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New YASMIN Discussion<br>
1957–2007: Space Imaginaries<br>
Moderated by Annick Bureaud<br>
<a href="http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin/index.php?clearoff=1">http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin/</a><br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
This October, we celebrate, with the anniversary of the launch of
Sputnik, 50 years of human presence outside the Earth.<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
This sentence is already a statement by:<br>
- writing "outside the Earth" and not "in space"<br>
- acknowledging the fact that "human presence" can be achieved without
humans but through satellites and probes that become our
"representants." We become our artifacts and our artifacts become us.<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
Space Imaginaries tend to be dominated by the American vision. But,
depending on one's age, country, culture, language, environment,
personal history, etc., space imaginaries are much more varied and
complex. For instance, there is also a strong Soviet/Russian vision and
no doubt that with the increasing place of <st1:country-region
w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">India</st1:country-region>
and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>
in space activities, their specific visions are going to play a role.
But it is as important to state and question the approaches of all
cultures and countries, whether or not they are spacefaring nations.<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
This is what moderator Annick Bureaud would like to explore with you in
this YASMIN Hot Topic. And it is as important to have people <span
class="moz-txt-tag"><b>*</b></span><b>with<span class="moz-txt-tag">*</span></b>
a space interest as people <span class="moz-txt-tag"><b>*</b></span><b>without<span
class="moz-txt-tag">*</span></b>, the key question being what do space
and space activities represent for you, for us?<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
The debate will be articulated around several axes and questions:<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
- What is the word for "space" in the different languages spoken on the
YASMIN list (around the Mediterranean Rim)?<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
- What is your imaginary of "space"?<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
- What is your imaginary of the "human presence outside the Earth"
(also called space conquest and space activities)?<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
- What is your imaginary of the future of "human presence outside the
Earth"?<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
Art, and more specifically space art, will be a guideline through this
discussion and its different components: what is the role of the
artist? what kind of works do you know about, or that you would like to
create that relates to that space "outside the Earth"? etc.<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
This discussion officially started on Monday June 11th. <br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
In order to participate in the discussion, you need to be a YASMIN
subscriber. You can subscribe to the list at: <a
href="http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin/index.php?clearoff=1">http://www.media.uoa.gr/yasmin/index.php?clearoff=1</a><br>
<o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p><br>
The moderator and respondents for this discussion are:<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
Moderator: Annick Bureaud<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
Annick Bureaud is French, based in Paris and a new media art critic and
researcher. She is the director of Leonardo/Olats (<a
href="http://www.olats.org">www.olats.org</a>) and an international
specialist of space art. She has organized the Leonardo Space and the
Arts Workshop since 1997. In 2003, she organized the Symposium
"Visibility - Legibility of Space Art. Art and Zero G.: the Experience
of Parabolic Flight" within the '@'rts Outsider Festival in <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Paris</st1:City></st1:place>
(proceedings on the Olats web site, both in French and English). She is
the co-editor of "SpaceartS, the space and the arts database", a joint
project of Leonardo/Olats and the Ours Foundation (<a
href="http://www.spacearts.info">www.spacearts.info</a>). She has
written several texts on space art and has participated in many
conferences.<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
Respondents: Michael Punt (<st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>)
and Martha Blassnigg (<st1:country-region w:st="on">Austria</st1:country-region>,
based currently in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region>)<br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
Michael Punt is Professor Art and Technology and director of
Transtechnology Research at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Plymouth</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
and is also Editor-in-Chief of Leonardo Reviews. He has made 15 films
and published over 80 articles on cinema and digital media in the last
decade. He gained his Ph.D at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Amsterdam</st1:PlaceName></st1:place>
(Early Cinema and the Technological Imaginary, 2000). His key articles
have been published: The Velvet Light Trap, Leonardo, Design Issues and
Convergence. His most recent book: Screening Consciousness: Cinema Mind
World Rodopi, 2006 edited with Robert Pepperell follows their earlier
collaboration: The Post-Digital Membrane: imagination technology and
desire, Intellect Books , 2006. Full cv and details of research can be
found at <a href="http://www.trans-techresearch.net">http://www.trans-techresearch.net</a><br>
<o:p> </o:p><br>
Martha Blassnigg is a Cultural Anthropologist and Film and Media
Theorist with a background in documentary filmmaking and film
restoration. She is a panelist for Leonardo Reviews and works as a
visiting researcher with Trans technology Research at the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Plymouth</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> where she is
undertaking philosophical and historical research in order to situate
the metaphysical dimensions of technology within the processes of human
perception and consciousness, in particular in relation the cinematic
experience. Her most recent publications can be found in Leonardo,
Convergence, Technoetic Arts and in the anthology Screen Consciousness:
Cinema, Mind and World edited by R Pepperell and M Punt (Rodopi, <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Amsterdam</st1:City></st1:place>, 2006).
A full list of publications and CV can be found at <a
href="http://www.trans-techresearch.net">http://www.trans-techresearch.net</a>
<br>
<o:p><br>
Leonardo/ISAST is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are
tax-deductible in the U.S. To learn more about Leonardo/ISAST's
projects, programs and activities, visit <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://leonardo.info">http://leonardo.info</a><br>
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