet a Rhizome
Member, you can make a member contribution here:

http://rhizome.org/support


Best,

Francis Hwang
Director of Technology
Rhizome.org
phone: 212-219-1288x202
AIM: francisrhizome
+ + +

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Rhizome ArtBase Exhibitions

http://rhizome.org/art/exhibition/

Visit the fourth ArtBase Exhibition "City/Observer," curated by
Yukie Kamiya of the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York and designed
by T.Whid of MTAA.

http://rhizome.org/art/exhibition/city/

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

3.

Date: 7.18.05
From: <hroffice AT bennington.edu>
Subject: Bennington College: Digital Arts Technician

Digital Arts Technician
Office of the Provost/Dean of the College

Bennington College seeks a Digital Arts Technician to work closely with
faculty, IT staff and students. The Technician is responsible for
supervising, maintaining and scheduling computing facilities, providing
technical assistance in support of the Digital Arts curriculum and managing
student monitors of the facility. Facilities include a lab with 13 Macintosh
Computers, Epson 7600 and 3000 printers, an adjunct workspace with 2 PC
computers and a small equipment bank. The position also involves
troubleshooting student problems, responding to faculty requests, and
providing basic instruction in equipment use. Working knowledge of
Macromedia Dreamweaver, Flash and Adobe Photoshop is a must as well as
Macintosh hardware/software troubleshooting skills. Experience with
microcontrollers and prototyping a plus. A Bachelorâ??s degree and expert
interpersonal skills are also required. This is a full-time position during
the academic terms (8 months per year), with benefits. Interested applicants
should send a cover letter and resume to:

Human Resources
Bennington College
One College Drive
Bennington, Vermont 05201
802-440-4423
802-440-4424 (fax)
hroffice AT bennington.edu
EOE

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

4.

Date: 7.20.05
From: Jessica Ivins <jessica AT rhizome.org>
Subject: Eyebeam's "Circuit" - A new program for emerging artists

http://www.eyebeam.org/learning/learning.php?page=circuit

Circuit
Eyebeam has developed Circuit in response to the need for emerging
artists, particularly those exiting graduate-level programs (ie artists
who have not shown their work in a professional setting or outside of
university) to exhibit work and receive professional critique and exposure
to networks within the art and technology community. This three-day
intensive program offers a particular group of artists working and
experimenting with new tools and practices, the opportunity to:

- meet fellow artists working with similar media;
- have the experience of exhibiting work at an art and technology center
in New York City
- receive critique from peers and professional curators, gallerists,
artists, academics, writers, theorists, etc.
- publicly present work during a public event at Eyebeam to gain feedback
from peers, professionals and the public

The program will run three times per year, with a maximum of 6 artist
participants per Circuit program. Please see the information below
regarding the selection process and application timeline.

Selected artists will exhibit their work in Eyebeam?s exhibition space for
three days, during which time they will take part in a critique organized
by Eyebeam?s Education and Curatorial staff, and present and/or perform
their projects during a public event at Eyebeam at the end of the three
days.

Artists interested in applying to take part in Circuit should view this
program as a way to publicly prototype work under development (ie thesis
projects that are ready for the next level of presentation), and take part
in a rare structured critical discourse outside of the academic setting.
Eyebeam is interested in projects ranging from moving image, sound and
physical computing works, to software, websites, technical prototypes,
performances, workshops and other forms of public interventions.

Structure
- Circuit will run three times per year.
- Circuits will be curated to the extent that similarly themed work (in
terms of content and/or medium) will be grouped together to allow for a
more focused critique and informed discussions about the work.
- Selected artists will gather on Thursday morning over coffee and
breakfast before installation begins.
- Set up/install will take place Thursday (all works will be installed by
8pm Thursday) and the artists will have two full days of exhibition on
Friday and Saturday.
- Works will be on-view Friday and Saturday to the public (12-6pm).
- Friday evening at 4:00pm artists will take part in a closed professional
critique with select Eyebeam staff and invited guest critics.
- 6:30 PM on Saturday evening will be a public event designed to give the
participating students an opportunity to present and/or perform their
work, and discuss their projects for 10-15 minutes to an audience in
Eyebeam?s space.

Selection Process
Submissions are rolling. A Selection Committee will meet three times in a
year and curate three to four Circuit programs per year based on recurring
themes, content and media amongst the applicants.

