[spectre] Walker Art closes Media dept. and sacks Steve Dietz

[epk at xs4all.nl]

Dear Sarah, Honor, et al,

I am quite sure that our actions will not change anything, but I still
think it is important to express our concern and dismay at this decision.
I think the best way to do this is a double bind strategy:

- Send a general message signed by a series of curators, critics and
artists and other concerned individuals to loath this decision.

- Send a statement on behalf of our individual institutions, on our
official letter-head to express our disappointment about this dramatic
decision.

Steve Dietz has been doing important and invaluable work for the new media
arts for many years, and is a highly regarded colleague. It is a shame
that this work is now being deleted with what seems to be a single
key-stroke, motivated by a very narrow financial concern, which does not
do justice to the importance of his work and the position that the Walker
Art Center formerly held within the new media field.

Eric Kluitenberg
De Balie - Centre for Culture and Politics
Amsterdam






Sarah Cook wrote:
> thanks to Honor for posting this...
> i am in transit from banff - a conference on collections and museums -back
> to england and have been, with colleagues, developing a response to the
> Walker's decision. As some of you might know, i worked there in the visual
> arts department...and so am particularly affected, especially given my
> role at CRUMB of tracking the curating of new media art.
> I will be seeing Steve Dietz this afternoon and from there will be writing
> a letter to Walker director Kathy Halbreich, expressing the regret our
> communities feel over this -- T.Whid [artist MTAA] has graciously offered
> to build a site for those wishing to sign the letter - rhizomers,
> crumbers, thing-listers, catalyst, syndicate - all these lists and others
> will be invited to sign.
> thanks,
> sarah
> (www.newmedia.sunderland.ac.uk/crumb)
>