Robert,
Sorry for the mistakes in my posting, however, I was not using the term "technologist" in a pejorative sense. My point is that perhaps "dance and technology" as a movement/genre is being pushed forward not necessarily by the needs of dance, but by the wants of those more inclined toward the use (artistic or otherwise) of new technologies. If that hypothetical is true, then why the contingency on dance as in "Dance and Technology" conferences etc.,? As for the term, "technologist", to me it implies one who makes work that is contingent on digital or electronic mediation that is not otherwise specified as, e.g. video dance, film, etc. I do believe that if the makers of work that is contingent on technological mediation foreground technology as in interactive work or the work described in postings from Hellerau, and if it is contingent on the work of collaborators who enable the use of the technology, then somewhere in that mix there must be one or more technologists. This is perhaps the point that might be further discussed, that is the failure of language to accurately describe work that lives at the margins of art, science and technology. You are absolutely right in saying that attendance or popularity is not a criteria for success. The EAT experimants in the 1960's were seen by relatively few people yet they are cited in numerous cases in regard to the history of art and technology.
Doug
>>> robert@palindrome.de - 8/16/00 12:05 PM >>>
At 07:48 15.08.2000 -0500, Doug Rosenberg wrote (in quoting Johannes
Birringer):
>> >The workshop, although led by Palindrome Dance Company, did not attract
>> many
>> dancers or choreographers, I think this should be mentioned.>
>
>Good point.. perhaps it is becoming clear that dance and technology is being
>kept alive by the technologists.
>
huh? Neither Johannes nor myself are technologists.
Also, I must say, you have taken Johannes's words a bit out of context.
His next sentence was
"apart from Robert Wechsler and Angel Blasco, there are no trained dancers
but artists from different fields (music, film/video, visual design, visual
arts, media, computer science, theatre). Quite normal, with regard to a
digital arts laboratory."
Artists from "music, film/video, visual design, visual arts, media,
computer science, theatre" are ALSO not technologists. And the I and the
other workshop leaders were COMPLETELY happy with both the size (it was
actually near its designated capacity) and the make-up of the Hellerau group.
Moreover,
you know as well as I do that attendance is not a Massstab for the
importance or useful in the arts. MY GOODNESS! Some of our palindrome's
events (performances _and_ workshops) are packed full, others are
half-empty. This has mostly to do with promotion.
And finally, our name is not "Palindrome Dance Company", it is "Palindrome
Inter-media Performance Group". The reason is that we work with "music,
film/video, visual design, visual arts, media, computer science, theatre"
and not just dance. (I realize this error was not yours. Neither was it
Johannes's, some erroneous promotional material was printed).
Mr. Rosenberg, I am preparing a response to your earlier e-mail and
suggestions, which I _do_ take seriously. (I received some private mail
making a similar arguement). You make some good points .
Robert Wechsler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert Wechsler
Artistic Director
PALINDROME Inter-media Performance Group
Johannisstr. 42
90419 Nürnberg
fon: 49 911 39 74 72
fax: 49 911 377 8311
mobile: 49 179 511 0400
complete information, including scheduled touring, photographs, and so on
can be found under: http://www.palindrome.de
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