LIFESCIENCE: lifescience

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ARS ELECTRONICA FESTIVAL 99
LIFESCIENCE
Linz, Austria, September 04 - 09
http://www.aec.at/lifescience
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n einer eMail vom 18.06.99 00:36:22 MEZ, schreiben Sie:
 dear trevor
 >that is very true but the forms of sciences will strongly infiltrate social
 in the  >case of lifescience although the starting point is a scientific 
laboratory.
 
 Is it not advisable to ask advice by someone who has no vested interest in
 the outcome?

i do not quite get the point but i think so
 
 So perhaps the basic paradox of BOTH art and science is that their
 social relevance is highest when social relevance is not part of their
 strategy.
 
 Is this not similar to the point being made by speer?
 
 >> "   art ,,like life will only reveal itself for what it is AFTER it has
 been
 >> created." -speer
 
i do not if this is the case i misunderstood speer

 
 >the purpose of art is a special one giving new objects for communication to
 >society
that was me systemtheory based point of view 
 
 So we have TWO slightly contradictory visions here:
 
 Art as COMMUNICATION (for public) and art as INVESTIGATION (for artist).
 
 Personally, I would reject "Art as Communication".
 Although of course there are no watertight divisions:
 -in order to communicate one should presumably investigate first
 -and investigation can produce information which may influence others.
 
these two points just seem contradictional, they maybe different stages of 
the same process.

 But, even if the path is the same -then the direction of the traveller will
 surely affect their view, and people moving in different directions will
 see different things.
 
 So we can kill each other because we have differnt views -or we can have
 the pleasure (and knowlege) gained by exchanging and comparing them.

no we will not so this is the fun of making up a discussion and exchanging 
our view i think 
 
 >so this is the point of view of very conervative art historian telling you
 >have
 >to wait 50 years to tell something about an piece of art, only then you have
 >the necessary reflective attittude.
 
 Possibly, except of course that after only 50 years one might be advised to
 wait a little longer (unfortunately, a reflective attitude is not enough
 -one also needs time to see how things develop, and to study the implications
 of those developments).
 
 Of course we cannot put our brains on ice until then -but in the meantime
 we could perhaps exercize a little humility and not assume that we now know
 ALL the answers, that those who were before us were fools -and that those who
 come after us will have nothing to do.
 
 >> Is this a forum to discuss "Lifescience" or to sell "transgentic art"?
 
 >i am not paid by eduardo kac if you mean that :)))
 
 Sorry, I did not mean to imply that. Perhaps it was an unjustified remark,
 simply expressing my frustration at the difficulties of having a meaningful
 discussion. 

no problem this was just a remark not meant that seriously and your remark 
was ok.

 On 17-Jun-99, melinda rackham wrote:
 > i also have real problems with this years prix winners....
 
 Ars Electronica is not free from commercial sponsoring, but of course it is
 not alone in this.
 
 In America there is the  "Microsoft Artist-Residency Fellowship Program" at
 the Carnegie Mellon University.
 
 And in Switzerland:
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 GAME_OVER version 1.0 started april 14th 1999 and
 will end july 4th 1999
     museum fuer gestaltung zuerich
     ausstellungsstrasse 60
     ch-8005 zurich / switzerland
     fon [+41] 1-446 22 11
     http://www.museum-gestaltung.ch
 ._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _.
 <sponsors>
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
 GAME_OVER version 1.0 is funded by research grants of the
 commission for technology and innovation KTI of the BUNDES-
 AMTES FUER BERUFSBILDUNG UND TECHNOLOGIE SWITZERLAND and
 supported by CREDIT SUISSE [main sponsor], IFA informatik,
 SONY computer entertainment and SIEMENS business services
 and many more... additional programs are organized by
 digital brainstorming / KULTURPROZENT MGB, cinema riff raff,
 load, booom and substrat at the rohstofflager.
 _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _._ _.
 
 These being just a few (random) examples of how "commercialized" our
 "culture" has become (in such poor countries as Austria, America and
 Switzerland).
 
 On 17-Jun-99, melinda rackham wrote:
 By ignoring the "formal" aspects of the computer -the differences in 
character
 manifested when it is approached as "tool" by a user or as a "medium" by a
 programmer can never become visible -because few "artists" or "experts" are
 interested in, or capable, of programming the beast. Current art dogma -has
 it that the medium is unimportant -that the idea is paramount, so artists
 are encouraged never to get "formal" (and there are very few teachers who
 could
 teach this approach, anyhow). Art historians and festivals follow (and
 reinforce) the current trend, so the circle closes -and the evidence against
 it becomes lost.
 
 On the other hand, how much is "Linux" to be concidered a "commercial"
 product. Surely, it could be argued that "Linux" could be used to demonstrate
 that the open practices of non-commercial systems generate (via the net)
 beter products than the restricted practices found in more commercial 
systems.
 
 At the risk of boring everyone -I have forwarded separately some remarks I
 posted on another (Ars Electronica) list. Just to prove I am not entirely
 against the smell of money.
 
regards
birgit

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