a m b itio u s lb o U c h in the press
La navigation et l'interface sont originales : le sommaire se transforme au fur et à mesure que Ion progresse dans le CD-ROM, des portes colorées s'ouvrent pour que l'on s'y engouffre.
L'interactivité apparaiît omniprésente. Agnès Batifoulier / Le Monde 27-28/10/96
Ambitious Bitch looks very rich - in texture, presentation, content and style.
...Marita eviscerates the bowels of multimedia tecknowhow and post-feminism - making it fun, funky and lime- green fresh!
Geekgirl 6/96
The program uses English and French but is deeply Finnish: assertive, deceptively simple and technologically advanced.
...a sort of computer game with attitude. Sara Henley/Bangkok Post Jan/96
...an imposing example of the alliance between intellect and the senses, a sort of sensual orgy in which sounds, colours and words are woven together.
...a Pandora's box, full of surprises.
One of the most exciting and provocating CD-ROMs I have seen... Ana Valdes / Dagens Nyheter 7/3/96
AB is a refreshing and non-threatening introduction at the possibilities of CD-ROM, as a media for artistic expression. Lionel Dersot / Cd-Rom Fan, Japan 8/96
The visualisation, design and colours are closely linked to the codes and logos of popular culture, up to the techno and ambient style font-choises. Springier 2/96
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Ambitious Bitch
Imaginé, dirigé et dessiné par
Une femme c'est comme un sachet de ttié. CestseulementcjusndeUeestdansde I Marita Lulia, avec des ambiances sonores et des musiques j chaude que l'on se icnd compte de sa foice. de Ari Hirvonen, Ambitious Bitch (la garce électronique, en français) est un CD-Rom déroutant et amusant, auquel le jury du 5e prix Möbius international a décerné, en septembre 96, une mention spéciale. C'est dans une veine féministe tendance intello, humour et (auto)dérision que l'artiste finnoise entreprend«une remise à jour visuelle de laféminité occidentale en ce changement de millénaire» Tout un programme, bilingue (anglais/français), doté d'une interface de navigation simplisSime et pleine de surprises "* , ~ s - -4 '-^ j* ^j. ♦ * ' ^ ‘ItVorily-Whe^shenWinlftit'wateri'if'^S >' on clique sur des bulles qui s'évaporent, des ballons qui -i-V*--'<• » - *•’’ C V * ■j- ’that you realiie-how st’rong<*she is. ,-t rebondissent... Et joliment présenté dans un coffret orné K-'- : ' t • .... -v. / - ^-vT; ' -V i V “ 4-f^<-NançYReagan- ' > • „V de ce même tourbillon vert fluo très mode et qui s'ouvrè sur une boîte rose fuschia et un très beau livret cartonné Bref, le CD-Rom que les femmes achètent et que leurs compagnons leur piquent! En attendant la suite, intitulée Son of the Bitch... (si, si, elle ose!). CD-Rom pour Mac et PC, distribué par Microfolie's C i c d a l m a ’ïla'ïla fCyXUÜMU 17 « tetwue 3 ((avui a v u i J, J, Prix : environ 350 F. , K u v A
'x’X£ e J .ÇJ & e g S M s ki Un CD-Rom certainement w n u te x tk \ pas à l'eau PB de rose... S.ÎOIIC iuHimnà w u i t x a n a fv SkcZCqxm £ctü€dU Mif// y '!Y' •'• '-V . ■ ■ ‘é SjçjidotSiçjidoi SjjWi'Sjjiî'i' if £&«,u7/t SIa-iiug&cifjatiiig&c (C £ (£ e it uwt'Utrv w i ‘Un, luni&e 5‘xiqÎia CicdciuicGicciciuic s 1- r:cuidia ScfUCtei «Une femme, c'est comme un sachet de thé. Cest seulement quand elle est dans de l'eau chaude que l'on se rend compte de sa force.» Paroles de Nancy Reagan! La RMN, Angkor et toujours... C'est avec un CD-Rom consacré à Angkor, également au centre de l'exposition sur l'art khmer qui sera présentée aux Galeries nationales du Grand-Palais à partir du 2 février, que la RMN commence son année de production et d'édition de CD-Rom. Coproduit avec Infogrames et l'Unesco, conçu par Julien Frydman et Philippe Gaucherand, et développé par Le Lab, Angkor, Récit de voyage sera lancé dès la fin de ce mois. Au total, une dizaine de titres seront publiés au fil des mois, cinq d'entre eux étant déjà en cours de production. De quoi démentir une rumeur totalement infondée selon laquelle la RMN suspendrait sa production de CD-Rom... m s m m s m
Un CD-ROM sur les femmes réalisé par une femme. Intelligent, caustique, brillant, esthétique... L’un des meilleurs titres de l’année. Son titre, justement ?La garce ambitieuse. Déjà tout un programme.
