wow this week is really late! things are weird! I’m switching up the sections again this week, to separate out open call opportunities from the many exciting online learning opportunities that are cropping up as some of my fav organizations grapple with moving their programs online for the next few months.
something that has been keeping me sane is the newly launched app The Poetic Hivemind by Fabian Frei. I’m a fan of daily writing, and I love the concept of this project. every morning, you receive a prompt to write a few words, maybe a few paragraphs with some poetic intention. but instead of logging your daily poems into a private journal, they are used to train an AI to generate poems as a collective whole.
there’s something, ahem, poetic about the idea of ego-free, collective poetry. in the same way that singing with a choir is quite a different experience from singing a solo, there’s something quite freeing about sending your words off into the AI ether. I’m curious to see how this project continues to develop! you can learn more and download the app (available in the Apple App store and the Google Play store) here.
resource roundup!
this week I did a livestream playthrough of LIKELIKE Online, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the project is open sourced on Github so that anyone can use it to create their own MMO virtual arcade or exhibition. it’s pretty well commented, though you’ll want to have some node.js and javascript knowledge to adapt the project to your needs. you can learn more and fork the repo here.
speaking of LIKELIKE, all the games in the current exhibition make use of Bitsy, a little web-based editor made by Adam Le Doux for making games where an avatar can walk around, talk to NPCs, and explore a space. I was quite surprised by how such different experiences could all be made with the same, simple tool. it’s worth a look if you want something to play with this weekend! think of it like writing a sonnet – the constraints might force you to be creative in exciting ways.
CyPurr Collective have been adding some of their zines to Github to make them a bit easier to share with the community. currently the repo is hosting a zine on digital consent, and one on phone privacy. it’s worth watching the repo! you can check it out here.
Hydra is a platform for live coding visuals created by Olivia Jack that lets each connected browser window act as a node of a modular and distributed video synthesizer. neat! it’s built with WebRTC and WebGL. there’s even a really lovely list of resources, including tutorials, examples, and documentation. check it out!
Kyle McDonald made a little Chrome extension that pauses COVID-19 content. it’s a huge breath of fresh air if you need to be extremely online due to work, but are just feeling overwhelmed by the constant flood of information. you can grab it here. making a Chrome extension is also not too scary! here’s a simple tutorial for making a text-replacing extension, if you want to get creative with making your own solutions.
open calls & residencies!
as some of these apply to festivals/events taking place this year, keep an eye out for cancellations and program changes before applying.
Artist Relief is distributing $5000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19 who are able to receive taxable income in the US (citizens, green card holders, permanent residents with an SSN or ITIN). learn more here.
KLAXON KLAXON! CORRECTION ALERT! last week I gave the wrong email, so please resend if you submitted! The Jane Love Tiny Fund is hoping to send some much needed funds to artists in need in these trying times:
Artists! We love you! If you’ve lost work due to the covid crisis we *may* be able to help. Please send a very short (2-3 sentence) email to lovejane183@gmail.com about your work including a Paypal address to request a tiny fund. Tiny funds are $100-$500.
People who have great WFH jobs who would like to donate to this fund should email lovejane183@gmail.com to get connected with an artist.
Maxwell Neely-Cohen is hoping to give out some micro grants for indie game devs via an open call on twitter:
What Do We Do Now? is seeking submissions for the first edition of a digital zine centered around escape, escapism, interruption, and reset:
Now when most humans are in isolation the online world is the only window to social interactions. Are algorithms having a feast with data collection in corona times?
We are advised to escape indoors to protect ourselves and other people, when indoors we escape to fictional worlds, how about planetary escape, a complete escape from humanity, escape from late capitalism?
you can learn more here. submissions are due via email by April 10.
the ZKM | Hertz-Lab has a new artist-in-residence program, with 3 submission clusters seeking open project proposals. applications are due by April 12. you can learn more here.
arebyte has an open call for young artists (under 28) based in the UK (tho outside of London). you can learn more and apply here by April 16.
