utopia/Dystopia

we-make-money-not-art.com is one of my favorite sites. I've been visiting it regularly for about two years now, before I decided I should take any sort of scholarly interest in "new media" at Temple. A while ago, when they had a different layout, they used to focus more on art installations, and weird cool things like new wearables and whatnot. Now it seems they are focusing on interviewing collectives and individuals in the new media "movement" (whatever that may mean), which I think is a good move. A lot of people in class don't really seem to understand the purposes of or the ideas behind new media and new media artists. For these confused types, I think we-make-money's interviews are pretty good reads.

This interview with Ubermorgen is one of the more interesting ones I've read in a while. Granted I'm pretty ignorant about other groups out there and their ambitions, but I still feel like a lot of new media artists seem to only play with concepts and create things that make you question the possibilities of our evolving technologies, while never really pushing any boundaries. Never making you feel uneasy. Ubermorgen, a group out of Vienna, is using technology for some pretty radical, subversive projects. Vicious but not quite. Technically illegal, but remaining just barely in bounds, managing to not get sued right away. They seem a little crazy in their interview, slightly threatning almost, with their unpredictable feeling, and I think that's a good thing.

I dig weird installations that show the possibilities of technology, with strange effects and immersive, interactive environments. I think it's good and these things have their purpose. But for some reason, I find myself putting more value in the more "radical" work of strangers like Ubermorgen. Also, their name is awesome: "super-tomorrow."