Content in Context - Programme Overview

From 14-04-2005 until 16-04-2005


Seminar expert meetings on new techniques for distribution and author’s rights

During Dutch Open, April 14-16, the Netherlands Media Art Institute is organizing a seminar and expert meetings on new techniques and their potential for the distribution of video art. In the seminar prominent speakers will illuminate the present state of affairs, and on the basis of case studies Dutch and international artists, researchers and cultural institutions will present their activities to the public. The material will be discussed in greater depth during the expert meetings. Among other subjects to be discussed are distribution practice (traditional, and cutting edge), new initiatives and new technologies, and the use of open source, creative commons and author's rights. The purpose of this event is to carry on a lively debate on alternative models for the traditional distribution of video art.



Program 14 April
Location: De Balie Amsterdam

Seminar New Technologies Distribution of Video Art
10.30 - 17.00

Moderator:
Stephen Kovats, V2_Institute, Rotterdam

10.30 - 13.00


European Distribution Practice
Bart Rutten

Netherlands Media Art Institute, www.montevideo.nl
Bart Rutten will talk about contemporary distribution practices with acknowledgements of the past and perspectives on the future. What is the working relation between artist and distributor? Where are the differences between distributors and artist galleries dealing with video art? Besides these historical and forecasting remarks, more everyday practice topics will also be touched upon. Today we are facing a technical state of the art where instead of tapes MPG 2 streams and discs are the media most widely used in the art world for exhibiting video art works. Digitization, what did it change? Among the topics discussed will be the pros and cons of digitization, the changes in contracts with the artists and possible use of the art works in the future.

Exporting Content: The American Experience of Video Art Distribution
John Thomson

Electronic Arts Intermix, www.eai.org
From the early 1970s onwards the distribution model of Electronic Arts Intermix developed further and further. John Thomson will describe these developments and dissemination over those years in the United States and, more important, in Western Europe. From this historical or developmental approach, the discussion will then broaden to an analysis of the distribution landscape in the United States today. The proliferation of video art distribution methods that has evolved over the last decade will be examined. The effects of technology and cultural changes upon the original EAI model will be discussed, and the future of American video art distribution will be reflected upon.

Quality = Visibility
Dick Tuinder & Peter Mertens

Stichting P.A.R.K 4DTV, http://park.nl
On the basis of the history and the future of PARK, Dick Tuinder and Peter Mertens discuss their view on how media art can be cataloged and made accessible for users. They will also throw light on the proposition that 'all art is media art'. Tuinder and Mertens believe that too little attention is being given to the presentation and distribution of art in The Netherlands, while relatively large amounts of money are made available for its production. While a filmmaker devotes considerable time and attention to the production of a work, his efforts are frequently go unrewarded. Sometimes the work is to be seen in an art house, but thereafter it quickly drops from sight.
PARK is developing a project that will make these works accessible longer and visible for a larger audience. They will discuss this project in the lecture, and further explain how visibility can lead to higher quality.

Chances for video art in cinemas through digital technology
Huub Roelvink

CinemaNet Europe, www.cinemaneteurope.com
CinemaNet Europe brings documentaries to cinemas. In eight countries in Europe they changed independent cinemas into digital cinemas that receive their film through satellite. Huub Roelvink will discuss the concept and the background behind the idea of a pan-European digital network for specialized genres in cinema. In The Netherlands, Cinema Delicatessen started distributing documentaries in 2002. Interest from other countries led to the creation of CinemaNet Europe in 2003. Roelvink will draw a comparison between standard practice in the cinema world, and how it relates to practices in the art world.

13.00 - 14.00 h. Lunch

Program 14.00 - 17.00 h.

On the Edge of Internet
Michael Brynntrup

www.brynntrup.de
Michael Brynntrup believes high-speed internet demands a new definition of the term 'Film and Video'. The internet has not only changed the way we watch audiovisual media, but it has also had a marked influence on the production of (audible) visuals. The lecture will give a short overview how the internet possibilities crossed the path of Michael Brynntrup when he was working as an independent, experimental film- and video maker. This overview will cover a period of 10 years, focusing specially on distribution topics. Rather than affording an opportunity for a new, creative distribution practice, the specifics of the internet itself have created the chance for a new, ultimate production media.

Creative Commons: an innovative way of licensing audiovisual content
Bernt Hugenholtz

Universiteit van Amsterdam, www.ivir.nl/staff/hugenholtz.html
Creative Commons (creativecommons.org) offers authors of literary, musical and audiovisual works a menu of free, easy-to-understand and simple-to-apply licenses, aimed at allowing broad dissemination of their works, without giving up copyright protection. Creative Commons licenses are available now in 25 countries all over the world, including The Netherlands. Bernt Hugenholtz is director of the legal project of Creative Commons, and he will address the following questions: how does Creative Commons work? What are the pro's and con's of this innovative approach to content licensing?

