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FISEA 1993  aka  ISEA 1993

Fourth International Symposium on Electronic Art.
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA, 1993.

ISEA acronym note Following the Minneapolis symposium the first ordinal letter was dropped and henceforth the series came to be known as the ISEA symposia. 

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) hosted the Fourth International Symposium on Electronic Art (FISEA '93) November 3-7, 1993 marking the first time the event had ever been held in North America. Roman Verostko,  Program Director, guided this symposium to focus on "The Art Factor."

FISEA '93 promoted the exchange of ideas among approximately 300 participants representative of 40 international organizations and 20 countries including world leaders in electronic imagery. The Symposium's  opening addresses were: "Art and Technology: Paradox or Challenge?" by Jan Hoet, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Ghent, Belgium and President of the International Association of Art Critics; and "Soul and Machine: Artists and Technologists in Collaboration" by Brenda Laurel, writer and researcher on interactive media and interface design, Palo Alto, California. In addition, public events introduced new audiences to the diversity and importance of electronic art.

The Symposium fostered an informed critique of the role of art in the human/machine dialectic.  Exhibitions, performances and papers on theory and practice explored intersections between the  arts and emerging digital technologies. 

Several local organizations formed partnerships with MCAD to help present symposium events. These organizations include: the University of Minnesota School of Music, Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis Community College, Walker Art Center, and the Minneapolis Hilton and Towers


FISEA '93 public events included:

Exhibitions
The Art Factor: International Exhibition of Electronic Art
October 29 - December 16, MCAD Gallery

This juried exhibition presented an international survey of  current digital arts practice. Artists from around the world, including Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Japan and the United States, presented more than 50 paintings, prints, sculptures, holograms, and interactive pieces that explore the diversity of emerging digital arts forms and techniques. The majority of the interactive pieces were exhibited during the Symposium in a large experimental studio space while the MCAD Gallery show as held for an extended period of time.

Live Sound/Performances
November 3, MCAD Auditorium
November 6, Ted Mann Concert Hall (University of Minnesota)

Two distinct programs featuring work integrating electronics with sound/performance arts. Presenting a wide range of aesthetic viewpoints, the program included elements of traditional music, dance, and theater, as well as new directions in non-traditional formats.

Electronic Theater
November 5, Walker Art Center Auditorium

A program of new moving image media featuring selected sequences on video, film and mixed media. This screening featured over 20 experimental computer graphic and video works from around the world that explore the potential of electronic mediums to create new forms of artistic and scientific expression.


Fisea 93 publications

Fisea 93, Abstracts and Artist Statements. An illustrated catalogue of the symposium includes documentation of exhibitions, artist statements and paper abstracts.

Papers: Fisea 93, the Art Factor.
Twenty papers in a limited edition for attendees. Selections of these papers were later published in a special section "Symposium Papers" in Leonardo 28:4, 1995 pp.285 ff with an Introduction by Roman Verostko, Program Director.


Papers/Panels Schedule Summary, ISEA 93  

FRI-SAT, NOV 5-6, MINNEAPOLIS HILTON TOWERS

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM, Friday Nov 5, Plenary Session, Grand Ballroom. "Art and Technology: A Paradox or a Challenge to Articulate a Necessity of Faith", Jan Hoet, Director, Museum Contemporary Art, Ghent, Belgium; Artistic Director, Documenta IX, Kassel, 1992; President, International Association of Art Critics.

10:30 AM-12:00 PM, Grand Ballroom. "Aesthetics of a Virtual World", Carol Gigliotti (USA); "Semiotics of the Digital Image", Patricia Search (USA); Interactive Art & Aesthetic Experience", George Shortess (USA)

10:30 AM-12:00 PM, Salon A. "Interactive Journeys...", Norie Neumark (Australia); "Live Interaction Applications for Real-time FFT-based Resynthesis",  Z.Settle & C.Lippe (France); "Configuring Hospitable Space", Craig Harris (USA)

1:30 PM-3:00 PM , Grand Ballroom.  "Robotic Choreography: Redefining. . .", Margo Apostolos (USA); "The Electronic Garden", Iian Whitecross (USA); "Deterministic Chaos, Iterative Models...", Martin Herman (USA) 

1:30 PM-3:00 PM, Salon A. "Art in the Age of Ubiquitous Computing", Rich Gold (USA); "User's Guide to the Electronic Cliche", Delle Maxwell (USA) Annette Weintraub (USA); "Qualitative, Dialectical and Experiential Domains of Electronic;   Art", Rejane Spitz (Brazil)

3:30 PM-5:00 PM, Grand Ballroom. "Coping With Hyperculture (Panel)", Simon Penny (USA), Chair;"Nano Thoughts & HyperAesthetics: Art Speed and Interpretation", Peter Lunenfeld (USA); "Controlling Attention: Hollywood & VR", L.Manovich (USA); "Virtu-real Space", J. Schulz (USA).

3:30 PM-5:00 PM, Salon A. "Scientists Who Do Art & Artists Who Do Science" Trudy Myrrh Reagan (USA); "Creativity & Computation...", Peter Beyls (Belgium)

 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, PAPERS/PANELS - MINNEAPOLIS HILTON TOWERS 

9.00 - 10:00 AM, Plenary Session, Grand Ballroom. "The Soul and the Machine: Artists and Technologists in Collaboration", Brenda Laurel, writer and researcher on interactive media and interface design.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Grand Ballroom.  "The Network Without Walls: The Re-definition of Art in an Age of Telecommunications (Panel)", Greg Garvey (Canada), Chair; R.Ascott (United Kingdom), Brenda Laurel (USA), Carl Loeffler (USDA), et al.

10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Salon A.  "Formal Logic & Self Expression", Ken Musgrave (USA); "Kinetic Painting, Technology and Abstraction", Samia Halaby (USA); "The Beauty of the Algorithm", Brian Evans (USA).

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Grand Ballroom. "The Computer: A Tool For Sculptors (Panel)", Rob Fisher (USA), Chair; Stewart Dickson (USA), Timothy Duffield (USA), Helaman Ferguson (USA), Frank McGuire (USA), David Morris (USA), David Smalley (USA).

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM, Salon A.  "Aesthetics & Epistemology of Artificial Life", Louis Bec (France); "Cellular Automata Music Composition", Eduardo Miranda (Scotland); "The Computer Virus As a Creative Tool", Joseph Nechvatal (France)

 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM, Grand Ballroom. "The Art Factor in Technology Based Work", Leni Schwendinger (US); "Interactive Architecture", Christian Moller (Germany); "The SOLART Global Network", Jurgen Claus (Germany)

 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM, Salon A. "Holography & the Landscape Tradition", Rene Barilleaux (USA); "Imaging With Color Copiers: Survey of Artworks", Mary Witte (USA); "New Relationships: Artists & Tech/Sci Research" S. Wilson (USA)

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