Resource Central
by Carine Zaayman
This month the project page features two different sites that provide their readers with useful information about the international art world and groups therein. They are both characterised by broad, dynamic content and the frequency with which they are updated. However, they are quite different in focus, and are grouped together here mostly in order to provide a resource of some sort, as well as to provide a sense of the wealth of information and of the community that exists on the net.
The New Museum
newmuseum.org
This project-oriented museum is located in New York, was founded in 1977, and is also known as the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Its area of focus is the exhibition and promotion of contemporary art, and the museum has been supporting much new media and digital work, especially through their Media Lounge Program. The New Museum is also closely associated with a stalwart in the new media environment, Rhizome.org. Together with Rhizome, The New Museum is hosting the Time Shares online exhibition (www.rhizome.org/events/timeshares), which explores contemporary art on the Internet.
A highlight for the museum is the Public Programs, which are archived on the site (www.newmuseum.org/more_public_programs.php). These focus on critical discussions of issues in contemporary art, under the heading of Critical Voices. There are transcripts of the panel discussions available on the site. Even more interesting, however, is the Digital Culture Programs, which feature a host of projects undertaken in the museum and its affiliates. The aim of this programme is primarily to explore the creative uses for technology in the arts. If one scrolls down a little on this page, there is even a picture of local new media artist, Ralph Borland, from his ITP days. A very insightful example of projects from this programme is One Block Radius (oneblockradius.org/obr.html) from Glowlab, which is described as a 'psychogeographic documentary' on the project's homepage.
Imagining Ourselves
imaginingourselves.imow.org
In the spirit of August being women's month we feature this project. Paula Goldman, founder and director of the IMOW project, started the project in 2001, partly as a response to the attacks on the World Trade Centre towers. In her words, she felt 'helpless about the state of the world, and struggled with how to make a difference. The spark came during a casual breakfast with a girlfriend. We brainstormed about showcasing the vitality of our generation as a way of inspiring young women to action' (imaginingourselves.imow.org/pb/About.aspx?lang=1).
The IMOW project is fuelled by the notion of conversation. That is, the project aims to establish a sense of support and provide inspiration in the form of inspiring examples of women's stories. These stories are presented in the form of text, poetry and visual art. It is an open forum for women, and anyone can post their work. However, there is a 'Best of' section of selections, presenting the highlight of the contributions from, among others, Julie Delphy. These 'Best of' sections can be browsed by media, under the catgeories of film, audio, poetry, and writing. Women from Iran, Australia, China, Italy and Mexico amongst many other countries are represented here.
Many of the contributions in the 'visual' category are in the style of documentary, but the sheer variety and the personal nature of the contributions make them thoroughly arresting. Miranda Mimi Kuo's photographs of nuns from Bhutan, for instance, provide a rare glimpse into the lives of women who have joined the Tibetan Bhuddist nunneries, as well as the struggle of these nunneries to remain open. A particular favourite of mine, however, is the whimsical Wahad Areese, Please! (A Husband, Please!). This contribution features a performance by Zena el-Khalil running around in a pink wedding dress in Beirut, yelling 'a husband, please!'. Her own story of finding love and getting married is tied up in this humorous narrative.
Apart from the 'sharing' aspect of the site, IMOW also offers a list of socially responsive events and projects in which people can participate. Prevalent global social problems, such as Aids and gender-based violence, are focussed on here. The project has also published an eponymous book, in which some of these stories are recorded. IMOW has a rather 'feel good' aura, but nonetheless succeeds in establishing a sense of a community of women, and positive directions for expression and action.
