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Leonardo Electronic Almanac                 Volume 8, No. 1
                                            January, 2000
Craig Harris,  Executive Editor
Patrick Maun,  Gallery Editor/Curator
Craig Arko,    Coordinating Editor
Michael Punt,  LDR Editor-in Chief
Roger Malina,  LDR Executive Editor
Kasey Asberry, LDR Coordinating Editor

Editorial Advisory Board:
Roy Ascott, Michael Naimark, Simon Penny, Greg Garvey,
Joan Truckenbrod

                         ISSN #1071-4391
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                           ____________
                          |            |
                          |  CONTENTS  |
                          |____________|

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INTRODUCTION
<  This Issue  >
                                  Craig Harris

FEATURE ARTICLES
                                                                    
<  Free your mind and the rest will follow: Intim@ and the Great
   Teacher Astronaut  >
                                  by Inke Arns


<  Editorial: Leonardo under attack!   >
                                  by Annick Bureaud

PROFILES

<  net_condition  >
                                  presented by the Center for Art and
                                   Media Technology (ZKM)

<  The Virtual Heritage Network   >
                                  The VSMM Society

LEONARDO DIGITAL REVIEWS

<  This Month's Reviews  >
                                  Michael Punt

OPPORTUNITIES

<  BGSU accepting MFA applicants  >
<  Dartmouth College Post-Graduate Fellowship in Computer Music  >
<  University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts  >
<  School of the Art Institute of Chicago  >

ANNOUNCEMENTS

<  VSMM2000 6th International Conference on VSMM  >
<  Electronic Arts Intermix  >
<  Sound in Space 2000  >
<  What's new in Virtual Africa  >
<  Forthcoming in LEONARDO - abstracts  >
<  Prix Ars Electronica 2000  >
<  ISEA 2000 - Call for Papers  >
<  Art Entertainment Network  >

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
LEA WORLD WIDE WEB ACCESS
LEA PUBLISHING & SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION

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                           ________________
                          |                |
                          |  INTRODUCTION  |
                          |________________|

=============================================================

<  This Issue  >
                                  Craig Harris, Executive Editor


This month Inke Arns presents a feature article "Free your mind and
the rest will follow: Intim@ and the Great Teacher Astronaut." This
project describes a long term project, exploring space, art, and an
event that is to take place every 10 years for the 50 years. In
"Leonardo under attack!" Annick Bureaud lays out some details about
the current legal battle that Leonardo is engaged in as a result of a
frivolous lawsuit attempting to force Leonardo to give up its
long-standing usage of its name on the World Wide Web. I encourage
everybody to read through this, and to weigh in on our side of this
issue. Even if we win, which we should, the lawsuit has been extremely
time-consuming and expensive. Since both time and money are at a
premium at this organization, we are look forward to reaching a
conclusion, and would appreciate any help that our readers can
provide.

The profile "net_condition" an exhibition of net-art in the Center for
Art and Media Technology (ZKM) in Karlsruhe, Germany. This project is
"about the artist's look at the way society and technology interact
with each other, are each other's "condition." Also in our Profiles
this month is "The Virtual Heritage Network," a new project of the
International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia (VSMM
Society). The Virtual Heritage Network [VHN] will address many issues
on an international scale by offering services to the virtual heritage
industry and community through conferences, projects and information
dissemination.

LDR Editor-in-Chief Michael Punt reports that in this month's
selections in Leonardo Digital Reviews "has a cultural analysis feel."

Finally, the deadline for submission of materials for The Second
Annual Conference of the International Society of the Arts,
Mathematics and Architecture is March 15, 2000. There's still a little
time to get in your papers! Check the web site for details:
<http://www.cs.washington.edu/isama2000/>.

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                    _______________________
                   |                      |
                   |  FEATURE ARTICLES    |
                   |______________________|

=============================================================

<  Free your mind and the rest will follow: Intim@ and the Great
   Teacher Astronaut  >
                                  by Inke Arns

Inke Arns
Email: <inke@berlin.snafu.de>

In 1994, Dragan Zivadinov, theater director of the NSK performance
department "Cosmokinetic Cabinet Noordung", announced a project which
would last for the next 50 years. The "Noordung Prayer Machine" - a
machine for the "production of holiness" - stretches out into the year
2045. By signing a contract, actors and actresses have agreed to
participate in a production on the theme of "Love and State"
(Inhabited Sculpture One versus One) which was premiered in Ljubljana
on 20 April 1995. The production will be repeated every ten years,
until the year 2045. The first repetition will take place on 20 April
2005 with the same actors and actresses, in the same costumes, in the
same scenery, on the same day and at the same time as ten years
before. If an actor or actress dies, s/he will be replaced by a
moveable "robotic costume-symbol" combined with melody/rhythm.

The four following productions will be guided by the same principle.
The concept notes that the second repetition will take place in 2015,
the third one in 2025, the fourth in 2035, and the fifth in 2045. By
the time of the fifth repetition, all the actors will be dead and the
stage will be full of robotic costume-symbols, melodies and rhythms.
The only survivor will be Dragan Zivadinov, who, together with the
actor substitutes, will be lauched in a space craft from a Russian
launching site into the "Noordung" orbit of zero-gravity: By
installing the actor substitutes in positions close to information
satellites around the planet Earth, Zivadinov will abolish
"Retrogarda". He predicts: "I, Dragan Zivadinov, will die on 1 May
2045."

