Tech Tuesday: Lauren Cornell (of Rhizome) primer

Lauren Cornell has been the Executive Director of Rhizome since 2005. Rhizome is “dedicated to the creation, presentation, preservation, and critique of emerging artistic practices that engage technology.”

Cornell On Why The Art World Is Slow to Embrace Technology

Thoughts from her 2011 article *In the Nostalgia District (recommended read)

• Art stands outside the economic pressures the Internet wrought on other culture industries. ‘You can’t download a torrent of a sculpture’
• “Objecthood” of art makes art world resistant to embracing the ephemeral nature of the Internet.
• “Physical exhibitions still remain the way that art is (most commonly) named, seen, reviewed and converted into a saleable asset.” Rhyzome’s apparent raison d’être.
• Art is vertical (elite, exclusive). The horizontal nature and opportunities of digital is its most dominant asset.

Great simple actionable point: “Institutions could amplify their educational and social role by publishing – daily and online – a great deal more history, opinion, context and anecdote around their activities, rather than just issuing press releases and visitor information.” This is precisely the way we feel and we feel.

*Frieze

Our Rhizome Pick – By artist Myriam Thyes:

WATCH the EU flag morphing into all EU member flags, then possible future EU countries’ member flags. Concept and realisation by Myriam Thyes of Dusseldorf, Germany with contributions from several artists around the world.

….”While the EU expands eastwards, the wolves return to the west.”…. (from artists statement)

Endquote

“What would happen, say, if Bloomberg were to erect–-or allegedly erect–a Nike Swoosh monument in Central Park? I think there’s a possibility it might have been given a much warmer welcome than the Gates ever were. Or what about in the Tuileries? Total upheaval perhaps?” -Lauren Cornell, Gothamist 2005

Cornell is also adjunct curator at the New Museum. Find Rhizome here

Tuesday • August 23, 2011 • by Chauncey Zalkin

Category: Art, Blog, Digital, Dusseldorf, Lauren Cornell, Myriam Thyes, Technology Tuesday