New Media Lecture Series 1

New Media Lecture Series
Wednesday, October 7, 2009. 7:30 pm
Ryerson University
Library Building, Room LIB72
350 Victoria St

Nils Roeller — Pure Means - Thinking Instruments and Magnetism in Artistic Production
Pure Means - Thinking Instruments and Magnetism in Artistic Production

Summarized (in e-mail) by Steve Daniels an Overview of Tonights Lecture:

Nils Roeller is Professor of New Media at Zurich University of the Arts. The main focus of his work is on media and cultural theory, with an emphasis on the epistemology of science and instruments. In the fall of 2009 Dr. Roeller’s new book on the history of magnetism will be released: Magnetismus - Eine Geschichte der Orientierung. Paderborn: Fink, Herbst 2009. A prolific writer in print and web publishing, he is also the author of an online site called Journal for Art, Sex and Mathematics: www.journalfuerkunstsexundmathematik.ch

We live in a magnetic world: refrigerators and thermostats use magnets, the monitors and hard disks of most computers depend on magnets. As an invisible force of nature magnetism has entered the artifacts which build our cultural environment, but we are rarely aware of it. Now, as in antiquity, magnetism challenges perception and is therefore a focus of artistic attention. Nils Roeller presents a short history of the artistic use of magnetic force and the implementation of instruments that enable us to perceive it. He reflects upon the significance of the role played by instruments in the relationship between man, nature and art, while offering examples from the practice of several contemporary Swiss artists. The artistic interest in instruments and magnetism is juxtaposed with an investigation of the fascination for magnetic compasses and other means of navigation in such feature films as Pirates of the Caribbean. The analysis of differing practices regarding the employment of instruments will lead to a discussion of some of the key concepts of Vilém Flusser’s media theory. Dr. Roeller’s talk follows the outline of his monographic study on magnetism as a history of mediation and orientation.

Lecture Notes:
(5 cue cards and a few note book pages later…)

As we sat and awaited our guest speaker this show was more than just the meeting of yet another influential new media artist, it was also the night to mark the beginning of the new media lectures, and the hopes for many more to come.

Before our featured guest, it was David Rokeby that spoke:
“There seems to be an endless stream of people honored to be honored what they’re doing,” he would begin with and lead into his introduction.

Nils Roeller:
-the translation of the non-visual experience and the activity of translation
for example when i saw “I’m touched”
-it implies something tactile for a sense that isn’t
-the difference between the different central, experience
-how much do we we need to translate these experiences?

Magnetism
-prime source for recording devices
- it is not a visual
-an instrument
(photograph) capturing in a single visual that stone attracts iron
-first experience of magnetic force
-a force we cannot see via through the iron

Man is a tool depending, not only making, animal
-the instrument?

——
-curious/ambitions to have a model of the earth in his hand
-placing many steal needles on a sphere and discovered the world magnetic field
-man reflects nature with tools and translate it with tools

explanation of polarity - magnetics to explain not visible
-the moving of particles movement- direct conflict- of crashing particles
-not paying attention to the different notion of the sense
-argues that the tactile is as good as the visual (in example of a blinds mans ability to locate ones self with two sticks)
17th-19th century

Moby Dick
-the hunt for a the great white whale - he destroys all instruments he has (believes they are works and play of the higher class - all except the compass b/c he himself is still a magnetized man
explanation of the man vs. compass vs. the will to find
-its an important instrument in the building of social behaviour

Mankind organizes feeling with tools
Ezra Pound - the ABC of Reading

-artist and poet get excited about things before the general public does.
before taking him for a fool, does he see something we don’t?
artist as engines- giving experience to the what hasn’t any

Jack Sparrow - compass that points to what is desire most
-we do not always know what it is we desire
-he manipulates what he wants with the tool of through drinking
a sort of “strange feedback system”
yet successful-plays to the importance of the instrument
just as computers are used in the use of explaining thinking
-jack plays too much with freedom
line of light- asks you to step back (1900’s art expo in Paris)
The answering machine- magnetic tape of iron, following with tape recorder
WWI tape record brought to states

Nam Jun Pik
-changes casual programming
-magnetic field enters modern field artist revelation
-look at the tool of the social to understand the culture

doubt in what is written and spoken
because the computer is more precise than the description of words and feelings
-my writing will be out run

communication via the image
how to concentrate on the images with the tools we have? to compute?

Newman
-what is a painting? how much colour is needed to portray feeling, expression?
image no longer portrays the painting
artist and art alike investigate tools are pure means

John Cage play with sound
-notion to brush around the objects to understand the phenomenon.
- to explore, expansion of means to the end

Valintens- sound with magnetic field, with computers
Hardware, 2003
random electricity, random sound

Media theory- man vs nature
man vs extremes
man vs woman
ex. speaking - somehow unties and provides differences
artist roll- not only to explain
-learn more about ourselves and transfer with artist
the needle explains the man vs nature, man vs man

now explore the role of the artist….

Discussion continues into question period.

(In Photo: Nils Roeller & David Rokeby)