The research of the Institute for Distributed Creativity
(IDC) focuses on collaboration in media art, technology, and theory with
an emphasis on social contexts.
The IDC is an international network with a participatory and flexible
institutional structure that combines advanced creative production, research,
events, and documentation.
While the IDC makes appropriate use of emerging low-cost and free social
software (ie. peer-to-peer technologies, blogs and mailing lists) it balances
these activities with regular face-to-face meetings.
Research Interests
At the recent "networks,
art, & collaboration" conference great interest in an idea
pool and central node for support of research, production and coordination
in the area of collaboration in distributed processes of cultural media
production and reflection was shown. While the focus on collaboration may
appear academic, our everyday lives are increasingly enmeshed with technologies
such as cell phones, email, multiplayer online games, mailing lists, weblogs,
and wikis. These technologies allow for new ways of connecting to each other
and it is essential to examine how we collaborate in these emerging channels.
The mentioned technological developments take place in societies benefiting
from the globalization of the information order, which is limited and partial
by all means. What are useful tools for collaborations, for collaborative
design and play? The IDC takes part in debates on these topics, both in
a local and international context.
Activities
In cooperation with its team the Institute's intellectual and financial
resources generate opportunities for innovative works and research by academics,
artists, activists, designers, cultural organizers and media critics. The
Institute is dedicated to both collective research and public presentation.
Its projects engage with the cultural and political significance of new
media. The Institute gives space to practices that are open, experimental,
and undaunted by the prospect of failure. Its activities result in topic-based
research units, cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural collaborations, project
commissions, residencies, academic exchanges, and publishing. One such research-unit
centers on the topic: "Cultural expressions through databases and related
theory" (see: projects).
The IDC sees itself in the tradition of Black Mountain College, deeply rooted
in the idea of cross-disciplinary collaboration linking local and (inter)national
communities, inside and out of academia. The research of the IDC is collected
into an Institute-based web-based, public open access archive.
Tools
As much as feasible the IDC runs its activities on open source and free
software. The use of the AccessGrid (with SUNY at Buffalo being one node
in its network) gives access to dialogue for researchers in regions that
traditionally had no access to international discursive communities.
Beginnings
Like the Berkman Institute for Internet & Society at Harvard University,
the Institute for Distributed Creativity emerged out of a conference. Organized
by Trebor Scholz and Geert Lovink, the “networks, art, & collaboration”
conference took place in April 2004 at the Department of Media Study, SUNY
at Buffalo. One hundred and fifty artists, academics, and media theorists
came together to reflect on current developments in (online) collaboration
(http://freecooperation.org). Scholz then founded the IDC in May 2004.
Formats of Dialogue
It is the explicit goal of the IDC to engage in dialogue, develop and test
ideas. The IDC enables collaborative interaction and offers an analytical
framework for these practices. These interactions do not only take place
in traditional academic formats such as keynote lectures, seminars, or conferences
but also in less institutional settings. These informal formats include
lunch 'n learn meetings, talkshow-type events, networked luncheons, video
conferencing, and a "run for open source" project and more.
Residencies
We welcome applications for the artist/ researcher in residency program
for fall 2005. The residency program starts in spring 2005 with Richard
Barbrook of the Hypermedia Research Institute at Westminster University.
The artist/ researcher in residence will give a public lecture and will
contribute to graduate seminars. Texts or co-productions may be commissioned.
Exchange Programs
Occasionally, the Institute may facilitate informal short-term international
student or faculty exchanges with its many cooperating institutions. Related
institutes are the Piet Zwart Institute at the Willem de Kooning Academy
(Rotterdam), and the Berkman Institute for Internet & Society at Harvard
University.