Consider this a typically avant-garde project if you wish. When I met
Dragan Zivadinov in Ljubljana in July 1998, it slowly occurred to me
that it was not "merely" an artistic project. Zivadinov, very serious:
"Well, I am going into space. I am going to be a cosmonaut." He told
me in detail about his medical check-ups, about his brilliant health
condition (according to the physicists from Kazakhstan) and about the
6-month training program for cosmonauts, first in Belgium, then in
Germany and in Kazakhstan. And then, he would go into space. He will
be the world's first civilian cosmonaut. For more than a decade he has
been working on this project. Now the pieces of the puzzle finally
come together.

... [Content omitted: Ed.] ...


[Ed. note: the complete content of this article is available at the
LEA website: <http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/>.]


*************************************************************

<  Leonardo under attack!   >
                                  by Annick Bureaud


For further information, please contact:
CorporArt Communication
20, rue du Cirque, 75008 Paris 
Tel: 01 47 42 56 51/52/48
Fax: 01 47 42 56 49 
Email: <beatrice@corporart.com>

French Association Founded in 1967 and On the Web Since 1994 Under
Legal Attack for Using the Name "Leonardo."

Court Suit Threatens the Existence of a Non-Profit Organization
Dedicated to Bringing Together Art and the New Technologies For the
Past 30 Years.

THE FACTS

On November 3, 1999 a bailiff and eight policemen carried out a search
directed against the Leonardo Association, raiding a private
residence. This highly unusual procedure was followed by the filing of
a lawsuit against Leonardo  by the Transasia Corporation and two
co-complainants.

Transasia has just recently registered the names Leonardo, Leonardo
Finance, Leonardo Partners, Leonardo Invest and Leonardo Experts in
France. It is suing Leonardo  for a million dollars in damages and
interest on the grounds of trademark infringement.

Their basic argument is that a search engine request using the keyword
"Leonardo" brings up not only the Transasia's sites but also the Web
sites affiliated with the Leonardo arts organization.

As part of this suit, Transasia has asked that Leonardo be forbidden
to use the word "Leonardo," not only on its Web sites, but in any of
its products and services, including its publications. This strikes at
Leonardo's right to exist.

LEONARDO: for 30 years the world's premier champion of a closer
relationship between the arts and the sciences, providing information,
promoting exchanges and stimulating thinking on both sides.

The Leonardo Association is a French non-profit organization. Together
with the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology
(ISAST), it works to forge an international community of artists,
scientists and students.

John Cage, Franck Popper, R. Buckminster Fuller have participated in
Leonardo, an artistic and academic network founded in Paris during the
1960s by Frank Malina, a space science pioneer and kinetic artist. For
30 years now Leonardo has been dedicated to promoting artists who use
science and the new technologies in their work. Its activity, long
centered on print media,  now also includes a Web site and online
publishing.

The broad juridical implications of the Transasia suit are of a matter
of serious concern for all those involved in the Net. The Leonardo
Association, conscious of what is at stake in this case, is preparing
a legal defense based on three main arguments:

Net Democracy: Forbidding someone to use a particular keyword means
facilitating access to some sites and obstructing access to others.
This is inequitable and contrary to the spirit of democracy that
characterizes the Net.

The principle of antecedence ("first come, first served"): Leonardo
magazine has been published and circulated internationally for three
decades. It has been available online as an MIT electronic publication
since 1994 (mitpress.mit.edu/Leonardo).

Thus suit betrays a bias in its choice of target: Search engines
looking for the keyword "Leonardo" come up with many Web pages, some
of them dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci and others to Leonardo
DiCaprio!

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                           ___________________
                          |                   |
                          |  PROFILES         |
                          |___________________|

=============================================================


<  net_condition  >
                                  presented by the Center for Art and
                                    Media Technology (ZKM)


To view the on-line component of the show please go to the URL:
<http://on1.zkm.de/netCondition.root/netcondition/start/language/default_e/>

An exhibition of net-art in the Center for Art and Media Technology
(ZKM) in Karlsruhe, Germany.

But - can net-art really be exhibited?

As the title of the exhibition supposes, net_condition is not about
"net-art for net-art's sake"; rather, it's about the artist's look at
the way society and technology interact with each other, are each
other's "condition": At the dawn of information society, there's a
growing demand for knowledge, data exchange, entertainment, and it
frequently has to be "just in time", "on demand", "in real time". The
technical answer to this is called "internet". At the same time, the
net itself is shaping society, new fields of social, commercial, and
artistic interaction emerge. There are new possibilities, even those
no one ever asked for. In this rich field of opportunities, utopian
and emancipatory hopes re-appear on stage; equality of chances, world
citizenship, participation without borders are regarded as technically
doable and are promoted by private communities, while the global
players in the commercial world go for their goals with the very same
technical means. Social interaction is changing with the net. From the
point of view of the history of media, we also see a change in the way
people play music, remember, tell stories, design, play. net_condition
is talking about how these changes are reflected, presented, and
researched by net artists.

Also, net_condition is about how events in real space and events in
the virtual "space" of the net react to each other, trigger each
other, or just collide. Distributed Virtual Reality, Shared
Cyberspace, non-local communications, multi user environments and net
games - these are some of the main topics of net_condition. For Peter
Weibel, head of the ZKM and curator of net_condition, has high hopes
for the role net-art is about to play. Says he: "At present, net art
is the driving force, which is the most radical in transforming the
closed system of the aesthetic object of modern art into the open
system of post-modern (or second modern) fields of action."

