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[ga] newsletter - the thing - and happy 2003
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CFAs - computerfinearts.com
greetings and happy 2003 from NYC
---------------------------------
contents/topics ---
1. new site launched.
2. new projects were added to the collection.
3. COMPUTERFINEART'S SERVER IMPERILED
OPEN LETTER TO DOW CHEMICAL CORPORATION
4. 2x Warhol's prints for sale.
---------------------------------
1. new site launched.
computerfinearts.com has launched the site 'dialoque.ws' >
http://www.dialoque.ws
the on-going project is a portal and public space for political, social and
critical artworks.
dialoque.ws is hosted by thing.net
---------------------------------
2. new projects were added to the collection.
mark tribe - revelation 2.0 >
http://www.computerfinearts.com/collection/tribe/revelation2/index.htm
coyarzun - wIPhOME >
http://www.computerfinearts.com/collection/coyarzun/wIPhOME/index.htm
---------------------------------
3. COMPUTERFINEART'S SERVER IMPERILED
This is part of a much larger action instituted by Dow Chemical Corp.
Please review the information provided below.
---------------------------------
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - December 23, 2002
ACTIVIST NETWORK IN NY EVICTED FROM INTERNET BY DOW, VERIO
http://www.rtmark.com/thingpr.html
---------------------------------
Cyberspace Artists Paint Themselves Into a Corner
By MATTHEW MIRAPAUL
NYTimes ARTS ONLINE, December 23, 2002
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/23/arts/design/23ARTS.html
---------------------------------
VERIO SETS OFF FREE THOUGHT ALARM AGAINST THE THING
posted by Rachel Greene, 12/24/02
Rhizome - http://www.rhizome.org
Advocate of online art and culture since 1991, The Thing, may have itīs
pipeline terminated by provider Verio. This termination, scheduled for
February, could affect hundreds of sites and users, many of them
artists, activists or art-related businesses. Verio lawyers told Thing
founder Wolfgang Staehle that their contract for service was
unilaterally null and void because of "violations" -- likely the parody
site http://dow-chem ical.com by the Yes Men, and perhaps the persistently
provocative campaigns of Rtmark or the Electronic Disturbance Theater (both
hosted by The Thing). How to stand up for services geared towards artists
and activists? Write to Verio and express your outrage, and make a
contribution to The Thing: https://secure.thing.net/backbone/ Staehle is
looking for new pipelines as you read this.
---------------------------------
Principal Links
Dow, Verio evict Bhopal activists from the Web
The Digital Opportunity Channel (New Delhi) - Dec. 24, 2002:
http://www.digitalopportunity.org/fulltext/bhopal20021224.shtml
How low can Dow go? Dow sues penniless Bhopal survivors
Greenpeace - Mon 23 December 2002:
http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?news_id=95504
---------------------------------
OPEN LETTER TO DOW CHEMICAL CORPORATION
The following may be freely redistributed.
Director,
Media Relations Division
Dow Chemical Corporation,
Fax: (989) 636-3518
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am a professional art critic specializing in so-called "new media" or
digital art, as well as a consultant on Theory of Media. I recently
received an announcement of a work of fine art which took the form of what
you may term a "parody site" with the URL <http://dow-chemical.com>. This
piece was the work of an art collective known as "ŪtMark" which has a long &
well-documented history of corporate critique. Your response to the
appearance of this art-work was to induce the upstream provider, Verio,
to shut down the host carrying this site.
However this was not done with any care or delicacy & the fine art
resource site, "The Thing", was shut down as well -- thus denying legitimate
service to many, many subscribers who have less than nothing to do with
ŪtMark & may not even approve of their various "interventions", among them
several corporate clients who might conceivably otherwise have taken your
side in any discussion of the affair.
It is not my place here to discuss the actions taken by your firm which
doubtless prompted the portion of the art-piece that functioned as satirical
commentary (& which portion, though not of course identity theft, is a
protected right of all Americans), nor will I discuss the validity of
this variety of art practice (thought it is precedented & well-documented),
nor the aesthetic merits of this specific piece, not even the implicit
legality of the work or your response... it is not my place to tell you
anything about contemporary art practice -- merely that in acting in as
precipitous & heavy-handed a manner as you have here,
you have done more damage to yourself in the sphere of public- &
media-relations than anything the original artwork might have accomplished.
In shutting down The Thing's upstream provider you have alienated &
disenfranchised a relatively small (by your standards) yet
disproportionately influential group of individuals (again, many of whom are
themselves trying to operate perfectly legal businesses) -- by that I mean
those people who author culture. Do we control vast mass-media resources?
No. Do we invest millions in the markets? No. Do we influence state
foreign policy as to which strategic resources will or will not be available
to US corporations? No. However when a major hollywood producer is
thinking of funding or killing this picture or that, they might come to us,
an old school friend, & ask our opinion over coffee. When a leading
advertising executive is considering the tone & form of a major
international campaign, they might come to us, a friendly social
acquaintance, & ask our opinion over lunch. When a well respected market
analyst is wondering whether or not a Fortune 500 firm with an unsavory
public image can or cannot resuscitate that image through the agency of
expenditure for cultural projects, they might come to us, someone they've
previously retained as a consultant, & commission a small report to advise
them. When a world-famous journalist needs to take the pulse of corporate
America & report on their findings for major news-media, they might come to
us, who they've read in our much smaller columns, reviews, & essays, & ask
for our take as a professional courtesy. To restate the above with extreme
brevity; you alienate us at your peril.
I hope with every fiber of my being that you have not somehow convinced
yourself that you are beyond the legitimate criticisms represented in
ŪtMark's parody. I have no interest in saying, for once & all, who are
heroes & who are villains in contemporary life. Many would consider that
your firm has already perpetrated great villainy... congratulations, you
have just cemented that appreciation for the foreseeable future.
sincerely,
Blackhawk.
12/05/02
---------------------------------
Dow media relations.
Global Media Relations
Leslie Hatfield (U.S.)
Phone: +01 989-636-0626
Fax : +01 989-636-3518
Rebecca Evans (U.S.)
Phone: +01 989-636-0626
Fax : +01 989-636-3518
Europe and North America
Leslie Hatfield (U.S.)
Phone: +01 989-636-0626
Fax : +01 989-636-3518
Chris Huntley (Europe)
External Affairs Manager
Phone: +41-1-728-2232
Fax : +41--1728-3048
Asia-Pacific
Kay Yau (Hong Kong)
Phone: +852 2-879-7616
Fax : +852 2-827-0201
Latin America
Luiz Carlos Dutra (Brazil)
Phone: +55 1151-88-9767
Fax : +55 1151-88-9712
---------------------------------
Please don't let Dow and their ilk get away with this!
Do whatever you can;
Voice your concern through the Media,
Protest to Dow,
Notify your elected representative,
Support The Thing directly.
Do what you can.
---------------------------------
4. not without regrets!
I put up two 1968 Warhol prints for sale.
check them out on ebay >
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=933714042
background >
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/home.htm
thanks, doron
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