Final Presentation: Untitled by Wolfgang Staehle

Figure 1

Figure 1: "Wolfgang Staehle: Cooking @ Postmasters." Photograph. newsgrist Website, http://newsgrist.typepad.com/underbelly/2009/05/wolfgang-staehle-cooking-postmasters.html (accessed 17 Nov, 2013).

Untitled

2001

Video stills

10 feet x 25 feet (variable dimensions)

Introduction to the work

German artist Wolfgang Staehle use digital still live camera to create an artwork named untitled. The artist started to show the artwork in his exhibition called “2001” on September 6, 2001 to October 6, 2001 and he chooses three cities to setup the webcam. A castle-like monastery near Comburg in Germany, Berlin TV Tower in Alexanderplatz and skyline of Lower Manhattan in New York City (Figure 2). The visitors can see the artwork that updated every four seconds via webcam in Postmasters Gallery in New York City (New York Magazine 2004).

Detailed description of the work 

 

Figure 2

Figure 2: Moore, Alan. "History Asks, "What Then?" by Alan Moore." Webcam Images. artnet.com,

http://www.artnet.com/magazine/reviews/moore/moore9-29-01.asp (accessed 29 Nov, 2013).

The artist used live-feed webcam transmissions through three projectors in three different cities. All the projector screen size is large scale wide-screen movie format, which are 10 feet x 25 feet and looks like a live landscape paintings (Jana and Tribe 2007, 90). According to KK, he mentions the three images (Berlin TV Tower, church in Comburg and Lower Manhattan) is representing three major element of the modern world; telecommunications, religion and commerce (KK 2009). The artwork also can express the network can put different parts of the world can connect together and tell us that the world don’t have any boundaries.

Figure 3

Figure 3: " Wolfgang Staehle, Untitled, 2001,live video projection" Photograph. Postmasters Art, http://www.postmastersart.com/archive/ws_pic3.html (accessed 17 Nov, 2013).

Use New York as example (Figure 3), he set up two webcam in an apartment window in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and the camera focus at the skyline of Lower Manhattan. The time showed in lower right corner so it can make the visitors can know the artwork is running in real time. Every four seconds, the scene would shift, so the visitors can see the ships and clouds are moving. The artist didn’t set the webcam to display merely real time, it is because Staehle wants audience to “experience and reflect upon the state of world culture”. It would be no space for audience to have reflection in merely real time mode. (Sanborn 2001).

Actually, the way of present this artwork is interesting during that period since he don’t use the traditional way, such as use still painting, photography, and film to present his work. He use innovative way, which is web live scream camera technology to finish his time-lapse photography project and it was a revolutionary product at that time (NewArtTV 2009). So Postmasters Gallery mentions Staehle's exhibition “was recognized as a pioneer of the internet art scene” when it opens to public (Postmasters Gallery 2001).

However, no one imagine that his artwork records the world history and it becomes an iconic artwork for Mr. Staehle. 

Figure 4

Figure 4: Staehle, Wolfgang. "Untitled" Photograph. Wolfgang-Staehle Blog, http://staehle.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/hello-world/ (accessed 17 Nov, 2013).

8:46 am on September 11, American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into north tower of the World Trade Center and cause big explosion. After that, the second plane crashed into south tower and the twins towers collapsed (Figure 4). Finally it cause nearly 3,000 people died, huge debris spread in Lower Manhattan and the smoke and dust appear in World Trade Center site. The camera captures the whole process of September 11 attacks that make American never forget, not just for the terrorist attack cause deadliest incident in the history of the US, the iconic landmark, twin tower also invisible in New York City anymore. When Andrew Robinson see artwork inside gallery, he was “feeling a profound sense of powerlessness” and “the images fixed in their mind” through the live stream camera (Robinson 2001).

Figure 5

Figure 5: Staehle, Wolfgang. "Wolfgang Staehle – Untitled 2001" Photograph. Givon Art Gallery Website, http://givonartgallery.com/wordpress/?page_id=3669 (accessed 17 Nov, 2013).

After the attack, many people and media discuss his artwork. But artist thinks that propose of his work is quite different what he expected and the resonance of the artwork has been enlarged after September 11 attacks, but the meaning of the artwork has also has been narrowed (Artforum International Magazine 2001).

Some people think that Staehle was so lucky that he can capture the first plane crashed into north tower of the World Trade Center. But he thinks their opinion is nonsense. It is because his purpose was just setting the camera only, not willing to capture impressive scene and he didn’t giving it to the media (New York Magazine 2004). 

An evaluation of the work

Figure 6

Figure 6: Pasley, Jeff. "Thomas Cole's: The Course of Empire" Painting. The Age of Jefferson Website, http://pasleybrothers.com/jefferson/course_of_empire.htm (accessed 17 Nov, 2013).