... [Content omitted: Ed.] ...


[Ed. note: the complete content of this profile is available at the
LEA website: <http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/>.]

*************************************************************

<  The Virtual Heritage Network   >
                                  The VSMM Society


International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia
Scot Thrane Refsland
Email: <thrane@vsmm.org>
URL: <http://www.virtualheritage.net>

The VSMM Society can be found at
<http://www.vsmm.org>.

The International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia (VSMM
Society) announces the establishment of the Virtual Heritage Network
[VHN], a new international organisation designed to promote the
utilisation of technology for the education, interpretation,
conservation and preservation of Natural, Cultural and World Heritage.
The network is a physical and electronic network of people and
resources in many countries currently working in the virtual heritage
community.

The Virtual Heritage Network [VHN] will address many issues on an
international scale by offering services to the virtual heritage
industry and community through conferences, projects and information
dissemination. The main feature of VHN is the website, a substantial
database of news, conferences, events and employment opportunities. 
The main feature is an online electronic Library for the permanent
archival of manuscripts, projects and websites relating to Virtual
Heritage.

There has been a strong international growth of interest in the
prospect of using VR to recreate historic sites and events for such
purposes as education, special project commissions and showcase
features at national and World Heritage visitor centres. In the
context of heritage, VR goes much further, however, in that it offers
a means of protecting the fragile state of some sites and can help
educate visitors not so much about their history, but in how to
explore, interpret and respect them. Yet, even though the Virtual
Heritage industry and community has grown substantially, it is still
fragmented and difficult to find researchers, projects, news and
events or how to produce virtual heritage applications. Many times
researchers will duplicate efforts because they did not know of
existing research or case studies. The Virtual Heritage Network
provides a common network point to solve these problems through
education, administrative, legal/financial case studies, and member
interaction tools.

In the UK, membership of VHN is gaining pace. The most recent partners
joining the VHN partner program include the Lion Salt Works in
Northwich, Cheshire, the Manchester-based Advanced Telematics Centre
and, in the north-east of England, the University of Teesside's VR
Centre.

In collaboration with the Carnegie Trust, the Lion Salt Works
<http://www.lionsaltworkstrust.co.uk/> has been working with Virtual
Presence to carry out a VR development programme based around the
historic salt mining town of Northwich.

The Telematics Centre <http://www.atc.mcc.ac.uk/>, an initiative
funded by the European Regional Development Funding to support Small
and Medium-sized Enterprises, brings expertise in IT network
facilitation media conferencing and on-line delivery, an important
contribution to the VHN's goal of making international heritage more
accessible through the medium of VR.

The University of Teesside <http://vr.tees.ac.uk>, home to one of the
UK's academic "reality centres", has recently become involved in the
establishment of the Northumbria Heritage Virtual Reality Centre, to
be built at the Historic Quay in Hartlepool, UK. The Teesside's
Management Team is chaired by Prof. Stone.

Other founding participants include English Heritage and the Monastery
of St Francis & Gorton Trust <http://www.gortonmonastery.org.uk> in
south-east Manchester (representing one of the 100 most endangered
sites in the World Monuments Fund's Year 2000 directory). European
membership is expected to grow dramatically over the next 12-18
months.

Since 1996 The International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia
has been hosting the VHN and have been working and collaborating in
this area through Special Sessions on Virtual World Heritage,
published articles in many Journals and international Newspapers. In
November 1999, an official announcement for the establishment of VHN
and the web database was made at the Annual UNESCO Site Manager's
meeting in Poitiers, France.

Currently VHN is producing a special Session on Virtual Heritage
during the VSMM2000 conference in October 2000 in Japan.
<http://www.vsmm.org/vsmm2000> and will be releasing a large format,
full colour Book on Virtual Heritage in the summer 2000.

Membership to the Virtual Heritage Network and the use of its services
is free.

... [Content omitted: Ed.] ...


[Ed. note: the complete content of this profile is available at the
LEA website: <http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/>.]

=============================================================
             ______________________________
            |                          	   |
            |    LEONARDO DIGITAL REVIEWS  |
            |    		    2000.01        |
            |______________________________|


Editor-in Chief: Michael Punt
Executive Editor: Roger Malina
Managing Editor: Kasey Rios Asberry

=============================================================

Michael Punt
<http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-journals/Leonardo/ldr.html>

This month's selection of reviews has a cultural analysis feel,
starting as it does with Murat Aydemir's review of Modonna: The Many
Faces of a Popstar by Hannah Bosema and Patricia Pisters. This book,
written in Dutch created something of a controversy in Holland and we
are grateful to Murat for making the debate available to us while we
await an English edition. Saying in the same geographical and cultural
area, Raham Khazam reviews the Soundscapes festival in Amsterdam in
which he suggests that the principal issue is the responsibility that
we take for our own acoustic environment; a theme which segues nicely
into Allan Shield's report on the autobiography of Ian McHarg. Finally
Fred Andersson looks at the third of Rosalind Krauss's books which
make crucial interventions in the debates over Modernism. His review
once more raises the issue of the limits imposed by a chosen
linguistic mode - not least in Krauss's own work. art.

