Chers amis et confrères, 

first, thanks to Tim for this new Platform issue which help us to be well informed about coming events in computer sculpture.  

Despite of the reccurent financial difficulties I have in living "ma vie d'artiste" in France (like many freelance artist here and around the world), I was able to come in USA 2 times in SIGGRAPH and 2 times in the International Sculpture Conference since 1994.  

I love to attend to these great events, where it's possible to meet old friends and colleagues, where it's certain that new amazing artists will stand out, where presentations about new technologies always lunch the creative imagination on new roads, towards new horizons.  

I love to go to SIGGRAPH and ISC...But, that's a terrible mistake, I'm naïve, I'M WRONG !  

Thanks to THE GODS OF THE OFFICIAL AND REAL THOUGHT: you will read in the following quotation the truth, all the truth. 

I have imprudently ask to M. Antoine VIGNE (ANTOINE.VIGNE@diplomatie.gouv.fr) - who is in charge of the Cultural Department in the French ambassy in US - if it may be possible for me to get a subsidy to pay my travel this year to come to SIGGRAPH and ISC. (When French people pay their taxes, they also pay for the French cultural politics - which include public subsidies, financial help for promoting artists, etc.)  

I got this first answer (sentences in French, followed by the English translation):  

" Je suis malheureusement au regret de vous informer que nous ne pourrons apporter une suite favorable à votre demande." 
I regret but we can't accede to your request. 

"Conscient comme vous de l'importance de la représentation française dans le domaine de la création numérique et digitale globalement regroupée sous l'appelation de nouvelles technologies, j'ai souhaité conduire une recherche en la matière pour assurer une action artistique stratégique et adaptée." 
Aware - as you are - of the importance of the French presence in electronic arts, I have wished to know more about this topic in order to organize a strategic and suited artistic action in this field. 

"Il en ressort plusieurs points : 
- le premier est que ni l'ISC ni le SIGGRAPH ne sont reconnus comme des rendez-vous incontournables dans le domaine des nouvelles technologies dans le secteur artistique." 
Here are the conclusions emerging from this inquiry: 
- First, neither ISC nor SIGGRAPH are recognized as important meetings in the field of new technologies in art. 

"Il est vrai que le SIGGRAPH est un lieu de rencontre important mais bien davantage dans des secteurs plus techniques de la création que sont le graphisme ou bien la présentation de nouveaux outils, softwares et pour la formation à ces outils." 
It's true that SIGGRAPH is an important meeting place, but in the technical sphere: graphic, new tools, softwares, trainings about these new tools. 

"(...) il semble que très peu de conservateurs de musée, de critiques d'art, commissaires d'exposition, autrement dit les professionnels de l'art contemporain avec lesquels cette Ambassade est en contact permanent, se rendent au SIGGRAPH ou à l'ISC." 
It seems that almost none of the curators, art critics, exhibition managers, brief: the professionals of contemporary art, which are in close touch with our Ambassy, go to the SIGGRAPH or the ISC. 

"Je conclue de cette étude prospective que la couverture du SIGGRAPH relève davantage d'un enjeu économique que le Poste d'Expansion Economique de Los Angeles est plus à même de traiter, que de notre action artistique." 
My conclusion is that SIGGRAPH is more a question of business (that may concern our Poste d'Expansion Econonique in LA) than an event concerned by our artistic action. 

My God! I was blind, and here is the luminous and lightning thruth! 
But my mind is always a little impish, and I sent a new e-mail to this great specialist of electronic arts, Mr Antoine VIGNE (ANTOINE.VIGNE@diplomatie.gouv.fr - I repeat the e-mail address for those who would like to congratulate him), because if most of "the official people of the art" never come to the ISC or the SIGGRAPH, how they can have a reliable opinion about these event??? 

