Artists to Unveil Works on Virtual Video Gallery

Challenging traditional ideas of art and its limitations, the world of emerging media meets art in an exhibition presented by a UT Dallas student of the Arts and Technology program.

The TimeFrame exhibition will be held Sept. 25 to 27 on Seesmic, a video-based social networking site. Ten artists will interpret the concept of time found in an immersive space that allows for varying yet concurrent moments of presence.

“I was interested in exploring how to use these types of spaces as an actual venue. Seesmic seemed perfect for this. But this is not meant to be a replacement for gallery exhibitions, rather an extension,” said Christi Nielsen, the curator of TimeFrame.

Artists included in the exhibit are UT Dallas students, graduates or faculty: Elizabeth Alavi, Sheila Cunningham, LeeAnn Harrington, Kyle Kondas, Betsy Lewis, Manuel Pecina and Dean Terry. Tiil, a Boston artist, will also participate.

“This is an excellent example of how creative people can use communications mediums as platforms for expression, in a collaborative, iterative process rather than creating fixed objects,” said Terry, who is a professor of emerging media. “The ‘art’ is the experience and participation in the communication itself.”

The Emerging Media and Communications bachelor’s and master’s degrees within the School of Arts and Humanities are new to UT Dallas. EMAC focuses on the uses, impact and implications of digital networked technology on media and culture in the 21st century and is closely associated with the arts and technology program.

“TimeFrame is a great example of how artists can use emerging media as alternative spaces, and what a concrete example for the new Emerging Media degree in ATEC [Arts and Technology program],” said Nielsen.

Nielsen points out that “artists who embrace emerging media have far more opportunities outside of their local art scene.”

In this 72-hour event, viewers are encouraged to respond and interact with the artists and their work. Participation requires a free account on Seesmic.

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