Ideology of the Imaginary in the 21st Century

A project presented by the Experimental Art Foundation, in collaboration with AFF, exploring the interconnected issues of art, culture and new media through symposium and exhibition.

The Symposium is aimed at defining the concepts and processes characteristic of the early 21st century. Some of the themes the speakers are urged to visit: What are the decisive theoretical and practical developments of this decade? How has the ideological framework of images shifted in the 21st century? How can we measure the real power of these images? Are some aesthetic categories or concepts of the late 20th century already obsolete? Are new categories appearing on the horizon? Bio-technology and
wireless technologies are offering themselves to us quite openly, but perhaps more important are the hidden, underlying processes in our society, which we seem to constantly neglect.

Invited Speakers: Anna Munster, Mark Dery, Tania Fraga, Lev Manovich, Andreas Strohl, McKenzie Wark, Friedrich Kirschner and Melentie Pandilovski (EAF Director).

At the Experimental Art Foundation, Lev Manovich’s installation Soft Cinema mines the creative possibilities at the intersection of software culture, cinema and architecture. Its manifestations include films, dynamic visualisations, computer-driven installations, architectural designs, print catalogues, and DVDs. For more information: http://www.softcinema.net.

Lev Manovich is Associate Professor, Visual Arts Department, University of California, San Diego where he teaches courses in new media art and theory. He is author of several books and essays on digital art, new media theory and aesthetics.

Symposium: 1-2 March, Mercury Cinema, Lion Arts Centre, Morphett Street, Adelaide

Exhibition: 2 March – 7 April, Experimental Art Foundation, Lion Arts Centre, Morphett Street, Adelaide

FREE ADMISSION