DEAR COLLEAGUES AND DATABASE OF VIRTUAL ART USERS,

We are happy to announce the new affiliation with improved and long term su=
pport provided by the department for Cultural Studies of the Danube Univers=
ity Krems, Austria, which will assure preservation and growth of the Databa=
se of Virtual Art.

D V A
As pioneer in the field, the Database of Virtual Art has been documenting t=
he rapidly evolving field of digital installation art since 1999. It is sup=
ported by the German Research Foundation and various other institutions. Ou=
r research-oriented, complex overview of immersive, interactive, telematic =
and genetic art has been developed in cooperation with renowned media artis=
ts, researchers and institutions. The database is based on open-source-tech=
nologies and allows individuals to post material themselves. Currently it c=
ontains hundreds of work descriptions including several thousand digital do=
cuments, videos, technical data, institutions and bio-bibliographical infor=
mation. As one of the richest resources online, with a freshly implemented =
scientific Thesaurus the database responds to the demands of the field.

www.virtualart.at

We encourage your remarks and suggestions!

DANUBE UNIVERSITY KREMS (DUK)
The cultural studies department in Krems contains, in addition to the progr=
am in image science, contains also film, contemporary music and intercultur=
al studies programs - so that the approach is already multimedial, like the=
subject of Media Art History. With our international faculty members we wi=
ll continue offering new global programs in the field of media art, collect=
ion, curation, preservation and image management.

Center for Image Sciences: www.donau-uni.ac.at/cis

DUK NEWSLETTER: http://www.donau-uni.ac.at/zbw/engnewsletter

PERFECT COMBINATION
Beside the Database of Virtual Art - the Goettweig Print Collection (colle=
ction database online soon), which contains 30.000 original prints from Ren=
aissance to Barock until now, allows in-depth research into its large resou=
rces. We are glad to report that Danube University is able to provide our f=
ield soon with an open archive contextualizing media art in art and image h=
istory.

NEW ADVISORY BOARD
At the same time, we are also excited to inform the field of researchers, a=
rtists, scholars, students who have found the database a value to their stu=
dies, that we have a newly formed advisory board who will help guide the Da=
tabase of Virtual Art in the future. Their contributions to the field and =
their importance to the ongoing developments of media art as the art of our=
times needs no introduction, but further biographical can be found under:

http://www.virtualart.at/common/advisoryBoard.do

We welcome Roy Ascott, Beryl Graham, Erkki Huhtamo, Jorge La Ferla, Gunalan=
Nadarajan, Christiane Paul, Martin Roth, and Steve Wilson as advisors to t=
he Database of Virtual Art.

January 06 gatepage
for artport, the Whitney Museum's portal to Internet art:
Abe & MO Sing the Blogs
by Abe Linkoln & Marisa Olson
http://artport.whitney.org

Blogs, like the Blues, have been credited with channeling "the voice of the=
people," but do blogs adhere to any one set of characteristics that define=
s them as a genre? And how might blogs be understood as public spaces, in l=
ight of the time-based performances that take place there?

Selecting the postings that comprise the greatest "hits" of some of their f=
avorite blogs, Abe Linkoln & Marisa Olson "sing the blogs" in order to addr=
ess these questions. While Linkoln's posts speak to musical genres at large=
, Olson's posts seek to find harmony with specific models. Both question th=
e status of the author's voice...

The whole "album" is presented as a form of reblog, in an effort to self-re=
flexively dive into the meme culture that is its subject. The artists' blog=
gets situated as the site of a happening, and their intention is to come b=
ack and continue depositing performative ephemera.

Linkoln & Olson frequently work in the blog format. Previous examples of th=
eir collaborative work include Universal Acid and Blog Art, and separate pr=
ojects My Boyfriend Came Back from the War (Abe Linkoln's 2004 Blog Mix), S=
creenfull.net (Linkoln & Jimpunk), and Marisa's American Idol Audition Trai=
ning Blog.

http://www.universalacid.net/
http://blog-art.blogspot.com/
http://myboyfriendcamebackfromthewar.blogspot.com/
http://screenfull.net/
http://americanidolauditiontraining.blogs.com/marisa

intelligent agent Vol. 5 No. 2
Articles now available at
http://www.intelligentagent.com

+ Special Issue Vol. 5 No. 2:
// new media / photoblogging / interviews with Brian Massumi and Marcos Nov=
ak //

+reviews of games, books

All content is available in html and as pdf files.

//new media / photoblogging//
+ Susan Elizabeth Ryan, What's So New About New Media Art?
Susan Ryan traces the art-historical lineage of the slippery term "new medi=
a" -- from various forms of non-traditional, "oppositional media" to video.=
Materialism vs. dematerialization, art vs. commerce, and hybrid practices =
emerge as issues that have characterized "new media" throughout the decades.

