Call for Participation

New Media, Art-Science, and Mainstream Contemporary Art: Toward a Hybrid Discourse?

Open to members of the Leonardo Education and Art Forum

CAA 99th Annual Conference New York, NY, February 9–12, 2011

PROPOSALS FOR PAPERS TO SESSION Eddie Shanken Due May 3, 2010

Edward A. Shanken, University of Amsterdam; eshanken@artexetra.com

Since the mid-1990s, new media has become an important force for economic and cultural development. Support institutions including Ars Electronica, ZKM, and Eyebeam have expanded, while interdisciplinary PhD programs at the intersections of art, science, and technology have proliferated internationally. Simultaneously, mainstream contemporary art experienced dramatic growth, propelled by the proliferation of venues from Art Basel Miami to the Shanghai Biennial, and by the creativity of artists, curators, dealers, and pedagogues. Yet rarely do these two art worlds meet. As a result, their discourses have increasingly diverged. To what extent are art-science, new media art, and mainstream contemporary art commensurable? Is it possible to construct a hybrid discourse that offers insights into each, while enabling greater mixing between them? What roles have educational programs played in fostering these divides and how can they contribute to suturing them? What insights into larger questions of emerging art and cultural forms might be gleaned by such a rapprochement?

Every proposal should include the following six items:

1. Completed session participation proposal form (email Eddie Shanken to request a copy)

2. Preliminary abstract of one to two double-spaced, typed pages.

3. Letter explaining speaker’s interest, expertise in the topic, and CAA membership status.

4. CV with home and office mailing addresses, email address, and phone and fax numbers. Include summer address and telephone number, if applicable.

5. Documentation of work when appropriate, especially for sessions in which artists might discuss their own work.

6. If mailing internationally, it is recommended that proposals be sent via certified mail.

CHAIRS DETERMINE THE SPEAKERS FOR THEIR SESSIONS AND REPLY TO ALL APPLICANTS BY JUNE 1, 2010.

Join Leonardo Education and Art Forum: Those who wish to become involved with LEAF should send a brief bio to Ellen Levy at levycaa@nyc.rr.com.

Updated 14 April 2010