tre une femme est une chose si étrange, si déconcertante et si complexe que seule une E fem m e peu t y arriver», affir mait le philosophe Soren Kierkegaard. Citations de personnalités célèbres à l’appui, de Sigmund Freud à Karl Lagerfeld, en passant par «l’incontour nable » Simone de Beauvoir, il est facile de montrer à quel point les opinions sur les femmes divergent, selon les points de vue et les époques. On a tout dit sur les femmes. Tout, et n’im porte quoi. Mais pour l’auteur, la Finlandaise Marita Liulia, l’opinion de chaque femme compte tout autant : «Modifiez-vous ! Exprimez-vous ! Soyez vous-même ! La garce ambitieuse se veut une remise à jour visuelle de la féminité en ce changement de millé naire. Pour établir le contact, j ’ai voulu créer des images stimulantes, un espace audio riche et un système de ploité à fond : incrustations vidéo, ma navigation original. » nipulations photos, effets cinétiques rappelant les débuts du cinéma, effets L’ART DU MULTIMEDIA sonores, de la musique, écrits et ani EXPLOITÉ A FOND mations, tout y passe. Le programme, en anglais et en fran Le fond est tout aussi riche. Loin d’une çais, est divisé en douze destinations à vision manichéenne ou complaisante, explorer : la femme au passé, présent il donne à voir, à écouter, à réfléchir. et futur, la mode, les qualités fémi Dans la partie consacrée aux perver nines, l’érotisme, etc. La navigation et sions féminines (le fétichisme, l’ano awnwwipwf l’interface sont particulièrement soi rexie, le «suraimer», etc.), par exemple, Editeur :Edita gnées. On se dirige dans les menus à des femmes racontent leurs histoires. Pour PC et Macintosh ' ’ % l’aide de symboles : le cristal (un outil Des confidences sans voyeurisme, drô Configuration minimale requise : personnel), le cœur-qui-palpite, le les ou émouvantes, que l’on a rare PC 486 DX-33 ou Macintosh 68040, «vortex” semblable à un tourbillon infi ment l’occasion d’entendre. 8Mo de mémoire vive v, ï ni, etc. Le sommaire se transforme au Ce CD-ROM finlandais, qui a reçu la Prix : 390francs + frais de livraison. fur et à mesure que l’on progresse, des mention spéciale du 5e Prix Môbius In fCommande à adresser â Oy Edita AB, portes colorées s’ouvrent pour que ternational en septembre 1996, cher Jukka Helisjoki, Vastauslähetys, l’on s’y engouffre... Contrepartie de che encore un distributeur en France. Sopimus 00043/1, INFO 775, 00003 Helsinki, Finlande. Tél. : +358-9-566 cette richesse, on se perd aussi, par En attendant, il est disponible sur com 0500. Fax : +358-9-566 0853- fois, dans les méandres du logiciel. mande auprès de l’éditeur. A votre Internet : http://www.edita.fi/bitch C’est que l’art du multimédia est ex- place, on se dépêcherait. A. B. ....~...... ,__
M 6 M U G DES SITES POUR les f e m m e s
Certaines organisations féministes, ou concernées par le statut des femmes ont leur site sur Internet : http : //feminist, com http : //WWW.now. orq (site de la National Organization for Women) http: //brise.ere.umontreal. ca/~l abri a/femmes (le comité permanent sur le statut de la femme) http://brise.ERE. U Montreal. CA: S 0/~ la b rî a/fe m me s/ pointeui/adresses. htm (pointeurs) http://www. babelweb. org/mpc/ nombreuses entreprises dans le secteur de la mode ou l! ' ! £y7)C ¿ e Féminité acidulée Après ce parcours décapant, on se sent étrangement mieux dans ses escarpins
T E S -v o u s «une garce ambi le sommaire se transforme au fur et à tieuse » ? Volontairement ironique, mesure que l’on progresse dans le CD- E le titre de ce CD-ROM, qui a reçu ROM, des portes colorées s’ouvrent une mention spéciale au palmarès dupour que l’on s’y engouffre. L’interacti 5e prix Môbius International, dérange et vité apparaît omniprésente. Parfois, on aiguillonne notre curiosité. Les thèmes perd un peu le fil conducteur, mais abordés avec plein de rebondissements qu’importe, car on prend vite goût à ce imprévus sont très variés : la femme au CD-ROM (en anglais et en français), au passé, présent et futur, mode, qualités point de le commander en espérant que féminines, perversion (fétichisme, ano bientôt un distributeur français s’y in rexie, « suraimer », etc.), contes éro téressera. tiques... On rit, on est ém ue.« Etre une femme est une chose si étrange, si dé Agnès Batifoulier concertante et si complexe que seule une femme peut y arriver. » Cette citation de ■ La Garce Ambitieuse, Edita, PC/Mac, Soren Kierkegaard, choisie parmi beau 390 F + frais de livraison, commande à coup d’autres (Simone de Beauvoir, Sig- adresser à Oy Edita AB, Jukka Helisjoki, mund Freud, Karl Lagerfeld...) est révéla- Vastauslahetys, Sopimus 00043A, INFO trice du ton et de la vision très 775,00003 Helsinki, Finlande. Tél : personnels de Marita Liulia, l’auteur. La00 358 9 56 601. Fax : 00 358 9 5660 380. navigation et l’interface sont originales : Site Web (http : //www. édita, fi/bitch).
