THE INTER-SOCIETY FOR THE the second symposium, with words, scientifically) approach the representatives of SIGGRAPH, the artistic potentials of our new age. ELECTRONIC ARTS REVIVED? Computer Music Association, Ars

Electronica, ISAST/Leonardo, ANAT, History Wim van der Plas, Languages of Design and others, the The idea to start ISEA was conceived by ISEA International Foundation discussion was reasonably civilised, but Theo Hesper, currently a resident of Clazina Kouwenbergzoom 107 behind the scenes tempers flared, as Indonesia. Theo was founder and board 3065 KC Rotterdam nobody wanted to lose autonomy. member of the Dutch Foundation for The Netherlands Looking at ISEA2013’s theme and Creative Computer Applications [email protected] sub-themes, this is the time to put co- (SCCA), of which I was the director.

operation on the table! To quote from the The SCCA partnered with the Utrecht Abstract ISEA2013 site: Art School to organise the first ISEA This is an edited version of an introduction written for the panel session with the same name of June symposium in Utrecht. The Utrecht Art 13, 2013. The editing took place after the session -Resistance is Futile: Electronic Art now School made a commitment during the was held. Both the introduction and the panel lies embedded in the heart of our first symposium to organise the next one session are seen as the beginning of a discussion contemporary cultures. too, in two years’ time. that should help to give direction to the future of ISEA. However, less than a year later, I This article was edited by ISEA International -Histories and Futures of Electronic Art: received an e-mail message from Roger board member Bonnie Mitchell, and received input ISEA2013 offers a platform to explore Malina, who had participated in the from the panellists as well as from Wolfgang where electronic art has come from, historic meeting in Utrecht. He informed Schneider, Roger Malina and Peter Beyls. The where it is going and what it might panellists were Bonnie Mitchell, Anne Nigten me that the Utrecht Art School had told (former ISEA board member), Vicki Sowry become. him they were not going to be able to (ISEA2013 organiser), Ernest Edmonds (presenter pull off the second symposium, and he at the first ISEA symposia) and Peter Anders (ISEA -Creation, Collaboration and asked me whether I saw any other International board member). I would like to thank Consumption: ISEA2013 encourages them all for their constructive thinking. possibilities. I worked for the computer The panel proposal is followed first by a mini debate, provocations and engagement in animation department of Groningen manifesto (why cooperation?) and then an historic the global nets of participation. University (then called Polytechnic) of overview of ISEA, which is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. Before presenting the viewpoints Applied Sciences, which boasted a of the panel members, I will try to give some of Mini Manifesto famous art school (Minerva) and a Music those viewpoints an historic context, and add to that for a Network Organisation for the Conservatory with an electronic music some insights from personal experience. Finally, I Emergent Arts department. The school agreed to host will try to draw some conclusions. In that way I hope to lay the foundation for a more or less the symposium; it sprang into action and structured discussion that will continue after the 1. We live in a world that is governed by organised a quite successful second panel and ISEA2013 are over. economic laws. The economy in charge ISEA in 1990. Nearly 500 proposals is mainly based on profit maximisation were received, and approximately 250 Keywords: Electronic Art, Emergent Art, Media by individual enterprises (as opposed to History, International Symposium on Electronic international and 250 Dutch participants Art, Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts collective initiatives). attended. First in Utrecht, and even more so in The Proposal 2. Meanwhile, history is being governed Groningen, an enthusiastic group of The original aim of ISEA was to connect by expansion of human knowledge, Australians insisted that they would all organisations that are active in the encompassing both insight and organise the third symposium in 1992 in field of the electronic (or emergent) arts; imagination, or science and art, together Sydney. That symposium was of a larger thus ISEA would become a meta- known as culture. scale, involving major musea and organisation. galleries; the following symposia held in The goal of the first ISEA 3. The development of science and its Minneapolis (1993) and Helsinki (1994) Symposium, held in 1988 in Utrecht, the practical application, technology, is were rather modest; however the one Netherlands, was not to begin a series, extremely fast, providing for rapid held in Montreal (1995) was relatively but to establish the meta-organisation by changes in production, medicine, social large. creating a gathering at which the plan for life and so on. The economic motor Before the second symposium, Theo this association of organisations could be requires us to consider every Hesper and I founded the Inter-Society discussed and endorsed. This is exactly technological advance as a potential for the Electronic Arts (with the same what happened, and the association, source of profit. acronym as the symposium), thus called the Inter-Society for the fulfilling the goals expressed at the Electronic Arts (ISEA), was founded 2 4. This obscures our vision of future historic Utrecht meeting. The name was years later in the city of Groningen (the well-being on a global scale. The only coined by Roger Malina. It was an Netherlands), prior to the second ISEA counterweight at our disposition is art, association, and it was intended that its the other side of the cultural moon. In symposium, in the same city. The members be institutes and organisations; continuation of the symposia, thus such a serious context, it is of essential however, as we had no funding importance that all art initiatives which making it a series, was another result of whatsoever, we decided to allow the historic meeting in Utrecht. consciously aim at grasping the individuals to join too, and managed to implications of technological Quite possibly, the goal was too enrol around 100, rising to 200, ambitious, and the founding fathers too development, put their heads together members, many of them non-paying. and co-operate. The aim should be to much ahead of their times. When a panel Only a few (5-10) of the members were meeting was organised on the stage of structurally and systematically (in other institutions; many were students, paying

Please reference as: [Author(s)-of-paper] (2013) [Title-of-paper] in Cleland, K., Fisher, L. & Harley, R. (Eds.) Proceedings of the 19th International Symposium of Electronic Art, ISEA2013, Sydney. http://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/handle/2123/9475 Page numbering begins at 1 at the start of the paper. a reduced fee. The association was run have been unrealistic to imagine that this second decision was made in by a number of volunteers–Dirk Boon 3-day summit would result in definitive consultation with the ISEA membership, and Rene Paré in the Netherlands, and, answers to the questions on the table, but and was to become a foundation instead among others, Yoshiyuki Abe in Japan it was, at least, the beginning of a of an association. The Inter-Society went and Rejane Spitz in Brazil. However, collaborative effort to solve common to sleep (it still exists, but is dormant), none of the volunteers could work for problems. and ISEA International saw the light of ISEA as part of their paid professional The question of funding dominated day. job. many of the presentations and The University of Brighton offered to The ISEA members wanted something discussions. As Valérie Lamontagne host the International ISEA in return for their membership dues, so described in the CIAC Magazine: headquarters, with Sue Gollifer as the we negotiated a symposium fee “Certain initiatives did result from this Director. From then on we charged the reduction for ISEA members, and discussion, mainly the desire to form a symposium hosts a fee of €10K, of produced a monthly newsletter, nation-wide media arts lobbying which 80% goes to the University of including an extensive event agenda, job organization.” But her conclusion speaks Brighton; however, this still does not opportunities, calls for participation, etc., for itself: “Media arts still remains an art allow us enough room for development, that was distributed via snailmail. Over practice fraught with contradictions in so we recently raised the fee to €15K. the years, more than 100 newsletters practice and philosophy”[1]. have been produced. Yoshiyuki and The most distinct observation of Valérie Policy Rejane translated the newsletter into was: “Cartographies focused on the one Where the Inter-Society was overly Japanese and Portugese (for the hand on a movement away from optimistic and naïve, the ISEA Brazilians), and we called them our computer-based art practices towards International foundation has limited its Japanese and Brazilian branches. Our interactive projects done in collaboration goals to what it is able to reasonably main job was to coordinate the with the scientific and artistic accomplish. A volunteer organisation continuation of the symposia. community, and, on the other hand, on requires professionals in order to work The Montreal symposium in 1995 was projects being done in an independent effectively. so successful that the organisers were fashion which no longer necessitated ISEA International has only 3 aims: to subsequently able to get funding to take ‘center’ and ‘distributors’. A dichotomy ensure that the series of symposia on the running of the association, and was formed between a populist approach continues, to maintain a secretariat (HQ), bring 'HQ', as we called the secretariat, to