One of the drawcards for my visit to the Powerhouse Museum was the 80s exhibition, The 80s Are Back. This is a great exhibition that highlights various aspects of the 80s, obviously the music and fashion dominate the exhibition, but it also covers politics, toys, computer games, sub - cultures, sexuality and design.
One of the key thoughts I took away from the exhibition was how technology and culture have developed and changed over the last twenty to thirty years. The most obvious indicators of this change was the technology, particularly computers, computer games, and mobile phones.
During the decade these technologies were taking off however still not widespread as they were expensive and despite being cutting edge, basic. For example the exhibition notes that the mobile phone was a sign of success due to its expense yet it was quite clunky (and chunky!).
Computer games had basic graphics and narratives compared to the complex games that we play today.
Vinyl, boomboxes and walkmans dominated our music listening habits. Mixed tapes, remember those!
This exhibition highlights how humans still valued technology and utilised it, however, it was less pervasive in our lives back in the 80s as it is today. The examples of our immersion are quite obvious such as the Internet, devices such as computers, iphones, ipods just to begin with.
I highly recommend a visit to the exhibition, it’s a lot of fun and reminds us where we came from and the changes that Australian society (amongst many others) have undergone.
Just to get you in the mood here are some rad music clips!
New Order: Blue Monday Live - Check out the drum machine in this clip
Severed Heads - Dead Eyes
Although this clip of Kraftwerk is from the 70s it gives a great narrative on the development of things to come ....
This legacy has carried through the 90s and we have now witnessed a renaissance of the 80s in the new millenium when we thought we had left them far behind....
Datarock: Computer Camp Love
Ladytron: Discotraxx
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Museum of Power
Over this rainy weekend I visited the Powerhouse Museum, which I haven’t done in years! I highly recommend it if you have a spare afternoon.
The Powerhouse Museum has many exhibitions, but the two I will highlight are Cyberworlds: computers and connections, and Artefact H10515. The former provides a historical narrative that follows the development of computer technology from the late 1800s to now. The exhibition also tackles the various aspects of technology. From early computers, to science fiction characters, to music synthesizers, to the world of cyborgs (specifically Stelarc and Alan Turing), various artefacts are on display.
The latter, Artefact H10515 is a huge plastic cube that contains a computer image of some sort of underwater creature. When you touch the cube, the creature inside reacts, however you are also able to ‘feed’ it with your own treasured artefacts. The museum subscribes to the idea that individuals posses items that they value and perhaps the public may also appreciate. You are able to upload images of your items onto a computer that is linked to Artefact H10515 and at a particular time it will appear somewhere on the creature. Here’s a clip to demonstrate how it works.
When visiting the museum it becomes clear, particularly through these exhibitions that the dependence on technology we have developed is significant. As Turkle discusses in her article, ‘Witherpsycoanalysis in computer culture’, technology has a profound impact on how we behave. She writes, “Technologies are never “just tools”. They are evocative objects. They cause us to see ourselves and our world differently” (2004:416). Cyberworlds demonstrates this understanding not only through artefacts, but also through various interactive activities. For example can you still solve mathematical equations without the aid of a calculator, or an excel spreadsheet?
Artefact H10515 is a fabulous example of how technology is not just a tool, but is impacting the way we see ourselves. The Powerhouse Museum clearly believes that there are many mundane items worthy of exhibition as they are important to people. Thus the Artefact H10515 is a vessel in which we can easily have our objects of sentimentality displayed for a brief moment in time. It allows us to see what objects our fellow citizens value in an imaginative way. This technology caters to today’s world, which allows us to gain a different perspective on the world around us.
Reference
Turkle, S. (2004) ‘Wither psychoanalysis in computer culture’ in Kaplan, D. M. (ed) Readings in the philosophy of technology Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, pp. 415 - 429
The Powerhouse Museum has many exhibitions, but the two I will highlight are Cyberworlds: computers and connections, and Artefact H10515. The former provides a historical narrative that follows the development of computer technology from the late 1800s to now. The exhibition also tackles the various aspects of technology. From early computers, to science fiction characters, to music synthesizers, to the world of cyborgs (specifically Stelarc and Alan Turing), various artefacts are on display.
The latter, Artefact H10515 is a huge plastic cube that contains a computer image of some sort of underwater creature. When you touch the cube, the creature inside reacts, however you are also able to ‘feed’ it with your own treasured artefacts. The museum subscribes to the idea that individuals posses items that they value and perhaps the public may also appreciate. You are able to upload images of your items onto a computer that is linked to Artefact H10515 and at a particular time it will appear somewhere on the creature. Here’s a clip to demonstrate how it works.