I got this second answer: 

"je regrette que cette analyse vous déplaise, mais, en dépit de votre acharnement sur le système français dont vous dénoncez le fonctionnement en vase clos et l'étroitesse d'esprit, si j'ai bien compris vos propos, cette analyse provient de professionnels américains (parmi lesquels les responsables des départements consacrés aux nouvelles technologies du MoMA, du Whitney Museum, du SF MoMA ainsi que d'un certain nombre de responsables de centres d'art tels que Artists Space, Thread Waxing Space, New Langton et de journalistes spécialisés). Je pense que l'unanimité de ces professionnels à propos de la partie artistique du SIGGRAPH est un élément suffisant." 
I regret that you dislike this analysis, but despite of your critics against the French
system of thought in this field, this analysis come from American professionals (curators of New Technologies Departments of MoMA, Whitney Museum, SF MoMA; and from good number of responsibles for art centres as Artists Space, Thread Waxing Space, New Langton; and also from specialized journalists. 

I'm sure that Mr VIGNE, who is the official representative in USA of the French governemental action in art (I don't know him personnaly and you understand well that it's not only a question of person) , have well heard the bad opinions of some "American professionals" about SIGGRAPH and ISC, but Mr VIGNE, and that is the very important and unacceptable point, and many of these "professionals" are like we say in French "l'homme qui a vu l'homme qui a vu l'ours" (the man who saw the man who saw the bear). If they have came in the SIGGRAPH STUDIO or in the Computer & Sculpture Forum Day at the ISC last years, they perhaps would have met artists of the XXIth century. I say "perhaps" because one century ago the ancestors of these "specialists" were not able to see Van Gogh, Gauguin, Lautrec, Picasso and Modigliani...in the small world of Paris. Today they seem to be lost in (or out?) the Cyberworld.

"L'art est un anti-destin", André Malraux. 

Mes amitiés.

2. E-Mail from
Paul HIGHAM, computer sculptor,
UK and USA, May, 25

SALON DES REFUSES

Dear Christian
excellent letter
hope this makes a few people sit up and take note,you are of course absolutely right
I have just spent a lot of energy getting 2 rapid prototype machines for the ISC,
I hope you can get you over here sometime soon
until then I wish you well

ton ami
Paul

3. E-Mail from
Pr. Mary VISSER, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 25

Dear Colleagues,

It seems that if we don't take a stand and announce our efforts to the wider world that perhaps these efforts will be negated by the anointing or lack of anointing of the outside world.
This so called official opinion seems bizarre at the very least. Do we presently forward our platform to those entities that were listed as the leaders in contemporary art? What do you all think about this view on our efforts?

Mary

4. E-Mail from
Pr. Derrick WOODHAM, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 25

(reply to Mary VISSER)
If the mountain won't come to Mohammed....

5. E-Mail from
Pr. Derrick WOODHAM, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 25

IMPORTANT VENUES FOR ART AND TECHNOLOGY
Letter to M. Antoine VIGNE, Cultural Dept. of French Ambassy in US

Dear Sir,

Please excuse my writing in English, I regret that I cannot speak French. However I hope you will accept this advice on your evaluation of appropriate contexts for experiencing significant new work in the area of fine art and new technologies.

In your rejection of Christian Lavigne's request for support to attend SIGGRAPH and the International Sculpture Conference, You cited a number of curatorial and critical sources in the US for your assessment that these events are not significant contexts for new technologies and art. As an artist interested in new technologies, witnessing for many years my colleagues' enthusiasm for the prospects of advancing their work that SIGGRAPH, and the International Sculpture Conference have offered, I must apologize for the poorly informed advice guiding you given by my compatriots, which devalues their role in advancing art.

May I ask you rhetorically, as an artist, or as anyone interested in the possibilities of new technology, where would you most wish go to experience these, and to meet kindred spirits? To Internationally significant venues such as SIGGRAPH and the ISC, where they are the center of active interest, and where their possibilities are at the top of the agenda. Not to museums or galleries, which are primarily concerned with the public consumption of art which is already finished.

Artists such as Christian Lavigne, who have dedicated themselves to the engagement between new technologies and art, and have extensive first hand working experience, would be much better sources of advice on the viability of such venues for practicing artists, than the community of professional art appreciators who have counseled you on this. Please allow me to encourage you to be guided principally by artists in determining the value of such opportunities to inspire and help create new art.