Michael Punt
Editor in Chief
Leonardo Digital Reviews

=============================================================
Visit Leonardo Digital Reviews online to read these reviews in full
together with the latest postings in LDR Raw as they come in.
<http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-journals/Leonardo/ldr.html> Your comments
are welcome at <kasberry@humanorigins.org>

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                           _________________
                          |                 |
                          |  OPPORTUNITIES  |
                          |_________________|

=============================================================

<  BGSU accepting MFA applicants  >

Detailed information about our program, facilities and faculty can be
found at:

Program: <http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/art/c_art/cmgraduate.html>
Facilities: <http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/art/c_art/cmfacil.html>
Faculty: <http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/art/c_art/cmfacul.html>

We are very excited to announce the introduction of our new MFA
program in Computer Art and Animation at Bowling Green State
University. Please pass this information on to your most motivated and
talented students.

We are now accepting applicants for 3 to 6 MFA candidates for Fall
2000.

Our graduate program has been designed to provide students the
opportunity for direct interaction with faculty and extensive access
to our state-of-the-art SGI Unix, SGI NT, and Macintosh facilities.

Within the Computer Art and Animation division we have three areas of
specialization: 3D Animation, Interactive Multimedia, and 2D Imaging.

Graduate students determine their own focus and work with a variety of
faculty members to realize their creative vision. The faculty in the
Computer Art and Animation MFA program collectively have expertise in
3D

Character Animation, WWW Art, Interactive Installation Art, Virtual
Reality, 2D Imaging and Print Technology, Performance Art, Video Art,
CD-ROM Art, Digital Painting, and Computer Programming.

Applicants to the MFA program are required to submit a portfolio
consisting of a cover letter, resume, 3 letters of recommendation,
documentation of work (15-20 slides, VHS Video tape, Zip, 1GB Jaz,
CD-ROM, and/or WWW site) and a self addressed stamped envelope by
March 1st.

Online Application:
<http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/gradcol/adms/admindx.html>

*************************************************************
<  Dartmouth College Post-Graduate Fellowship in Computer Music  >

Post-Graduate Fellowship in Computer Music

Dee Copley
Electro-Acoustic Music Studio
6187 Hopkins Center
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH 03755
Email: <dee.copley@dartmouth.edu>
URL: <http://music.dartmouth.edu>

Bregman Electronic Music Studio
Music Department
Dartmouth College

Two-year, terminal post-graduate fellowship in computer music,
starting 7/1/00 through 6/30/02.  Responsibilities include working
with faculty to supervise the design, activities and maintenance of
the Bregman computer music facilities; collaborating with faculty,
graduate and undergraduate students in research and composition
projects in electro-acoustic music; pursuing an active research
profile in the field; and participating fully in the intellectual and
artistic community of the Dartmouth graduate program in
electro-acoustic music.  Some undergraduate teaching possible.

Applicants should have a strong technical skills in electro-acoustic
music, especially maintaining hardware. demonstrable skills and
experience in computer programming for music, studio and computer
music system administration and programming (Unix/Linux, network and
web administration, Java/C++, Macintosh, Windows and MIDI).

Send c.v, letter of interest, and list of three references by April 1,
2000.


*************************************************************
<  University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts  >

Assistant/Associate Professor
Department of Art and Art History

New Genres Search
University of Connecticut
Department of Art and Art History
875 Coventry Road, U-99
Storrs, CT  06269-1009 (Search #00A208)

The University of Connecticut invites applications for a full-time
tenure track position in New Genres in the School of Fine Arts
beginning August 23, 2000. Salary and rank commensurate with
experience. The Department of Art and Art History seeks an outstanding
artist and teacher to respond to a combination of studio needs in a
multi-disciplinary BFA/MFA program. Professional activity may include
any number of new genre approaches such as installation, performance,
electronic media, public art, sound art, artists' books, etc. Teaching
interest and ability in 3D and/or another studio area a plus. An ideal
candidate should be well versed in historical, theoretical and
critical issues. Teaching responsibilities include undergraduate
courses in foundations, advanced studio and seminars, along with
participation in the graduate program. Exhibition record, MFA and
teaching experience beyond graduate school required.

Application Materials: letter of application, curriculum vitae, names
and contact information of three references, statement of teaching
philosophy and research/creative activity, examples of artist and
students' work (slides, digital and/or VHS up to ten minutes
accepted.) Position open until filled. Pre-arranged interviews at CAA
if materials received before Feb. 15, 2000. Please send materials with
self addressed stamped envelope to the above address.

*************************************************************
<  School of the Art Institute of Chicago  >

Art & Technology (Animation) Search Committee 
SAIC 
Dean's Office 
37 S Wabash Ave 
Chicago, IL 60603
Email: <lmosquera@artic.edu >

The Art and Technology Animation search committee has reopened its
search and applications will now be accepted until the position is
filled. We ask your assistance at this time to identify qualified
candidates for this position. Please email the names of professionals
in your field who should receive a copy of the enclosed job
description or kindly forward this on to individuals or organizations
who may be interested.

Our goal is to make an appointment for fall 2000. Therefore
applications will be accepted on a continual basis however preferred
consideration will be given to applications received by Wednesday,
March 15th.
 
