Cultural Digital newsletter #112
Cultural Digital
Hello
This week we've got impossible art, gold plating, and a couple of things that'll make you say "why would you ever do that?"
Origami Simulator just seems very clever to me. Also, there's something quite nice about picking different examples from the menu and then using the slider to fold them up. Simple pleasures.
MCNx London was last week and the write-ups of each of the talks are now online.
John Stack from the Science Museum Group presented Ten things I wish I had known ten years ago. There are lots of gems in there. I especially liked the idea of 'gold plating' (and if you're worried about point 9 then get in touch).
Impossibilities
A couple of examples of how software can do/enable new possibilities. Even if some of those are ridiculous.
I'm learning to play piano at the moment. It's sometimes nice to play something recognisable and there are loads of Guitar Hero-style videos on YouTube that are good for that. But then I stumbled across Greensleeves 2.5 Million. It might be a while before I can manage that one.
Michael Eden started off as a potter and now incorporates 3D printing and other techniques. He's got an exhibition coming up at Waddesdon called Form & Transform. "Three-dimensional printing has given me the freedom to create works of art impossible with the wheel and clay".
But… why would you do that?
Abhishek Singh has "reenacted a famous scene from 'The Ring' to bring #horror movies to life in AR".
Prosthetic Photographer. With this project, the camera uses machine learning to recognise images with good composition and "When satisfied with the current scene, a electric shock lets the user unwillingly press a button".
Other things
Cameraless Photography with Neural Networks: Mario Klingemann in conversation with Daniel Rourke. "Reflecting on the ways in which machines are being trained at an increasing rate to learn new skills - from creating to interpreting images - Mario will unpack the creative possibilities presented by neural networks".
Moving Pictures "a brand new Radio 4 series, examines the beauty and fascinatingly intricate detail of three works of art. Presenter Cathy FitzGerald invites us to discover new details in three old masterpieces, using our phones, tablets or computers".
Other Sites Have Fake News, So Soundcloud Has Fake Music.
Amazon Tickets shuts shop. It didn't work out because Ticketmaster refused to play along in the US, so they're shutting it down.
On Repeat – Data Beats. "Are artists trotting out the same old set lists gig after gig?" A nice bit of analysis using data from setlist.fm.
Jobs
There are digital-related jobs available at the British Academy, Science Museum Group, and Victoria & Albert Museum.
Please pass this email on to others, and thanks very much if you already have. I'll be back again with more next week.
Chris Unitt
The Library is a treasure trove of arts/digital info. In the latest update: 500+ US arts orgs with their CMS, plus the ecommerce platforms for 350+ UK arts orgs. Find out more about The Library.