CD Kom pcrupee oaroie mine JJ11I11C a pittif ouao îviiiiv —' *" W un papier recouvert d’une mince ront enfin dans les bacs des distribu teurs multimédia. L’objectif : séduire les couche de tissu. netites filles de cinq à dix ans, qui sont Les petites filles n’ont plus qu’à en dé K . . . « ------Q Q 0/„ a ) 1 y couper les contours, réunir les ourlets AMBITIOUS BITCH
ambitious bitch - an unbuttoned cd-rom by marita liulia
"Hi there - l#m one of the many bitches you're going to meet," says the guide in Marita Liulia's interactive CD-ROM Ambitious Bitch, before diving into a mysterious vortex. Thus begins a journey into blonde jokes, erotic fantasies, the third wave of feminism, predictions by an Ambitious Witch - a game of feminine virtues and perversions, spiked with quotations from both feminist theory and selected celebrities.
unbuttoned users Just a short dive does not reveal the complexity of Ambitious Bitch (AB). Its architecture follows the logic of randomness and concealment; instead of command buttons there is a glowing crystal - the symbol of feminine wisdom. The interface was designed specifically with women in mind. Most test users were women, and pre-production research included interviews with women to find out about their experiences of computers. ’’The buttonless interface was not only a visual but a political choice as well; commands would have diminished the pleasure of the work,” says the author. Other subtleties of the interface include Roses which always conceal differ ent things, and Dressing Rooms through which you reach ’’She was the em ancipated 1960s Scandinavian woman, who female perversions. At one point the user must do a rubbing was expected to combine an executive career with the motion with the mouse instead of clicking... How does this virtues of a good housewife and cook. Her hobbies were sup work with women? posed to range from philosophy to jazz, nature and sports - ’’Very well.There was this one guy, for example, who and she was expected to be charismatic as well. It was a grabbed the mouse with a very dominating air. Bitch unique range of expectations!” refused to obey him, however, until his wife reached from The image of the perfect woman gradually became behind and said:‘Hey, I think I know how it works...’.Then perverted as Marita thought about her own generation there were the three old ladies who were fluent with the pro (that of the daughters of the Marimekko girl!) and when she gram without ever having used a computer before...” studied feminist re-interpretations of Freudian theories. ’’Women have their own perversions: overloving,eating dis generation: bitch orders, masquerades...The self-hate of young women is dif The origin of AB can be traced back to Marita’s previous ficult to understand, and the experience of one’s body is just 'D-ROM Maire. a multimedia presentation about Finnish a never-ending sense of imperfection. On top of that, the modernism of the 1950s and‘6()s.That work contained a fig- media often portray successful,strong women in a negative ('called Marimekko girl’.the idealized woman of th e‘60s. wav.There is a need for positive role models.” AMBITIOUS BITCH
Ambitious Bitch offers a multi-faceted role model, armed with postmodern fluidity: ”AB plays with identities, alter nating between roles to become in turn a mysterious domi nating woman.an old lady or a punk rocker. But these are no paper dolls or Barbies,AB selects the roles herself.” In Ambitious Bitch, the typography also contributes to the role play. Even the names of the two principal fonts - Blur (round and feminine, but out of focus) andDead History (which deconstructs old and new forms) - reflect the "The 'Bitch attitude' could be characterized world of the AB. Altogether 50 typefaces colour the quota as a blonde who relieves the tension during tions and position themeselves on the images. Most of the pictures are from M arita Liulia's private business negotiations by telling blonde jokes Art & humour archives.Their digital processing was the lengthiest part of She can laugh at herself, too." Science & blondes the work. ”It was all done'manually’^vith Photoshop."says high culture& bad taste Marita, who decided to concentrate on photos to ensure h au te couture & sweat high-quality visuals. Video in multimedia is still imperfect, — BANG! and the use of effects just for their own sake would not have been interesting. In fact, technical limitations served to sharpen the design: ’’The works must be able to survive in the future, too, when there’s more memory and more possi bilities. Chaplin’s films don’t seem ridiculous just because «An instrum ent for they are black and white.” understanding the complexity of feminity» art, information... -Dagetli Syhetir ¡Stockholm, M arita Liulia’s CD-ROMs contain so much information that March -i/st 191)0 doubts have been raised about their status as art. ” I’m inter ested in information as an element in art;in that sense I’m a child of Conceptual Art. You could say my method is acade mic: first I define my subject, next I choose the method, col lect the material and then visualize it - but the result is «A so rt o f a com puter never illustrated theory, it’s always something more.” gam e w ith attitude» This method of critical humanism is applied by -The Jn/mn Timex, Marita also in her Media Survival workshops at UIAH, Jan 31 st 1996 where students analyse media products and study alterna tives. The idea is to show that theory is always part of the practice,a living dimension in all artistic work. Liulia lavishes praise on her'humanist’production