Computation and algorithm ecosystems

I'm writing an essay in my Anthropology module entitled 'How has the Anthropology of Art contributed to Art History?'

After having made comparisons between different 'forms' of art and different information networks, I'm (anthropologically) interested in how global culture can still be categorised (West, Non-West, etc), or made specific in a world were 'everything is connected'. What happens when culture constitutes its own context, and how do we increase communications without flattening out discrete societies?
When nature/science and society are as separate poles (as in Western modes of thought), a hierarchy ensues as a comparative anthropology is not possible (Bruno Latour 'We Have Never Been Modern', 1991). But there are ways in which similar models from these separate models can come together, and can also contribute to art history.

"Art-science projects such as MEArt, Silent Barrage, and more recently In Potentia have all situated living cells in dynamic feedback with a physical system. All of these works are cybernetic in the purest sense—the raw matter of an animal’s central nervous system hardwired into a mechanical system."
Steven Fortune, May 2013 here


This idea of the hybrid has deep-rooted anthropological implications, which I intend to investigate further. 

In the mean time, here are some interesting moving images (that I really love) which can be explained via the previously mentioned article.

Another useful link: http://cyborganthropology.com/Main_Page
And here: http://wetwareontologies.tumblr.com/
 

Third Wave Fashion

As a result of my recent (epiphany) discovery of the fashion tech industry, I want to explore the strategies and aims of an incredible company I stumbled across on twitter named Third Wave Fashion. Building upon a collective (and seriously legit) understanding of both fashion and technology, TWF offers experienced mentorship and consulting with regards to exciting new fashion tech start up businesses. Not only does the company aim to help with practical services like funding plans, trend analysis, go-to-market strategies and customer acquisition, but TWF also offers creative advice and events planning. The website is simple and the team seem very accessible - perhaps as a result of the workshop and drop in sessions regularly organized for fashion entrepreneurs. All in all, the company seems to provide it all.
Yet does this all seem a bit too good to be true? On further research into who TWF are, I can safely say that it is not. The editorial blog content not only illustrates a strong ability to communicate effectively, but also that their industry experience is supported by intellectual and academic foundations that truly inspire cultural discussion and consideration within a professional/corporate field.

This blog post is certainly worth a read: Why You Should Quit Calling it "Fashion 2.0"
I hope to investigate the points discussed here at a later date - final year at university is drawing to a close in a very hectic manner.

But anyway.
I can't wait to learn more about fashion tech. Stoked!

Tetley DIY

Tetley DIY is a project supported by PSL (Project Space Leeds), who will soon be moving to their new location of the old Tetley brewery in the city - exciting.

I'm involved with Breeze International Festival, which is an arts festival run by Leeds City Council that Tetley DIY will be contributing to.

We'll be running a weeks worth of curated arts workshops in the Trinity Leeds customer service lounge in May, and at the moment, we're just in the planning phases of the project - we started last week with the basic idea/notion of 'SHOPPING'.

D I S C O U R S E will be running some workshops, which we're really looking forward to.

In the meantime, here is the project blog:

http://tetleydiy.tumblr.com/

Excited for summer surfing

Cult of the Amateur?

here



Cult of The Amateur? - Part One from James Harper on Vimeo.

Snow Dreams

Restless from Leo Zuckerman on Vimeo.

Weird Materiality

UCL's Institute of Making has an amazing Materials Library.
Like the original cabinet of curiosity, all sorts of futuristic/scientific/techy things line the shelves to produce a most fascinating collection of objects which all have a kind of weird materiality:

from http://www.instituteofmaking.org.uk/materials-library

I want to talk to the 'curator' about how these 'non-objects' are culturally understood and organised - after having researched immateriality in relation to objecthood (immateriality of code, and of light), these strange hybrid objects fascinate me: how do we define them (in art history), and could they be used artistically?