Online Application
Go to: http://www.eyebeam.org/production/onlineapp/index.php

Schedule for the coming year:
Circuit 1: September 8-10, 2005
Call for participants/Letter to schools: June 17, 2005
Deadline: August 22, 2005

Circuit 2: February 9-11, 2006
Call for participants/Letter to schools: November 15, 2005
Deadline: January 16, 2006

Circuit 3: June 8-10, 2006
Call for participants/Letter to schools: March 21, 2006
Deadline: May 19, 2006

Program Contact:
Liz Slagus
Director of Education
212.937.6580 ext. 230
liz AT eyebeam.org

*there is currently no travel budget, although we would like to consider
non-New York residents. Grad students should check with their respective
programs for available funds.


Jessica Ivins
ema. jessica AT rhizome.org


Jessica Ivins
Intern, Rhizome.org
New Museum of Contemporary Art
210 11th Avenue 2nd Floor
NYC, NY 10001

tel. 212.219.1288 X 208
fax. 212.431.5328
ema. jessica AT rhizome.org

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Rhizome.org 2005-2006 Net Art Commissions

The Rhizome Commissioning Program makes financial support available to
artists for the creation of innovative new media art work via panel-awarded
commissions.

For the 2005-2006 Rhizome Commissions, eleven artists/groups were selected
to create original works of net art.

http://rhizome.org/commissions/

The Rhizome Commissions Program is made possible by support from the
Jerome Foundation in celebration of the Jerome Hill Centennial, the
Greenwall Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and
the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Additional support has
been provided by members of the Rhizome community.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

5.

Date: 7.20.05
From: Alexander Galloway and Eugene Thacker <galloway AT nyu.edu>
Subject: Notes for a Liberated Computer Language

backdoor TARGET.
Installs a backdoor in the machine specified in TARGET. If no target is
provided, the backdoor is installed in the local machine.

bandwidth AMOUNT.
Enlarges or reduces bandwidth by AMOUNT.

bitflip DATA, NUMBER.
Randomly flips a specified number of bits in the data source named by
DATA.

bug APPLICATION, NUMBER.
Introduce specified NUMBER of bugs into the code of the specified
application.

crash TIME.
Crashes the machine after the number of seconds provided by TIME by
interfering with the operating system kernel. If TIME is not provided,
the crash will occur immediately.

degrade HARDWARE, TIME.
Introduces wear and tear, specified by number of months given in TIME,
into specified HARDWARE.

destroy TARGET.
A quick and effective function for the complete destruction of anything
specified in TARGET.

disidentify TARGET.
Removes all unique IDs, profile data, and other quantitative identifiers
for the object specified in TARGET.

emp TIME.
After the number of seconds provided by TIME, this function sends an
electromagnetic pulse, neutralizing self and all machines within range.

envision.
A subjective function that helps the user articulate unknown future
realities. Often used in conjunction with rebuild.

fail FUNCTION.
Introduces logical fallacies into any other language method specified by
FUNCTION.

frees TIME.
Frees the computer from operating by freezing it for the number of
seconds specified in TIME.

jam NETWORK.
Sends jamming signal to the specified NETWORK.

lose DEVICE.
Unlink a random file on the storage medium specified by DEVICE.

mutate SEQUENCE.
Introduces a mutation into the given informatic SEQUENCE.

netbust TARGET.
Exposes a network specified in TARGET to extremely high voltages,
thereby fatally damaging any network hardware attached to the network.
TARGET can also be "self" to affect only the local interface.

noise PROTOCOL, AMOUNT.
Scatters a specific AMOUNT of random noise packets into the default
network interface using the specified PROTOCOL.

obfuscate SEQUENCE.
Render any given SEQUENCE (gene, character string, etc.) completely
illegible to all parsing technologies.

obsolete HARDWARE.
Renders any given piece of HARDWARE obsolete. Opposite of reclaim.

overclock MULTIPLIER.
Increase the clock frequency of the central processing unit according to
the value of MULTIPLIER. A negative value will decrease the clock
frequency.

processKiller.
Selects a process at random and kills it.

processScrambler.
Randomly renumbers all currently running process IDs.

rebuild TARGET.
Begins the process of rebuilding the object or scenario specified in
TARGET. Often used to remedy the effects of destroy.