team, whose members swapped roles whenever the need arose:sound designerA ri Hirvonen supplied psychoanalyt & ambitious joking ical insights, while producer Tuija Makkonen from Edita Theory then, should be taken no more seriously than «/for and feminist scholar Leena-Maija Rossi offered their ser mation. One may wonder at the audacity of involving vices as actresses, etc. Kierkegaard and Nancy Reagan, Barbara Cartland and Julia Kristeva in dialogue side by side, but Liulia dismisses such attitudes with the observation that humour is one of the best weapons of feminism. ”The Ambitious Bitch attitude’could be character ized as a blonde who relieves the tension during business negotiations by telling blonde jokes. She can laugh at her self, too.” It is probably this attitude which explains a lot of the fan mail sent to AB. Positive feedback has been received from th e;geek girls’of WWW, as well as from engineers, who enjoy the surprises in Ambitious Bitch. ’’The most touching comment came from a woman who had spent several hours immersed in the work.She said she kept thinking about herself all the time. The best art experiences are characterized by a strange feeling of com ing very close to oneself, aren’t they ?” muses Marita, one of the Bitches. FEATURES Tuesday February 13, 1996 m Bangkok Post 33 Finnish blondes have more fun in cyberspace, too
By SA R A HENLEY bitious Bitch. “Everything in it is de the top corner of a frame takes slightly more intuitive Finnish: assertive, deceptive highest incidence of Internet thing so strange, so confus showing a tousled blonde handling than the disci ly simple and technological users: about 43 per thousand ing and. complex that only a Reuters, in Helsinki Liulia’s ambition is to se signed for the woman who cure a place for women in does not play on her comput head — can simply disappear plined point-and-click to per ly advanced. of the population. woman can manage to do it,” About 61 percent of Finn he is quoted as saying else anorak-infested cyberspace. er on her holidays,” said Liu when you try to catch them suade Ambitious Bitch to Internet surfers can find hat do you call it ish women work full-time “All the existing multime lia, a tiny, 38-year-old bru with the computer mouse. yield its more dynamic ele parts of the Bitch, as Liulia where in the program. when a blonde dyes and they were the first in Eu dia programs have been de nette. “This is a tricky bitch, you ments. calls -the project, on World Click on the word insatia her hair brunette? rope to win the parliamenta signed for young males,” Liu “This is an exercise in us Wide Web home, page ble in purple type: you hear WArtificial intelligence. Ambitious Bitch holds know,” said Liulia as she ry vote, in 1906. Yet few have lia said. “There’s nothing for ing the mouse,” Liulia com an unmistakably feline yowl One of the most printable none of the mediaeval dun demonstrated one menu, reached top positions and http: I ¡www.editalfilbitch. women.” mented at one of the menus, She aims to update this and see torn, mauve silk “blonde” jokes picked up by geons, buzzing enemy alien which remains invisible un Finns still repeat a popular sliding the mouse to bring a site regularly for three years, wrapped around a pair of fe Finnish artist Marita Liulia Whether or not you know spaceships or bleeping hid less you chance to move the saying: “you find a woman interactive multimedia, the mouse in a particular direc static Paris metro map into by the end of which she ex male legs. on the Internet, this one fea den treasures common to behind every little thing.” simplest way to describe Am motion and activate a jarring pects to be using full-screen Later you realise the pic tures in an interactive CD- classic “male” computer tion. Liulia’s comment on this bitious Bitch is as a sort of. A key “female” trick in soundtrack. video. ture was simply shot by a ROM she made, for blondes games. Though flirtatious, it proverb is to superimpose it computer game . with atti Liulia’s program is its defi As she agitated the mouse, woman looking down at her and other women.. has no sense of “soft-porn” over an image of herself The complexity of Ambi tude. eroticism. ance of usual computer game images flashed from zoom to tious Bitch is perhaps best ripped tights. “A multimedia dive into standing in front of a sex Liulia is predictably unim rules. To seasoned game distant perspectives at differ illustrated by the menu Fe Liulia said a photographer femininity,” Liulia’s comput Among the program’s 11 ent angles, with sound dis shop. randomly generated menus pressed by bestselling multi- players it may seem to offer “I can tell a story in text male Qualities. friend took it: “She was just er brew of images, sound, little more than a bag of te torting and speeding up. are Female Perversions, Erot media games. “It’s nothing and then there are images Every time you click on so cross, because she’d text and video mixes lewd compared to my Bitch,” she dious feminist epigrams: “Here you can get your .one quality, more pile up on ruined her tights.” jokes and innuendo with the ic Tales and The Ambitious which tell a completely dif said of a recent US-made hit, “When God created man, She own MTV (music televi the screen until, like the As if you couldn’t guess, sharp feminist wit of a tough Witch. It comes in techno ferent story,” she said. Freak Show. was just practising.” sion),” said Liulia. “But you Danish philosopher Soren Liulia’s next major project Nordic woman. toned pink-green packaging Despite the Finns’ reputa with digital sound and took a Her “treasures” — such as You can play the program have to move.” tion as an uncommunicative Kierkegaard, you lose pa will be for and about men. Few computer nerds would 16-strong team two years to a pink rose that pops up with for hours without finding The program uses English people, this remote Nordic tience. Its title? Son of the Bitch, like the program’s title: A m create. a taunting, breathy sigh at any rude blonde jokes. It and French but is deeply country now has Europe’s “To be a woman is some naturally. KVINNORIDATORM Sid 4 W: m Finland har blivit ett stort namn inom datorkonst och multimedia. Nu iinns Marita m Liulias ’’Ambitious Bitch” pa ■ CD-ROM. Kvinnan tar plats i datorn