When visiting the museum it becomes clear, particularly through these exhibitions that the dependence on technology we have developed is significant. As Turkle discusses in her article, ‘Witherpsycoanalysis in computer culture’, technology has a profound impact on how we behave. She writes, “Technologies are never “just tools”. They are evocative objects. They cause us to see ourselves and our world differently” (2004:416). Cyberworlds demonstrates this understanding not only through artefacts, but also through various interactive activities. For example can you still solve mathematical equations without the aid of a calculator, or an excel spreadsheet?
Artefact H10515 is a fabulous example of how technology is not just a tool, but is impacting the way we see ourselves. The Powerhouse Museum clearly believes that there are many mundane items worthy of exhibition as they are important to people. Thus the Artefact H10515 is a vessel in which we can easily have our objects of sentimentality displayed for a brief moment in time. It allows us to see what objects our fellow citizens value in an imaginative way. This technology caters to today’s world, which allows us to gain a different perspective on the world around us.
Reference
Turkle, S. (2004) ‘Wither psychoanalysis in computer culture’ in Kaplan, D. M. (ed) Readings in the philosophy of technology Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, pp. 415 - 429
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Black Sheep Online/Offline
Where do you find inspiration for art? For several years various artists have been turning to Google to find it. The Annual Google Exhibition requires the artists to google the chosen word or phrase at the same time on the same day. From there the artist chooses a website of those selected by the algorithm, and create an artwork from it. This year the phrase was ‘black sheep’.
The range of artworks was rather eclectic considering the fact that they were all based on the same phrase. From an electric sheep pinned on the wall to sketches of an English Pub called the Black Sheep, the imagination of the artists had clearly been led down different paths. When explaining the rationale behind this initiative the organisers write, “Black Sheep attempts to engage with a crucial, creative discourse about how the arts are not simply consumed and disseminated, but also fuelled by the immersive realm of online space”. Essentially what is being suggested here is that what is found on the internet can be a source of inspiration for creating art, rather than simply being a supply of artistic work.
The algorithm may lead us down the same path on a specific search, but this example is a visual illustration of the ‘journey’ that is taken when moving beyond that first page of results, and suggesting that an element of randomness still exists in the google search.
The range of artworks was rather eclectic considering the fact that they were all based on the same phrase. From an electric sheep pinned on the wall to sketches of an English Pub called the Black Sheep, the imagination of the artists had clearly been led down different paths. When explaining the rationale behind this initiative the organisers write, “Black Sheep attempts to engage with a crucial, creative discourse about how the arts are not simply consumed and disseminated, but also fuelled by the immersive realm of online space”. Essentially what is being suggested here is that what is found on the internet can be a source of inspiration for creating art, rather than simply being a supply of artistic work.
The algorithm may lead us down the same path on a specific search, but this example is a visual illustration of the ‘journey’ that is taken when moving beyond that first page of results, and suggesting that an element of randomness still exists in the google search.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Humans: Chimpanzees of the future?
The human form has been the centre of many pursuits, from art to science, individuals have strived to enhance the body and its capabilities. The results of these collective imaginings have been varied, from the experimental art of Stelarc, who continues fascinate and repulse, to the number of filmmakers who create the iconic cyborg characters that dominate our psyche.
In my research on the cyborg the most radical theorist I came across was Kevin Warwick. Warwick is a passionate scientist who strives to become a cyborg. He declares,
"If you are happy with your state as a human then so be it, you can remain as you are. But be warned – just as we humans split from our chimpanzee cousins years ago, so cyborgs will split from humans. Those who remain as mere humans are likely to become a sub – species. They will, effectively, be the chimpanzees of the future" (4).
To be honest I’m not sure what to make of this provocative statement as it seems so over the top. However to start with the difference between Warwick and other theorists such as Donna Haraway and Chris Hables Gray is that he perceives cyborgism as a choice (albeit it a forced one, as to make the ‘wrong’ decision ensures some form of doom!). Haraway and Gray argue that we already are already cyborgs due to the high interaction we have the technology that not only surrounds us but infuses with our bodies. The choice here is whether accept this ‘condition’ or not.
Although I have no idea what the future will hold for the human race, it is clear that there are many and varied ideas about which direction we are headed. In the case of Warwick, we could potentially be headed for a Terminator – esque world where humans are second to cyborgs. On the other hand those in the Haraway/Gray camp suggest that we are already cyborgs and that we need to accept that cyborgs are much more than military or capitalist machines. In this instance it is evident that an evolution of the human species is occurring, however it appears not be so dramatic.
