JUL 2 3 2003 Archives LIBRARIES Table of Contents
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Experiments in Corporate Collaboration: The Case of the Ars Electronica FutureLab by Stephanie Davenport B.A. French Studies (1994) University of Pennsylvania Submitted to the Department of Comparative Media Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Comparative Media Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology May 2003 © Massachusetts Institute of Technology All rights reserved Signature of A uthor................................................ .... ..... ............. Department of Compafative Media Studies May 9, 2003 Certified by..........................................................................Wang Professor, Chinese Cultural Studies Affiliated Faculty, Comparative Media Studies Thesis Supervj or Accepted -by................................................. j . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. William Uricchio Professor & Acting Director, Comparative Media Studies MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JUL 2 3 2003 ARCHivEs LIBRARIES Table of Contents A bstract ............................. ................. ................... ........................................ ..... 3 A ckn ow ledgemnents ....................................................................................................................... 4 List of F ig u res ....................................................................................................................... 5 In tro du ction ................. .................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1 Framing the FutureLab Story.................................... 12 1.1 Ars Electronica: Foundations of an Institution... ................... 14 1.2 Establishing the 'Museum of the Future'........................ 19 1.3 The FutureLab Takes Shape................................ 22 1.4 Primary Mission: Animating the Museum........................ 24 1.5 Building a Clientele: Focusing on Corporate Partners. .............. .28 1.6 A Precedent for Interdisciplinary Research ......................................... 36 Chapter 2 On a Hybrid Research Model ................................... 49 2.1 Work Environment. ...................................... 51 2.2 O rganizational Structure ................................................................... 54 2.3 Basic Research Approach.................................. 58 2.4 Technology Development ................................................................... 62 2.5 Benefits & Consequences of the Model........................... .67 Chapter 3 Toward Meaningful Collaboration............................... .. 72 3.1 A Changing Economic Landscape...................................................... 73 3.2 Funding Strategies of Cultural Institutions........................ 76 3.3 Corporate Affairs Strategies: From Sponsorship to Citizenship ............ 80 3.4 The Collaborative Process: FACC & the FutureLab........................... .85 3.5 Evolving Collaboration Strategies: SAP & Beyond............................. 90 Con clu sion ........................................................................................................ ................. 9 7 Bib liog ra p h y ........................................... ................. .......................................................... 10 1 Appendices Appendix 1: FutureLab Artistic VR Projects ...................................................... 104 Appendix II: FutureLab Commercial VR Projects.............................................. 105 Appendix III: Useful Links........................................ 106 -2- Abstract Experiments in Corporate Collaboration: The Case of the Ars Electronica FutureLab The Ars Electronica FutureLab is a thriving interdisciplinary research facility located in Linz, Austria. It is part of the Ars Electronica Center (AEC), a cultural institution which for over two decades has been a pioneer in exploring the interface between art, technology, and society and mediating public interaction with new technologies. As a nonprofit organization, the AEC is primarily supported by key public sector partners including local government and the state broadcast company, as well as corporations. This institutional framework, together with university affiliation, has facilitated the FutureLab's diverse activities from artistic to more commercially oriented projects exhibited in the AEC 'Museum of the Future' and at off-site venues. The FutureLab's team of artists and researchers has forged a unique hybrid research model focused on three core research areas (virtual reality environments, interactive installations, digital surfaces) which allows them to take prototypes developed from artistic projects and apply perfected solutions to industry projects, or vice versa. Increased demand especially from the private sector for the lab's cutting-edge technology developments and research expertise now threatens to upset the delicate balance of this model. Today, AEC management needs to address the issue of sustainability for both its FutureLab division, in face of heavy workloads, and the institution at large, given decreasing government funding for arts/culture. The AEC is devising a strategy for cultivating industry partnerships based on the FutureLab's experiments in corporate collaboration to date which have been successful namely because they are focused on mutually beneficial outcomes. Through this strategy, the AEC is eager to supplement corporate sponsorships with longer-term industry partnerships in order to ensure financial stability. FutureLab employees stand to gain additional resources and, therefore, the ability to sustain their current research model and continue doing cutting-edge work. With the AEC and the FutureLab, corporations have access to a dedicated arts community whose expert staff can help them develop and promote interesting projects as well as meet both their business needs and corporate affairs objectives. -- 3-- Acknowledgements First and foremost, danke schon to the Ars Electronica staff for their fabulous welcome during my trips to Linz, especially Horst H6rtner, Christopher Lindinger, Ursula Kirmayr, and Gerfried Stocker, plus my interviewees at the FutureLab: Robert Abt, Reinhold Bidner, Yvonne Hauser, Helmut H5llerl, Andreas Jalsovec, Pascal Maresch, Stefan Mittlbdck, Dietmar Offenhuber, Erwin Reitb6ck, "OJ"Riedler. Thanks also to Professor Pomberger and Reinhold Ploesch at Kepler University and Walter Stephan at FACC for providing additional insights about the FutureLab, Golan Levin and Christopher Galbraith for their views on what it's 'really' like from the inside, John Gerrard for enlivening the Strbm group outings, and Doris Peinbauer and Michaela Wimplinger for keeping me in touch with the busiest management team I know. Special thanks to my thesis committee at MIT headed up by Jing Wang and joined by Jane Farver and Michael Naimark (whom I was delighted to bring back to Cambridge) as well as to my thesis readers Marjory Jacobson and Hisham Bizri for all of their invaluable support in guiding me through the brainstorming, (re)writing and (re)editing process. Thanks to the numerous professionals who provided important context and references, namely Andreas Broeckmann, Michael Century, Glorianna Davenport, Steve Dietz, George Fifield, Monika Mokre, Veronika Ratzenb6ck, J.M. Schuster, and James Utterback. Thanks to my local thesis support group, namely the CMS '3-in-4-2' gang Sangita Shresthova and Aswin Punathambekar, plus Siobhan O'Riordan, Pia Gedeon, Rachael Arauz, Gus Ventimiglia, Catrina Huynh and Yannis Zavoleas; and also my far flung and steadfast advisor Sigrid Pawelke. Thanks to Rich Miner at Orangelmagineering, Marc Dandelot, Christel Sorin and Elizabeth Mayeri at France Telecom North America, and the CMS department for helping make my time at MIT possible. And thanks to my family, especially Mom... 'Twas a long and winding road but, yes, now I can appreciate -having written." -4- List of Figures Figure 1 Snapshot of the FutureLab ......................................................... 6 Figure 2 CAVE, Virtual Reality (VR) Theater .......................................... 27 Figure 3 The R&D Process ...................................................................... 42 Figure 4 FutureLab Hybrid Research Model ............................................. 50 Figure 5 The 'Ars box' ............................................................................... 67 -- 5- Introduction Research Site This thesis examines the significance of the Ars Electronica FutureLab's relationships with corporate partners. The FutureLab is an applied research and development (R&D) facility established in 1996 that operates under the umbrella of the Ars Electronica Center (AEC), a nonprofit cultural institution in Linz, Austria. Applied R&D involves the use of pure research to develop real-world products. While the FutureLab describes itself as a think tank that thrives on open-ended research of new media technologies, its team of modern-day Leonardos- interdisciplinary artists and scientists-ultimately focuses on developing high-quality projects related to three core research areas: virtual reality (VR), interactive installations, and digital surfaces. In addition to fulfilling a primary mandate to build installations for the AEC 'Museum of the Future,' the FutureLab also works on a wide variety of projects for external clients, including organizations from the public and nonprofit sectors and, especially,