Technological developments in digital video creation and online distribution
Egon Verharen

SURFnet bv, www.surfnet.nl/info/en/home.jsp
Recent years have seen large steps forward in the development of new video compression technologies. Together with the growing 'broadband' home connections and the use of streaming technology, digital video can be delivered to a very large audience. At the same time developments have started to overcome the limitations of compression technologies, such as loss of quality, by sending uncompressed digital video over the latest generation IP networks using new network technologies. This presentation will highlight some of these developments as well as an overview of some of the initiatives in The Netherlands for distributing high quality video to a large audience.

Francis McKee
Reflection
www.francismckee.com
Francis McKee is head of Digital Art and New Media of Center for Contemporary Art in Glasgow and teaches research colloquia at the School of Art. As curator and writer, he published on Christine Borland, Ross Sinclair, Douglas Gordon and Simon Starling among others. McKee will reflect on the seminar.



Program 15 16 April
Location: Netherlands Media Art Institute


15 April

Expert meeting Databases & New Technologies
At the expert meeting three distributors will present and discuss various case studies. The distributors' use of new techniques is central to these cases. Access to the collections themselves, the information in their catalogues via the Internet and the professional presentation of the video art works will be included.

10.30 - 13.00 h. moderator Dirk de Wit, IAK / IBK - Digital platform

Catalogue and CMS
Wiel Seuskens & Bart Rutten

Netherlands Media Art Institute, www.montevideo.nl
This presentation will chiefly explore the technical aspects of the Netherlands Media Art Institute' s collection information system. Architecture, relation database and website and used techniques will be presented. This presentation will also give some insight in practical experience, success and failures of new techniques for distribution.

Film and Video Art and On-line Learning
Lucy Reynolds

Lux Online, www.luxonline.org.uk
LUX Online is an on-line educational resource on British film and video artists developed through LUX. LUXONLINE content manager Lucy Reynolds will discuss the development of the site and some of the issues and questions that have emerged around the provision of on-line access to artist film and video and its educational context. Her talk will be illustrated with direct reference to the LUXONLINE site.

Technology is only a hope, not the answer
Brigitta Burger-Utzer

Sixpackfilm, www.sixpackfilm.com
A few years ago several distributors of Austrian art films and videos (Austrian Filmmakers Coop, ASIFA Austria, Medienwerkstatt Wien, Navigator Film & sixpackfilm) started a common project : a database where information about the films, the filmmakers and their festival were collected. The database of www.filmvideo.at was reworked last year by sixpackfilm. In the lecture Brigitta Burger-Utzer will explain why sixpackfilm doesn't have any streaming projects for the future.



16 April


Expert meeting Copyright & Creative Commons

The expert meeting provides an introduction to copyright and discusses the international context of copyright. Various artists will throw their light on several cases from practice. The use of Creative Commons licenses will be discussed and the economic aspects of closed and open content production will be examined.

10.30 - 13.00 h. moderator Robert de Geus, Netherlands Media Art Institute

An introduction to (Dutch) copyright law
Paul Keller

Creative Commons, http://creativecommons.org
This presentation will cover the basics of copyright law in The Netherlands. The focus will be on explaining and understanding the basic concepts and mechanisms of copyright law. It will also give a closer look at the problematic issues that have been raised by growth of internet use and the use of digital audio and video production solutions.

Sampling and ownership
Jasper van den Brink

www.park.nl/jasper
Jasper van den Brink is a media artist. Besides video works he makes site specific installations in which he plays with the expectations of the viewer. His work is exhibited in film festivals, galleries, museums and public spaces. During the expert meeting he will speak about sampling and ownership in art. He will illustrate his lecture with his own work.

Who owns what?
Jaromil

http://rastasoft.org
Jaromil, an Italian artist and programmer, will talk about the relationship between the tools used by an artist and the licenses that restrict the use of these tools, and with that the use of the art work. Because of these limitations the artist must carefully consider which means he uses for his creation.

The Creative Commons license model
Paul Keller

Creative Commons, http://creativecommons.org
Creative Commons licenses are currently the most widely used open content licenses. This presentation will discuss the history of the licenses, take a closer look at the concepts used within the licenses and look at ways of using the licenses. A special focus will be on the use of the licenses for audio-visual works and distribution models for such works based on the Creative Commons licenses.



Programme and Reports [Download pdf]

Publication

 Content in Context Publication
This publication is the report of the research Context in Content. read more »


Visitor information Seminar expert meetings:
The seminar in De Balie on April 14 is open to everyone.
The expert meetings on April 15 and 16 are only open to specialists.
Participation in both the seminar and the expert meetings by registration.

Costs participation: Seminar € 50,- Expertmeetings € 12,50

For registration: Arianne van der Veen www.montevideo.nl and www.dutchopen.org