[spectre] Call for Submissions : 2009 Subtle Technologies Festival "networks"

[jim]

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Call for Submissions 2009 Subtle Technologies Festival
Deadline January 5th 2009

The 2009 Subtle Technologies Festival in Toronto is currently seeking submissions
for it’s 12th annual festival under the theme of “networks” . The festival takes
place in Toronto from June 11 to June 14th . As in previous years, the
2009 festival will explore it’s theme from a broad cultural and
interdisciplinary perspective.

We live in an increasingly connected age, where flow of capital,
material goods, people and information occur on a global scale in
ever-shortening timescales. This increased flow is accompanied by
pollution,contamination, infectious diseases and the rapid dissemination
of ideas and economies. Metaphors of connectivity in information
technology have matured and found resonance in art, science, and society
at large. The availability of massive amounts of data supported by
increased computing power and the rapidity of its propagation, has made
the idea of interconnectedness more visible to us all. Science has made
great strides in helping us to understand the connected age. The so
called “small world problem” has revealed the ways networks of people
form and become interconnected. Studies of oscillators, insects, heart
cells, epilepsy, and crowds has shown us the natural affinity for
various networks and systems to synchronize and self organize.The
creation of new computer architectures based on biological networks has
brought artificial intelligence ever closer to natural intelligence.

With the proliferation of online social networks, Web 2.0 applications
such as Facebook, Twitter and Second Life have blurred the boundaries
between public and private, virtual and real. Web 3.0 and the “internet
of things”, where common household objects will become interconnected,
will be one of the next major advances in digital networking. Increased
bandwidth has made it possible for media artists to collaborate in
online real time networked performances. “Network lag” is slowly
disappearing from our vocabulary as our accessibility to bandwidth
improves. It is time to critically discuss the network metaphor and how
it affects the direction of various disciplines and our societies at
large. Under this theme, we will be curating a symposium, exhibition,
workshops and performances. Some specific topics which we will address
at this years festival include:

      * net art 
      * networked performance 
      * biological networks 
      * wireless networks 
      * social networking 
      * communication, transportation and economic networks 
      * virtual worlds 
      * systems theory 
      * community networks 
      * network theory 
      * collaborative and open source initiatives 
      * online culture 
      * “small world problem” and mathematical models 
      * genetic networks 
      * To make a submission for exhibitions, symposium presentations,
        workshops, performances and poster presentations please go to
        http://www.subtletechnologies.com



-- 
Jim Ruxton
Festival Director
Subtle Technologies Festival
http://www.subtletechnologies.com
http://artscisalon.ning.com