Italian Hacktivism: Theory, Practice and History

Since 1993, he has been the editor-in-chief of Neural, an influential new media culture magazine published in both English and Italian [http://www.neural.it/]. He is also one of the founding members of the nettime list and of the Mag.Net (Magazine Network of Electronic Cultural Publishers) organisation.

In the following brief interview, conducted via email between January and May 2008, Ludovico discusses topics ranging from Italian traditions of hacktivism, the apparent institutional marginalisation of media art and possibilities for conceptual aesthetic approaches to the digital culture.

1. Could you explain something of how you originally developed an interest in media art? We understand you had an early involvement with ‘mail art’ and fanzines, to what extent have these practices informed your thought around exploratory and aesthetic approaches to distributed communication networks?

Fanzines were an effective, cheap and archival medium for sharing ideas in freedom of expression soaked subcultures.

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‘The Kimono Is a Canvas’: Master Keeps Tradition Flowing

“Four Seasons of Kyoto,” a show of Nomura’s work now at the Japan Information and Culture Center, surveys the full scope of his craft. The motifs on the exhibition’s kimonos range from almost-abstract riverscapes to relatively realistic close-ups on blooming cherry trees. Wearing traditional Japanese dress and speaking through an interpreter, Nomura discussed his craft.

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Grappling with fascism’s genetic obsessions

The most striking passages, from an aesthetic standpoint, are the galleries devoted to the humanist portrait, a strength in 1930s art that arose in response to totalitarianism. (Among the high points are the hyperrealist paintings by Christian Schad and Stanley Spencer; and an exquisite self-portrait by Otto Dix); and August Sanders’s eloquent photographic series, People of the 20th Century, a portrait of German citizens - from bricklayers to artists to university professors to financiers - installed here within earshot of Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will. Subsequent galleries bring together photos and paintings of crowd scenes, and representations of the apocalyptic pan-European conflict that brought the modernist obsession with human perfectibility to a head.

This section, near the show’s conclusion, includes some of the exhibition’s most spectacular loans, such as Salvador Dali’s famous 1936 painting Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War), in which an enormous human figure (reminiscent of Goya’s giants) seems to divide like a cell, one part of his anatomy holding the other in a fierce grip of terror.

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Kiwi artist donates 51 works to gallery

Artist Max Gimblett is giving key works representing 40 years of his career to Auckland Art Gallery.

He and wife Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett will give 51 works to the Auckland Art Gallery Foundation. Today’s ceremony will be in support of the gallery’s development project.

Gimblett may not be a household name but his early abstractions contributed to the development of New Zealand painting. His quatrefoil-shaped paintings from the early 1980s feature in many public collections in New Zealand.

Next January, his work will be included in the biggest exhibition staged at New York’s Guggenheim Museum - on American Art and the East.

Gimblett, 72, has been based in New York since 1972. He still works at least five days a week and teaches classes whenever he can.

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‘Culture of fear’ under attack from RBS chief

Mr Goodwin highlighted the culture of fear spreading among bank staff that demands they report any unusual transactions to the National Criminal Intelligence Service. Criticising the rules and penalties, he said: “Many of the penalties are so draconian that you might as well report every transaction.” Last year, RBS was fined £750,000 by watchdog body the Financial Services Authority for “inadequate” checks against money-laundering. However, the FSA admitted that they found no evidence of any money-laundering having taken place. Tough new money-laundering rules came into force in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in a bid to choke off the supply of cash which might be funding terror activities. According to the Government, an estimated £25 billion from the proceeds of crime are laundered in Britain each year.

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National museum blends instruments’ history, art

“When you think of other collections, especially other collections in the United States, they are in art museums,” says Sarah Richardson, curator of musical instruments. “And so a lot of times when the instruments are collected, they’re collected for their artistic value rather than their musical value.”

The 800 instruments on display at the museum — tucked away in the small university town of Vermillion — make up just a fraction of the more than 13,500 items in its collection, which museum director Andre Larson calls “by far the largest, most comprehensive one anywhere now.”