reclaim HARDWARE.
Rescues any given piece of HARDWARE from obsolescence. Opposite of
obsolete.

reject.
A subjective function that heightens the user's desire to rebuff the
current state of affairs. Often used as a precursor to destroy.

reverseEngineer TARGET.
If object specified in TARGET is an application, this function
decompiles the application and returns commented source code. If the
object specified in TARGET is a protocol, this function returns an
RFC-like document describing the protocol.

rewrite APPLICATION.
Develop an entire new version upgrade for the piece of software
designated in APPLICATION. The upgrade would be optimized for only the
most startling and utopian developments.

scramble DEVICE.
Randomly shuffle all filenames on the storage medium specified by
DEVICE.

selfDestruct.
Imposes fatal physical damage on self. Equivalent to destroy SELF.

struggle.
A subjective function that assists the user in agitation and opposition
to existing exploitation and control.

zapMemory.
Clears all RAM on local machine.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Support Rhizome: buy a hosting plan from BroadSpire

http://rhizome.org/hosting/

Reliable, robust hosting plans from $65 per year.

Purchasing hosting from BroadSpire contributes directly to Rhizome's fiscal
well-being, so think about about the new Bundle pack, or any other plan,
today!

About BroadSpire

BroadSpire is a mid-size commercial web hosting provider. After conducting a
thorough review of the web hosting industry, we selected BroadSpire as our
partner because they offer the right combination of affordable plans (prices
start at $14.95 per month), dependable customer support, and a full range of
services. We have been working with BroadSpire since June 2002, and have
been very impressed with the quality of their service.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

6.

Date: 7.23.05
From: abe linkoln <abe AT linkoln.net>
Subject: magnum i.p.

the 24hr online performance/happening/blog 'magnum i.p.' has now concluded

please visit it in it's archived form at

http://magnum-i.p.screenfull.net/


linkoln + jimpunk

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

7.

Date: 7.24.05
From: Jonah Brucker-Cohen <jonah AT coin-operated.com>
Subject: Report from Artbots 2005

Report from Artbots 2005

July 15-17, 2005

Saints Michael and John Church

Dublin, Ireland


By Jonah Brucker-Cohen (jonah (at) coin-operated.com)


For the first time outside of the US, the 4th annual ³Artbots: The Robot
Talent Show² took place in Saints Michael and John church in Dublin,
Ireland. During an unusually warm summer in Dublin, the yearly event
showcased over 20 projects from 10 countries ranging from kinetic
art-producing robots to solar robot building and scrapyard workshops.
Organized by Douglas Irving Repetto and curated this year with Michael John
Gorman and Marie Redmond, the event featured an even more international
group of artists than from previous years coming from as far as South
America, Europe, US, and the Middle East. The show was held in conjunction
with the larger, summer-long ³Save The Robots² festival about the culture
and history of robots organized by The Ark, a cultural center for children
located in the heart of Dublin¹s Temple Bar district.

Upon entering the venue, visitors were greeted by Venezuelan artist Elias
Crespin's ³Malla Electrocinetica #1³, a mesh of 64 nodes hanging from the
ceiling that subtly moved in a wave above the entrance stairwell. This
piece¹s subtle movements were as intricate as they were beautiful and
precise. On the first level and down the hall was Will Tremblay and Rob
Gonsalves¹ ³Wave Puppet², a physical simulation of waves across the ocean¹s
surface. Following a similar aesthetic to Crespin¹s work, the project was
built from a combination of servomotors, acrylic walls, and a rubber surface
that bent forward and backwards like a steady moving wave.

As the entrance hallway extended, there were two workshops that allowed
visitors to the show to build their own robots or musical instruments. Ralf
Schreiber and Tina Tonagel¹s ³60 minutes bot² workshop integrated simple
electronic components including wires, electric motors and solar panels to
create simple bots that exhibited varied movements based on their exposure
to light in a small exhibit space. The second workshop, which I ran with
Katherine Moriwaki, was called ³MIDI Scrapyard Challenge² and allowed
visitors to create musical controllers out of cast off or discarded
materials found in local junk shops and in the refuse bin of local computer
labs. Both workshops engaged participants from varied age groups to get
involved in the creation of robots and electronic instruments with little or
no previous knowledge of electronics.

