Cultural Digital #47 - always in beta
Cultural Digital
Hello
A big thanks to all the people who got in touch about good sources of performing arts/digital writings. So far it looks like I'm not missing anything - there's just not that much out there. The search continues.
Let's start this week with this bit impressive gorgeousness from Dave Webster. "This is an ongoing episodic piece that I'm making called Broken Angel (working title). It is an attempt to bring audio and abstract (ish) CGI together in a variety of interesting and/or affecting ways".
Links
New York Public Library have said they're shutting NYPL Labs, which prompted some general observations from Kaitlin Thaney about the lifespan of Labs/R+D divisions.
NYPL have been reworking their blog and have released a beta version. Here's a code-heavy post about the redesign. Also in beta, London's Science Museum testing out some new website layouts at beta.sciencemuseum.org.uk.
A couple of articles about online publishing at the British Library. How the British Library is using SEO to become a digital media publisher and (the oddly-titled) Content marketing at The British Library: Is it as easy as it sounds?
More on publishing. Art Book Digital Publishing: Hopelessly Lost, Making Excellent Time is a good overview/musing on digital formats in museum and gallery publishing.
The October Art in America magazine has a few digital-themed articles. One of them, The Digitized Museum, talks about how tech is affecting our idea of what an art museum should be, and includes this (which I wish they'd taken further) "there are reasons to be wary when private-sector entities rush to bridge the gap between public museums’ digital aspirations and their brick-and-mortar realities".
Watershed have open-sourced their approach to creative R&D "we have decided to let the Sandbox model go - by publishing a guide on the approach, tools, values and methodologies of Sandbox - for others to share, copy, edit or clone. We are more convinced than ever of the importance of supporting experimental work with care and courage and hope that this is inspiring and useful for others who want to do the same".
Ars Electronica happened. New Scientist wrote When art and technology pull each other to bits calling it "a gargantuan vessel powered by enthusiasm, but steered by nothing remotely resembling taste" and the #KissMyArs campaign highlighted how, over the past 29 years, the top award has gone to men 9 out of 10 times.
Google have blogged about their involvement in the new National Museum of African American History and Culture.
New websites
Mitteleuropa Orchestra, National Museum of African American History and Culture, The Curran.
Events
19 October, London: MCG's Museums+Tech 2016 conference reception
Jobs
There are digital-related jobs up for grabs at the Royal Museums Greenwich and London Theatre Company.
Thanks for reading, and to all the wonderful people who've shared this email with other people. See you next week.
Chris Unitt
@chrisunitt
I work with lots of really good cultural organisations on projects involving digital analytics, user testing, and all sorts of other related things. Visit One Further (just be aware it's a new website and a work-in-progress) for more on that.