This artwork is Networked Digital Art, since the artist setup web camera that can connect to internet and the real-time images able to see in the gallery through the projector. Meanwhile, the artist get inspire from Thomas Cole series of allegorical landscape printing, “The Course of Empire” (NewArtTV 2009). These series of artwork reflect any empire rise and inevitably will be decline in one day (Figure 6). Besides, the viewing angle of the artwork is look like the same. 

Figure 7

Figure 7: Egan, Chloe. "Chapter 7 Continued" Photograph. StudyBlue, http://pasleybrothers.com/jefferson/course_of_empire.htm (accessed 17 Nov, 2013).

It is very interesting that Staehle’s artwork is matching the situation in Thomas Cole’s landscape printing that shows the empire rise and going to decline. Before the September 11 attacks, World Trade Centre is the iconic landmark of New York City and it also represents the propensity and power position of America since this complex of building have many tenants that related to global banking and financial services and there have many elite people worked at there. As a result of the attacks, it causes huge casualties in United States and many Americans suffer from negative psychological impact. Al-Qaeda looks powerful that they can destroy the power of United States and looks so weak since they lack of strong security measures to protect the whole countries. In fact, the attacks lead to United States and world markets unstable and become weak. Lower Manhattan lost its energetic since the iconic landmark disappears and the skyline looks so empty without twins tower (Figure 7). 

What is remarkable or noteworthy about this work?

Firstly, I think the most interesting part of Staehle’s work is using the live stream camera technology. It is because the audience just stay in indoor gallery can see the outside live picture via webcam in three different locations. Besides, the location setting of the camera is also looks quite interesting. Each camera represents different purpose of the building and the development of the city. It includes monastery common in medieval age, to the tallest building in Germany and famous skyline in New York City that shows the contrast between silence rural area and busy modern city.

Secondly, the scene of the plane crash into World Trade Centre is remarkable on my mind. It is because I watch the attack through the TV live screen when I was small and it still can’t believe this would be happen. It looks horrible when I see the tower finally collapse and the images of the tragedy still keep in my mind. When I watch this artwork again, it recalls back my memory again. Although the artwork don’t contains any sound, but the images still have strong impression to me that we never forget this tragedy. 

Key Quotes:

"Postmasters Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of "2001" - an exhibition of new works by Wolfgang Staehle. The show will open on September 6 and will be on view until October 6, 2001. The reception is scheduled for Thursday, September 6, between 6 and 8 pm. For Wolfgang Staehle, widely recognized as a pioneer of the internet art scene, this will be the first solo exhibition in New York in ten years." 

Postmasters Gallery, “wolfgang staehle“2001”” 2001.

http://www.postmastersart.com/archive/staehle.html. (accessed November 19, 2013).

"On September 11, 2001 I found myself on the streets of New York City, like everyone here, in a state of shock after witnessing the World Trade Center collapse. I roamed about in Chelsea and found myself at the doors of the Postmasters Gallery and had my first introduction to the work of Wolfgang Staehle......One of the images included the NYC skyline with a plume of dust and debris covering lower Manhattan. I recall staring silently at the images and feeling a profound sense of powerlessness. The gallery director and I both stood in silent witness. I turned and walked out of the gallery with that image fixed in my mind."

Robinson,  Andrew Cornell. “Wolfgang Staehle "2004".”  acrStudio. 2004. http://www.acrstudio.com/ideas/staehle_wolfgang/. (accessed November 19, 2013).

Reference:

Artforum International Magazine. “Wolfgang Staehle.” http://www.alexiworth.com/writings/writing_html/Wolfgang%20Staehle.htm (accessed November 17, 2013).

Jana, Renna,. and Mark Tribe. New Media Art. Los Angeles: Taschen, 2007.

KK. “ART, TIME and WOLFGANG STAEHLE.” Art and Today - Thap1211 Studio Theory SPI Studio 2009. 2009

http://artandtoday2009.blogspot.hk/2009/05/art-time-and-wolfgang-staehle.html (accessed November 19, 2013).

Ludovico, Alessandro. “Wolfgang Staehle (Thing.org) interview, the webcam recording the Twin Towers’ end.” Neural http://neural.it/2001/10/wolfgang-staehle-thing-org-interview-the-webcam-recording-the-twin-towers-end/ (accessed November 28, 2013).

NewArtTV, “Wolfgang Staehle.” http://newarttv.com/Wolfgang+Staehle (accessed November 17, 2013).

Postmasters Gallery, “wolfgang staehle“2001””

http://www.postmastersart.com/archive/staehle.html (accessed November 28, 2013).

