"Call for Artists: Artists and Scientists in Times of War"
2003-04-28 until 2003-05-16
Leonardo Electronic Almanac, MIT
Cambridge, MA, USA United States of America

The Leonardo Electronic Almanac (ISSN No: 1071-4391) is developing a special issue dealing with the phenomenon of war, and will explore the relationships between artists, scientists, and war in contemporary society. The issue will investigate war from an interdisciplinary perspective, as a cultural practice of conflict that affects each and every one of us on a daily basis; a practice that is broader and deeper than armed conflict between nation states; that occurs on many levels when national, social, economical and cultural interests collide and which involves issues such as real-time media representation of facts, language and architecture, freedom of information and truth and power.

We are in a midst of a global digital media war where copyright holders fight consumers over digital music, books and movies sharing and duplication. A software war where open and free systems battle closed and proprietary ones for running the world's computer systems. A Man vs. Machine war in-which the world's greatest chess players fight for the human creative edge and self dignity against the superior speed and memory of computers.

We live in a time of total screening of war as a spectacle on television and computer screens - from live war images on news cable stations, war simulation video games, reality police action shows and US Army commercials with heavy metal music soundtracks on MTV. We are moving further from asking hard questions regarding the essence of conflict and meditated reality and from being able to establish our own world-view based on cross-checked information and facts.

The issue will not present a specific unified position towards conflict but rather it aims to reveal tendencies, to surface hidden agendas and issues, to reflect on multiple points of view and to open a wide-ranging dialog. What is the role of artists and scientists in this new era? Should art be completely independent of the politics of violence? Should science? Guest Editor Shirley Shor and Leonardo Electronic Almanac seek papers discussing these and other topics that address the role and work of artists and scientists in times of war.

LEA encourages international artists / academics / researchers / students to submit their proposals for consideration. We particularly encourage authors outside north america and europe to send proposals for articles/gallery/artists statements:

Proposals should include:-

- a 150 - 300 word abstract / synopsis
- a brief bio (and prior works for reference, if necessary)
- names of collaborators (if work is produced by a team)
- any related URLs
- contact details

Deadline: 16 May 2003

Please send proposals or queries to:

Shirley Shor
shirleys@friskit.com

or

Nisar Keshvani
LEA Editor-in-Chief
lea@mitpress.mit.edu
http://mitpress2.mit.edu/e-journals/LEA/

What is LEA?

Established in 1993, the Leonardo Electronic Almanac (ISSN No: 1071-4391) is the electronic arm of the world's most prestigious art journal, Leonardo - Journal of Art, Science & Technology.

LEA is jointly produced by Leonardo, the International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology (ISAST) and published under the auspices of MIT Press. Leonardo Electronic Almanac (LEA), is Leonardo/ISAST and MIT Press' electronic journal dedicated to providing a forum for those who are interested in the realm of where art, science & technology converge.

Content

This peer reviewed e-journal includes Profiles of Media Arts facilities and Projects, Profiles of artists using new media, Feature Articles comprised of theoretical and technical perspectives; the LEA Gallery exhibiting new media artwork by international artists; detailed information about new publications in various media; reviews of publications. events and exhibitions. Material is contributed by artists, scientists, educators and developers of new technological resources in the media arts.

Mission

Since 2002, LEA formed a strategic alliance with fineArt forum - the Internet's longest running arts magazine. Through this partnership, LEA concentrates on adding new scholarship and critical commentary to the art, science and technology field, with LEA subscribers benefiting from the latest news, announcements, events, and job/educational opportunities through fAf's online news service.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Massachusetts

Other Important Exhibitions in Cambridge