Pulp Librarian is an actual good internet thing on Twitter, which, wow how many of those are there? their #MondayMotivation this week was a deep dive into tech alarmism, which is worth it for the graphics alone:
CAN THE INTERNET BE SAVED???? idk! but I’d like to think so, and at the very least, accounts like Pulp Librarian are carrying that torch of the dream of web 1.0.
p.s. if u want to get a holiday/end of year postcard from me, sign up here by DECEMBER 8! even if you are international, please feel free to sign up. postcards are going to ship out from the US, and I have a bunch of postcard stamps waiting 4 u.
resource roundup!
Cyber Monday is nearly upon us (ugh), and you might as well take advantage and stock up on some hardware to tinker with thru the long cold winter. it looks like SparkFun will have a big sale starting this Friday, so plan accordingly. also the next ADABOX ships in 5 days, so jump on that as well if you’ve been holding out.
don’t u just love it when ur desperately seeking the perfect library to solve ur problem & u find one that might work but the README is trash? don’t be that person! u never know who will benefit from all the lovely work u did! open source charity begins at home by following these tips for writing a good README.
Simon Niklaus’ 3D Ken Burns effect is pretty wild, and seems to work well with both photographs and paintings/illustrations:
you can check out the code here on Github or via a Colab Notebook implementation here.
h/t to friend-of-the-newsletter Jenna for this Javascript library for creating XKCD-style charts. right now it covers line charts, XY charts, radar charts, and pie/donut charts. if u want to snark up something you’re working on with a nod to the comic, or u just want a low-fi way to mock up something with a hand-drawn style (personally I like presenting wireframes to clients with a sketchy look because it keeps them from fussing over stuff like typography and colors too early), this is 4 u.
this is a cute lil protip that speaks to me in terms of how I think about painting- that it’s often more dynamic (and easier) to splash out a composition in big strokes and then refine back:
? upcoming events!
Nov 29 & 30! NOWHERE! New York, NY USA: the Internet Yami-Ichi is back in NYC for the 3rd time! this event is always a blast, and maybe even a good way to do some holiday shopping for all ur tiktok crushes. learn more here.
Saturday Nov 30! co.up coworking! Berlin, Germany: Creative Code Berlin is back with their second Spatial Computing Jam. if you want some motivation to work on that VR/AR project you’ve been neglecting amidst a chill atmosphere, check this one out. you can RSVP here.
Dec 1 – 2! School for Poetic Computation! New York, NY USA: SFPC’s open studio student showcase is happening next Sunday and Monday! you can meet students from the fall cohort, check out their work, and hang out. if you’re thinking of applying to their open call (see below), this is a good opportunity to see if the school is a good fit for you. learn more here.
Wednesday Dec 4! Eyebeam! Brooklyn, NY USA: artists Pelenakeke Brown and Yo-Yo Lin will share their practices in excavating, gathering, and investigating the archive of their living bodies – wild! this is also a celebration for the release of two new publications by the artists. you can RSVP for free, but you should probably do so ASAP because these Eyebeam events always fill up. learn more here.
Thursday Dec 5! Apple Fifth Avenue! New York, NY USA: artist Zach Lieberman will be giving a workshop on creative coding with Procreate. ok, this has a bit of a sponcon vibe, but it might be a nice chance to get some protips. you can sign up here.
Friday Dec 13! The Church for the Fellowship of All People! San Francisco, CA USA: tragedy + time = comedy but also like, idk how anyone could survive the tech world in SF without a sense of humor (and a morbid fascination with tragedy tbh). Ethics in Tech and the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots have pulled together a night of punching up at Big Tech. if you need some catharsis (and some pizza) this event is for you. learn more here.
Dec 14 -15! Triangle Arts Association! Brooklyn, NY USA: this weekend conference, hosted by Tech Learning Collective via their semi-permanent residency with Triangle Arts Association, will feature New Yorkers fighting against invasive corporate and dragnet government surveillance alongside national technology law and policy watchdogs. the lineup is STACKED. you can learn more & get your tickets here.
opportunities!
Commiserate Chicago 2020 is inviting artists to reflect and mediate on the state of media art as well as the survival of media arts in a city remote from major art markets with their new open calls. you can apply to exhibit your work, run a workshop, give a talk, or participate in a sex tech hackathon! I’m always excited to see something that addresses how technology-focused art can get centered around the same hubs as the traditional art market, which like, jeez louise I’m trying to make more digital work BECAUSE I don’t want to be in NYC 24/7 to feel relevant ok? media arts shouldn’t be obliged to hash out the same history. they are especially reaching out to artists from under-represented communities, and you can learn more and submit by December 20 here.
El Centro de Cultura Digital in Mexico City just opened their call for workshop proposals for 2020. designers, artists, musicians, programmers, educators, developers, scientists, etc etc etc are invited to propose inclusive workshops of 6-12 hours that can serve their community. proposals are due by January 6 so get cracking! strong Spanish speaking & comprehension skills are likely important. you can learn more here.
the Integrated Digital Media Program at NYU has announced a new artist-in-residence program for 2020. this is a rolling program of 3-week periods, starting in January. u’ll get access to IDM facilities, a modest stipend and equipment budget, and living accommodations if ur coming from outside of the NYC area. for this first call, they’re looking for residents interested in focusing on experimental sound or experimental print. you can learn more and apply by November 30 here.
Theorizing the Web 2020 also opened their call for papers this week! damn there’s so much to apply to, u better get on it. this is their 10th anniversary, so they’re looking for a bit of a more retrospective approach:
We are curious about the state of thinking about the Web, how things have changed in the last decade, and what this accounting of the past teaches us as we move forward. What is the state of Internet theory, the funding, the publications, the jobs, institutions, and hierarchies? What have we left out so far that we will come to address over the next ten years?
the submission deadline is January 19, and the event will take place from April 17-18 in NYC.
School for Poetic Computation has a call for students for Code Societies. you can learn more here.
Data & Society is accepting applications for their 2020-21 Faculty Fellows until December 17. learn more here.
Georgia Institute of Technology has an opening for an assistant professor in digital media. this is a tenure-track position, with an emphasis on design and social justice, effective August 2020. check it out here.
Instructables has a BUNCH of contests open right now with entries that close on December 2, so check out their listings page & see if anything works for your projects! some potential relevant topics include: robotics, multi-discipline, and made with math.
the European Media Art Platform has an open call for media artists in the fields of digital media with applications due by December 2. you can learn more here.
Rhizome has a rolling open call for their 2019-2020 microgrants! you can learn more & apply here!
just for lulz!
speaking of when the internet was good and pure (and also how the loss of Flash is genuinely a loss of art):
*~housekeeping~*
if you have anything in the works that you are excited about (an event, a workshop, a new project), please send me all the details. the next newsletter will cover the week of December 2 – 8, but I’m happy to promote events further in the future as well and keep them on the calendar.
