remember how last week I was whining about how I missed the old internet? well, friend-of-the-newsletter Dom Barra shared an interesting new project with me this week that taps into some of those things I miss.
the White Page Gallery is a decentralized network of online galleries, hosted by individual artists, curators, anyone interested in hosting a virtual space for other people’s work.
there’s an element of the spirit of an old school webring, as well as an element of a slower curation/consumption of digital art. it’s a quite novel idea to think of going to a friend’s website once a month to enjoy new work that they have curated or commissioned with intention, instead of just mindlessly consuming whatever they have reposted on twitter or instagram or tumblr with barely a moment’s thought.
I also like the idea of each gallery being connected in a network, but each owner being able to set their own rules and culture around what they share. again, this feels like quite an interesting counterpoint to how we usually share images with each other on social media, having given up any real control over how those platforms operate.
you can read more about the ethos behind the project here, and if you have your own website, why not consider hosting a White Page Gallery yourself!
resource roundup!
I stumbled upon Freya Holmér’s Twitch stream this week and felt totally engrossed by watching her tinker with a game while chatting about her career with fans. here’s a nice piece she wrote on the math behind Bézier curves to get you started as a Freya Holmér stan, and you can donate to her Patreon to support her work and get access to some exclusive content as well.
here’s a big but curated list of frontend development resources that’s worth a bookmark! everything is organized by subject matter and includes info on pricing (tho most resources on the list are free).
u no I love a good CSS trick. this article gets into some neat lil things to make your link underlines a bit more exciting.
if you feel like digging a little deep in Unity this week, here’s an article on creating a procedural growing tree using a space colonization algorithm. you can also snag the source code here.
I kind of love that this tutorial lists “time” and “an open mind” as prerequisites alongside a C++ compiler and an IDE. the hardest thing to come by when it comes to learning is time! if you want to learn (or want a refresher) on some concepts of Object Oriented Programming in C++, give it a go.
can u tell I have been on a bit of a gaming kick? well, another find this week was NYU Game Center’s archive of lectures on youtube. they have a huge backlog that you can dive into, and they also have a weekly stream on Twitch.
? upcoming events!
Sept 24-29! Tate Modern! London UK: the international collective Hyphen-Labs has one more week of free workshops, talks, and programming at the Tate Exchange!
Collaborating with Tate Exchange Associates and global guest contributors, including Romy Gad el Rab and Caroline Sinders, examine what we share with machines and the algorithms that define our privacy, behaviour and digital rights, inspired by the question ‘how did we get here?’ Focusing on technology and the next generation of ‘higher power’, explore the creation of power and the tools to disrupt, resist and redistribute it through an immersive sequence of interventions and conversations, talks and workshops across multiple spaces.
you can learn more and check out the full schedule here.
Weds, Sept 25! Coworking Lounge Tessinerplatz! Zürich, Switzerland: Christian Walther will give an introduction to creative coding at this 4th event by Creative Coding ZH. this sounds like it’ll be hands on – bring a laptop! you can learn more and RSVP here.
Fri, Sept 27! Babycastles! NYC, New York, USA: the latest exhibition at Babycastles, YEAR OF THE PIG, opens on Friday and will showcase a number of videogames made by indie developers based in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
This exhibition counters the common misconception that artists and studios exclusively create imitative works or execute labor mainly for Western productions—games in this curation derive from specifically regionally lived realities and resonate with heartfelt responses to the environments their creators reside in. Ranging from the poetic and self-expressive to the whimsical and fun, from the violent and stressful to actual event-inspired bizarreness, the sensations of these works are instantly familiar to both Chinese-speaking and non-Chinese-speaking audiences, emphasizing the universality of both the peaceful and dark sides of these lived experiences.
you can learn more and RSVP here.
Oct 8-9! Camden People’s Theatre! London UK: Beta Public is back for their 10th event with 2 nights of theater and video games in London. I hear good things about this series, so if you’re in the area I’d check it out! you can learn more and get tickets here.
opportunities!
the Queerness and Games Conference (QGCON) has an open call for speakers and games for May 2020! submit your proposal by October 15 to be considered for either opportunity. you can learn more about the open call for speakers here and for games here.
CICA Museum invites new media artists worldwide to participate in the 6th International Exhibition and Publication on New Media Art. you can learn more and apply by October 11 here.
Olin College of Engineering is seeking applicants for its creative residency program, an initiative that’s part of Sketch Model. you can learn more and apply by November 15 here.
applications for Meow Wolf’s DIY Fund 2019 are open until September 30! you can learn more and apply here.
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!
Pioneer Works is holding their first-ever open call until September 30 for residencies for 2020-2021 for artists working in Visual Arts, Music, Technology, and/or Narrative Arts. you can check out the application portal here.
Artengine is hosting a Digital Economies Lab, as a year-long exploration of “the wonders and anguish of making art and culture in the 21st century.” you can learn more and apply here.
the Sundance Institute has an open call for their 2020 New Frontier Story Lab. the deadline is Oct 1, so get going! more info here.
just for lulz!
if ur not on the Untitled Goose Game train yet, choo choo, u nerd, get on board!!
*~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 September 30 – October 6, but I’m happy to promote events further in the future as well and keep them on the calendar.
also also, I’m considering splitting the email up into separate days for events, opportunities, resources, and then new types of content (interviews, exhibition reviews, long-form essays, etc.) to make each newsletter a bit more bite-sized. would y’all like that? would y’all hate it? leave me a comment and lmk!
