“Various elements have played a part in the development of this theme. V2_’s activities focus on the relationship between art and technology: a wide area, covering everything from robotics, Internet and radio to artificial intelligence and virtual reality. It is an area that is not yet clearly defined and where many mixed forms flourish. Working with media technology also has social, political, economic and cultural implications. A theme may serve as a framework outlining the complexity of V2_’s work terrain, while allowing for a great diversity. It can unify the sometimes very diverse activities within DEAF and serve as a guideline to the public. A theme should also have a link to current developments and to what artists and scientist are working on now. This year’s theme Data Knitting – the interweaving of information – touches upon current social issues. Many organizations are in the process of digitally opening up their archives and are encountering problems as well as new opportunities. Data Knitting refers to the basic conditions for a well-functioning information society where the production of knowledge through the gathering, processing and editing of information is an essential element. So, how can we interpret, order and open up this information? How can we understand its political, social and cultural implications? These issues are not new. Throughout the ages, mankind has developed many methods to describe the world. The Wunderkammer, as a precursor of the 19th century museum, is a very good example of this. In the 17th century, European explorers and merchants visited all these exotic places and brought back objects, texts, drawings and even natives. All these informative objects were exhibited side by side, constructing knowledge of parts of the world, just like digital databases – where metadata structure our knowledge – do now. DEAF03 Data Knitting touches upon the question how we can understand and interpret the world as a complex whole of interdependent parts and processes.”
So DEAF03 is about methods for gathering and processing information, seen from the perspective of art. How do you intend to involve the festival audience in this?
“The exhibition offers a very nice introduction of the theme to a general audience. It presents interactive works that involve the visitors and require their direct participation, illustrating how media force a certain reality upon us, a reality we not only have to consume, but one in which we are also forced to participate. The exhibition itself, and certainly the many presentations, symposiums and workshops during DEAF03 as well, address the many aspects of Data Knitting. An underlying question in the entire programme is what the social, economic and cultural goals of this production of knowledge are. In what way is information used as a building block in the production of knowledge and who controls these materials (information)? So, who gathers the information, who controls specific information and who decides which information will or will not be made accessible? The various programme elements and projects each draw attention to different aspects. Visitors of Pocket full of Memories can build their own archive and play with the database that it is based upon. Can You See Me Now? illustrates how virtual information environments can be linked to a hard, physical living and playing environment. Besides the exhibition, the festival website also plays an important role in promoting audience participation. Here, visitors will find information about the festival but may also watch presentations via video streams linked to chatboxes and e-mail. Knowledge transfer takes place in seminars, workshops and a two day symposium with top international speakers from science and the arts. These are activities that are aimed at a more specialized audience. We also elaborate on the theme and a number of sub themes in a series of public presentations. The music and performance programme Playing Data features very diverse interdisciplinary performances that have in common that they apply various media and play with databases and digital archives. During The Evenings of… three guest curators, Lev Manovich, Siegfried Zielinski and Sadie Plant, present their personal take on Data Kniting through the artists they have invited. In Open Territories artists will present projects “under construction” that are related to DEAF03’s theme. All of these presentations will take place in a public Arena designed by Atelier Van Lieshout. So, public debate is very high on the agenda during this edition of DEAF.”
Is DEAF03 a sort of “Wunderkammer”, not of exotic places, but of the complex and dynamic world around us?
“Indeed, with a colourful mix of installations, concerts, projects and speakers. A paleobiologist may be giving a lecture on fossils, while in Warehouse Las Palmas visitors of the exhibition may be building an image archive and in Calypso musicians may be experimenting with software that allows them to link images to sounds. DEAF03 is a feast for both the eye and the ear, it offers debate and questions the role and importance of information and knowledge in our technological culture, giving the floor to artists, scientists and other experts to present their research and projects. The publication Information is Alive will reflect in writing the many projects, debates and issues that will be addressed during DEAF03.”