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, one of the leading
professional art schools of and design, operates with the museum of
the Art Institute of Chicago. The School is comprised of 13 studio
departments, 7 academic and 3 certificate programs and offers the
Bachelor of Fine Arts and Interior Architecture Degrees, Master of
Fine Arts degrees in studio and writing, and Master of Art degrees in
arts administration, art education, art history / theory and
criticism, art therapy and historic preservation, as well as
post-baccalaureate certificates and continuing studies programs. The
School of the Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity /
Affirmative Action employer/educator. Women, minorities and
international applicants are encouraged to apply. The position is
full-time, tenure-track, rank and salary commensurate with experience
and begins the fall of 2000.

All applications will be accepted on a continual basis, however
preferred consideration will be given to applications received by
Wednesday, March 15th.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will possess significant experience with one
or more leading 3-D software environments; be comfortable exploring
interactive and non-linear animation as well as the realm outside of
character-based animation; show evidence of an experimental, robust
approach to relevant areas of media technology and other uses for
animation, and have a developed critical framework.

Description

Artist-researcher-animator sought to teach experimentally oriented
courses integrating 3-D and other forms of animation with related
media & professional practices. He or she will teach and advise
undergraduate and graduate students in an interdisciplinary academic
environment, working with other time based media artists, architects,
designers, and show vision and leadership in managing the Art &
Technology Studies animation program, and contribute to the
development of the transdisciplinary SAIC animation community,
curriculum, and facilities.

Application Procedure

Send: curriculum vitae, videotapes, CD-ROM, or CD-ROMs with websites,
course syllabi, and statements on teaching philosophy and research or
work to the above address.

=============================================================
                           _________________
                          |                 |
                          |  ANNOUNCEMENTS  |
                          |_________________|

=============================================================

<  VSMM2000 6th International Conference on VSMM  >


The International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia presents
6th International Conference on VSMM 2000 4-6 October 2000 Softopia,
Gifu, Japan

"International Collaboration through Virtual Heritage Technical
Applications and Highspeed Connectivity"

INFORMATION
For more information, please email the conference Secretariat:
English: <vsmm-sec@vsmm.org>
Japanese: <vsmm-secJ@vsmm.org>
French: <vsmm-secF@vsmm.org>
URL: <http://www.vsmm.org/vsmm2000>

AUTHOR SCHEDULE

Paper Deadline: 1 May 2000
Acceptance Notification: 10 July 2000
Manuscript Submission: 10 August 2000
VSMM Conference: 4-6 October 2000

The International Society on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia announces
the First Call for Papers for VSMM 2000, to be held in Gifu, Japan 4-6
October 2000. This conference will be the 6th International Conference
on Virtual Systems and MultiMedia. This year's conference theme will
be multifaceted, highlighting Virtual Heritage, Highspeed
Connectivity, Technical excellence and commercial collaboration.

SPECIAL SESSION ON VIRTUAL HERITAGE

This will be the third Special Session on Virtual Heritage and will explore
the virtual reality tools and applications used in Cultural, Natural and
World Heritage. This session has quickly become the industry benchmark for
all developments and innovations pertaining to Virtual Heritage, so if your
research is in any way related to this field, you are highly encouraged to
participate. VSMM has recently launched the Virtual Heritage Network [VHN],
a new organisation for the advancement of technological use in heritage
applications. VHN will play a substantial role in this session to develop a
strong and active virtual heritage community. More information on Virtual
Heritage <http://www.virtualheritage.net> can be found here.

SPECIAL TOUR OF WORLD HERITAGE SITE: SHIRAKAWA - GO.

We are planning a special tour of the world famous Shirakawa Go Grass
Huts, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This tour will be an all-day
excursion the day before the conference. More on this tour will be
posted on the web when available.

SPECIAL SESSION ON HIGHSPEED CONNECTIVITY

This new session will explore the use of Highspeed collaborative tools
and applications. With the advent of the Internet2, vBNS and other
highspeed networks, a great importance is being placed on greater
speed and complex sharing across international boundaries. Researchers
developing collaborative applications which either utilize this
highspeed connectivity or use standard networking topology in an
innovative way are highly encouraged to submit papers.

TECHNICAL SESSION

This ever-popluar session has been the standard of VSMM since 1995 and
attracts a large number of high quality papers dealing with many
themes including Telemedicine, Medicine, robotics, telepresence,
software and hardware innovations and more. This session is open to
research related to virtual reality and multimedia.

COMMERCIAL COLLABORATION: SPECIAL SESSION ON JAPANESE VR
COMMERCIALISATION

This session will focus on the commercial development of the virtual
reality industry in Japan. It's focus is to assist all Japanese and
International researchers and companies planning to do business in or
with Japan. It will include special sessions on incubation programs
and opportunities, case studies, funding and technical resources,
workshops and a full exhibition of Japanese VR Technologies. The VSMM
Society is currently working with many embassies to assist and promote
a strong international attendance for this session.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Anyone who came to the VSMM98 in Japan can tell you that it was an
event not to be missed. Although we can't reveal our secrets just yet,
it is assured that we have something up our sleeves that will make
VSMM98 pale by comparison. Just to recap VSMM98, we had: Japanese
Taiko (Drum Performances) Karoke Competitions, Official banquets,
Onsens (Natural Hotsprings) tours, Traditional Japanese dinners with
interactive traditional singing and dancing, technical tours of VR
Techno Center Japan, not to mention stargazing in Ancient Castle
grounds and visiting restaurants and shops the size of telephone
boxes. Ok we're all engineers so we always somehow managed to fit
everyone in with room to spare....

