Big Box Reuse, Julia Christiansen (2006)

In celebration of their respective ten-year anniversaries, Turbulence and Rhizome collaborated with Upgrade! New York to present an exhibition of works that they commissioned or presented over the course of their histories. The term D.I.Y. (or do-it-yourself) expresses an independent ethos, one that encourages cultural producers to create and distribute work outside mainstream or commercial systems and often in direct confrontation with them. In this case, D.I.Y refers not only to works in the show, many of which create alternate models for collaborative artmaking, community building, and media distribution, but to the organizations themselves whose missions--to commission and present digital art work--had no tradition or cultural niche to call upon. Historically, net artists have included audiences in their work; many created calls to action that compel their audiences to intervene and contribute their own ideas, stories and histories. From re-purposed commercial software to homegrown digital knitting applications and works that offer alternative constructions of identity and nationality, D.I.Y. or DIE presents a cross-section of Internet-based art that, much like punk and grassroots activism has the urgency and invention required to change existing standards of art practice.

D.I.Y. or DIE is currently installed at Individual Artists of Oklahoma (IAO), a not-for-profit arts organization presenting work by Oklahoma artists, including visual art, poetry, theater, and film and video.

Organized by Upgrade! New York, Turbulence and Rhizome.

Collaborating Organizations :

Upgrade! New York started in 1999 as a casual meeting of net artists in an East Village bar. Since than, it partnered with Eyebeam to promote dialog and discussion between new media makers in the area. Upgrade! New York’s website include an archive of presentations by many of the leading new media artists in the US.

Turbulence proudly celebrates ten years of service to artists. One of the "premiere sites for net art", it has commissioned over 110 net art works ($450,000) and exhibited and promoted numerous artists' work through its Artists Studios, Guest Curator, and Spotlight sections. As networking technologies have developed mobile capabilities, Turbulence has remained at the forefront of the field by supporting the hybrid networked art forms that have emerged. Its networked_performance blog, has become an essential resource for artists, scholars and the general public.

Rhizome supports contemporary art that uses new technologies in significant ways. Our programs include commissioning, exhibitions and journalism; we also maintain resources such as opportunities listings and two online archives, one of digital art, one of new media art-related writing. In 2006, we are celebrating our tenth anniversary with a festival encompassing events, exhibitions and performance around New York as well as online programs and participatory projects.

Exhibit on view at:

IAO was established in 1979 by three poets who envisioned an alternative art space in Oklahoma where artists of all levels and in all media could hone their talents and build audiences. They wanted to provide a venue so that contemporary artists have the opportunity to remain in Oklahoma while exploring their art forms. The organization now operates under the mission that Individual Artists of Oklahoma is committed to sustaining and encouraging emerging and established artists in all media who are intellectually and aesthetically provocative or experimental in subject matter or technique.