What is the difference between a Museum and a Store?

And the answer is, nothing. Well, according to artist Borna Sammak and curator Thomas McDonnell. Sammak created videos that were specifically designed to be displayed on HD televisions screens for the best effect, and for an artist with little funds and museums with a lack of such technology, McDonnell thought of a better idea. Being the leading retailer of HD technology and TV's, McDonnell thought that it was the right choice to showcase Sammak's videos. Comprised of a montage of images really, his videos come from footage Sammak shot himself to actual commercials and advertisements Best Buy uses to showcase their TV's. Made into images of landscape, the vibrant colors and shapes were only on display for two hours in the NYC Best Buy store, but it certainly changed the way people showcase art.

What caught my attention the most was where this was showcased. I never imaged art exhibited in a retail store before, but anything can happen. I found it quite logical though, because in order to show the art correctly, or how it was intended by the artist requires the right technology or conditions. If Best Buy has everything the artist needs to portray his art the way it needs to be portrayed, then it should be held there. Not to mention the fact that this artists art uses some of the newest technology on the market don't hurt. In a world where HD is taking over, it is expected that art would be impacted by it. I have a feeling that this trend will continue and with this exhibit, Sammak is on the cutting edge.

Devo-Not just a Band

When most people talk about new media artists, they tend to think in the time frame of the twenty-first century. Fortunately for the world, DEVO, the 1970's and 1980's band can be said to be one of the earliest examples of media artists. Not only has the band been controversial in its lyrics and themes, but they were on the cutting edge of technology when people couldn't even fathom that technology ever existing, especially in the music industry. According to the article, DEVO reveals a "morbid obsession with the decay of technology and an uncanny aptitude for the graphic dissection of pop culture." How did they achieve this? Through video and other modes of media technology. DEVO was one of the first bands to create a movie and project that movie behind them while performing onstage. As well as movies for tours, DEVO was way ahead of the MTV music video age. While MTV was just starting, DEVO had already completed nine music videos. In those videos they started using techniques such as Chroma Key (like a green screen) and 3D graphics. Along with enhancing their music videos, former members of the band worked on MIDI technology, where a computer can regulate and sync other computer based musical instruments. Not only did they stretch the boundary when it came to music, they even created their own "point and click" adventure game years ahead of other bands signing on their music to video games, let alone create one.

First off, combining media art and music can only result in good things. Having grown up with atari, I can vividly remember how pixilated and how "high tech" the graphics were for the 1980's. What DEVO achieved was ground breaking. Not only were they ahead of the music video trend, but they weren't afraid to try new things, especially with all the new technology that was emerging in that time period. It might be hard to agree that they are new media artists but they did use computers in their music as well as using them to construct the various movies and videos they created. Back then, using the computer was very rare and they made it work, quite successfully. Unfortunately like their music, the technology they used didn't catch on right away, but nevertheless, they were pioneers both in the music industry and in the media arts.

"Open Source Embroidery"

"Open Source Embroidery," curated by Ele Carpenter, is a mix of new media art with more physical art forms, such as weaving and patchwork. According to the interview, this is more than just an exhibit; this also serves as a workshop for computer programmers and artists alike. In the article, Ele Carpenter explains that she created this "Open Source Embroidery" because she wanted to combine the open source context with older forms of collaborative production. Not only do expert artists work on this project, but amateurs as well. As for the more digital part of this project is the use of the internet, and how it is keeping communities connected and allowed people to network across great distances. With this exhibition being popular all over the globe, the internet has really jump started it's popularity. Ele Carpenter really puts an emphasis on "collective production" and "skill-share where each person contributes to part of the whole" in the creative process. As it moves from city to city, each city gives their own context to the body of work. That's what makes "Open Source Embroidery" so popular and intriguing. It changes constantly, like the technology changes constantly, the only difference being that physical art is being created, not digital.

I found this article very interesting. It caught my eye because I have never really thought about putting open source with a physical art form before. Plus, I recognized the term open source from one of my favorite movies, "AntiTrust," so I figured I would be more interested in the content of the article. What really struck me about this article is how accessible this is to everyone. The article mentioned that everyone is encouraged to participate, even people who have no background in HTML or embroidery. I also thought it was cool that each city where the exhibit visits puts their own spin on the project. It really gives it that new media feel because in the new media world everything is constantly changing, and that is exactly what happens for this exhibition. It may seem weird to combine the two art forms, but I think that Ele Carpenter has done a great job bringing the two together and making something interesting, not just for artists, but for everyone.