*************************************************************
<  Electronic Arts Intermix  >

Electronic Arts Intermix
542 W 22nd Street, 3rd FL
NY 10011
Tel: 212 337 0680
Fa: 212 337 0679
URL: <http://www.eai.org >

Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) invites you to visit the Online
Catalogue of EAI's collection of artists' video and new media, at
<http://www.eai.org.>

EAI's collection represents a broad survey of international media art,
from seminal tapes of the 1960s to new works by young artists of the
1990s. The Online Catalogue is a resource that includes biographies
for over 200 artists and descriptions of over 2,500 works.

EAI is a non-profit media arts center that provides the international
distribution of an extensive collection of artists' video and new
media, a video preservation program, a screening room, and equipment
access, among other programs. Please contact us at info@eai.org for
further information.

Tapes are available for rental and purchase in a range of formats. For
ordering and price information, or to order directly online, please
visit <http://www.eai.org>.

*************************************************************
<  Sound in Space 2000  >

JoAnn Kuchera Morin and Curtis Roads
CREATE, Department of Music
University of California
Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA
Tel: (805) 893-4586
Fax: (805) 893-7194
Email: <create@create.ucsb.edu>

CREATE Symposium
Room 1145, Music Building
University of California
Santa Barbara CA 93106 USA

Saturday and Sunday, 18-19 March 2000

Center for Research in Electronic Art Technology (CREATE)
Department of Music, University of California, Santa Barbara USA

The art of sound spatialisation has assumed prime importance in
contemporary composition. In the virtual reality of the studio,
composers spatialise sounds, lending the illusion of sounds emerging
from imaginary environments. These virtual worlds can be brought to
the physical space of the concert hall equipped with a multichannel
sound projection system.

CREATE is sponsoring a weekend symposium on Sound in Space, 18-19
March 2000. The program will feature presentations by CREATE staff,
other University of California researchers, as well as contributed
papers from around the world. An octophonic sound system will be
available for demonstrations, as well as multitrack players. Evenings
are free for open-air dinners in Santa Barbara restaurants.

Registration at the door will be accepted. 

Registration fees:
Presenter: US$ 75
Non-presenting participant: US$ 150
Make checks payable to 
"Regents of the University of California, CREATE account."

*************************************************************
<  What's new in Virtual Africa  >

URL: <http://www.olats.org/africa/index.shtml>

"The River Festival: Encounters on the Mouhoun River" by Camel Zekri &
Dominique Chevaucher

'An Encounter between Traditional Arts and New Technologies':

From January 12th to February 1st 2000, a group of international
artists, most of them working and creating art and music with new
technologies, meet to travel down the River Mouhoun in Burkina Faso
and collaborate with local artists. Together, they will create new
works in villages, run workshops with local artists, children in the
streets, in schools and homes.

During Nov-Dec 2000 and in May-June 2001, this very same group of
artists will tour Europe, together with artists from Burkina Faso met
during the trip down the River Mouhoun. This "travelling tour" will be
structured around residencies during which the artists will run
workshops and meet the local artists in European towns.

The first River Festival took place in Niger in December 1996 (travel
down the river),in March 97 and January 98 (tour in France).

10 Artists from Burkina Faso:

Virtual Africa presents the works of a group of artists from Burkina
Faso. This selection of sculptures and paintings was part of an
exhibition co-organized in Limoges by the Olorun Foundation. Among the
participants are: Andre Sanou, Abou Traore, Goudou Bambara, Guy
Compaore, Moussa Kabore, Takite Kambou, Ky Siriki, Saliou Traore,
Suzanne Oueadraogo, Christophe Sawadogo. As the exhibition shows,
their creation, rich and varied, is the reflection of a society itself
characterized by a strong cultural diversity.

(Text in French)

The Namibian Painter: Ndasuunje Joseph Shikongeni

After joining the resistance struggle for the Namibian Independence,
Shikongeni starts an artistic career and works with the artist Joe
Madisia, at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre. His work is directly
inspired by the past and present history of Namibia, and testifies to
his people's sufferings.

(Text in English)

Very Soon in Virtual Africa: The interview of Antonio Ole by Barbara
Murray

Antonio Ole was born in Angola but his family is half Portuguese half
Angolan. His work is very much "an exploration of conditions in Africa
and the impact of colonialism". Yet,he refuses to consider art as a
mere political weapon. "Art", Ole says, "has the freedom to go further
in other directions, searching for horizons and variety. Art is
particularly about light".

Barbara Murray is the editor of a young and dynamic journal "Delta
Gallery", published in Harara, Zimbabwe.

(Text in English)

*************************************************************
<  Forthcoming in LEONARDO - abstracts  >

Forthcoming in LEONARDO Vol. 33, No. 2 (April 2000)

SELECTED ABSTRACTS

"The Garden of Chances": A Visual Ecosystem
by Guillaume Hutzler, Bernard Gortais and Alexis Drogoul

Abstract

"The Garden of Chances" is a computer-generated artwork that makes a
link between the real-world climate and a virtual garden of abstract,
colored shapes. When the artwork is functioning all day long and all
year round, the spectator can see the evolution of the climate as the
time passes. The software has been developed as a simulation of a real
ecosystem and it relies on multi-agent techniques. In this article,
the authors present the basic principles of the software and explain
how they use it as a tool to explore both art processes and
multi-agent issues of emergence and interpretation.