Further down the hallway along the walls was ³Sketch of a field of grass
(dunes, Pacific Coast, 2005)² by Ryan Wolfe. The project consisted of a row
of mechanically controlled blades of grass that responded to each other¹s
movements mimicking a breeze blowing through a field. The simplicity of this
array of grass was a nice reminder of how natural movements can be emulated
through simple motorized controllers. Across the walkway was Amanda Parkes
and Jessica Banks¹s ³Curiously Strong², an array of 250 mechanically
controlled Altoid¹s tins that opened and closed as a large kinetic
sculpture.

Moving into the main exhibition space, robots exhibited ranged from those
that created art as a byproduct of their movements to those that questioned
the very definition of mechanical or autonomous art. Bruce Shapiro¹s ³Ribbon
Dancer² was two long metal arms mounted on a banister that moved wildly
around the space with ribbons attached to the ends. Their actions resulted
in a lively and fluid stream of animated fabric high in the air. Further
along the far wall was Sabrina Raaf¹s ³Translator II: Grower², a mechanical
robot that measured carbon dioxide levels in the room and drew green blades
of grass of varying heights along the walls. This type of immediate analysis
of the immediate environment was a nice constant reminder of our own
physical output manifested by the machine. Further across the room was local
Dublin artist Peter O¹Kennedy¹s ³Escape² a collection of 15 small
mouse-shaped robots all attempting to move towards a single passageway that
was only big enough for one of them. This simple concept proved addictive to
watch as the small bots scurried towards an awkward freedom.

Though not a competition, Artbots awards two prizes each year: one to the
artist¹s choice and one for the audience choice. This year¹s audience
favorite was Garnet Hertz¹s ³Cockroach-controlled Mobile Robot #2². The
robot consisted of a large Madagascan Hissing Cockroach perched atop a
modified trackball that controlled a three-wheeled robot. As the cockroach
tried to move forward, its feet caught on the trackball, pushing the robot
forward. Thus the roach ³drove² the robot around depending on its activity.
This bot got a lot of stares from pedestrians as Hertz took it out to a
local square to give it more space to ³drive². The artist¹s favorite prize
was awarded to Elias Crespin?s kinetic mobile described earlier.

Also located in the main exhibition space was the masochistic ³Shockbot
Corejulio², a computer-based device that affected its own behavior by
placing a piece of metal over its exposed circuit board. With each touch
from the metal, the bot consequently ³shocked² itself causing the graphics
output of the screen to change, The resulting output resembled a Mondrian
painting which became more and more abstract the further the bot was
shocked. Moving down into the basement of the church, ³Nervous², by Bjoern
Schuelke, consisted of small, bright orange, furry objects that coated the
walls of the space. As you got closer and touched them, they began to shake
and emit nervous sounds. This project was a nice simulation of the ³human
side² to artificial life and a reminder of the ³fragility² of automated
creatures.

As the show came to a close, it was evident that automated or mechanized art
is not dependent on the creation itself. Most of the work in the show came
to life with audience involvement and through the individual perception each
participant and author brought to the works. Throughout its four year
existence, Artbots has presented a sample of work that re-defines what
³robotic art² is or how it could be perceived (see the website for a list of
all works included). Each of the works in this year¹s show were unique
reminders that technological art can produce the same visceral reaction
usually associated with traditional art forms. The kinetic nature of the
works adds a relational aspect for the viewer who can project their own
experience on the piece. This remarkable quality to the work and high
standard of curation from a yearly open call, has turned Artbots into one of
the most unique electronic art festivals worldwide.


? By Jonah Brucker-Cohen (jonah (at) coin-operated.com)

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Rhizome.org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an affiliate of
the New Museum of Contemporary Art.

Rhizome Digest is supported by grants from The Charles Engelhard
Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for
the Visual Arts, and with public funds from the New York State Council
on the Arts, a state agency.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Rhizome Digest is filtered by Kevin McGarry (kevin AT rhizome.org). ISSN:
1525-9110. Volume 10, number 30. Article submissions to list AT rhizome.org
are encouraged. Submissions should relate to the theme of new media art
and be less than 1500 words. For information on advertising in Rhizome
Digest, please contact info AT rhizome.org.

To unsubscribe from this list, visit http://rhizome.org/subscribe.
Subscribers to Rhizome Digest are subject to the terms set out in the
Member Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +