ISEA

The Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts

The Inter-Society for the Electronic Arts (ISEA) welcomes the 13th edition of the international ISEA Symposium and congratulates the organizers of ISEA2006 for presenting the first ISEA event in California. San Jose, a distinctive site of innovation and creativity, embodies many of ISEA's values and traditions. The ISEA2006 symposium affirms this legacy with a program of eminent quality.

ISEA is an international nonprofit organization promoting interdisciplinary academic discourse and exchange among culturally diverse organizations and individuals working with art, science and emerging technologies. Fittingly, ISEA2006's emphasis on dialogue to encourage the exchange of ideas and practice represents a vital aspect of the ISEA mandate. The integration of information/media concepts and current communication technologies at ISEA2006 will facilitate increased interaction with remote participants and the disabled. In addition ISEA2006 also serves the cultural diversity mission of ISEA with its Pacific Rim events.

ISEA is proud to celebrate ISEA2006 in conjunction with the premiere of the ZeroOne San Jose Festival. We hope that the ISEA2006 Symposium extends this Californian gateway to the expanding worldwide realm of the Electronic Arts.

Nina Czegledy, Chair
ISEA Board of Directors

Director's Welcome

ZeroOne San Jose: A Global Festival of Art on the Edge

ZeroOne San Jose is a new biennial international art festival that in 2006 will be a public platform for the 13th edition of the acclaimed International Symposium on Electronic Art. During the week of August 7-13, "7 days of art and interconnectivity," you will be able to see more than 200 unique, interactive artworks by over 250 artists from all over the world participating in more than a dozen exhibitions and presenting numerous performances every evening, many of them North American premieres. San Jose will truly be the epicenter of the digital art world, presenting an unforgettable mix of work at the intersection of creativity and technology.

From blogging pigeons to feral robotic dogs to karaoke in an ice cream truck to cell phone opera and film festivals to a functioning interactive café to skateboard musicals to souvenir boarding passes to white cube shipping containers to playing capture the flag in Chavez Plaza with weather balloons to fierce intellectual debates about the nature and future of digital art, ZeroOne San Jose and the ISEA2006 Symposium truly present the breadth and depth of contemporary art in our technological times. I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity and visit the dozens of exhibitions at the Convention Center's South Hall, the San Jose Museum of Art, the myriad of Festival partner organizations presenting new work, wander the interactive streets of the city of San Jose, take in a performance or two or three in the evening, and drop by the Symposium proceedings. And bring your family. You have to see it — experience it, participate in it — to believe it.

I want to thank the originary "San Jose 8" organizations and the dedicated staff of ZeroOne San Jose, along with dozens of institutional partners and literally hundreds of volunteers listed at the end of this program who have given generously of their time and ideas and resources to create the largest digital art festival to ever happen—to date—in North America. None of this would have been possible without the remarkable outpouring of support from more than 75 corporate, foundation, and government sponsors, and hundreds of individual donors. I want to especially thank all the artists from around the world, not only for their amazing work but also for all the effort and resources expended to make this amazing week of art and interconnectivity possible. Enjoy. Believe. See you in 2008!

Steve Dietz, Director ZeroOne San Jose and the ISEA2006 Symposium

Chair's Welcome

I3th International Symposium on Electronic Art

The ISEA2006 Symposium focuses on the exploration of four important themes: Interactive City, Community Domain, Pacific Rim & Transvergence. (see 01sj.org/content/blogcategory/105/30/).

What tactics, issues and conceptual practices expose or inform the distinctions of these subjects relating to contemporary art practice? What analyses illuminate art practice engaged with new technical and conceptual forms, functions and disciplines? Join world-class experts as they discuss how new media art practice is re-shaping the world.

ISEA2006 established the largest International Jury in ISEA history with over two hundred reviewers responsible for evaluation of 1800 academic and exhibition proposal submissions. The ISEA2006 organizers sought the advice of international artists, academics and professionals on how this event might be structured to offer a unique experience for both presenters and the audience. It was determined that ISEA2006 would be designed as an alternative to the traditional academic conference by offering an unparalleled platform for artists and the general public to experience and discuss practices involving new media with an emphasis on conversation led by a prestigious group of independent moderators. There is no reading of papers. Abstracts and final papers are pre-published in public forums prior to the Symposium. (see 01sj.org/component/option.com_simpleboard/Itemid,149/).

To complement the conversational orientation of the Symposium a unique venue design at Parkside Hall incorporates a media studio/presentation space that utilizes mobile and lounge seating for the audience, an approach that allows the audience to self-organize into appropriate social groupings. Symposium proceedings are also webcast to the Internet and video-streamed to other Symposium venues at South Hall and the San Jose Museum of Art. A parallel "re: mote symposium" features presentations not bound by geography thus enabling broader participation from artists and researchers around the world. A unique feature of ISEA2006 is the Symposium Rapporteur who provides for live online coverage of the event. Posters featuring artist projects and research are exhibited throughout the Symposium venue. Last but not least, to ensure the largest number of Artist Presentations, a dedicated auditorium at The Tech Museum of Innovation's New Venture Hall features continuous short presentations throughout the week.

The ISEA2006 academic host is San Jose State University. We are most appreciative of the many individuals whose time and expertise helped define this ambitious program.

Joel Slayton, Chair, ISEA2006 Symposium and ZeroOne San Jose

For tickets, go to 01sg.org/content/view/221/130/ or call 408.286.2600, ext. 23 (Mon-Fri. 10am-5pm). Tickets are also available at the California Theatre Box Office on Market Street.

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