V A G A | Visual Arts and Galleries Association
VAGA Scotland : 26 Queen Square, Glasgow G41 2AZ 0141 423 9024/07917 665325
online culture:
social media and the visual arts
Inspace School of Informatics University of Edinburgh : 22/06/10
Hosted by New Media Scotland during Edinburgh International Film Festival
Note of presentations: John Maxwell Hobbs, Head of Technology, BBC Scotland; Mark Daniels,
Executive Director, New Media Scotland; Emlyn Firth, ISO Design; Janie Nicoll, visual artist.
social media – not cyber space – two way communication – like telephone
presume publish on web site – gives certain authority
social media not single voice, but simulating conversation – getting ‘behind the curtain’
‘YouTube’ – something you discuss with your friends
audience feel curator / artist speaking to me
network theory – 100 people vs. 1000 people – not just 10 times more valuable – never know
what effect is going to be…
have to feed social media – continuous content – not like web sites – more static
not just about disseminating info. – curate context – visually / acoustically
mail art / exquisite corpse
not single copies, but multiple copies – not owned by you – institution not as gate keeper, but
trusted friend and ally
people identify with you for info / network
lead people to other voices
creatively misuse equipment / technology
digital culture – creative approach to technology
space as laboratory not gallery
explore experimental and interactive practice – technology as both platform and medium
Inspace / labtime – responsive space – testing new ideas
Central Station as social networking
community / portfolios / bulletin / opportunities
members approx. 3,250 – unique visits approx. 50,000 – total visits approx. 270,000
reach 137 countries / 3,820 cities – definitely a global site – funded and based and serving
Scotland, but with a global outlook and audience
creating content – crowdsource documentaries, commissioned reports (Phil Kay) etc.
online life beyond static web site
GSA trailer – Degree Show preview etc.
twitter – facebook
Central Station geared towards creatives – more than facebook
call out to CS – opportunities for artists
hub / forum – artists hook up network / opportunity for work etc.
artists getting involved – photos / records / blogs of activity onto web site
small scale events have wider audience
react to what’s going in arts community
not just virtual, reality to it
image / film / audio of live stuff
note of discussion:
issues for access – to artists
artists making work and want to show it, esp. if not represented by galleries / not on web
access to work – curators searching online – Vimeo
artists testing practice – work not existing elsewhere – uploading unfinished work
galleries / artists – some anxious about presenting work online – how it affects practice
democratisation – artist in control – immediate way for artist to put work up
digital resistance is OK
editorial policy – how to manage growth – lot of facilitation / resource into Central Station
how to develop beyond web site
reach – need to go to where people are – so need to use existing networks
arts marketing – new media superceding print?
need voice – staff to become public
EAF has profile – quite corporate / GI – page – everything through designer
DCA– not single marketing voice – multiple tweets – web site solely information
relationship between web site and social media?
creative potential – process – access through blog / online – creating own catalogue
value of visits to social media c.f. physical visits – official recognition?
artists still making work – presenting stuff – is it documentation? or is it actual product?
BBC only exists in digital space – so visit to web site / iPlayer is access to ‘product’
example of artist who removed web site after live engagement event had ceased
legacy – permanence – archive : issues of long tail – everything we do is recorded
Web3.0 – rush to get up to speed”
online communities making sense of chaos out there
can’t force online onto existing communities
moving towards effective social communication
real time experience – facilitated by internet – but physical interaction is key
manage groups – foster introductions
participants: Susan Christie; Kirsteen Macdonald; Alan Miller, Abnormal PR; Harriet Barker,
Artist Rooms / National Galleries of Scotland; Jill Brown, Collective Gallery; Janine Sproul,
Cultural Enterprise Office; Saskia Coulson, Colin Tennant, Dumfries and Galloway Council;
Clive Gillman, Dundee Contemporary Arts; Kathryn Bradley, Glasgow Life / Glasgow Arts;
Kirsten Body, PACE; Lottie Gerard, SAC; Carrie Maginn, Stills; Alison Chisholm, Travelling
Gallery; Camille Archer, Paul Snelling, West Lothian Council.