Neon Organic 0052 (sketch) from watz on Vimeo.

Here is an interview wih Marius Watz from Generator.x and Code&Form about Generative Art.

It is interesting for us because it is closely related to complexity, software and design as the generative system could follow genetic and evolutionary rules or using open source software or code (but consider that it does not happen always).

From Wikipedia:

Generative art is a system oriented art practice where the common denominator is the use of systems as a production method. To meet the definition of generative art, an artwork must be self-contained and operate with some degree of autonomy. The workings of systems in generative art might resemble, or rely on, various scientific theories such as Complexity science and Information theory. The systems of generative artworks have many similarities with systems found in various areas of science. Such systems may exhibit order and/or disorder, as well as a varying degree of complexity, making behavioral prediction difficult. However, such systems still contain a defined relationship between cause and effect. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart‘s “Musikalisches Würfelspiel” (Musical Dice Game) 1757 is an early example of a generative system based on randomness. The structure was based on an element of order on one hand, and disorder on the other.

An artist or creator will usually set down certain ground-rules or formulae and/or templates materials, and will then set a random or semi-random process to work on those elements. The results will remain somewhat within set limits, but may also be subject to subtle or even startling mutations. The idea of putting the art making process in the place of a pre-generated artwork is a key feature in generative art, highlighting the process-orientation as an essential characteristic. Generative artists such as Hans Haacke have explored processes of physical and biological systems in artistic context.

Generative art describes a strategy for artistic practice, not a style or genre of work. The artist describes a rule-based system external to him/herself that either produces works of art or is itself a work of art.

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code_swarm. An experiment in organic software visualization is an application created by Michael Ogawa with Processing, that gathers data about the history of an open source / free software community and visualizes it in a video. Here’s the video for the Python programming language:

code_swarm – Python from Michael Ogawa on Vimeo.

I’ve been studying software projects for a while now. Not the programming, but the people — the way they interact with each other through collaboration and communication.

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I’m so happy to tell you that I have been invited as a guest contributor to the crumbweb mailing list for this month, April 2008.

This list is intended for those involved in curating, exhibiting, archiving or interpreting new media art (including net.art, interactive installations, digital video etc.) It’s for discussion of issues specifically related to new media art curating, because although there is much material concerning new media art, new media theory, and new media as ‘education’ in museums, there is little to help curators deal with the challenges of new media art.

It is the discussion list of the CRUMB web site (Curatorial Resource for Upstart Media Bliss http://www.crumbweb.org). The site includes: CRUMB INTERVIEWS, SEMINARS and LINKS. Visit often … leave crumbs of knowledge.

The reason is that this month there will be a debate bout the theme “Open Source and Open Systems”.
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