Open Sourcing. (Grapevine)
Ricardo Miranda · Comparative technology transfer and society · 2002
OPEN_SOURCE_ART_HACK New Museum, New York May 3-June 30 The New Museum's Anne Barlow and curators Steve Dietz, and Jenny Marketou have outdone themselves in tackling expansive reach of new media art by developing an exhibition that embraces open source and hacker ethos of free information exchange. The title of exhibition, OPEN_SOURCE_ART_HACK, points theoretical position that free software and hacking is a form of contestation against governing and corporate powers that make use of accelerating technologies for surveillance and control. The open source and hacker spirit is furthermore rooted in concept that innovation is spurred by open exchange of information. In seeking help bring forth issues of encroachment in our public domain, New Museum has extended itself street theater, robotic performance, online code, e-commerce and traditional airwaves create a highly diverse exhibition that views hacking as a creative social movement. The exhibition was be kicked off by GenTerra (2001), a collaborative performance by Critical Art Ensemble (CAE) and Beatriz da Costa. However, performance was cancelled due potential legal problems, because transgenic bacteria are released into air. The transgenic bacteria are benign; a crippled lab strain. However, in our post 9/11 world, freeing bacteria into our environment, even as a symbolic gesture, could present legal problems. During panel discussion CAE asserted that biotech at molecular level Is an uncontested technology In sole hands of authoritarian manipulation. The Intent of GenTerra is conquer biological barrier of knowledge. The performance asks; do we democratize this specialized knowledge? How can we demonstrate what amateur science can do? CAE's GenTerra is unique in that It seeks hack biological form of code; hacking Is thereby extended beyond information technologies of bioinformatics and into biotechnologies. Other projects function on a less confrontational or participatory plane, such as Free Radio by artist duo radioqualia. Free Radio translates Linus Torvalds's Linux kernel, open source operating system, into an audio stream that is broadcast online and over radio. The audio transmission commemorates early 8os hackers who used pirate radio broadcasts distribute bootleg software. Upon entering Zenith Media Lounge, one may use 'TraceNoizer (2001) create one's own data clone. The artist group LAN created to misinform those who are spying on you! Users need only submit their first and last name have TraceNoizer do an online search for your name, analyze garnered data and generate a homepage. Then it is up you whether or not publish new site. As Annina Rust of LAN states, the fake Web site serves as a strategy against electronic surveillance by creating false data traces, a sort of databody masquerade. A couple of years ago, at height of dot-coin fervor, company Digital Convergence introduced CueCat, a cute barcode reader that would garner Web links of interest while tracing your consumer identity. Artist/hacker Cue P. Doll hacked into CueCat create CueJack. Visitors museum may use Cuejack scan products sitting on a shelf. What Cuejack would reportedly do is undermine manufacturers by revealing information best kept secret, such as corporate abuse or boycotts, along with Digital Convergence links. This juxtaposition of information would have been interesting had CueJack functioned in such a way. However, CueCat is obsolete and Digital Convergence folded, so with any scanned product CueJack brings up same dated privacy articles and protests against CueCat. …