designers – the archetype – Odysseus

This post is in a series of commentaries on a class running at Stanford, Winter Quarter 2010 – “Transformative Design” ENGR 231 – [Link] Today I got to thinking about the character type of the “designer”. Not so much a craftsperson or artisan, nor an inventor, nor a fine artist. Someone attuned to particular circumstances,…

military occupation – the Roman experience

Our excavations of Binchester Roman town are underway. VINOVIVM.ORG A key question for me – just what was the character of military occupation? The day-to-day experience, the ambience. Milecastle, Hadrian’s Wall We are too used to modern colonialism to appreciate the differences of ancient “military” experience, when so embedded in institutions of property, land, citizenship.

Performing Presence

Our project to investigate “presence” in live performance and media draws to a close with a final conference – March 25-30 Exeter University UK – summing up a tremendous five years of work … [Link] Link – Presence – the conference Next comes a book from Routledge – “Archaeologies of Presence” – due out in…

SFMOMA – The Art of Participation 1950 – Now

Life Squared [link], our installation in the online world Second Life, is currently part of the exhibition The Art of Participation 1950 – Now at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Life Squared – web link and gallery link. More links – Linden Lab/Second Life and Wired magazine The exhibition, curated by Rudolf Frieling, is…