+ Curt Cloninger, Geeks Inadvertently Making Net Art: SXSW 2005
Cloninger reports on his attendance of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Intera=
ctive conference where the participants were active flickr.com users: "What=
resulted was a form of online, indexed photoblogging of a common event tha=
t comes closer to achieving the holy grail of compelling non-linear narrati=
ve than anything I've come across in a long time."

//interviews//

+ Thomas Markussen & Thomas Birch, Transforming Digital Architecture from V=
irtual to Neuro -- An Interview with Brian Massumi
At the Neuroaesthetics conference in London, Markussen & Birch talked to Br=
ian Massumi about the increasing impact of neuroscience on contemporary arc=
hitectural theory, which marks a clear change of interests, if not a paradi=
gm shift. Is "virtual" becoming "neuro"?

+ Thomas Markussen & Thomas Birch, Minding Houses -- A Conversation with Ma=
rcos Novak
Markussen & Birch talk to architect Marcos Novak, who utilizes nanotechnolo=
gy in constructing houses of the future out of neurons and atomic particles=
. Beetle-like buildings with built-in central nervous systems and the abili=
ty to think independently are gradually coming to life.

//free radical//
+ Shawn Rider, Redefine the Grind: "Sociolotron" and the Atypical Gamer
Shawn Rider explores social dynamics, sexuality, and violence in Sociolotro=
n, an online game that distinguishes itself from all of the better-known ma=
ssively-multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) through the dogged =
pursuit of *removing* any obstacle to character actions. Actions like rape,=
theft, and general assault or mayhem are possible, and character

FLACK ATTACK: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

We invite you to contribute to Flack Attack, a new magazine coming out of T=
he Port (http://www.theport.tv/), a community-driven space initiated by Sim=
on Goldin & Jakob Senneby inside the online 3D world Second Life (http://se=
condlife.com/). The production process of Flack Attack will be continually =
featured on artport (http://artport.whitney.org/), the Whitney Museum's por=
tal to Internet Art, as a gate page during the month of December 2005. Usin=
g The Port as a point of departure we are pursuing a series of investigatio=
ns into the potential of networked public spheres and the organization of p=
articipatory production.

PRODUCTION
The production model of Flack Attack magazine is based on the wiki concept =
and the workflow starts with the set-up of the wiki at
http://www.flackattack.org.

==Theme
The theme of the first issue is "Flack Attack on Autonomy": Autonomy as a c=
omplex concept in any governed situation. What does it mean to be autonomou=
s within predefined social codes? Does the notion of autonomy contradict a =
common language and shared references?

In the specific case of online worlds the challenge is readily illustrated =
by the fact that all interaction takes place inside someone else's programm=
ed code. But the same basic dilemma can be applied to any institution we fi=
nd ourselves in, be it a nation, a family or an economy.

==Submissions
The wiki is open to all, and we encourage a wide range of contributions on =
the topic of autonomy: everything from the structural and analytical to the=
personal and anecdotal.

Contributions can take the form of
+articles
+comments
+images
+alterations / remixes of other contributions

Please submit your contributions between now and December19 at http://www.f=
lackattack.org

==Editorial Meetings
An editorial office is being set up at The Port (inside the online world Se=
cond Life). Open meetings for discussing and editing the wiki contributions=
will be held at the office three times a week during December. All final d=
ecisions about the magazine and what will be included in the printed versio=
n will be made at the editorial meetings. The more you engage, the more you=
will be able to influence the outcome.

The editorial office will also function as design studio, community center,=
and place for further reflection.

The editorial meetings will take place every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday =
in December, starting on Thursday, December 1 (editorial offices will be cl=
osed on Sunday December 25). Meeting times will be as follows (depending on=
your time zone):

Tuesdays (December 6, 13, 20, 27):
1 AM West Coast USA
4 AM East Coast USA
9 AM UK
10 AM Central Europe
6 PM Japan

Thursdays (December 1, 8, 15, 22, 2):
5 PM West Coast USA
8 PM East Coast USA
Friday 1 AM UK
Friday 2 AM Central Europe
Friday 10 AM Japan

Sundays (December 4, 11, 18)
1 PM West Coast USA
4 PM East Coast USA
9 PM UK
10 PM Central Europe
Monday 6 AM Japan

==Directions
For those who will visit The Port and Second Life for the first time, pleas=
e proceed as follows: Go to http://secondlife.com/ to get a free acount and=
a personal avatar (you need to give credit card details for security). Sim=
ply follow the instructions, download the customized software on your compu=
ter, and design your avatar. Allow yourself approx. 2 hours for this. Then =
click "Find" and search for "The Port" under "Places" (checking the "includ=
e mature areas" box). Click "Teleport" and you will arrive at The Port!