El Centro de Cultura Digital has an open call for the development of an installation in El Memorial in Mexico City during the month of October, after a period of exploration and planning during August and September. projects might involve lighting design, sound design, use of electronic sensors, experimental interfaces, etc. etc. etc. they’re accepting proposals until April 13. you can learn more here.
Virtual Worlds Festival has an open call for immersive linear and interactive experiences, including VR, 360º films, AR, games, and multi-media installations. the call is open until April 19, and the festival will hopefully take place in Munich from June 26 – July 4. you can learn more and apply here.
VR Arles Festival is seeking submissions for the 2020 edition of the festival that meet their 3 curation themes. the deadline has been bumped back to April 30, and the festival will now take place in the fall. you can learn more and apply here.
applications are also open for VRHAM! in Hamburg, Germany. there are opportunities for both residencies (submit a project to be supported and developed) and the VRHAM! Academy (apply for free entrance to the festival program as well as networking events and guided tours). you can learn more and apply here by April 12. this one still seems to be on for June but keep an eye on their Twitter for updates.
online learning!
School for Poetic Computation will be holding an online creative coding bootcamp beginning April 21. this is a 5 session course aimed at teaching the foundations of coding to beginners by creating visual art and animations in openFrameworks. applications are open now. you can learn more here.
School of Machines, Making, and Make-Believe has introduced some new online programs for this spring on the themes of AI and bio-engineering, art and medicine, making personal games, and better worlds through cooperation. they’re also offering a limited number of pay-what-you-can solidarity tickets, with preference given to women, POC, LGBTQ+, and persons from underrepresented communities in tech. you can learn more and sign up here. some of the programs began this week so get on it!
Biology Studio has moved some of their spring programming online, including workshops on bio-design and innovation with bio-materials. I’m signed up for a class beginning later this month! you can learn more here.
📅 upcoming events!
every weeknight! TOPLAP Barcelona has been hosting livecoding livestreams every weeknight at 8:08 PM CET. if you’re not stuck in Zoom calls for work, stop in on one of these soon. you can also check out past streams here.
Sun Apr 12! Hacker Hours have moved their weekly free office hours online. you can join them on Slack for free coding help at any level or join in on their Google Hangouts sessions for more focused discussions & troubleshooting. learn more here.
Fri Apr 24! Empatía Net is the inaugural digital event of CUNA, a new platform for art, science, and technology. starting at 1pm CDT, they’ll be hosting a full afternoon of presentations on topics like surveillance, disinformation, digital activism, self-care, and art therapy. looks good! you can learn more and register here.
Hackaday has been collecting a bunch of virtual events on this Google calendar. check it out!
recommendations!
The Daily Lockdown Puzzler features a new puzzler, well, daily created by Alex Rudzinski. give yourself something to obsess over for a few minutes besides your news feeds. it’s worth it!
if you are an internet old timer like me, you probably remember Drew and Natalie Dee as the original content creator power couple. their newish podcast, Garbage Brain University, is dumb and silly and totally distracting. if u need some #relationshipgoals for how to survive quarantine while still loling along with your partner, get some inspo from how excellent they are at making each other laugh to pieces after idk how many years of living and working together. I often will put on a podcast to fall asleep, and I literally can’t with this one because there is too much infectious giggling.
r/ObscureMedia is one of my favorite subreddits, and is typically a treasure trove of lost videos and oddball content. someone recently shared this video from 1999 of bite sized bits of Australian contemporary art:
here’s a big list of online net art exhibitions collected by Lozana Rossenova, that includes friends-of-the-newsletter White Page Gallery.
just for lulz!
I feel like my torrent client is basically non-stop right now as I desperately track down comfort food films to help me hold it together. anyway, remember Ebaum’s World????
*~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 April 13 – 19, but I’m happy to promote events further in the future as well and keep them on the calendar.
