Furtherfield

Furtherfield.org is an artist-led online community, arts organization and online magazine. It creates and supports global participatory projects with networks of artists, theorists and activists[1] and offers "a chance for the public to present its own views and enter or alter various art discourses".[2]

Furtherfield describes itself as

"the collaborative work of artists, programmers, writers, activists, musicians and thinkers who explore beyond traditional remits; dedicated to the creation, promotion, and criticism of adventurous digital/networked media art work for public viewing, experience and interaction. Developing imaginative strategies in a range of digital and terrestrial media contexts, Furtherfield develops global, contributory projects that facilitate art activity simultaneously on the Internet, the streets and public venues."[3]

History and Background

Furtherfield was founded in Harringay London in 1996 by artist-theorists Ruth Catlow and Marc Garrett. Inspired by the cultural value of collaboration as opposed to the traditional myth of individual artistic genius,[4] Furtherfield has focused on the development of "artware" - software platforms for creating art – that engages its users in collaborative creative endeavours.

In 2004, Furtherfield opened HTTP, a physical gallery space for networked media art in North London, and since that time it has received funding from the Arts Council of England to support its activities. As well as its own projects, Furtherfield has contributed to other initiatives such as Node.London,[5][6] hosting exhibitions and events, and contributing to the resulting book, Media Mutandis: a NODE.London Reader;[7] and the travelling exhibition Game/Play[8] (2006–07), co-curated with Q Arts, Derby. In 2007, Furtherfield was ranked in Dazed & Confused's Digital Top 50.[9]

Projects

Furtherfield’s activities include artist presentations, residencies, reviews, theoretical texts, the Furtherfield blog, touring exhibitions, online exhibitions and events. All of these activities address the group’s interest in collaborative, networked art, open source, media art ecologies and provocative media-art projects.

Specific satellite projects that Furtherfield has developed include:

People

Approximately 600 people are regular contributors and collaborators in Furtherfield activities, with an estimated global readership of 26,000.[21] The organisation is run by a core group of six “current grafters” comprising founders Catlow and Garrett (Co-Directors), Neil Jenkins (Technical Director of Projects), Giles Pender (Technical, Network and Logistics’ guru), Michael Szpakowski (Outreach and Education), Ale Scapin (Coordinator and Programme Manager), Olga Panades Massanet (Co-editor and Workshop Facilitator) and Lauren Wright (Co-producer and Coordinator). A “neighbourhood crew” and “now-sleeping Furtherfielders”[22] are also listed on the organisation’s web site.

Further reading

References

  1. ↑ Loseby, Jess (Sep 2004). "Beyond the Big Boys". metamute. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  2. ↑ Bosma, Josephine (2004). "Constructing Media Spaces: The novelty of net(worked) art was and is all about access and engagement". Medien Kunst Netz. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  3. ↑ "About Furtherfield". Furtherfield. Sep 2004. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  4. ↑ "About Furtherfield - Behaviour Statement". Furtherfield. 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  5. ↑ "nodel.org". nodel.org. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  6. ↑ Wright, Lauren (Nov 2006). "Outside In: Organising NODE.London". Retrieved 25 November 2008.
  7. ↑ Francis, M.A. and Vishmidt, M. (2006). Media Mutandis: A NODE.London Reader. NODE.London. ISBN 9780955243509.
  8. ↑ "blog.game-play.org.uk". blog.game-play.org.uk. 2006-07-07. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ "Publications". www.furtherfield.org. 2005-08-13. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  11. ↑ "Zero Dollar Laptop Workshops". Furtherfield.org. 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  12. ↑ "Media Art Ecologies". www.furtherfield.org. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  13. ↑ "blog.visitorsstudio.org". blog.visitorsstudio.org. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  14. ↑ "Rosalind". Furtherfield.org. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  15. ↑ McPhail, Lora (2004). "Rosalind". Net Art Review. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  16. ↑ Olga. "http.uk.net". http.uk.net. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  17. ↑ Smith, Finn (Nov 2005). "Art, Autonomy and Automata". metamute. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  18. ↑ "furthernoise.org". furthernoise.org. 1989-12-31. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  19. ↑ "netartfilm.furtherfield.org". netartfilm.furtherfield.org. 2006-09-09. Retrieved 2012-05-21.
  20. ↑ Simi, Giulia (2007). "DIWO: CO-CREATION, CO-CURATION". Digicult. Retrieved 2008-11-25.
  21. ↑ "About Furtherfield". Furtherfield. 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  22. ↑ "About". www.furtherfield.org. 2004-09-20. Retrieved 2012-05-21.

External links