MULTIMEDIA En interaktiv kavalkad rium. Den erotiska litteratu- frän kleptomani till behovet över 2 000 är av västerländsk ren visar smä korta detaljer att vara älskad. Verk: Ambitious Bitch av- kvinnohistoria, en Pandoras ur aktuella finska författares ask, full av överraskningar. verk, som Anna-Leena Har- Gjord i samma anda som Marita Liulia. Finns förPC Laurie Andersons ’’Puppet och Mac Som en avancerad utmaning könens och Raija Routoslai- tili de traditionella rollspel nens. Motel”, är ’’Ambitious Bitch” Utges av Förlaget Edita, ett imponerande exempel pä som föredras av pojkar och Finland Bilder, ljud och atmosfär är alliansen mellan intellekt och Kan köpaspä Konstig Bok- män är ’’Ambitious Bitch” laddade av beröringar och bäde tekniskt enkel och lätt sinnen, ett slags sensuell or- handeli Kulturhuset eller pä andfädda andningar. gie där dofter, färger och ord Stockholms Smart Show,som att använda, trots att den Liulia driver bäde med det vävs samman. Rosor, hals- öppnar i dag, torsdag, pä ibland kan kännas en aning manliga etablissemanget och huggna dockor, tekoppar, Wasahallen i Djurgärden. monoton. med den traditionella femi- skor, bröllopsklänningar, det Men det är det som är me- nismen, hon försöker fä an- är en klippbok för nostalgiker ningen, skivan är tänkt som OM JAG fick bestämma skul vändare att bejaka kvinnlig och nittiotalister, som växer en reflexion över ett tillständ, hetens komplexa charm. Den upp i cyberrymdens periferi. le jag skicka vära Politiker pä en egenskap, ett verktyg för studiebesök till Finland. Jag postmoderna diskursen är Liulias urval av kända citat att förstä kvinnlighetens väldigt viktig i ’’Ambitious har aldrig hört hur den flnska komplexitet. och skämt är vasst som sti- IT-satsningen är formulerad, Bitch”, bäde Teresa de Laure- lettklackar. ”Nar Gud skapa- men jag misstänker att det är tis och kroppskonstnären Or- de mannen, höll han pä att avsevärt mindre högtidligt LIULIAS VERK, som presen- lan, som har använt sin egen öva”, eller ”En kvinna utan än den svenska Varianten. teras pä torsdag som en av de kropp som övningsfält, bi- man är som en fisk utan stora händelserna i Stock drar med sina teorier tili ski Finland har, med hjälp av cykel” kommer att fä vissa av holms Smart Show, konst- vans intellektuella ryggmärg. mina manliga vänner att fä framsynta kulturbyräkrater mässan för avantgard- och Orlans konstaterande ”1 be och riskvilliga Politiker, bli hicka. Men i det manligt do- multimediekonstnärer, är bä lieve the body is obsolete” är minerade cyberrymden, där vit ett stort namn i dator de satirisk och allvarlig, full bäde skrämmande och lock- konst och multimedia. Frän män länge varit ensamma med citat av filosofer som ande. herrar pä täppan, börjar Finland kommer nu en av de Simone de Beauvoir och So mest spännande och provoce kvinnorna att kräva inträde. ren Kierkegaard, men ocksä FASHION, DÄR olika mode- rande CD-ROM som jag har med bevingade ord av Bar Liulias ’’Ambitious Bitch” sett. skapare som Calvin Klein, bara Cartland och Nancy Rea Yves Saint-Laurent och Karl visar pä ett roligt och in- tuitivt sätt att kvinnoi och Multimediekonstnären Ma gan. Lagerfeldt förklarar sin syn teknologi är förenliga och att rita (eller Merette) Liulia har Via huvudmenyn kan man pä kvinnor, är ett intelligent kvinnor kan, med glimten i skapat multimedieverket navigera genom skivans in- och vackert portrait av be- ögat, skämta med sig själva Provocerande.Finland har blivit stort inom datorkonst och’’Ambitious Bitch” eller ”La teraktiva avdelningar, dar gärets attributer och tillbe- och med sin omgivning pä ett multimedia. Marita Liulia har skapat multimedieverketGarce "Am Ambitieuse”. Använ- erotisk litteratur, modevis- hör. Min egen favorit är oefriande sätt. bitious Bitch”, en interaktiv kavalkad over 2 000 ärav daren väster- kan välja mellan tvä ningar och dockskäp blandas kvinnliga perversioner, som ländsk kvinnohistoria spräk, engelska eller franska. i ett dynamiskt sf^^elsu- täcker eu L.’ett spektrum, ANA L VALDfiS KVINNOR I DATORN Sid 4 Finland har blivit ett stort namn inom datorkonst och multimedia. Nu finns Marita Liulias ’’Ambitious Bitch” pa CD-ROM. Kvinnan tar plats i datorn