Make of it what you will, cyborg or chimpanzee, choice or no choice, we do need to acknowledge the fact that technology has become an integrated part of our lives and holds a significant amount of power over our bodies.
Reference
Warwick, K. (2004) I, Cyborg Urbana, Ill: University of Illinois Press
In my research on the cyborg the most radical theorist I came across was Kevin Warwick. Warwick is a passionate scientist who strives to become a cyborg. He declares,
"If you are happy with your state as a human then so be it, you can remain as you are. But be warned – just as we humans split from our chimpanzee cousins years ago, so cyborgs will split from humans. Those who remain as mere humans are likely to become a sub – species. They will, effectively, be the chimpanzees of the future" (4).
To be honest I’m not sure what to make of this provocative statement as it seems so over the top. However to start with the difference between Warwick and other theorists such as Donna Haraway and Chris Hables Gray is that he perceives cyborgism as a choice (albeit it a forced one, as to make the ‘wrong’ decision ensures some form of doom!). Haraway and Gray argue that we already are already cyborgs due to the high interaction we have the technology that not only surrounds us but infuses with our bodies. The choice here is whether accept this ‘condition’ or not.
Although I have no idea what the future will hold for the human race, it is clear that there are many and varied ideas about which direction we are headed. In the case of Warwick, we could potentially be headed for a Terminator – esque world where humans are second to cyborgs. On the other hand those in the Haraway/Gray camp suggest that we are already cyborgs and that we need to accept that cyborgs are much more than military or capitalist machines. In this instance it is evident that an evolution of the human species is occurring, however it appears not be so dramatic.
Make of it what you will, cyborg or chimpanzee, choice or no choice, we do need to acknowledge the fact that technology has become an integrated part of our lives and holds a significant amount of power over our bodies.
Reference
Warwick, K. (2004) I, Cyborg Urbana, Ill: University of Illinois Press
Saturday, October 16, 2010
I Predict A Riot
Several weeks ago I was part of a riot, an online interactive riot that is. As a part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, the project Black Friday allowed history buffs and the curious to learn a little more about the Inner West’s dark past. In 1931 a bus full of police descended upon 143 Union St to enforce an eviction notice. This was at the time when many people could not pay their rent due to the hardships created by the Depression. As there was a presence of ‘Communists’ who allegedly encouraged forceful behaviour the eviction spiralled into a riot as a group of men had barricaded 143 Union St and began to throw missiles on to the police. Many of the men were seriously injured.
On the night of my experience I was armed with a GPS device and headphones. There was a map in which there were designated areas you had to visit. Once you reached these areas an historical video would play in which you could learn from those involved what happened. During your walk a narrative was spoken about the events of the day. However it wasn’t as simple to just walk from historical place to place. You were occasionally attacked by police, or collected comrades on the way.
Although not always smooth sailing during the experience (such as going off course), it was a really interesting and innovative way to learn about my local areas history. Rather than visiting a museum in which historical artefacts and stories are enclosed within a building that has no connection with the event you can actually get out there and visit the sites of relevance and have a more interactive and tactile experience.
This is an interesting example in which the reality and technology combine to create am interactive experience. In this instance the participant’s experience is of walking through a quite suburb of Sydney is mediated by the GPS device. In essence it is creating a new or ‘augmented’ reality for us, shaping our knowledge in a way that touring a museum could not. As Bolter and Grusin state, “virtual reality reforms reality by giving us an alternative visual world and insisting on that world as the locus of presence and meaning for us” (1999:61). Applying this idea of Bolter and Grusin’s to the Black Friday concept suggests that the video clips that inform us of the experiences of various characters become central to our understanding, rather than peripheral stories.
This ‘enhancement’ of experience is gradually proliferating society, with many examples of augmented reality infiltrating various industries. Examples include art (see Mob Lab’s work on Sculpture By the Sea) and real estate (System K in Japan). What we are witnessing now is a “distributed cyberspace” where the virtual and real worlds collide resulting in new perceptions (Bolter and Grusin, 1999:61).
Reference
Bolter, J. D & Grusin, R. A. (1999) Remediation: Understanding New Media Cambridge, Mass and London: MIT Press
Other interactive guides in Sydney - Razorhurst
On the night of my experience I was armed with a GPS device and headphones. There was a map in which there were designated areas you had to visit. Once you reached these areas an historical video would play in which you could learn from those involved what happened. During your walk a narrative was spoken about the events of the day. However it wasn’t as simple to just walk from historical place to place. You were occasionally attacked by police, or collected comrades on the way.