Robinson, Andrew Cornell. “Wolfgang Staehle "2004".”  acrStudio. 2004. http://www.acrstudio.com/ideas/staehle_wolfgang/. (accessed November 19, 2013).

Rosenberg, Karen. “The Accidental Historian.” New York Magazine. September 13, 2004. http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/columns/intelligencer/9796/. (accessed November 19, 2013).

Sanborn, Keith. “ARCHIVE: Wolfgang Staehle's "Untitled" by Keith Sanborn (2001).” THE THING, INC. 2001 http://post.thing.net/node/683 (accessed November 28, 2013).

jeromejoy.org, "Wolfgang Staehle, «2001», Du 6 Septembre Au 6 Octobre 2001"

http://joy.nujus.net/w/index.php?page=nocinema+-+Staehle+3 (accessed November 28, 2013).

Staehle, Wolfgang. “Works 1995 – 2013.” http://www.wolfgangstaehle.info/pages.php?content=galleryBig.php&navGallID=1&navGallIDquer=1&imageID=7&view=big&activeType=gall. (accessed November 17, 2013).

YouTube: Bus Uncle

巴士阿叔 - Bus Uncle (雙語字幕 - Bilingual Substitle)

Its copies: 煞科featuring巴士阿叔, 後生仔卡啦ok版

1. Do you see videos such as "Bus Uncle"+its copies or Chris Crocker "Leave Britey Aline" + its copes as a good addition to creative culture ?
It can create a new culture style that use the music, video and dialogue from pop culture, to make a parody video that looks interesting and funny way.  Although some people criticized that this kind of new media is a kind of copyright infringement, but I think that it is the tread in nowadays since it can easy to draw the attention to the audiences and let them sympathy in their mind.


2. Is the wide availability of such videos a good thing for society or not ?
To a large extent, it is not good for the society. It is because it makes everyone's behavior in public area may be recorded. If the people do the wrong behavior or the actions looks strange, some people would use the video device to record it and share it in the website. It create cyber-bullying that makes the victim face with many pressure from public. But this kinds of video also provide warning function to the public, to advice them to do the correct things.

3. How many viewers are estimated to have watched the YouTube video?
There have more than 2.9 million people to watch "Bus Uncle" video, and more than 220,000 people to watch its copies.

4.  How would you rate the video?

The video looks interesting since bus uncle use foul language and attractive sentences to draw the attention to me. Some people try to use that video and produce an alternative version that have remix and with Karaoke version, so it make the video becomes more funny and we can see many Hong Kong people have creativity to express the ideas.

5. Is it of high quality in technical terms? Is it interesting aesthetically e.g. camera angles, use of light, the narrative, and so on?
It is not high quality in technical terms, everyone can use the video recording function from smartphone can do it. Besides, it don't have any interesting aesthetically, the video creator only taking a sneaky video. So the most important part is the content of the video, it don't need any technical terms.

6. Does it raise interesting socio-cultural issues? 
This video can show that many Hong Kong people face with many pressure in daily life, they cannot use the proper way to solve problem since we don't have any good measures and area for us to relax. Finally the pressure is quite easy to erupt and lead to conflict occur.

On the other hand, although bus uncle and the young people are shouting together more than 5 minutes, but other passengers don't have any action to help them to solve the problem. It shows that Hong Kong people sit on the sidelines and not willing to help the people.

7.Do you think it deserved the attention that it received from the internet community?
I don't think this event deserved the attention to me after I see the video clip in first time. It is because it just a conflict between these two guys. However, there are more internet users to discuss this topic and make its copy that looks attractive that mixed with popular culture, so it is successful to draw my attention.

Technologised Bodies In class discussion: Stelarc work in detail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9oBCIABvIE

Questions about New Media Art

Dada & New Media art both described as "reactions". What did they react to?
According to article, Dada is refers to "a reaction to the industrialization of warfare and the mechanical reproduction of texts and images". New Media Art is referring to response IT revolution and cultural forms going to digital way.

What are some similarities of new media art to Dada, pop, Video Art?
Some of the medium, such as photo montage, collage, the ready made, political action, and performance are appear in Dada. For pop art, some of the artist borrow the media that engaged with commercial culture, such as use video game transform to pop art that looks more neatly in art world. For video art, the artist in nowadays use portable video camera to capture the moment, so it looks more convenience in now.

When was Net Art first include in a major exhibition: Document X Kassel, Germany)
1994

Is new media art focused in one country. Why or why not?
No. It is because internet not for one country only, it can connect to different countries around the world and create a new community for global people connection together. It lead to the new media art is a worldwide movement that don't have any barrier, everyone can use the computer and internet connection, they can access the new media art easily and convenience to share the artwork through the internet.