On Anamorphosis: Setting Some Things Straight
By David Topper

Abstract

Recently there has been a revival of anamorphic imagery, notably in
its use as a metaphor by postmodern theorists. But often, discussions
of anamorphosis are confused, and even wrong. In this article, the
author not only focuses upon correcting these errors, but also
analyzes our perception of anamorphic images, since there is a dearth
of such in the literature. The resulting discussion points out aspects
of how we see anamorphs that have never been pointed out before.

Towards a Philosophy of Virtual Reality: Issues Implicit in
"Consciousness Reframed"
By Stephen Jones

Abstract

This paper reviews the first "Consciousness Reframed" conference. A
number of artists' works in media such as virtual reality and
interactive installations are discussed, and various issues relating
to "technoetic" artworks are raised. These issues include questions
such as the potentially dehumanizing nature of technology, the
transcendent states claimed for cyberspace, the nature of immersion,
and aspects of the problem of consciousness. The author offers some
suggestions regarding how technoetic art might tackle such issues.

*************************************************************
<  Prix Ars Electronica 2000  >

Marie Ruprecht
Email: <marie.ruprecht@orf.at>
URL: <http://prixars.orf.at>

With the Prix Ars Electronica, the worlds highest prized competition
for computer and multimedia art, the ORF in Upper Austria continues
its commitment and initiatives for promoting artistic, creative and
scientific uses of digital media in the third millennium. Computer
artists around the world are once again invited to send their works to
Linz to compete for the Golden Nicas, Awards of Distinction and
Honorary Mentions.

The Prix Ars Electronica 2000 is announced internationally in the
categories of .net, Interactive Art, Digital Musics, Computer
Animation and Visual Effects, and throughout Austria with the
competition cybergeneration - u19 freestyle computing.

Works will be selected by five juries of international experts.
 
The category Interactive Art is open to all types of current
interactive works in any form: installations, performance, audience
participation, virtual reality, multimedia, telecommunication, etc.
Criteria for judging the works include the form of interaction,
interface design, new applications, technical innovations, originality
and the significant role of the computer for the interaction.

Please see <http://prixars.orf.at> for further information, you will find a
detailed description of the Prix Ars Electronica and the procedure how to
submit your work.

*************************************************************
<  ISEA 2000 - Call for Papers  >

ISEA2000, 10th International Symposium on Electronic Art

December 7-10 2000

Atelier d'ART3000 - ENSCI
ISEA2000
48, rue Saint Sabin
75 011  Paris - France

URL: <http://www.art3000.com>
URL: <http://www.isea.qc.ca>
Email: <isea2000@art3000.com>

CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION
Deadline: April 15, 2000

ISEA2000 is organized by ART3000 in collaboration with ISEA - The
Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts, with the support and the
collaboration of the Ministry of Culture and Communication (DDAT, DAP,
DAI,CNC, DMDTS), and in partnership with the Forum des images, CICV
Pierre Schaeffer Center, Canadian Cultural Center, ACROE and the
General Quebec Delegation.

LOCATION

ISEA2000 will be held from December 7-10, 2000 at the Forum des images in
Paris as well as other participating venues in the capital.

PRESENTATION

ISEA2000 will be a major international event for members of the
artistic community involved with new media. It consists of:

1 - an international symposium composed of papers and panel sessions,
   poster sessions, workshops and institutional presentations,

2 - a program of exhibitions, concerts, performances, electronic
   theater, "street scenes" (outdoor activities),

3 - and publications.

GENERAL SUBMISSION INFORMATIONS

It is important to include with each proposal:
- a complete list of required equipment,
- a description of how the projects will be financed and produced.

In order to facilitate the selection submissions, ART 3000 will set up
a database of the proposals. For this reason it is strongly
recommended that submissions include an html/Web presentation of each
proposal (one page maximum) which will be availabe for consultation
on the ART3000 Website <http://www.art3000.com>.

All submitters whose work is selected will receive a letter of
acknowledgment including a request to use materials for ISEA2000
publicity and for their eventual placement in the event archives.

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE

Deadline for all submissions : April 15, 2000
To respond to the call for participation, send a proposal accompanied
by the application form and all requested documents (see instructions)
to the above address.

*************************************************************

<  Art Entertainment Network  >

URL: <http://www.walkerart.org/gallery9/webwalker/ww_020800.html>

Art Entertainment Network
<http://aen.walkerart.org>
Let's Entertain
<http://www.walkerart.org/va/letsentertain/>
EAT: Entertainment, Art, Technology
<http://www.walkerart.org/salons/eat/>
Sins of Change: Media Arts in Transition, Again
<http://www.walkerart.org/salons/sinsofchange/>
mediatheque
<http://aen.walkerart.org/mediatheque/>
artwarez
<http://aen.walkerart.org/artwarez/>
Empire of Signs
<http://www.walkerart.org/gallery9/empire/>
WebWalker
<http://www.walkerart.org/gallery9/webwalker/>
The Kitchen
<http://www.thekitchen.org>

Opening February 11 and running through April 30, the Walker Art Center
presents in the galleries in Minneapolis and online a complex of events that
examine--and just plain play with--the intersections between art,
entertainment, the network, commerce, and life. During these three months,
the work of over 125 artists will be presented as part of:

Let's Entertain: the exhibition in the galleries
Art Entertainment Network: the exhibition online
EAT: Entertainment, Art, Technology an online forum
Sins of Change: Media Arts in Transition, Again: an international
 symposium at the Walker
mediatheque: your source for 24 x 7 digital arts programming on the Web
artwarez: cool art downloads

1. Art Entertainment Network

Art Entertainment Network (AEN) is an online exhibition of more than
40-Web-based artist projects that exploit the convergence of media on
the Internet in order to explode the boundaries between art and
entertainment--and daily (online) life. All these projects are
designed to be viewed, experienced, participated in, and played with
online--from Natalie Bookchin's video gamelike "The Intruder" to
participatory projects such as Mark Napier's "(c)bots" to new forms of
narrative such as Auriea Harvey's "An Anatomy" to Ken Goldberg and Bob
Farzin's mysterious "webcam," "Dislocation of Intimacy."