MULTIMEDIA En interaktiv kavalkad rium. Den erotiska litteratu- frän kleptomani till behovet över 2 000 är av västerländsk ren visar smä korta detaljer att vara älskad. kvinnohistoria, en Pandoras ur aktuella finska författares Verk: Ambitious .Bitch av- Gjord i samma anda som Marita Liulia. Finns förPC ask, full av överraskningar. verk, som Anna-Leena Har- Som en avancerad utmaning könens och Raija Routoslai- Laurie Andersons ’’Puppet och Mac Motel”, är ’’Ambitious Bitch” Utges av Förlaget Edita, tili de traditionella rollspel nens. som föredras av pojkar och ett imponerande exempel pä Finland Bilder, ljud och atmosfär är alliansen mellan intellekt och Kan köpaspä Konstig Bok- män är ’’Ambitious Bitch” laddade av beröringar och bäde tekniskt enkel och lätt sinnen, ett slags sensuell or- handeli Kulturhuset eller pä andfädda andningar. gie där dofter, färger och ord Stockholms Smart Show,som att använda, trots att den Liulia driver bäde med det vävs samman. Rosor, hals- öppnar i dag, torsdag, pä ibland kan kännas en aning manliga etablissemanget och huggna dockor, tekoppar, Wasahallen i Djurgärden. monoton. med den traditionella femi- skor, bröllopsklänningar, det Men det är det som är me- nismen, hon försöker fä an- är en klippbok för nostalgiker ningen, skivan är tänkt som OM JAG fick bestämma skul vändare att bejaka kvinnlig och nittiotalister, som växer en reilexion över ett tillständ, hetens komplexa charm. Den upp i cyberrymdens periferi. le jag skicka vära Politiker pä en egenskap, ett verktyg för studiebesök till Finland. Jag postmoderna diskursen är Liulias urval av kända citat att förstä kvinnlighetens väldigt viktig i "Ambitious har aldrig hört hur den flnska komplexitet. och skämt är vasst som sti- IT-satsningen är formulerad, Bitch”, bäde Teresa de Laure- lettklackar. ”När Gud skapa- men jag misstänker att det är tis och kroppskonstnären Or- de mannen, holl han pä att avsevärt mindre högtidligt LIULIAS VERK, som presen- lan, som har använt sin egen öva”, eller ”En kvinna utan än den svenska Varianten. teras pä torsdag som en av de kropp som övningsfält, bi- man är som en fisk utan stora händelserna i Stock drar med sina teorier tili ski Finland har, med hjälp av cykel” kommer att fä vissa av holms Smart Show, konst- vans intellektuella ryggmärg. mina manliga vänner att fä framsynta kulturbyräkrater mässan för avantgard- och Orlans konstaterande ”1 be och riskvilliga Politiker, bli hicka. Men i det manligt do- multimediekonstnärer, är bä lieve the body is obsolete” är minerade cyberrymden, där vit ett stort namn i dator de satirisk och allvarlig, full bäde skrämmande och lock- konst och multimedia. Frän män länge varit ensamma med citat av filosofer som ande. herrar pä täppan, börjar Finland kommer nu en av de Simone de Beauvoir och Sö- mest spännande och provoce kvinnorna att kräva inträde. ren Kierkegaard, men ocksä FASHION, DÄR olika mode- rande CD-ROM som jag har Liulias ’’Ambitious Bitch” med bevingade ord av Bar skapare som Calvin Klein, sett. visar pä ett roligt och in- bara Cartland och Nancy Rea Yves Saint-Laurent och Karl Multimediekonstnären Ma gan. Lagerfeldt förklarar sin syn tuitivt sätt att kvinnoi- och teknologi är förenliga och att rita (eller Merette) Liulia har Via huvudmenyn kan man pä kvinnor, är ett intelligent kvinnor kan, med glimten i skapat multimedieverket navigera genom skivans in- och vackert porträtt av be- ögat, skämta med sig själva Provocerande.Finland har blivit stort inom datorkonst och"Ambitious Bitch” eller ”La teraktiva avdelningar, där gärets attributer och tillbe- multimedia. Marita Liulia har skapat multimedieverketGarce ’’Am Ambitieuse”. Använ- erotisk litteratur, modevis- hör. Min egen favorit är och med sin omgivning pä ett oefriande sätt. bitious Bitch", en interaktiv kavalkad over 2 000 ärav daren väster- kan välja mellan tvä ningar och dockskäp blandas kvinnliga perversioner, som landsk kvmnohistoria spräk, engelska eller franska. i ett dynamiskt sp^^elsu- täcker eu l_'ett spektrum, ANA L VALDfiS lAs-sO-m-, J-LAJ>o- h^A&O 4-Áe. U^yO-jj2Á A-eA&lj AA <^Orf¿ yyUMsj A&CO& h * Z . cd ~~ Jz^Jt*JÍ%y ^ O zAS^&OtUA, ^eaJ-MA&U ^ 5. o^ i^ aJ-As&aaa. ¿wJ? S Y I A - A $ 2 j2^ ~ A ^ A / Y I ^ AAspÁoJhg^ liSW lSW *- OL yyU^Jj-Á^O-AAA-i ______Marita Liulia is a sharp, skilful director of people and swirly as the lime-green brochure and its slick and art. Her talent is to inspire us ferns to re promotional package is “a new way to approach awaken, and market the project to art galleries, women: through self-irony, randy wit and quirky libraries, educators and general CD-ROM junk brilliance, ambitious bitch communicates with ies. Using shameless self-promotion and subvert challenging visuals, rich audiospace and an origi ing the ‘bitch’ word, Marita eviscerates the bow nal navigating system”. els of multimedia tecknowhow and post-feminism All true, with a just a pinch of hype; hence, you - making it fun, funky and lime-green fresh! French simply have to forgive the reworking of old jokes or English, if you please... by A m bitious B londe: What do you call a blonde With her mates and neither a smattering of matri who’s become a brunette? Artificial intelligence... archy nor caviar in sight, Marita Liulia works with Sometimes, the extenuating treatment of issues Terra Nova, Oy Edita AB and Ari Hirvonen to bring relating to body/gender/female perversions/erotic you a corker of a CD-ROM. tales and even the chapter on ambitious witch got With a bit of help from the Promotion Center for to me, thinking I had seen and heard it all b4. Audiovisual Culture in Finland (AVEK) and the Well, I have, haven’t I? Still, I managed to enjoy Finnish Ministry of Education, this CD is as tart the CD immensely and be absolutely persuaded g e e k g i r I 20 issue & /? & point and took the risk in publishing this work. I have had lots of feedback and excellent critics from men, too! gg: Personally, I hate the word ‘bitch’ - it makes my skin crawl. I smiled when I heard the words ‘ambitious’ and ‘bitch’ combined: it gave me some insight into why you think the two words combined have this effect on people! Can anyone be an am bitious bitch and w hat does it take?! that both women and men enjoy this multi-layered AB: I must tell you the story of