1999.02 The Second—Time Based Art from the Netherlands Opening Symposium November 14, 1998 ICC 5th Floor Lobby

Throughout the opening symposium the advance of technology and for The Second by MonteVideo/TBA hardware and software problems; and (Netherlands Media Art Institute), a public aid to art in the Netherlands and continuing theme was how very human its relationship to the quality; and the work it exhibits is. The art critic subject matter of the work. Other key KANAZAWA Takeshi, for example, points the participants discussed pointed out that many of the works include the environment of a work that included clearly communicate the enfolds the viewer in interactive art, artists' naked feelings and intentions. materiality and concepts, changes in The ICC Deputy Director/Chief Curator art education due to media art, the NAKAMURA Keiji, the moderator, coexistence and intersections between noted that The Second is low tech but, conventional art and media art, and in contrast to the general run of media the relationship between technology- art exhibitions, has a human warmth induced homogeneity of expression and an eye for the human landscape and potential for originality. that has much in common with the The proceedings may be summarized 17th century Dutch still life and genre by a statement from COELHO: "If we painting tradition. One thinks of the take it that media art is, as in the early work of VERMEER. In his view, period of video art, working for echoes of memento mori resonate recognition as one medium within throughout both. contemporary art, the stage in which it MonteVideo/TBA began as an attempt would be satisfied to be pigeonholed by René COELHO, acting on his as "media art" is already over. disappointment with television after Increasingly diverse media are being two decades of working in the media, incorporated into contemporary art in to bring the human factor into the general; we are making a transition to technology. At the start of the a stage in which the artist chooses the symposium, COELHO raised precisely medium that best meets his or her that issue, saying, "Artists run the risk needs." of losing meaningful content and While that observation may seem self- connections with the general viewing evident, given the state of public when they hare after the very contemporary art in Europe and latest technology." He stressed that his America, the fact it comes from INTERCOMMUNICATION CENTER view of media art operates on a COELHO who has led MonteVideo, a different dimension from the pursuit of media art institute, for twenty years ICC Report high technology. gives it extra weight. Translation: Ruth South McCREERY Another central theme in the wide- ranging discussion was defining new Panelists: René COELHO (guest arts that differ from those of the past in curator), KANAZAWA Takeshi (art such qualities as multiplicity, critic), Bert SCHUTTER (exhibiting reproducibility, and interactivity that artist), Peter BOGERS (exhibiting result from advances in technology. artist), Kees AAFJES (exhibiting artist), Further issues raised included the and SAKURAI Hiroya (artist) conservation of media art and the Moderator: NAKAMURA Keiji (Deputy stances of artists, curators, and Director/Chief Curator of the ICC) facilities with respect to conservation; historical restrictions on materials with [KAMIKANDA Kei]

The opening symposium From the left: SAKURAI Hiroya, Bert SCHUTTER, KANAZAWA Takeshi, René COELHO, Peter BOGERS, and Kees AAFJES

170 InterCommunication No.28 Spring 1999 Japanese Image Creators—the ICC Collection video as a new expressive medium. November 13 - December 27, 1998 The 17 works screened cover a wide ICC Theater expressive range. SHIMANO Yoshitaka's TV Drama (1987) records a performance that sadistically destroys a television monitor. De-sign In visual imaging as an expressive so inexpensive, and so powerful, that 1 (kunren) (1989) by Visual Brains genre, is video a medium with artists working alone can create works (KAZAMA Sei and OTSU Hatsune) is distinctive characteristics and securing of high technical quality. But a series of works produced annually a distinctive position for itself? Yes, for, technology is not the main story: the since 1989 that satirizes contemporary like experimental film and private film, artists who created many of the videos society. KAZAMA and OTSU treat the it has its own qualitatively different in this program regard the video year's hot topics as their material and expressive vocabulary. This screening images and the tools used to create apply the latest image processing underscores that conclusion by them as an apparatus for thought. techniques, so that at first glance their presenting a selection of work from the Acting, shooting, editing—in their view, work looks like technical simulations of ICC collection by Japanese artists all those steps intervene to create television programs and commercials. working in visual images. Most date works in video that may seem at the YURA Yasuto's Case (1994) from the mid 1980s or later and are the opposite pole from work featuring SFX imaginatively interweaves computer work of younger artists; these are effects. Nonetheless, the very graphics and video images. works created (we presume) on the simplicity of video tools as an assumption that video would be the apparatus for thought did encourage expressive medium. (Several works on many creative artists to begin to regard [HATANAKA Minoru] film, such as MATSUMOTO Toshio's pathbreaking films, that had considerable influence on people working in the field in that period were also shown.) What, then, are video's characteristics as a medium? Its strengths would include the equipment's ease of operation and maneuverability, as well as the manipulability of the recorded image (in creating, for example, composite images and special effects). Today, video recording and editing and SHIMANO Yoshitaka's computer graphics tools have become TV Drama (1987)