Yours sincerely,

Derrick Woodham, Sculptor.

6. E-Mail from
Jeff NATHANSON, ISC President and Executive Director,
USA, May, 28

Dear Christian,

As are all who received your message regarding the "official" position on SIGGRAPH and the ISC, I am disappointed.
I only have a rudimentary knowledge of SIGGRAPH, although I did curate a SIGGRAPH exhibition in San Francisco a number of years ago, so I am familiar with the high caliber of the work created. I am also not overly familiar with the reputation of the International Sculpture Conference in the hi-tech art community, however, I can speak to the importance of the ISC to the contemporary art world in general.
If you have not already articulated this to the French Embassy, I suggest you turn their attention to the list of presenters and panelists assembled for our conference. We have presenters such as John Hanhardt, senior curator of media arts at the Guggenheim, acclaimed art historian Peter Selz, renowned artists such as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Bill Viola, Albert Paley, and numerous others. Plus we are presenting the Lifetime Achievement In Contemporary Sculpture Award to Nam June Paik, and keep in mind who our other Lifetime Award winners have been: Louise Bourgeois, Anthony Caro, John Chamberlain, Robert Rauschenberg, George Segal, Claes Oldenburg, George Rickey, Kenneth Snelson, to name a few.
I believe that the ISC is an important venue for the exploration of new innovative media and technologies. More so, however, the ISC's importance historically is in the broader impact on the sculpture and contemporary art worlds -- especially for working artists. And, although the participation of artists is of primary importance at ISC conferences, there is certainly a significant representation from the museum and academic communities at the ISC. I suggest you appeal to the broader importance of the the ISC conference to see if you might not get a more favorable response.
Please also turn their attention to the ISC's Sculpture Magazine, the journal of record for contemporary sculpture and the publication acknowledged internationally as the most important critical journal in the field. I wish you the best of luck in your quest for official support. Please keep us apprised of your efforts. I sincerely hope we see you in Pittsburgh.

Very truly yours, Jeff Nathanson

President/Executive Director
International Sculpture Center
14 Fairgrounds Rd., Suite B
Hamilton, NJ 08619-3447
Phone 609-689-1051
Fax 609-689-1061
www.sculpture.org

7. E-Mail from
Christiane PAUL, Adjunct Curator of New Media Arts,
Whitney Museum of American Art,
USA, May, 28

Interesting that Mr Antoine VIGNE talked to the "curators of New Technologies Departments of MoMA, Whitney Museum, SF MoMA" -- correct me if I'm wrong but while there may be "new technologies departments" at these institutions, the only individuals who have the official title of "curator of digital/new media arts" are Benjamin Weil at SFMoma and me (I don't recall talking to Mr. Vigne).
SIGGRAPH may essentially be a "trade show" but its art gallery in recent years has been showing many of the same new media artists and works that have been part of new media exhibitions at museums (including the current BitStreams show at the Whitney) and galleries around the US and worldwide.
SIGGRAPH is not an official "art fair/event" but it's still documenting/exhibiting work relevant to the field of new media.
It seems to me that this comes down to a question of labeling. I also wrote several articles for ISC's Sculpture Magazine, one of them being an interview with Krzystof Wodiczko who happened to be included in the last Whitney Biennial.

Christiane Paul
Adjunct Curator of New Media Arts
Whitney Museum of American Art

8. E-Mail from
Richard COLLINS, Director of The Internet Foundation,
USA, May, 28

Jeff, Christian,

I have been reading your comments to each other regarding the apparent lack of interest or knowledge in SigGraph and ISC. I do not find it surprising that someone in a French Embassy does not know about what ISC and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group in Computer Graphics (SigGraph) are doing to change tools available for sculptors. Most people in France probably have never heard of either.

Of the approximately 66,000 page references on the internet to SigGraph, there are only about 200 French language links to SigGraph.org, and only about 1200 pages that reference SigGraph in any way. Most of these links are techy sites. When I look at the references to SigGraph and sculpture, I find a similar concentration in technical and academic sites.