Why were many artists drawn to new media art from other discipline?
The main factor is globalization of culture and economies makes the transnational cooperation become more frequently and enhance New Media art become more important and it is easy to accessible for every people that have personal computer. Meanwhile, the artist can use computer software and hardware to create a artwork with emerging media technologies in ways that were informed by the conceptual and formal qualities of their former disciplines.

Networked Art: Shredder 1.0, Mark Napier (1998)

Shredder 1.0, Mark Napier (1998)
http://www.potatoland.org/shredder/shredder.html

This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on formal instructions. It require the creator to have the basic knowledge of computer programme code, which is the essential language to build the website and they have to use that code to build the art since if the code wrong, it is not possible to do it. So the artist only able to use formal instructions to do the artwork.

Secondly, art objects is less consider in net art, it is more consider in the concept of the work. It is because the object only contains colour and the images that under the programme code, it is not easy for the general public to understand it since all the elements of the website have been change to another format that looks complicated.

Actually, this work looks like internet browser, it provides the area for the people to type the website and have the list for the bookmarks. Most of the area is the webpage. When the people type the website URL or select one of the webpage from bookmarks, it like the formal internet browser that load the webpage but the content looks quite different what we see, it randomly to generate a website that looks unusual.

The artist borrowing the idea from the website and use the JavaScript to generate the images of the website has been enlarged, changes the shape and divided into different type of square that merge together. The text only include html code and mixed together, without other general text that we see in webpage, so it looks interesting that the webpage looks destroyed by the computer virus. So the work is success to break through the boundaries, to make us feel surprise.

Reflection of Gamer Revolution

a)  According to the film, what are some pros and cons of playing video games for individuals and societies?

Playing video games can create a new opportunities for the teenagers in South Korea. They were success to join the game competitions that can earn a lot of money and become a pop stars. For the societies, the shooting computer games can train the solder and the whole army more effectively.

However, there also have many problems occur when the people playing computer games. For the individuals, the teenagers who join the game competitions need to play more than 40 hours. It is not good for their health and they lose connection with their parents. For the societies, some of the violence games many affect some people do the same kind of violence behavior in real life. It lead to school shooting accident occur and cause death and injuries. It makes the society become unstable and fear occur.

b) According the film, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world? Do you agree?

I agree, it is because in Syria also can play the games from western countries. But some of the teenagers who trust Muslim, they try to play the shooting game and finally they apply in the real world that try to kill old people. It lead to the accident occur that kill many Palestine people and the ethnic conflict in Middle East become more serious.

c) Should governments have the rights to ban a certain game or place age restrictions on it? Why ?

Governments should not ban a certain game. It is because everyone has the rights to play computer game. This kind of action only destroys freedom of choice and let the people try to use another improper way to get it. This policy may only let the society become harmony, but it against the human rights for the whole society.

If we also consider the safety problem on the society and consider the balance between the game creator and the national security. I suggest we can follow the policy that adopt in United States, that is setup the age restriction for it. This restriction like the movie rating and TV rating in Hong Kong. So it can avoid the non-adult people to buy the game and affect their behavior in teenagers/child life.

JODI: Unittitled Gamrs, SOD

 

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGjksSBYEgs

 

SOD is a computer game created bu Dirk Paesmans and Joan Heemskerk in 1999. The main features of the game is only contain black white and grey as main colour. The game environment is focus on the wall that use geometric shapes and patterns. So it makes the gamer can enjoy different aspect of the environment in a visual space and change the gaming experiences for them.

I think that game is an art, it is because the elements of the games only contains simple geometric shapes with contrast colour that appears in the whole environment. It is easy make the gamer to feel lost. It different for the general computer games that have full colour and details elements. Besides, when the gamer move to different area, it not just have visual spaces changes, the game only have basic sound effect and it don't have any complete words/sentence for the instructions. It randomly use the English alphabet to represent. So it don't like the general computer games that we always play.

Digital games - But are they art?

1.      What do we think about art?

In our opinion the most important features of art are: art should have aesthetic values and be in a special way beautiful at the same time art should have a purpose and should convey a message, should be narrative and bring people together. Art should be touching and produce feelings into the audience and be interactive. The artist should be expressing specific thoughts and values and should be something that people would remember.

2.      Art should have contents ideas , utility and save ability

We divide the types of games into two parts, the ones who posses aesthetic values and are interactive and have specific purpose and give a message, also they could have a role into our history, those ones could be considered as art, however the other type of games are the ones who are designed just for pleasure and fun and they are completely commercial and they have no purpose and rather meaningless, also they have a bad impact on people’s life those are the ones we classify as non-possessing artistic values.

Wong Wing talk about Eric Siu's Touchy

After Eric Siu introduce his new new invention- Touchy, a camera that can make people closer. We form a discussion group made a short video to discuss his idea.

Video: