SWITCH on tech art

I was wondering if SWITCH is still being published when I received word that the new issue #19 had just been posted online. SWITCH is the e-zine coming out of the CADRE Institute at San Jose State University. Under the direction of Joel Slayton this art and technology center has been around for more than two decades, always loved by its dedicated student body. SWITCH is just one outlet for their work providing some insight into the happenings at the institute as well as in the tech art community at large.

The new issue of SWITCH is a good example: one article chronicles their experiments to enliven the still somewhat dead parts of downtown San Jose with storefront art exhibitions. Another announces officially a major event to change all that and to make San Jose into a happening place:

From August 5-12 2006, San Jose will launch the first biennial ZeroOne SanJose: International Festival of Art and Technology.

I personally thought the article by Australian artist STELARC is most interesting. For many years STELARC has been probing the intersection between robotics, dance, and performance. Usually his own body is his medium repleat with cybernetic additions like an extra ear or a third hand. This human cyborg (or is it a computerized human?) is stretching what has been possible and what might be desirable to achieve with new technologies. At times I find the outloook invoked by STELARC's performances borderline frightening. This article is a good introduction if you are not familiar with his work.

THE THIRD HAND, STELARC
Construction: Imasen Denki, Nagoya, Photograph: Simon Hunter

And this latest edition of SWITCH is a good place to start reading it if you have not seen it before. As an added benefit make use of the archives where all previous issues are stored in bits and Bytes for your convenience, you may find some real gems here.