the name, A m bi promo garb us much as us grrrls do, without a grrroan tious Bitch. The working title was, which sounds or growl - looks like the world really is taking feminism like conceptual art...eek. I was in Malaysia last win seriously and not so s u b M y . ter reading Madonna’s life story when I invented I caught up with Marita Liulia via e-mail in between this Ambitious Bitch. It was my nickname long ago France and Finland [sigh] jet setting bitch!) I had al when I lived in the Netherlands, given to me by a ready suggested in previous e-mail that I thought Am friend - 45 years doctor of literature...Madonna bitious Bitchwds a geekgiri Zeitgeist on CD-ROM. used to name her companies using the ugly nick “Grrrls just want to have quad-speed names the press gave her...slut this and that, etc. I CD-ROM players!” thought I could use the same idea and name this geekgiri:I agree about our mutually quirky au work after my own nickname... dience and perhaps a similar wicked attitude gg: Now, if I’m not mistaken, ‘ambitious about gender. Are gender issues universal? If blonde’ is a drag queen. At the turn of the mil not, how is the notion of individuality and di lennium do you think gender is still dazed and versity being challenged by your work? confused so we continually have to appropri Ambitious Bitch: Gender issues seem to be ate images in order to achieve some balance universal these days. In the ’80s I tried to find the and harmony - is gender fluidity going to be last matriarch from Sumatra, but they said the last our only way out/in? matron died long before computers were AB: You are mistaken! ‘Ambitious blonde’ is a invented...same story in Brazil, Swedish artist and sculptor, Anna Marie Ekstrand. gg: What does post-feminism mean to you? This is her everyday dress and make-up (you You describe it as an awakening. should see the evening dress..). She is not a drag AB: Third Wave in Ambitious Bitch explains it all. queen, but a very shy, gentle, young girl. It’s true. To summarise, it’s that: More about blondes - I think they are about to • biological sex and social gender are both con change their sex. I have seen lots of limp, naked, structed bleached boys in magazines and in MTV. Just • there are differences also within genders think about Golden Boys or Jarvis Cocker - the • flexible identities are gained through politics same old idea of dummy sex object. • her/his many voices & multiple identities • body is performative • language, power and gender all connect • mapping the borders of ‘female’ desires and Good girls go (o fantasies • new codes for femininity & role models & areas of expertise ■ H • viewpoints of gays, lesbians & queers • different feminist strategies coexist gg: Speaking of lime, your CD-ROM,Am bitious ■ /'; Bitch, is totally luscious - did you have a mar Bad girls go ket in mind when you designed it and what sort feedback have you received from your audience? AB: Because there are so few CD-ROM titles for women or about women I wanted to create one. A e y lib '- Luckily, I found a good editor who understood the \ 21 high flyers of a CD-ROM and oil colours aren’t cheap! It cost a fortune to make this CD-ROM and everybody gg: I think your latest project, Ambitious Bitch, wants it for free. In case I want to continue direct is rich-in texture, presentation, content. Are ing these not-so-commercial titles my editor gender issues being fought and won by elites? should sell some copies, too. At US$128, the CD-ROM is gorgeous and well gg: Do you come from a privileged back worth it, but who is buying it and do rich ground? I read in your bio you suffer from se bitches have more fun than poor ones? vere arthritis from a childhood accident - do AB: I don’t know who buys it - it’s a very new such experiences dramatically change how release. Many guys buy it for their girlfriends. I you look at life and produce art? guess art museums and libraries buy it, as well AB: My background is very modest - my mother as individuals who are interested in the issues or was a cook, father a carpenter. Very noisy & lov graphic style...We’ll see! ing childhood shadowed by the fact I could hardly gg: Such a sweet child with that teddy...Awww, come move. I dreamed, red and draw and made plans on, were you really a bitch at such an early age? for my future. Actually, all my plans came true - 1 AB: I was a real bitch at an early age. My mother saw all the seven seas, fell in love with capitano told me I made drawings on all possible surfaces and became an artist. And the best thing is I can I could find, and later I concentrated on reading. I walk and even dance. was also very interested in ancient Chinese cities gg: Is Finland a really cool place to love and live? and the history of the Roman Empire, AB: Yes. Finland is a cool place to live. Sun gg: Now, the last time I wrote, you were in Paris shines, we have white snow in winter, four sea- - what’s going on, what are you working on sons'not to get bored with, clean air, good quality and can we all get as ambitious as you? In the food, nice honest people, lots of culture, lots of new millennium which languages will we need technology to work out. Enough peace and quiet to speak and who would you choose as a per to concentrate on work, too. If I miss pollution and sonal shopper? action I can easily travel big European cities (per- AB: I have two exhibitions at the moment, a laser disc installation called ‘Jackpot’ is in the Web Bar AMBIMUSBLONDE: WHAT 00 YOU CALL A (e-mail:[email protected]) and the ‘Ambitious Bitch' installation is in the