Although not always smooth sailing during the experience (such as going off course), it was a really interesting and innovative way to learn about my local areas history. Rather than visiting a museum in which historical artefacts and stories are enclosed within a building that has no connection with the event you can actually get out there and visit the sites of relevance and have a more interactive and tactile experience.
This is an interesting example in which the reality and technology combine to create am interactive experience. In this instance the participant’s experience is of walking through a quite suburb of Sydney is mediated by the GPS device. In essence it is creating a new or ‘augmented’ reality for us, shaping our knowledge in a way that touring a museum could not. As Bolter and Grusin state, “virtual reality reforms reality by giving us an alternative visual world and insisting on that world as the locus of presence and meaning for us” (1999:61). Applying this idea of Bolter and Grusin’s to the Black Friday concept suggests that the video clips that inform us of the experiences of various characters become central to our understanding, rather than peripheral stories.
This ‘enhancement’ of experience is gradually proliferating society, with many examples of augmented reality infiltrating various industries. Examples include art (see Mob Lab’s work on Sculpture By the Sea) and real estate (System K in Japan). What we are witnessing now is a “distributed cyberspace” where the virtual and real worlds collide resulting in new perceptions (Bolter and Grusin, 1999:61).
Reference
Bolter, J. D & Grusin, R. A. (1999) Remediation: Understanding New Media Cambridge, Mass and London: MIT Press
Other interactive guides in Sydney - Razorhurst
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Dangerous Ideas: Anatomy of a Cascade
Over the long weekend the Festival of Dangerous Ideas ran various sessions on topics that were controversial in society. I attended the Christian Lander session on ‘Stuff White People Like’. Lander is the successful blogger and author of Stuff White People Like. Although the conversation navigated its way through the issues of race, what interested me the most was the story behind Lander’s success. He is very specific about significant dates in his journey to success.
On January 18th 2008 Lander comes up with the idea and begins to blog. On January 28th 2008 he sends it to friends of his, and in turn they forward it on to their friends. As a result traffic to his blog increases. On February 16th 2008 he is contacted by a literary agent. Then on February 26th 2008 Lander is contacted by talent agents. Bearing in mind during this time traffics at the blog site still continues to grow. On March 31st 2008 Lander signs a book deal and given 30 days to write the book. On July 1st 2008 the book is released and on July 14th the book Stuff White People Like is a New York Times best seller.
This trajectory is very impressive, particularly at the speed that it all happens. It is possible to map this example of success through the framework of Duncan Watts’ theory of thresholds and cascades. Christian Lander may be viewed as the innovator as author of the blog (2003:235). Lander makes it clear that he is a node connected with few other nodes. When Lander initially forwards his blog to approximately 25 friends, or nodes, he notes that they are PHD students who have little influence, however they can be viewed as the early adopters (Watts, 2003:235). These early adopters are also weakly connected, however they do have bridges across to other vulnerable nodes in other clusters, in which they pass on the blog to. It is apparent that this process continues as the traffic at the blog continues to grow at a rapid rate. The ‘seed’ that Lander has planted sprouts and grows quickly into a strong tree as the blog transcends the blogosphere and becomes a book. Or as Watts describes it, the idea or innovation has percolated (2003:235). With the combination of the blog and book, this pushes the idea past the threshold and clearly cascades as it becomes a best seller on the NY Times list.
If you have a desire to view Christian Lander tell this story in his own words, here is a great video.
Watts, D (2003) ‘Thresholds, cascades and predictability’ in Six Degrees: the science of a connected age, NY and London: Norton, pp 220 – 252.
On January 18th 2008 Lander comes up with the idea and begins to blog. On January 28th 2008 he sends it to friends of his, and in turn they forward it on to their friends. As a result traffic to his blog increases. On February 16th 2008 he is contacted by a literary agent. Then on February 26th 2008 Lander is contacted by talent agents. Bearing in mind during this time traffics at the blog site still continues to grow. On March 31st 2008 Lander signs a book deal and given 30 days to write the book. On July 1st 2008 the book is released and on July 14th the book Stuff White People Like is a New York Times best seller.
