Cultural Digital newsletter #102
Cultural Digital
Hello
This week there's a bit of strategy stuff, things to do with new technology in performing arts, and some bits that I couldn't group under a nice, neat title.
The Michelangelo of Microsoft Excel. This is pretty impressive but also quite sweet. "When Tatsuo Horiuchi retired, he decided to try his hand at art. But instead of spending money on paints and brushes, Horiuchi used what he already had pre-installed on his computer—Microsoft Excel".
Strategy and team structure
The Smithsonian are aiming to Reach One Billion People a Year with a Digital-First Strategy [insert Dr Evil gif here]. "From a purely numerical standpoint, achieving this goal within five years poses a major challenge". You don't say. Here's a discussion about this with their leadership team - skip to 22mins in for the digital bit.
Structuring for digital success. Kati Price (V&A) and Dafydd James (National Museum Wales) are doing some research into "how museums and other organisations are re-configuring their digital teams to drive – and define – success". Please fill out the survey if you work at a museum or arts organisation - I reckon the results will make for really interesting reading.
New tech in performance
Welsh National Opera are commissioning an "immersive Mixed Reality project". The blurb says "Each year we build on experience gained and increase our ambition by experimenting with different approaches and offering a new creative platform to highlight how technology, storytelling and opera can work together to create an engaging experience".
ERRATICA presents For Amusement Purposes Only. This was a "prototype dance installation, developed during a month-long residency at the Rambert studios". You play a vintage pinball machine, and the movement of the ball triggers video clips and (featuring Rambert's dancers) and the soundtrack.
VR/AR prototyping for everyone. This gets quite tech-y towards the end, but the history of VR and AR is worth a read.
Artful Spark X RSC: Real Time. In London on 10 Jan 2018, featuring Sarah Ellis from the Royal Shakespeare Company and others.
Report from the Second Annual Open Fields Conference. From Rhizome. "The talks were varied, covering everything from interactive art and VR to experimental sound and performance art".
Other stuff
Do Machines Make Art? "When art is generated by Artificial Intelligence, what or who can we call the artist? We look to art history to consider the long collaboration between humans and technology".
MuseumStat is an "online resource to support museums, communities, and researchers in gaining insights into the reach of museums and the communities they serve […] museum data are combined with community metrics on every census tract in the United States".
Everything but the Clouds. Patrick LeMieux is a is a game designer and media theorist. In this video he dissects Cory Arcangel’s digital artwork, Super Mario Clouds and claims it's not quite what it's claimed to be. "This example of practice-based research and digital art history operates at the intersection of close playing, critical code studies, and media archeology". Uh huh - what he said.
What's New in macOS High Sierra. The first thing you see when you upgrade macOS is (a picture of) the Design Museum's website. I'm not sure why this is notable, but I'm noting it.
Jobs
There are digital-related jobs available at Kew Gardens, Art UK, and Scottish Ballet.
That's where we'll end things for today. Please share things with others and maybe let them know about this newsletter too. I'm off to go play in the snow.
Chris Unitt
The Library is a treasure trove of arts/digital info. It even includes a spreadsheet with all the links from this newsletter. Find out more about The Library.