LEA - Art et technologie : la monstration

Art et technologie : la monstration
(How to curate, display and exhibit works of electronic art),
by Annick Bureaud, Nathalie Lafforgue and Joel Boutteville.

Click here to access entire monograph.

Abstract
This study, in French, has been originally done for the Fine Arts Department of the French Ministry of Culture in 1996. It has been published online by OLATS (Leonardo Observatory for the Arts and the Techno-Sciences), the French speaking web site of Leonardo (http://www.olats.org) in 1998.

It belongs to a long term and broader project that OLATS has undertaken that is to provide the French speaking community at large with a documentation in all the areas of art and technology : history (Pionners & Pathbreakers project), ressource (CD-ROM and web sites reviews, bibliographies, etc.) and in-depth analysis (Livres & Etudes).

The goal of the survey, as defined by the Fine Arts Department of the French Ministy of Culture, was to point out the differences in electronic artworks in regard to "traditionnal" ones and therefore to clarify the needs in exhibiting such works. The survey is divided into 6 sections :

the first one recalls the history and ideology behind art exhibitions in modern time, the apparition of museums, its role, etc.
the second one focuses on the analysis of the nature of electronic artworks and proposes a typology (forms) beyond the different medias upon which they are based. The place and role of the public is emphasized.
the third one is a state of the art of the different venues where electronic art has been (or is) shown : from museums and galleries, to science centers (i.e. The Exploratorium), to trade fairs (SIGGRAPH), to alternative spaces and dedicated spaces (ZKM, AEC, etc.), to cyberspace.
the fourth section raises the issues of presentation and conservation of the works.
the fith is an in-depth analysis of the publics, its knowledge (computer literacy among other things), and the fact that now it is a worldwide audience and less and less a local one.
the sixth and last section opens up if not to the "ideal" set up- to propositions that could be followed to support the visibility of electronic art within the French situation (but part of it can be used in other contexts).

At every steps, proposals are made to provide new solutions in order to "curate, exhibit and display" works of electronic art.