This trajectory is very impressive, particularly at the speed that it all happens. It is possible to map this example of success through the framework of Duncan Watts’ theory of thresholds and cascades. Christian Lander may be viewed as the innovator as author of the blog (2003:235). Lander makes it clear that he is a node connected with few other nodes. When Lander initially forwards his blog to approximately 25 friends, or nodes, he notes that they are PHD students who have little influence, however they can be viewed as the early adopters (Watts, 2003:235). These early adopters are also weakly connected, however they do have bridges across to other vulnerable nodes in other clusters, in which they pass on the blog to. It is apparent that this process continues as the traffic at the blog continues to grow at a rapid rate. The ‘seed’ that Lander has planted sprouts and grows quickly into a strong tree as the blog transcends the blogosphere and becomes a book. Or as Watts describes it, the idea or innovation has percolated (2003:235). With the combination of the blog and book, this pushes the idea past the threshold and clearly cascades as it becomes a best seller on the NY Times list.
If you have a desire to view Christian Lander tell this story in his own words, here is a great video.
Watts, D (2003) ‘Thresholds, cascades and predictability’ in Six Degrees: the science of a connected age, NY and London: Norton, pp 220 – 252.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Working the Network
When I walked into work the other day I was faced with many inspiring and encouraging sayings that has been plastered on the walls of our office. Many spouted the merits of working together as a team, however the one that caught my eye was the one on the back of the toilet door (yes the toilet door). It stated “All is connected… no one thing can change by itself”. This statement was accompanied by a picture of a row of dominos about to tumble.
This particular advice got me thinking about how I am connected with the people that I work with, what sort of ties exist and the consequences.
Our organisation is divided into departments and within those departments are units, and of course these are made up of individuals. By virtue of this design we naturally work closely with certain individuals, ie those in our unit. Thus it could be surmised that we are more likely to have strong ties with those we work with closely, forming a cluster of nodes. As a larger organisation it is possible that I will go for weeks without having any contact with certain individuals as we do not sit near each other and our work does not link on a daily basis. This work environment is completely different to my former work place in which it was quite small and I would see everyone everyday even if I did not have a work related task with them. I essentially was a node that had many weak ties. Now with the change in environment and new organisational structure I am a node part of a cluster of strong ties. The difference to my working life is evident as I no longer feel I have my ‘finger on the pulse’. Office gossip, for all of its good and evil, is one of the lifelines of office life. In this environment it no longer spreads like a ‘contagion’ (Watts, 2003: 221). As Duncan Watts notes, “… [networks] are locked into a kind of stasis, each node constraining the influence of any other and being constrained itself” (2003:241). This expresses exactly how I feel in the larger organisation, a node that is almost completely isolated from the other clusters, with no notion of what is going on with the other Departments (or clusters). Although this is slowly changing as ‘bridges’ are starting to form through the weak ties we are beginning to form with the other clusters. Thus in the future it may be possible the office gossip and of course any other innovations will move about with more freedom.
Reference
Watts, D. (2003) ‘Thresholds, cascades and predictability’ in Six Degrees: the science of a connected age, NY and London: Norton pp. 220 – 252.
This particular advice got me thinking about how I am connected with the people that I work with, what sort of ties exist and the consequences.
Our organisation is divided into departments and within those departments are units, and of course these are made up of individuals. By virtue of this design we naturally work closely with certain individuals, ie those in our unit. Thus it could be surmised that we are more likely to have strong ties with those we work with closely, forming a cluster of nodes. As a larger organisation it is possible that I will go for weeks without having any contact with certain individuals as we do not sit near each other and our work does not link on a daily basis. This work environment is completely different to my former work place in which it was quite small and I would see everyone everyday even if I did not have a work related task with them. I essentially was a node that had many weak ties. Now with the change in environment and new organisational structure I am a node part of a cluster of strong ties. The difference to my working life is evident as I no longer feel I have my ‘finger on the pulse’. Office gossip, for all of its good and evil, is one of the lifelines of office life. In this environment it no longer spreads like a ‘contagion’ (Watts, 2003: 221). As Duncan Watts notes, “… [networks] are locked into a kind of stasis, each node constraining the influence of any other and being constrained itself” (2003:241). This expresses exactly how I feel in the larger organisation, a node that is almost completely isolated from the other clusters, with no notion of what is going on with the other Departments (or clusters). Although this is slowly changing as ‘bridges’ are starting to form through the weak ties we are beginning to form with the other clusters. Thus in the future it may be possible the office gossip and of course any other innovations will move about with more freedom.
Reference
Watts, D. (2003) ‘Thresholds, cascades and predictability’ in Six Degrees: the science of a connected age, NY and London: Norton pp. 220 – 252.
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