ICC Biennale '99 Preliminary Screening The NTT InterCommunication Center [ICC] founded the ICC Biennale to October 14 and 15, 1998 explore possibilities of new expressions in media art and to discover, develop, and support outstanding new artists. For the second Biennale, an international panel of nine specialists recommended 28 artists from 14 countries to propose The ICC is delighted to unveil these A and D of the ICC from Friday, plans for works on the idea of works, which will open up new October 15 to Sunday, November 28, "Interaction," the ‘99 theme of the possibilities in media art, and, with the 1999. During the exhibition, one artist Biennale. In the preliminary screening second of the series, looks forward to will be selected to receive the Grand of their plans, held on October 14 and exciting new possibilities for the Prix, which carries an award of ¥5 15, 1998, the judges selected ten Biennale itself. million, and two artists will be awarded artists to participate in this year’s The participating artists are: Maurice runner-up prizes of ¥1 million each. exhibition. BENAYOUN (France), CHIKAMORI The judges are Roy ASCOTT, Louise As in the first Biennale (ICC Biennale Motoshi (Japan), Jean-Marie DALLET DOMPIERRE, Anne-Marie DUGUET, ‘97), the plans selected include many (France), Ken GOLDBERG and John G. HANHARDT, Jeffrey SHAW, that skillfully incorporate leading-edge Randall PACKER and Wojciech ASADA Akira, ITOH Toshiharu, technology. Viewers will find that this MATUSIK (U.S.A.), Perry YAMAGUCHI Katsuhiro, and body of work is richly varied, HOBERMAN (U.S.A.), Eduardo KAC NAKAMURA Keiji. addressing not only the other and (Brazil), Martin RICHES (U.K.), society but also natural phenomena Douglas Edric STANLEY (U.S.A.), such as seismic waves and fictional Studio Azzurro (Italy), and Grahame constructs such as stories that unfold WEINBREN (U.K.). according to the viewer's reactions. Their works will be shown in Galleries [KAWAI Haruko]

No.28 Spring 1999 InterCommunication 171 Nuzzle Afar, A Network Installation reality as a record of their encounter by FUJIHATA Masaki in their unique affinity sphere. November 25 - December 6, 1998 Given the time difference, ICC 5th Floor Lobby participation at the ICC was usually limited to connections between two terminals in the ICC. But, since the The ICC was host to an exhibition The design of a space in which two ICC stays open until 9 p.m. on and events as part of Nuzzle Afar, a physically distant people could Fridays, it was able to hold two "Net network installation by FUJIHATA receive such sense impressions was Events" as well. Masaki. FUJIHATA is presently artist- the main idea behind this work, which In the first, on November 27, a talk by in-residence at the Institute for Visual was in fact built as a shared virtual the artist was also given. FUJIHATA Media of ZKM (Zentrum für Kunst und reality environment that multiple himself gave a detailed explanation of Medientechnologie Karlsruhe, or the participants can access from separate his intentions in creating this work and Center for Art and Media, Karlsruhe), locations. its background, while showing videos Germany. Nuzzle Afar, which he For two participants, the same of the exhibition overseas. While created while at ZKM, was unveiled interface is set up at two locations: a talking about the thrust of this work for the first time in Japan at this control panel, with trackball and metaphorically, as "creating a exhibition. microphone, and a screen [Photo 1]. telephone for the future," he also FUJIHATA created Nuzzle Afar for The participant manipulates the demonstrated specific directions in the surroGate_1 exhibition at the trackball to move his or her virtual which he is now moving. While the ZKM's Institute for Visual Media body, or avatar, forward or backward, overseas connection was frequently (November 1 to December 6, 1998). left or right [Photo 2]. Images of the interrupted by frustrating problems Since it is network-based art, participant's face are captured by the with the router in Europe and with the FUJIHATA planned from the outset to camera in real time and mapped on circuits, the experience suggested present the work at remote locations the avatar, so that one can recognize that ICC's continuing support for simultaneously with its presentation at another party in a remote location. experimental ventures such as this Karlsruhe. In particular, the attempt The avatars can meet and, if they will have even greater significance in was to hold Nuzzle Afar exhibitions draw close enough, converse through the future. and net events in several locations the microphones on the control through cooperation by DEAF98 (the panels. Dutch Electronic Art Festival 1998) in In addition to these basic features, Rotterdam, the Open Research Nuzzle Afar includes elements not to [WAKABAYASHI Yayoi] Forum at Keio University's Shonan be found in earlier shared virtual Fujisawa Campus, and the Ars reality environments. These include a Electronica Center in Linz, Austria. "trace function," which allows one The work’s title suggests two avatar to follow the tracks of another contradictory images: participants avatar, an "affinity sphere" that forms snuffling out each other and coming when two avatars bump up against closer together, yet remaining apart. each other, and a "memory plank" that remains as an objet in virtual

