University of Toronto: KMDI, POS|OA SEP Awards The Open Art Clearinghouse Liav Koren Faculty Supervisor: Gale Moore

Introduction  There is an exciting niche to be filled.  The development of open-source platforms, applications and methodologies mean that there are now unprecedented options available to those working with interactive art, media, and design.  However, to make use of these tools you need to engage with a range of technical, social and theoretical issues.  There is no centralized forum devoted to examining the full spectrum of issues surrounding interactive media tools from the perspective of artists, designers, and theorists. The short version: There is no forum online that supports investigation and discussion about the way tools and art practice affect each other. This would be a neat thing to have.

Background: what’s available  Resources that currently exist: a typology  Tools: visual programming languages: Processing, vvvv, pD audio tools: ChunK, Impromptu scripting tools: Python, Scriptographer, Lua (a Brazilian scripting language) misc: Kymatica, Gestalt, Mindscript, blender, wiring, arduino  Institutions (academic and not): MIT (Asthetics and Computation, Centre for Bits & Atoms (aka. Fab Central) A schwack of california schools: UCLA, USC, U of C, etc.. (movie studio $$$) Others: The Bartlett in London, Piet Zwart Institute in the Netherlands, etc etc etc.  Misc: the Institute for Digital Art and Technology ( Institute for Networked Culture ( Rhizome (

Case Study: Processing  One of the best known tools currently. (processing.org)  It's an interface (IDE) built on Java, that simplifies syntax (no need to deal w. classes if you don't want to), supplies a number of robust 2- and 3D graphical elements, a sketch-book paradigm for projects, and an ever expanding and powerful set of libraries (computer vision; audio, protocols, simulation, etc...)  However, there are still large gaps to fill: the discussion forum is very technically and goal oriented, as is usual for tool-forums; it's still very challenging getting "bootstrapped" in processing, or any other language: Fry and Reas, the creators of Processing are currently working on a programming instruction manual of some type, that may start to address that issue.

Main Findings/Deliverables  The Open-Art Clearinghouse & Tool-Discuss forum of the Clearinghouse is being hosted at  The Open Art Clearinghouse is maintaining and constantly updating an annotated list of resources, tools, groups and initiatives, as means of navigating what is currently available and in order to begin to help connect groups.  The forum is in the first stage of its development: the tool-discuss mailinglist. Eventually will develop into a robust web-based set of forums.  Beginning to form connections with a range of groups: RepRap, Processing, Shiftspace, video-vortex, etc.  Beginning to create a discussion and analysis: rapid prototyping, video as a new networked phenomena, etc.

Implications for Open Source/Open Access  The technical now represents a fundamental problem for those working in creative fields.  Engaging with hardware, software, video, electronic music, or interactive work places the artist in fields that engage a range of technical and cultural issues that they may or may not be equipped to deal with.  A tool such as Processing is incredibly powerful: with minimal training and in a reasonable amount of time it is possible to get it to do things. The challenge is that often the thing it ends up doing isn't quite what you wanted.  Creating a centralized place for the discussion of the implications of practices on tools and tools on practices will be an incredibly helpful for the spread of open-source into art and design communities, groups that have historically relied on closed methods and tools.

What communities are affected?  Links are being made with a number of different groups:  The RepRap group has been approached -- as rapid prototyping is a particularly interesting a nexus of hardware, software, grass-roots open-source initiative, potentially disruptive technology, and fascinating possibilities for formal experimentation.  The processing community is particularly active, and have begun to provide links to other important and useful groups.  Video-vortex is one of the more interesting and discussion lists, coming closest to a robust mix of theory and practice discussion.

How I benefited from SEP  Has massively increased my awareness of current initiatives, groups, and communities.  Has solidified my resolve to become the expert on this topic.

Conclusions and Next Steps  This is a real issue that should be addressed. The reason it hasn’t yet is because it’s complex and big. Really really big.  Next steps include:  Forge stronger links with other groups, on-line and off-line (Furtherfield.org, dorkbot Toronto, Interaccess, etc.)  Continue website/forum development  Continue presenting research and writing on forum.