“This is the only place really where you find all these things brought together, American, European and non-Western,” Larson said.

Visitors can use personal digital assistants and earphones to take a self-guided tour — complete with video and audio clips of the instruments on display.

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Museum and gallery events

Esther M. Klein Art Gallery 3600 Market St.; 215-966-6188. www.kleinartgallery.org. Odor Limits - Scent-themed exhibit exploring a variety of contemporary themes. Closes 6/28. 1st Fri F.A.N. Gallery 221 Arch St.; 215-922-5155. www.fanartgallery.com. Carlo Russo: Recent Paintings - Closes 6/28. Fleisher Art Memorial 719 Catherine St.; 215-922-3456. www.fleisher.org. ARTSpiration - Workshops, craft booths, dance performances & more. 6/7 10 am-4 pm. Fleisher Faculty Exhibition - Work in a variety of media. Closes 9/26. Gallery Joe 302 Arch St.; 215-592-7752. www.galleryjoe.com. Line & Time & Space - Work by Isabel Albrecht, Sharka Hyland, Sebastian Rug & Bruce Pollock. Closes 6/28. Samantha Simpson & Rachel Perry Welty - Ballpoint drawings & sculpture, drawings & video. Closes 6/28. Gross McCleaf Gallery 127 S.

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Aussie art show and sale proves a popular affair

Kevin Hill said his Top 10 Australian Artists show and sale at Tamworth Homespace attracted more than 1000 art appreciators.

He said the guests enjoyed being able to view up to 30 works from each artist, as well as speak to them and buy their works.

This is the seventh show Mr Hill has brought to town. It was hosted by the Rotary Club of Tamworth West.

“We once again enjoyed the hospitality and people of Tamworth, who came in talked to the artists and

purchased their works,” Mr Hill said.

“All the artists that had created the paintings came with them and were talking to people about their artwork.

“The artists sold a lot of their work; it was well-liked by the people of this region, and we had people from as far away as Dubbo.

“I would say there would be at least 100 happy Tamworth people walking around – no, not walking around, sitting in their lounge room looking at their new investment.”

The Rotary club received the proceeds of Friday night’s exhibition opening, as well as two paintings to be used as a lucky door prize and a raffle prize respectively.

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Children’s Art Installation for Dalai Lama Symposium at Aspen

Anderson Ranch Arts Center, in collaboration with Aspen Institute, Glenwood Springs Center for the Arts, Wyly Community Art Center, and Carbondale Council on the Arts and Humanities, presents a one-of-a-kind art installation for the Dalai Lama’s talk in the Benedict Music Tent. Created by 48 children from the Roaring Fork Valley led by the renowned artists Mike and Doug Starn, this installation celebrates interconnectedness and Tibetan culture and will be later distributed and auctioned to benefit local nonprofits.

(PRWEB) June 15, 2008 — The installation began as a conversation between Kitty Boone, Director of Public Programs of the Aspen Institute, and Hunter O’Hanian, President of Anderson Ranch Arts Center. Ms. Boone commented that His Holiness the Dalai Lama enjoyed being surrounded by children’s artwork, and O’Hanian quickly recognized it as an opportunity for a community arts collaboration and outreach with the Institute and local arts organizations.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR | MELANIE BASS

Carolina Culture: String Celebration, the musical duo of Beth Corzine and Ken Lankford, present musical tour of history and culture of North Carolina. 10:30 a.m. June 23. Union Road Branch Library, 5800 Union Road, Gastonia. 704-852-4073. www.glrl.lib.nc.us.

Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous: National fellowship of men and women who have experienced difficulties as a result of eating habits. Program of recovery based on the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous. No dues or fees and weigh-ins. Details: 704-827-9336. 11:30 a.m. June 23. Mount Moriah Baptist Church, 110 Lincoln St., Belmont. 704-825-2046.

Carolina Culture: String Celebration, the musical duo of Beth Corzine and Ken Lankford, present a musical tour of history and culture of North Carolina.

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