Syndicate: ANAT: National Summer School in Science & Ar

[Andreas Broeckmann <abroeck@v2.nl>]

Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 10:47:53 +0100
From: ANAT - Honor Harger <honor@anat.org.au>


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - DECEMBER 1998

The Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) announce:


 **********************    14 Artists Selected For     **********************
  **** Australia's Most Prestigious Art and technology Training Program ****

                   **  the ANAT National Summer School  **

                           Metro Screen, Sydney
                          11 - 29 January, 1999

14 artists from across Australia have been selected to participate in the
1999 National Summer School in Science and Art, coordinated by the
Australian Network for Art and Technology (ANAT) at Metro Screen, Sydney,
NSW, 11 - 29 January, 1999

Rodney Berry, Sydney, NSW
Melinda Burgess, Werri Beach, NSW
Lea Collins, Canberra, ACT
Adam Donovan, Brisbane, QLD
Chris Fortescue, Sydney, NSW
Liz Hughes, Sydney, NSW
Solange Kershaw, Sydney, NSW
Gordon Monroe, Sydney, NSW
Stephen Poljansek, Hobart, TAS
Rea, Sydney, NSW
Jenny Weight, Adelaide, SA
Jordan Wynnychuk, Melbourne, VIC
Jeremy Yuille, Brisbane, QLD
Ionat Zurr, Perth WA

ANAT has been at the forefront of the movement to position artists as
active participants in the 'information age'.  Since 1989 ANAT has
coordinated nine National Summer Schools around Australia, becoming a
crucial aspect of ANAT's objective to advocate and promote artists'
interaction with art, technology and science.  This year ANAT's celebrates
the tenth anniversary of this prestigious training program.  The Summer
School is unique in that it is the only intensive training program in
Australia designed specifically for artists. Providing critical training
and the catalyst for significant creative breakthroughs for key Australian
art and technology practitioners, such as Stelarc, Paula Dawson and Joyce
Hinterding.  The school has in fact, "become something of a rite of passage
for Australian artists working in this field" (Jon McCormack, former tutor
of the school).

The Tenth National Summer School will focus on the interaction between art
and science.  During 1998 ANAT has undertaken research and investigation
into this area, through a focus, entitled, scientific serendipity, which
has provided the framework for a number of our key programs, including the
development of projects and commissions which directly engage with science,
scientific visualisation techniques and technologies.  To culminate this,
the 1999 National Summer School will be focussed on diverse science and
technology practices, and how science and art can collaborate.  The school
will investigate the discrete discourses surrounding sciences and media
arts and will encourage the generation of unexpected and alchemic outcomes.
Metro Screen will provide technical facilities and support, and the
critical context of a research and production site.

"The 1999 ANAT National Summer School will operate like a masterclass for
experienced artists working across all artform disciplines providing a
deeply immersive learning environment.  The School has provided the
catalyst for profound conceptual shifts and directions in practice for
participating artists, many of whom are now highly respected within the
Australian and international electronic artworld, and within the multimedia
and film industries." says ANAT Director, Amanda McDonald Crowley.

In a vivid example of the cultural significance of the Summer School,
participants of former schools have continued to work together.  Under the
collective name, nervous_objects, the 1997 graduates of the Summer School
have gone on to receive critical acclaim for their totally networked
synaesthetic environments.  Demonstrating that Australian artists continue
to earn the respect of their international colleagues with the quality and
innovation of their work, nervous_objects presented a web performance at
the world's foremost symposium for electronic art, ISEA, becoming the
latest in a long line of Australians recognised with invitations to present
at prestigious events such as SIGGRAPH, Ars Electronica, and London's
Institute of Contemporary Art programs.

With an eye toward ensuring the Summer School remains current and tailored
specifically for artists, ANAT have selected a number of Australia's
leading new media artists as this year's tutors.  Science and art
specialists, including John Tonkin, Horst Keichle, Paul Brown and Joyce
Hinterding, will  form a  team who fully comprehend artists' desire to
'bend' technological and scientific tools to achieve their artistic goals.

To culturally contextualise the school, a satellite event combining a forum
with an open day of the school, will give the public and media an
opportunity to view the work-in-progress produced by the students. This
gala event will showcase not only the innovations of the artists
participating in the school, but also the work of several key science and
art practitioners.  This special event will be an excellent opportunity to
experience the best of the hybrid practices created out of
cross-fertilisation between art, science and technology.  Stay tuned for
details.

The National Summer School is supported by: the Federal Government through
the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body; the Queensland
Government's Office of Arts and Cultural Development through Queensland
Artworker's Alliance; the New South Wales Film and Television Office; and
the Minister for Education and the Arts through Arts Tasmania. This year's
School also receives support from Metro Screen and the University of New
South Wales' College of Fine Arts.

For further information or interviews, please contact:
Amanda McDonald Crowley, Director,
Australian Network for Art & Technology
tel: 08 82319037 or  0419 829 313
email: anat@anat.org.au
fax: 08 82117323
URL: http://www.anat.org.au/

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM THE DESK OF THE AUSTRALIAN NETWORK FOR ART AND TECHNOLOGY
anat@anat.org.au
postal address: PO Box 8029 Hindley Street, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
web address: http://www.anat.org.au/
telephone:  +61 (0)8-8231-9037
fax:   +61 (0)8-8211-7323
Director: Amanda McDonald Crowley   (mobile: 0419 829 313)
Administration & Information Officer: Honor Harger
Web & Technical Officer:  Martin Thompson

Memberships: $A12 (unwaged), $A25 (waged), $A50 (organisations)

ANAT receives support from The Australia Council, the Federal
Government's arts funding and advisory body
----------------------------------------------------------------------------