technology and more expensive and and to maintain the two websites (the to their city. The organisation behind this institution-driven media arts general isea-web.org and the online initiative was the Société Des Arts production.” archive)[2]. With the conception of the Technologiques (SAT), and the All of this was, clearly, a very hopeful foundation we decided we would sponsorship came from the Daniel beginning to the Inter-Society for the endorse initiatives from individuals or Langois Foundation. Alain Mongeau Electronic Arts. However, around the institutes to create ISEA projects, but we (ISEA95 director) and Monique Savoie year 2000 the Daniel Langois would not take on initiatives ourselves, (SAT) were the main players. Foundation terminated its support, and as we lacked the capacity to carry The Canadians were able to bring the Montreal HQ ceased to exist. It had projects through to the end. together physically the international become apparent that funding a truly Keeping the symposia 'in the air' has board of the Inter-Society with several international (nomadic, even) been the main concern of, first the Inter- members of the advising committee, in organisation would be terribly difficult. Society (even though the official primary order to discuss the future of ISEA over After the year 2000, the ISEA aim went beyond that), and then ISEA several days of intensive meetings. They headquarters was, once again, run by International. It is not enough to find a also organised a ‘General Assembly on volunteers only. In the Netherlands it city or a university that wants to organise New Media Art’, called Cartographies, became a project for a student team to a symposium; the task of maintaining which took place from October 12-14, maintain central communication. The ISEA's character takes a major 1999. Its aim was to make progress team was succeeded by Angela Plohman, investment of time and energy. ISEA ‘toward a definition of new media art’. who contributed tremendously, International does not want to duplicate Present were representatives of the Inter- practically for free. Shortly afterwards, what other organisations are doing. Ars Society, Montreal Festival of New two Dutch board members managed to Electronica, for example, existed before Cinema & New Media, Banff, obtain subsidies from the Mondriaan the ISEA symposium did; ISEA is University of Quebec, McGill Foundation and the VSB Fund for primarily an 'academic' conference, and University, Daniel Langois Foundation building an online archive to store Ars Electronica a festival. Some of (all Canadian), Ars Electronica (Austria), important ISEA documents. The project ISEA’s other characteristics were not V2 (Netherlands), Art3000 (France), manager, Nadia Palliser, took it upon preconceived, but grew naturally out of Muu (Finland), Mecad (Spain), DA2 herself to direct the ISEA's HQ for the the original initiative: its nomadism, its (UK), Walker Art Center (USA) and duration of the project. The archive 'un-institutionalised' appearance, and the others. project culminated with a presentation of feeling that the participants 'own it'. Taken from the flyer for this the results in Singapore, ISEA2008. The board of the Inter-Society, and assembly: the “works of today are During that same year, the Inter- then ISEA International, have invested a polysemic, multi-sensorial, interactive, Society made two major decisions. The great deal of energy in developing virtual. In search of an identity of their ISEA Board decided that the symposium Guidelines for Symposium Hosts [3], own, they demand new criteria of host city would have to pay a fee to the and also a contract to ensure evaluation and understanding, as well as ISEA headquarters so that it could fund commitment to the ISEA symposium new sensibilities”. It would, of course, the management of the organisation. The character. The first thing some organisers do, for example, is to proposals and the final papers are double -while electronic music had an even announce ISEA as a 'festival'. The ISEA blind reviewed by a competent older history, board also always needs assurance that International Programming Committee, -but the two worlds (graphics and music) participation in the symposium is not the Proceedings often appear only after were not connected obstructed by financial thresholds. the symposium. The problem here is that -and it had become clear that new art Currently we are revising the Guidelines ISEA, with its extended exhibitions, forms (especially interactive) were and contract once more to address these concerts, performances, screenings and possible issues, with the aid of a legal general events, is a much larger -while the traditional division of art professional. organisational structure than a standard disciplines had become obsolete and Improving the symposium is one of academic conference. Besides that, there -last but not least, the personal computer the major focal points of the board. This are strong objections, not only by the had advanced in both everyday life and is not easy, due to the fact that each artistic community, to having people in art education. symposium is run by a different group of read their paper to an audience that The new element was clearly the people in another part of the world. might as well have stayed home and read computer and its introduction into the art Sometimes, after signing the contract, the proceedings. Having final papers world. In the course of the last 25 years the hosts throw away the Guidelines and double reviewed and corrected would the computer has become completely forget who we are. Maybe I exaggerate, mean writing them far in advance of the integrated into everyday life (at least in but I sometimes get the feeling that they symposium, thus causing actuality and the West), whilst electronics have see the ISEA International Guidelines as spontaneity to suffer. However, if we become integrated into the world around a burden. The symposium organisers want to be taken seriously by the us, from the kitchen to the car. In have to pay ISEA International, provide academic community (and make it addition, other technologies have accommodation for the board, and put a possible for academics to get funding to developed in a spectacular way (mostly General Meeting in the program, while attend), it is essential that the thanks to the underlying electronic they, the organisers, are doing all the Proceedings are published before the revolution), such as biological and work! symposium. This would enable us to re- medical technology, nanotechnology and This is a major reason why it is hard establish the co-operation that we so on. to make progress in giving the series of previously had with Leonardo, as With these developments, isolation of symposia more direction. Since the mentioned by panellist Ernest Edmonds electronics alone as the interesting new nomadic character of ISEA is one of its and commentator Roger Malina. There element in the arts has become major charms, changing the symposium would have to be rather strict rules for problematic; in practice, the symposium is possibly one of the most difficult presenting the paper, as reading aloud nowadays focuses rather on the broader problems that ISEA faces; I would like must be avoided. connection between 'modern technology' to see a panel contribution that offers a A number of the panellists (including and art. possible solution. Vicki Sowry and Roger Malina, among Especially given the current On the other hand, the struggle to others) pointed to the funding problems intersection of electronic technology and maintain a central contact point (HQ), that are often inherent in an international the life sciences, 'electronic art' does not and the problem of an ever-changing, organisation. This also emerged as the cover the whole spectrum of what we at over-sized board (which was a most common problem when the ISEA encompass. characteristic of the association, whose organisations met at the Cartographies However, I think that changing a name board, by definition, was elected by the meeting in Montreal. If any organisation that has a (I hope) positive reputation is members), are past us, and we can at last understands funding problems, it is ISEA not wise. A new problem would arise: think about the improvements that are International. both press and public would wonder needed in the symposium. Let us be practical and state that what 'emergent art' is. So, in practice, In that direction, a major issue stands funding issues may be the primary ISEA has become a symposium on out in the panellists' statements: Some motivation in encouraging emergent art emergent art, but so far without a change suggested discussing the possibility of organisations to come together and in the name. After all, the largest making the choice between a truly discuss co-operation with industry, association in the Netherlands is called academic conference, and a networking education, government, social services, the General Dutch Bicyclists Association event where artists meet each other. health care and so on. (ANWB), although today its Since the main motivation behind ISEA Now that I have again used the word membership consists of motorists not was the need for artists and scientists to 'emergent' instead of 'electronic' (and cyclists (the ANWB provides free meet and collaborate, this would be an several panel members questioned the assistance to stranded members); and I impossible choice. However, as panellist term 'electronic' in the name of the doubt Linz will change the name of its Vicki Sowry rightly stated: “it is symposium, as have ISEA International famed festival to Ars Emergencia essential that research be undertaken to board members), I would like to say a because of a shift in philosophy. identify what is of value to which group few (personal) words on that subject. of attendees and what the Conclusions of the Panel barriers/incentives to attend ISEA for The Name Theses (in italic) that