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In it’s first year as part of the MMU Art and Design School the Medialab  has been visited by a long list of creative practitioners who have shown their work and discussed their working practice. Collectively, the discussions provide insight into the diverse methodologies currently being applied within the field.

This year we intend to record the discussions in order to produce a book.

What kind of questions would you like to ask that might help you in your practice? Have  a look at the ones listed below and feel free to make suggestions or amendments. Especially interested in ideas for Film / Photography practitioners (and those who work between / across media) as these aimed are more to Media Arts.  [They are also good questions to try and answer yourself.] 

By the way, this is not a plan to structure the talks in a very formal way – these are questions that could be asked at the end of the artist’s talk is they have not already been discussed.

Do you use the term ‘media art’ to describe your work? Any thoughts on how this term defines practice?

How would you describe your methodology?

Which artists’ work have particularly influenced your practice or inspired you?

How does technology figure within your practice both practically and philosophically?

What experience have you had of collaboration?

Has failure helped you to learn?

At what point in your process do you consider an audience?

Giant visuals at The Royal Library, Copenhagen, Sep 17 2010

Obscura contributed to this event with the 'projector tree' - an installation of 20 video projectors as well as providing the majority of the visuals throughout this 5 hour programme of music, art and poetry. A lot of the visual material was gathered in the antique collections of the library. The visuals covered a large area of the giant library hall (which is 29 meters from floor to ceiling) and in the eyes of the audience it probably was a totally immersive experience. Balconies and walls became the canvas of ever changing visual themes and the many glass walls became an active part of the installation as they rendered beautiful reflections on other surfaces.

looking for a bit of privacy...

After Sid´s post, My little piece of Privacy seems to be a good answer, simple but fun and nice...and moreover...reclaiming some kind of privacy.

IMP

The Interception Modernisation Programme (IMP) is a UK government initiative to extend the government's capabilities for intercepting and storing communications data. It has been widely reported that the IMP's eventual goal is to store details of all UK communications data in a central database.
In 2008 plans were being made to collect data on all phone calls, emails, chatroom discussions and web-browsing habits as part of the IMP, thought likely to require the insertion of 'thousands' of black box probes into the country’s computer and telephone networks. The proposals were expected to be included in the Communications Data Bill.

The "giant database" would include telephone numbers dialed, the websites visited and addresses to which e-mails are sent "but not the content of e-mails or telephone conversations." Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat Home affairs spokesman said: "The government's Orwellian plans for a vast database of our private communications are deeply worrying." The Home Office has denied reports that a prototype of the IMP had already been built.

The UK's new coalition government has apparently revived the IMP in their recent Strategic Defence and Security Review.

hacking a touchscreen made for windows 7.

Robot / AI development may be even funnier than watching someone fall over in the street 'slapstick-style' :)

MA Design And Media Lab - THE HOTSPUR PRES building, MANCHESTER

I Value The Arts is a public engagement campaign led by The National Campaign for the Arts, is the UK’s only independent lobbying organisation representing all the arts.

The NCA currently works across the arts and political sectors to:-

• Provide a united voice for the arts, especially for arts organisations across the UK and for all artists, staff and volunteers who work in the arts
• Campaign for better access to the arts, so that everyone in the UK has opportunities to experience the arts and to take part
• Campaign for adequate and sustainable levels of resources and support for the arts.

The NCA's contacts within government and its ability to work in partnership with a wide range of public bodies and arts organisations have ensured that it is widely recognised as a powerful and effective advocate for the arts, able to lobby the people who matter.

more robots! very funny :)

A Decap-Sound

A Decap-Sound

A Decap-Sound

James Prevett-In Search of the Miraculous

Stephen Calcutt-Pseudorandom

Phoebe Myers-Shadow Box MK3

Every time this rotates it is because your eyes are moving and re-adjusting without you realising it. Try to stop your eyes moving! By Akiyoshi Kitaoka