Edition 1. Edited by Jodi Rose, Miha Ciglar and Mindaugas Gapsevicius

TRACES Edition: Cultural Interfaces is based on the interests of the collaborators to explore and share our research on forms used to communicate. Focus on innovation, sound, research, technology and contemporary forms of institutional or self expression.

The term Cultural Interfaces was proposed by Lev Manovich in his book Language of New Media. While talking on cultural interfaces Manovich refers to the Human-Computer Interaction based interfaces, an output of the monitor screen.

The edition seeks to articulate methodologies from diverse backgrounds in order to share and transfer acquired knowledge with interested culture professionals and wider audiences.

Cultural Interfaces explores a range of research, artistic and practical strategies for cultural survival and resistance, the challenges of building alternative organisations, innovative technological practices and insights for ongoing creation.

How do creative and culture workers survive, what are the strategies for alternatives to cultural funding or self-created organisations, working with and beyond institutions and commercial applications. The content of the first edition contains texts, visual and sonic material which best relate to the theme of Cultural Interfaces, forms used in order to communicate, either text, object, film, sound or graphical representation of programmable and calculating machine, the computer.

A collective questioning with a critical focus, networking artistic and curatorial approaches to create models of exploration based on personal practices and experiences. Participants of EarZOOM festival and TRACES meetings, colleagues, friends and cultural workers are asked to elaborate on the above statements either in free form or by responding to the following questions:

1. How do you work or create – your practice, process, philosophy, ideas, focus, interests

What is the medium you work with?
a) why do you do what you do and how?
b) what is the message behind your work?

2. What kind of choices do you make – about time, attention, what is important, valuable? What makes it worthwhile, the kind of benefit and satisfaction you receive from the work.

What is at stake to work within your chosen cultural environment?
a) do you work independently, how or why do you collaborate with organisation/institution?
b) why do you work for your own institute(ion)?

3. How do you survive? Not just financially, but mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, physically – really survive and live – and how could your practice and life be more sustainable. What keeps it all together?

a) how do you earn your living?
b) how does the institution you work for survive?

4. What are you working on now?

Please illustrate your practice with the medium that best represents the work.
a) any photos, charts, drawings?
b) any sound, animation, video material?

5. If you could offer useful advice to someone trying to make their own creative life, what three most important things have you learned from your own practice and experiences? Where are you going next? In the work, in your life, what does the immediate future hold?

Dream a bit
a) how do you imagine yourself or your institution in one month, a year, 5 years...
b) what niche your work should cover, extend or take?

Wedding, Ljubljana. Traces at Earzoom Festival, October 2010

Wedding, Vilnius. Traces Research Trip, October 2010