Institute Finlandais. I will stay in Paris all spring and summer in order to study sonally, I prefer South-East Asia and North Africa). men for my next work. Working title is, naturally, The Here I have enough good company and, of course, Son o f the Bitch. Hmmm, tough work) women are the most equal here. A good place for gg: Do you like techno music? I love the bright ambitious bitch to live and love. colours and fun zipped floral & spiral influ GG: List some female perversions. ences. Which scene are you into now? ...It AB: Overliving, hairpulling, dieting and other forms must have been just awful living in that com of self-hatred, kleptomania, eating disorders, etc. mune in your younger days - just think of all gg: Is packaging everything? Even to the ex that shampoo which was pinched and the tent women have to package themselves to smell of stale group sex...erk.. succeed, what’s your gut feeling on how AB: [smile] I like Bristol sound a lot - Massive women get noticed these days - is it brains, Attack and Portishead. beauty, bubbles or being bitchy? I think your gg: When inquiring about your CD-ROM for CD is a personal/political statement about review, I was told no-one gets a free copy. Has packaging and how the Zeitgeist of western this attitude of ‘not selling your art’ worked to femininity is, as you say, a future full of self your advantage or is it a recent strategy em irony, randy wit and quirky brilliance - but ployed to sell product and accord you due re when the hell does it start to pay off? spect? What is the art scene like in Finland - AB: Think about role models like Kate Moss. is everyone blowing it out their bitchy arse? Packaging goes too far and little girls are starving AB: When I worked with paintings and graphics I to look right. What are the right looks for females? didn’t give my work away either - they were sold Starving bimbos in miniskirts. I don’t want to go by galleries. A painting of mine costs around back to the ’60s! $3000 these days - hardly comparable to the price gg: Is it possible to create political perversity using information technology? Tell me a little bit about your Web site and why you think it’s g e e k g i r I 22 robe is huge - I love to play with different role models. gg: Joke - A woman of the ’90s works 90 hrs a important to have local statistics on-line about week, earns $90,000 a year and thinks cook Scandinavian women. ing and bonking are cities in China. AB: Statistics tell the truth from one point of view. Your joke..? Because they change I use them on the Web site, AB: The idea of emancipated women of the '60s not the CD-ROM. I will update the Ambitious Bitch (in Finland they were called Mari-girls) was the home pages from time to time. I can’t update the starting point for the ‘ambitious bitch’. CD-ROM. They should have two kids, be brilliant house gg: OK, what’s the bitchiest comment you’ve wives, cook gorgeous meals for 20 guests, have heard this week? a higher education and an interesting job with AB: My mother teased me in the sauna: “Marita, promising future, know wines and French philoso your bum is just like a strawberry pie - all soft phy and understand abstract art; they should be and pick". I teased her back: “I haven’t had keen nature lovers and have several hobbies like liposuction yet”. fishing and politics; they should travel a lot and gg: How often do you eat sushi? have lots of friends and of course they are natural AB: Now and then. We have several Japanese beauties who hardly need make-up...blah blah restaurants and sushi bars here. I prefer to give blah. Do these ambitious bitches really exist? I interviews in them - guess the reason?) had a closer look at contemporary women and I gg: I get the feeling you have always been a found all kinds of women - I even found some ‘director’? As a bitchy person how many who could realise all those crazy demands, chances do you give the crew before they are gg: Do you ever accept reverse phone charges? dismissed and what is it like working with you AB: Haven’t got any yet - why? (if you can be objective) http://www.ed ita .f i/bitch AB: I believe in team work and discussion. I choose carefully my team, and give them lots of space, because if they like what they do, the au- BLONDE WHO'S BECOME A BRUNETTE? ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.. dience likes it, too. I often pick up their ideas. Ideal situation is when I don’t have to give orders at all. We rather decide together and work it out. I have an excellent team (half females, half males - all interesting and good humoured) -■4J.A Â4, Jc-r’l, gg: Sex is an issue in Scandinavia? Oh, puleese... Jtt -kXAAXAj»,, AB: Sex is an issue everywhere, gg: Bjork recently punched out a journalist in Bangkok. Would you condone physical violence as a way of emancipation for the frail female? AB: Bjork is my favourite role model of the ’90s, just like Madonna was in the ’80s. But she was a Marita Liulia stupido at Bangkok airport. We all have our stupido moments but better to live without. I was sorry for her - she could have done better. I hate violence in all forms. Absolutely! The one who uses vio lence is a loser. gg: Love the latest look - reminds me of a Scandinavian scrubber. You’re full of contra dictions ...... who is going to give you a job looking like that? AB: Looking like this I have got lots of serious job offers. Also in France. ForTV or conferences peo ple often ask me to “dress up your way” because the audience loves it. W hy not? I like to surprise. But I feel at ease in a black suit, too. My ward- high flyers