Cultural Digital #007
Cultural Digital
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Hello
You may notice I've tweaked the layout a little. There's also a picture, because people told me I should include pictures. And some opinions, because people told me I should be more opinionated.
Also, the last item in the Links section is absolutely brilliant.
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Links
The pic above is from a project called E-TRACES. Devices (Lilypad Arduinos) in the ballet shoes collect information about movement and pressure and that information is then visualised.
If you like that then maybe check Boris Seewald's video for Sparks by Ralf Hildenbeutel, in all it's geometric, glitchy, dancey niceness.
Thinking small – how small changes can get big results
Everybody's read this already, right? If not, it's a summary of the improvements made to the V&A website earlier this year. It's very good. For my money, this sort of work is worth a dozen flashy microsites, apps and one-off projects.
Nesta wants to build a database of tech parters that might collaborate with arts organisations as part of their Digital Innovation Fund for the Arts in Wales.
You know I've made a big Google Doc of digital agencies (and more) that have experience in the cultural sector?
More from Sam Freeman, this time on The Future Of Arts Marketing (and Theatre): "I started to think about the things that I’d like to look at over the next 5 to 10 years, the changes I think will actually be adopted, the directions we will go and the places we will see. Some of these are arts marketing, some are my inclination about more organisational issues."
The Rooms. I missed this, but by all accounts it was excellent. Here's a write-up from Wired.
Livestreaming and the 'aesthlete'
While everyone goes on about Periscoping their Meerkats (or whatever) Twitch introduces Twitch Creative for the "determined community of artists, crafters and builders, who have been using Twitch to broadcast their creative processes".
Also, Shia LaBeouf is watching all of his movies consecutively in reverse chronological order over three days, 24 hours a day. The project is called #ALLMYMOVIES and it's being livestreamed right now. The crazy cat.
All of which leads us to…
Athletic Aesthetics – The New Inquiry
"Athletic aesthetics are a by-product of art’s new mediated environment, wherein creators must compete for online attention in the midst of an overwhelming amount of information. Artists using social media have transformed the notion of a “work” from a series of isolated projects to a constant broadcast of one’s artistic identity as a recognizable, unique brand."
And if that's your bag, then also read Why I’m Amassing an Army of Fake Social Media Followers by Constant Dullaart. Great name.
Museum-related
The British Museum has been given the full Google treatment. Which means there's now tonnes of British Museum stuff on the Google Cultural Institute, a fancy Museum of the World microsite (with a pretty timeline thing that gave my laptop palpitations), and you can tour the Museum via Street View. Speaking of…
With an eye toward Google, the Autry has changed its name
It wasn't the only reason, but they did say that “[Given] what pops up on Google as you look for places, the fact we did not have 'museum' in the name was not helpful to us."
An article in the New York Times - Toward a Museum of the 21st Century - provoked a bit of discussion. To give you the gist:
"So the new 21st-century museum — where walls are dissolvable, access is open, and art is invited to tell us who we are as an arrogant, exclusionary but possibly teachable culture — is still awaited."
Koven J Smith at the Blanton Museum picked up on this and wrote On Technology and the Museum of the 21st Century, concluding that museums have misinterpreted the demands of visitors and, as a result, "we’re not innovating in the way we need to be to survive. Instead, we’re just making a bunch of flashy junk."
Digital Exhibit Labels
Can exhibit labels and more specifically digital exhibit labels effectively support visitors and their learning process at museums? Yes they can. Read part 2 of this too.
Austrian Museum of Applied Arts First to Buy Exhibit with Bitcoin
They bought a screen saver installation with cryptocurrency. I'm not 100% sure if this is notable.
My new absolute favourite thing
Take a look at this page on the website of the Museum of Old and New Art. Glorious proof that the Support sections of cultural websites don't have to be boring and rubbish (even if the vast majority really are). Credit to Jo Fells for showing me that one.
Jobs
Digital Marketing Assistant, Underbelly
Digital Marketing & Box Office Coordinator, Pavilion Dance South West
Via Artful Jobs. Use the code CULTURALDIGITAL for a free standard listing.
Thanks for reading and please forward and/or share if you found it useful.
Chris Unitt / @chrisunitt
When not sending emails like this, I work with cultural organisations on projects that involve digital strategy, content and analytics. Visit One Further or hit reply if you're at all interested in any of that (but get in quick - my dance card's looking pretty full right now).