AEN is a concept portal by Steve Dietz, designed by Vivian Selbo,
which is a gateway to the projects in the exhibition as well as other
artist-created video, audio, and text works from around the Internet,
featured "24 x 7" in the online mediatheque. Like any portal, there
are the expected features from a search engine to a link of the day,
except that in AEN each of these features links to a specific artist
project, for instance, one that plays with the notion of a search
engine such as Mongrel's "Natural Selection" or a daily link, as in
Maciej Wisniewski's "Jackpot."

For the gallery installation, Antenna Design New York, Inc. has
extended the idea of a network portal into the gallery to create a
physical one--a revolving door that is a kind of portal between the
physical installations of Let's Entertain, and the online projects of
Art Entertainment Network. As the door turns, different projects "open
up," yet the viewer/ambulator always circles back, never actually
crossing the threshold into the virtual.

2. Entertainment, Art, Technology

Entertainment, Art, Technology (EAT), is an online discussion
investigating the reasons we are entertained and the ways
entertainment affects our relationship to art and technology.

EAT is inspired by the 1966 organization of the same acronym:
Experiments in Art and Technology, founded by engineer Billy Kluver.
The Walker's EAT is a contemporary manifestation that considers the
dynamic between entertainment, mass media, art, and technology.

No matter what your preferred form of entertainment, its consumption
is subject to a basic set of tracts. Each of EAT's six tracts will be
addressed for two weeks and led by a different set of invited artists,
writers, theorists, and technocultural producers.

Choice: What shall I do today?
Engagement: Am I having fun yet?
Competition: Who will win?
Mischief: Can I get away with it?
Surrender: Have I forgotten the real world?
Sacrifice: Is this worth it?

EAT will be digested on the Walker website once a week as well as in a
weekly WebWalker issue. Join us for virtual dinner.

3. Sins of Change

Sins of Change: Media Arts in Transition, Again is a two-day
international symposium hosted by the Walker Art Center with The
Kitchen. As older forms of media such as film and video converge with
new digital technologies and networked communications, we are
challenged to expand and redefine our critical understanding of the
media and its intersection with the social, cultural, and educational
institutions in the 21st century. In 1983, the Walker Art Center
hosted Media Arts in Transition, a major national conference focusing
on the emerging forms of independent film and video production. The
conference examined the technological, social, economic, and aesthetic
forces shaping the future of the media arts. Many of the questions
posed at the 1983 conference remain relevant today, but their contexts
and implications are far broader. Sins of Change: Media Arts in
Transition, Again unites curators, academics, and artists from around
the world who share their perspective on the issues underlying the
state of media arts in transition, again.

Registration is limited. Full details and registration form at
<http://www.walkerart.org/salons/sinsofchange/>.

4. Let's Entertain

CELEBRITY. DESIRE. SEDUCTION. TRANSGRESSION. Welcome to the pleasure
zones of today's gratification-driven consumer society. From the
development of urban entertainment districts like Times Square and
experiential retail environments such as Nike Town to the cult of
celebrity surrounding politics today, everyday life is being
transformed into an endless loop of multisensory spectacles and
fictions in which we participate with both enjoyment and guilt.

Let's Entertain revolves around the twisted root of popular culture
through a diverse selection of multidisciplinary artworks by more than
90 artists from 17 countries, some of them working in the placeless
realm of the Internet. Drawing on 25 years of art practices-including
Pop, Conceptual process, performance, and appropriation-these artists
employ entertainment strategies as a means of critiquing our
"thrill-seeking" society as well as a way to address the many
complexities of contemporary global cultures. Their works, many of
which invite active participation within the galleries, take form
beyond simple medium or technique and bypass old distinctions between
"high" and "low" art.

The artists in Let's Entertain challenge us not to simply renounce
notions of entertainment and pleasure per se, but to understand how
such strategies can be used to tell a different story-one that is
sweet, amusing and, like a fairy tale, sometimes cruel.

=============================================================
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 |  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS  |
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LEA and Leonardo/ISAST gratefully acknowledges Al Smith and The Malina
Trust for their support of Leonardo Electronic Almanac.
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Copyright (2000), Leonardo, the International Society for the Arts,
Sciences and Technology

All Rights Reserved.

Leonardo Electronic Almanac is published by:

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Reposting of this journal is prohibited without permission of
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_____________________________________________________________
<  Ordering Information  >

Leonardo Electronic Almanac is free to Leonardo/ISAST members and to
subscribers to the journal Leonardo for the 1999 subscription year.
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===================================================================
<  End of Leonardo Electronic Almanac 8(1)  >
===================================================================