ISEA2012 <strong>The</strong>mesMachine WildernessRe-envisioning Art, Technology and Nature<strong>The</strong> title for the overall ISEA2012 project is Machine Wilderness. As part <strong>of</strong> a region <strong>of</strong> rapid growthalongside wide expanses <strong>of</strong> open land, <strong>New</strong> <strong>Mexico</strong> presents a microcosm <strong>of</strong> this theme. ISEA2012:Machine Wilderness presents artists’ and technologists’ ideas for a more humane interaction betweentechnology and environment, in which “machines” can take many forms to support and sustain life onEarth. <strong>The</strong> project focuses on creative solutions for how technology and the natural world can coexist.<strong>The</strong> term “Machine Wilderness” was originally coined by cultural geographer Ronald Horvath in the 1960sto describe the transformation <strong>of</strong> the landscape <strong>of</strong> the American Southwest caused by the automobile.For ISEA2012, the term “Machine Wilderness” is being reclaimed to represent the potential for humans,animals and machines to coexist in a positive, sustainable future. ISEA2012 featured artists, presentersand organizations seek to define wilderness and our place in it in the 21 st century.10
SUB-THEMESPower: GridlockedFlip a switch and the lights come on. Flush a toilet andwaste disappears. Swipe a card and money is transferred.Sophisticated yet <strong>of</strong>ten invisible grids <strong>of</strong> power sustaincontemporary life throughout the farthest reaches <strong>of</strong> our world,providing electricity, gas, water, sewage, finances, materials,transportation, communication and more. Rolling blackouts,economic fallout, climate change and natural disasters testthe viability <strong>of</strong> this interconnected system <strong>of</strong> dependence. <strong>The</strong>Gridlocked theme aims to provide a multi-layered exposé <strong>of</strong> thestructures and infrastructures <strong>of</strong> power, and make visible theirorigins, mechanisms, consequences and alternatives. Featuredprograms explore power in its simplest manifestations as well asits complex hold on global society.Creative Economies: EconotopiasFrom the local to the global, the Econotopias theme engagesa critical dialogue around the challenges and excessivedemands <strong>of</strong> the global marketplace and its impact on everydaylife. It explores the future <strong>of</strong> creative economies as drivers<strong>of</strong> possibility in diverse communities and environments andthrough new technologies. By bringing local and internationalartists, engineers, economists, labor specialists and communityorganizers together, Econotopias focuses on the need for moresustainable social and production practices through programson topics such as open-source ideologies, the gift economy,micro-credit, the culture industry and global outsourcing.Transportation: Dynamobilities<strong>The</strong> once simple task <strong>of</strong> moving from point A to point Bhas become a minefield <strong>of</strong> choices and consequences. <strong>The</strong>Dynamobilities theme features artworks and presentations thatask questions about and <strong>of</strong>fer possible solutions to the issue<strong>of</strong> 21 st century mobility. Featured projects include new devicesfor moving through space, mobile media that depend on theuser’s movement through space, projects examining the powerneeded for mobility and question the need for speed, as wellas theoretical presentations addressing the mobility <strong>of</strong> people,goods and ideas.Wildlife: Trans-Species HabitatsCoyotes, bears, peregrine falcons, many charismatic megaspeciesare making cities their homes. Bees, bats and othersmaller animals are suffering disease and perhaps speciescollapse. Plant and animal communities are failing due to thecontrol <strong>of</strong> natural cycles such as flood or fire to accommodatesettled human development. However, humans are copyinganimal adaptations and replicating complex natural systems insustainable design from Velcro to storm water infiltration. <strong>The</strong>Trans-Species Habitats theme showcases work that re-imaginesthe city as a viable space for the integration <strong>of</strong> overlappingspecies flowing in patterns and spatial organizations.<strong>The</strong> Cosmos: Radical Cosmologies<strong>The</strong> Radical Cosmologies theme gazes at the universe andquestions our place in it. It explores a wide range <strong>of</strong> creativeperspectives and practices around the cultural, scientific andphilosophical possibilities <strong>of</strong> contemporary astronomy. Thistheme incorporates various forms <strong>of</strong> media, written word,performance and installation, as well as workshops, communitybasedactions, lectures and online projects to <strong>of</strong>fer viewers freshinterpretations and experiences <strong>of</strong> cultural myths, indigenoushistories and contemporary science.FOCUS AREASLatin American Forum<strong>The</strong> Rio Grande River creates a natural conduit between theU.S. and <strong>Mexico</strong>. <strong>The</strong> path it follows has created a geographical,cultural and linguistic bridge between Latin America and theUnited States both historically and in the present day, providinga unique context for collaboration and the exchange <strong>of</strong> ideaswith Latin America. <strong>The</strong> ISEA2012 Latin American Forumshowcases some <strong>of</strong> the recent and historical production <strong>of</strong>Latin American digital culture, critical theory and media arts,highlighting fresh contributions from south <strong>of</strong> the border.STEMArts Education Program<strong>The</strong> ISEA2012 Education Program focuses on STEM (Science,Technology, Engineering & Math) education through Art. Itcenters around the Intel Education Day <strong>of</strong> the conference, andincludes outreach activities such as the STEMArts Competitionand the Downtown Block Party presented with CreativeAlbuquerque and highlighting the Transportation theme, theVisiting Artists Teaching Program, a curriculum for teachers,and an artist-scientist residency with Intel. <strong>The</strong> programdemonstrates innovative ways for the arts to improve STEMeducation, with a special focus on culturally diverse students.Lead sponsorship from Intel Corporation.Left: Michael P. Berman, Gila Wilderness11
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