Cultural Digital #014 - not everybody's happy
Cultural Digital
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Good day
You may have noticed that last week's email was a bit museum-heavy. Not that I plan these things, but this one is a bit more wide-ranging. It also includes some people pointing out that *gasp* not everything is excellent.
Plus, events are back. Which is nice.
Boston's Museum of Fine Arts has an exhibition called Crafted: Objects in Flux, looking at how artists are blending cutting-edge concepts and traditional skills. The pic shows "Sound Surface: Benjamin Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes - Dawn" by Jonathan Keep, a ceramicist who explains…
"While generating the computer mesh I progressively textured the surface by adding digital sound recording. The surface from base to rim becomes a representation of the tone and rhythm of the music named in the title of the pot. I have used one prescribed virtual vase shape so each form starts the same and the length of the musical interlude defines the height and the forming code effects the shape and surface. The rhythm and volume of each interlude changes the texture and basic shape so the character of each vase can clearly be seen."
Links
It's not all good
Ash Mann has some thoughts/observations about the Digital Culture 2015 survey. If you've not had time to read the main report then this rounds up the main points and has links to other reactions. Two quotes that just about sum things up:
"Basically, no-one has any money and this is stopping people from doing things"
"Whilst this report cannot hide the fact that the sector on the whole isn’t doing brilliantly, there are pockets of good practice. This is usually to be found within organisations who have the time, money, willingness (or a combination thereof) to invest in digital things"
I think it's fair to say that the 'high on willingness, low on money' end of the spectrum was represented at a recent Devoted & Disgruntled with a discussion about working with technology within creative theatre practice.
Meanwhile Rohan Gunatillake, who's worked on quite a few of the larger arts/digital innovation programmes of recent years, has given up on the sector.
It's not all bad
For an upcoming production of The Tempest, the RSC have been working with Intel and The Imaginarium Studios to "transform the character of Ariel into a mystical 3D digital apparition which will react in real-time as it is projected onstage, just as effectively as the human members of the cast".
Anna Frew has been exploring the creative potential of drone technology in the arts and culture sector.
Is virtual reality the future of the Royal Opera House? Daft title, but an interesting piece.
People predict that their own areas of creative/digital practice will be important in 2016. Naturally.
Slate has five digital history projects that dazzled us in 2015.
Various things Tate
Nicholas Serota has written a piece about how the 21st-century Tate is a commonwealth of ideas, which addresses (amongst other things) what it means when "a digital age obliges us to respond to the needs and expectations of our audiences in new ways".
In other Tate news, they're being featured in a Pinterest success story, applications are now open for the IK Prize which is asking for "originality and ingenuity in the application of artificial intelligence to the task of engaging the public with British art on display at Tate Britain and on the Tate website". They've also got a course coming up called Art in the Age of Digital Drift.
Miscellaneous stuff
Holly Herndon & Jennifer Walshe want to collect examples of Post-Internet Sound.
Lateral Thinking with Withered Technology is a concept from the guy who invented the Game Boy. New to me, and found via the notes on that D&D discussion above.
This is how The Barbican are approaching mobile ticket booking for their new website. While the RSC's ticket buying process recently got a rather harsh write-up.
The V&A have put on free screenings of the film of their Bowie Is exhibition. Which I only note here because, although with livestreaming we focus on the live broadcast to 200+ cinemas bit of things, the ability to bring an aspect of an exhibition back in response to current events is a new one on me.
Jobs
Digital Engagement Officer, English National Opera
Content Editor, Victoria & Albert Museum
Marketing & Social Media Executive, Victoria & Albert Museum
Digital Project Manager, Tate
Insight Manager, Royal Albert Hall
Website Manager, Museum of Science and Industry
Digital Engagement Specialist, University of Cambridge Museums
Provided by Artful Jobs.
Events
22-23 January, London, Art Challenge hackathon
28 January, London, Creative Data Club #12 - Big Bang Data Special
17-18 March 2016, Brighton, Blast Theory presents: Apps for art and artists
That'll do for this week. Oh, and please pass this on to others. Thanks!
Chris Unitt
@chrisunitt
I work with cultural organisations on projects that involve digital strategy, content and analytics. Visit One Further (soon to be updated, honest) to find out more.