Photo 1 © FUJIHATA Masaki Photo 2

mego@ICC—The Further of Techno Music The special section on Music/Noise in January 14 - 17, 1999 Volume 26 of this magazine introduced mego, an independent ICC Gallery D techno/noise ("technoise") label based in Vienna. The mego sound is distinctive—as is everything about this label. The uniqueness of its sound, waves and other pulse tones and and 17, and a symposium on January spun out by deliberately and boldly digital noise, is why SASAKI Atsushi 15. The nine artists who came to incorporating elements usually has called mego "the end of techno." Japan make up six groups or "units" regarded as errors, such as sine The ICC invited the mego artists to within mego: Pita, General Magic, present concerts on January 14, 16, Fennesz, Farmers Manual, Haswell,

172 InterCommunication No.28 Spring 1999 and Skot. Other units that combine mego members—Rehberg & Bauer, Pop, and Fenn O Berg—also performed. Jim O'ROURKE, one of the Fenn O Berg trio, happened to be in Japan for a solo concert at the same time, and thus gave a special performance during his stay. Guest performers from Japan included IKEDA Ryoji, Merzbow, Filament, and Zbigniew KARKOWSKI in what turned into a four-day performance for these Japanese and European techno/noise artists. The first day began with a performance by IKEDA Ryoji. He Above―― Russell HASWELL performs with oscilloscope, skillfully Right/top――Farmers Manual using minimal sounds from pulse Right――General Magic tones and sound collages, and accompanies the sounds by projecting synchronized wave forms. He was followed by Farmers Manual, a trio consisting of Mathias GMACHL, Gerd BRANTNER, and Oswald BERTHOLD. All in their early were joined by OTOMO Yoshihide as Magic, with Ramon BAUER, founder twenties, they are the youngest group panelists and SASAKI Atsushi as of mego, and Andreas PIEPER. on the mego label. As is true of all moderator. Statements by Mathias General Magic is the unit closest to mego members, they use only GMACHL, who was interested in the the techno style, reminding us that PowerBooks and other notebook computer's potential, gave the mego did start off as a techno label. computers in performance. With the impression that mego members use Their sound, however, has a three facing their notebooks and their collective technology as a shared somewhat spasmodic, dislocated consecutively altering sounds in code, while they come from rhythm. response to the emerging sound, their backgrounds in differing musical OTOMO Yoshihide and Sachiko M performance, coupled with their young styles (techno, noise, electronic (Filament) offered a tension-filled computer nerd looks, was rather music). It was also impressive that performance featuring improvisation humorous. But their sound, almost they avoided talking about the by means of sine waves on the fourth like a simple arrangement of equipment they use and about day. Then the Fenn O Berg trio electronic noise, defied description. software. According to Pita, the (FENNESZ, O'ROURKE, and During the event, Skot was in charge software they use is nothing special, REHBERG) presented an of the visuals during mego artists' stuff that anyone can buy. Whether improvisational sound collage using performances. Skot consists of Tina the results are good or bad depends sampled snippets of familiar-sounding FRANK and Mathias GMACHL, who on how it is used, not the software phrases. Haswell's noise performance also is part of Farmers Manual. This itself, he says. He also spoke about seemed very appropriate for the team designs mego CD jackets, its the negative effects of increasingly person who replied, "More chaotic," Web site, and all other art work for simple computers—that they tend to when asked where mego was mego and provides visual support for lower the quality of the work. heading. The final event featured Pita, mego performances. For the third day of events, AKITA who is the central figure for this label. Rehberg & Bauer, another mego unit, Masami and AZUMA Reiko, who The moments when the rebounds of consists of Peter REHBERG—aka make up the group Merzbow, and his minimal pulses produced noisy Pita—and Ramon BAUER of the Russell HASWELL (Haswell) started (but real) melodies or phrases were General Magic unit; while describing the performance by playing together, quite moving. their, as it were, music seems futile, pumping out high-volume noise that As the mego people said in the one might say they gave us a sound filled the hall. Then came a solo by symposium, their equipment is like a worn-out CD, with intimations of Zbigniew KARKOWSKI, who is nothing special; how strange and how techno. Christian FENNESZ scheduled to have a CD released on sensually appealing music it is (Fennesz), who has been a guitarist, the mego label, followed, without a possible to create depends on what's used sampled guitar sounds. break, by a shift to Pita and the unit in the individual artist. Clearly mego is Contrasting these units' work, one called Pop. While Pita performs in a rare group of artists sustaining a realized that while they have similar several units, each seems to seek for critical stance with respect to styles, each of the mego units is its own sound. Skot performed from technology. heading in a different direction. the wings of the stage, with the focus During the symposium on the second on visuals. Their first work, scheduled day, Pita, Ramon BAUER, Mathias for release this year, will be on DVD. [HATANAKA Minoru] GMACHL, and Russell HASWELL They were followed by General

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