the panel debated each of these groups really are”. ISEA was born at a time when the and some conclusions drawn were: One thing we can conclude, even most important current developments without the named research, is that the were: PROCEEDINGS original academic pretensions are not -computer graphics had reached a state -Papers should be double blind met. Panel member Ernest Edmonds of maturity, reviewed, even when it means they will pointed out that, even though the (paper) not be published until after the SUGGESTIONS: symposium. The term 'meta' should preferably not be used, as it has hierarchical connotations References and Notes The latter part of the thesis was to many. We should use the term 1. Lamontagne (1995) dismissed: Universities need to be sure 'network organisation'. magazine.ciac.ca/archives/no_9/en/compterendu02. html. Accessed june 16, 2013. the contributions of their employees are “If ISEA regularly hosted the meeting published in serious Proceedings at the that it always has been doing at 2. isea-web.org and www.isea-webarchive.org. time the symposium takes place. During SIGGRAPH, this time between 3. isea-web.org/symposia/how-to-bid/guidelines- the symposium a Book of Abstracts representatives of organisations that jan-2013/. should also be distributed. The published happen to be there, then maybe coming papers may help ISEA to be taken out of these discussions some joint 4. ACM (Association of Computing Machinery) is seriously by academic institutions. ISEA activity could emerge” (Roger Malina). the mother organisation of Siggraph, Sigchi and other annual academic conferences. International should look into the “Link with the other growing set of possibility of taking the production and specialist meetings in the area” (Ernest 5. BOF: Birds of a Feather. publication of the annual proceedings in Edmonds). their own hands - or find a partner, such “Have partner events (…) especially 6. SIG: Special Interest Group. as ISAST, to negotiate a structural those from science and technology cooperation on this endeavour. fields”. (Anne Nigten). Look into the possibility of organising RESEARCH 'affiliated events' with ACM [4], and/or -We need to research what the allow the organisation of ISEA to host barriers/incentives are to attending affiliated events. ISEA, not only of the current attendees Negotiate with symposium organisers (participants and community members), the inclusion of Institutional but also of potential attendees Presentations, BOF-meetings [5] and (especially scientists). This research Meetings of Organisations & Institutes. could radically affect the format of the Other suggestions to further the goal symposium. A survey must become both via the symposia: “Special projects an integral part of each ISEA sponsored by ISEA International”, “SIGs symposium, and the basis for ISEA [6] within ISEA symposia”, ”New International as a learning organisation - Topics Sessions”, “Speakers from the a point that Anne Nigten stressed. From Sciences and Technologies”, this survey, lessons will be able to be “Publication of dialog between arts and learned regarding the composition of the technology“ (Peter Anders). ISEA constituency, and how that Get more visibility by using social composition might be influenced. It media, especially YouTube. Use could also be instrumental in the fee- YouTube to draw attention to waiving policy that the symposium Proceedings and Online Archive. organisers are encouraged to practice. And, very obvious: start an active ISEA International should also search for organisations for ISEA to investigate the possibilities of practice- cooperate with (SIGGRAPH, Computer based research, from symposium to Music Association, etc.) symposium. Conclusion GOALS The need for an organisation-of- -We need to formulate the long-term organisations has not diminished since goal of ISEA. I propose it should be 'a ISEA's birth. This organisation should, structured approach to the potentials of however, not be called a meta- electronic (or emergent) art'. Original organisation, but rather an assembly, a panellist Peter Beyls (who could not be union or - why not? - an inter-society. present) formulated it as follows: For ISEA, the word 'emergent' has “[ISEA´s] emergent functionality become more relevant than 'electronic'; [consists of] the synthesis of both thus: Inter-Society for the Emergent material means and knowledge to foster Arts. the creative contribution to (electronic) The opportunity to realise an inter- culture in a global networked society”. society may have substantially For this we will need cooperation on as improved, and the road to get there is large a scale as possible. partially clear. This consists of ISEA International demanding certain policies STRATEGY from the future symposium hosts; it is up -If we aim at getting emergent art to ISEA International to formulate both institutes to cooperate and meet, what these policies, and also a strategy for the would be the best strategic plan? longer term.