If you need help or have any questions when in Second Life, please send IM =
(Instant Message) to VoyeurOne Baron or Sorgaard Jacques.

The process of working with Flack Attack will be continually mediated throu=
gh artport (http://artport.whitney.org/), the Whitney Museum's portal to In=
ternet Art between 1 and 31 December.

PUBLICATION
By the end of December the first issue of Flack Attack will be published. W=
e are planning to distribute it as PDF and print-on-demand via artport.
(In addition, free printed copies might be distributed through the bookstor=
e of the Whitney Museum in New York).

Simon Goldin & Jakob Senneby, Initiators of The Port & Flack Attack

The Port: http://www.theport.tv/
Flack Attack: http://www.flackattack.org
Second Life: http://secondlife.com/
Artport: http://artport.whitney.org/

FLACK ATTACK: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

We invite you to contribute to Flack Attack, a new magazine coming out of T=
he Port (http://www.theport.tv/), a community-driven space initiated by Sim=
on Goldin & Jakob Senneby inside the online 3D world Second Life (http://se=
condlife.com/). The production process of Flack Attack will be continually =
featured on artport (http://artport.whitney.org/), the Whitney Museum's por=
tal to Internet Art, as a gate page during the month of December 2005. Usin=
g The Port as a point of departure we are pursuing a series of investigatio=
ns into the potential of networked public spheres and the organization of p=
articipatory production.

PRODUCTION
The production model of Flack Attack magazine is based on the wiki concept =
and the workflow starts with the set-up of the wiki at
http://www.flackattack.org.

==Theme
The theme of the first issue is "Flack Attack on Autonomy": Autonomy as a c=
omplex concept in any governed situation. What does it mean to be autonomou=
s within predefined social codes? Does the notion of autonomy contradict a =
common language and shared references?

In the specific case of online worlds the challenge is readily illustrated =
by the fact that all interaction takes place inside someone else's programm=
ed code. But the same basic dilemma can be applied to any institution we fi=
nd ourselves in, be it a nation, a family or an economy.

==Submissions
The wiki is open to all, and we encourage a wide range of contributions on =
the topic of autonomy: everything from the structural and analytical to the=
personal and anecdotal.

Contributions can take the form of
+articles
+comments
+images
+alterations / remixes of other contributions

Please submit your contributions between now and December19 at http://www.f=
lackattack.org

==Editorial Meetings
An editorial office is being set up at The Port (inside the online world Se=
cond Life). Open meetings for discussing and editing the wiki contributions=
will be held at the office three times a week during December. All final d=
ecisions about the magazine and what will be included in the printed versio=
n will be made at the editorial meetings. The more you engage, the more you=
will be able to influence the outcome.

The editorial office will also function as design studio, community center,=
and place for further reflection.

The editorial meetings will take place every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday =
in December, starting on Thursday, December 1 (editorial offices will be cl=
osed on Sunday December 25). Meeting times will be as follows (depending on=
your time zone):

Tuesdays (December 6, 13, 20, 27):
1 AM West Coast USA
4 AM East Coast USA
9 AM UK
10 AM Central Europe
6 PM Japan

Thursdays (December 1, 8, 15, 22, 2):
5 PM West Coast USA
8 PM East Coast USA
Friday 1 AM UK
Friday 2 AM Central Europe
Friday 10 AM Japan

Sundays (December 4, 11, 18)
1 PM West Coast USA
4 PM East Coast USA
9 PM UK
10 PM Central Europe
Monday 6 AM Japan

==Directions
For those who will visit The Port and Second Life for the first time, pleas=
e proceed as follows: Go to http://secondlife.com/ to get a free acount and=
a personal avatar (you need to give credit card details for security). Sim=
ply follow the instructions, download the customized software on your compu=
ter, and design your avatar. Allow yourself approx. 2 hours for this. Then =
click "Find" and search for "The Port" under "Places" (checking the "includ=
e mature areas" box). Click "Teleport" and you will arrive at The Port!

If you need help or have any questions when in Second Life, please send IM =
(Instant Message) to VoyeurOne Baron or Sorgaard Jacques.

The process of working with Flack Attack will be continually mediated throu=
gh artport (http://artport.whitney.org/), the Whitney Museum's portal to In=
ternet Art between 1 and 31 December.

PUBLICATION
By the end of December the first issue of Flack Attack will be published. W=
e are planning to distribute it as PDF and print-on-demand via artport.
(In addition, free printed copies might be distributed through the bookstor=
e of the Whitney Museum in New York).

Simon Goldin & Jakob Senneby, Initiators of The Port & Flack Attack

The Port: http://www.theport.tv/
Flack Attack: http://www.flackattack.org
Second Life: http://secondlife.com/
Artport: http://artport.whitney.org/