PEOPLE VS PROGRAMMING
8th-10th March 2003 @ Artsway, New Forest


boredomresearch, in association with the newly formed organisation SCAN, will be hosting a forum on the role of computer programming in the production of work as part of their Hello World series of seminars and workshops. The primary goal of the forum is the demystification of programming. It hopes to facilitate an appreciation of the potentials of programming for creative artistic production and question the importance of a wider understanding of the programming process. The Hello World forum aims to cover new concepts of production, presentation and a discussion of new media work.

There is much mystery and confusion about the processes involved in creating programming dependent or computational artworks. In coding or programming the method of production is concealed. Even when revealed, as in open source code, there is a broad conceptual gap inhibiting a general understanding of these processes. The forum aims to fill this gap, strengthening the framework for future production of new media works. It is our belief that those currently involved in production of programming dependent or computational work hold the key to this understanding. Artists, programmers and curators will talk about their involvement in this type of work giving an insight into and demystifying the processes of production. The forum will consist of three days of digital presentations, panel discussions and live multimedia performances.

During the forum, there will be an opportunity to discuss the development of work through SCAN (Southern Collaborative Arts Network). It has been set up as a consortium of 10 member organisations initially and is currently looking to develop collaborative projects with a focus on new media. SCAN will launch officially at the end of March and is pleased to support and have input into the Hello World forum as its first initiative. The forum is based on the findings of boredomresearch
through their one year Navvygate residency at Artsway.