Most of you do not know me; though, some of you might know me as the person who runs the Sculptor.Org site. For the last five years I have been quietly promoting sculpture and sculptors on the web. Between 35,000 and 40,000 people visit my site every month. I have individually helped thousands of sculptors and organizations with questions related to sculpture. I believe I understand sculpture, technology and the Internet in a unique manner.

In my real life, I am the Director of the Internet Foundation. I spend most of my time researching how society uses or can use the Internet to solve global or systemic problems. In the process I see many mismatches between organizations' stated missions to serve certain communities, and the communities they actually do serve.

"ACM SIGGRAPH is dedicated to the generation and dissemination of information on computer graphics and interactive techniques." There is no obvious mission to create fine art, or develop new tools for sculptors.

"The ISC advances the creation and understanding of sculpture and its unique and vital contributionto soc iety." There is no stated mission to develop new technologies, tools or materials for sculptors.

If you want to develop new tools, materials and technologies for sculpture, encourage sculptors to create fine art using these new techniques (not subsidized experiments, but real sales to discriminating buyers), and publicize the art, sculptors and technologies; I will submit that you must actually do a real market analysis, and develop channels for communicating with a much broader community of people.

Tongue in Cheek: It is not the fault of some poor French official, that he does not follow every techy new trend in things called art. How was he to know the world had changed, when no one of real importance in his world had bothered to informed him?

If I ever meet this person, I will thank him for allowing me to use him in such a cruel way to make the point to you that you have not tried hard enough to communicate what you are doing to a broad audience - either ISC, SigGraph, or Computers and Sculpture. I will see what I can do to help.

Kind regards,
Richard Collins, Director, The Internet Foundation
Director@TheInternetFoundation.Org
Sculptor@Sculptor.Org + www.Sculptor.Org
703-237-2446

9. E-Mail from
Bill KREYSLER, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 29

Any of those "leaders in contemporary art" actually artists? Nope. Does this really surprise anyone? Nope. We lead. They follow. Remember!
I'll donate $20.00 to Christian so he can come. If everyone else did the same on this list then who cares what the minister of art whatever thinks?

Bill Kreysler

10. E-Mail from
Tim DUFFIELD, computer sculptor and landscape architect, co-founder of The CSF,
Pr. Ron KOWALKE, computer sculptor and multimedia artist,
USA, May, 30

Christian:
Comme tu peus voir, tes amis ici cherchent l'argent pour toi!
Tim

From: Ron Kowalke
To: Bill Kreysler
I'll second that motion. Where do I send the money?

Ron Kowalke
University of Hawaii
Art Department

From: "Bill Kreysler"
To: "Ron Kowalke"
Cc: "Timothy Duffield"
Ron:
Thanks much. So far we are up to $100.00. If I double that tomorrow I will email everyone and ask for a check to be sent to either me or Christian which will be returned uncashed if we don't get enough to pay for his trip.
Nice gesture even if it doesn't work which is fairly likely with such short notice.
Christian: How much do you need? Will the Govt. assist at all?
How about Air France or United Airlines who is a partner with Air France I think?
BK

11. E-Mail from
Hilary LANGHORST, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 30

Dear Everyone concerned about Official Opinions,

It seems as though there is more than one official opinion. Please see the attached letter and please visit the Syndicat National des Sculpteurs et Plasticiens at:

http://www.sculpteurs.org/snsp/index.shtml

Best regards,
Hilary Langhorst

12. E-Mail from
Pr. Mary VISSER, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 31

Dear Colleagues,

From this web site Hillary lists below it appears that these sculptors are facing the same problems that Chrisitan is facing with regard to the political organizations. There is a very enlightening bit of poetry in the bellyaching (http://www.sculpteurs.org/snsp/fr/infos/coupdegueule.html) section with regard to Mrs Trautmann the minister who is supposed to have said, "I only want to see entering my office the dead artists!" in response to an invitation from this group and others to meet about the destruction of sculptures that were being removed by the present government from the Paris streets. What else is new for artists?

Best Regards,
Mary

13. E-Mail from
Brad BRACE, multimedia artist, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 31

These demagogues and their acolytes prefer a dead martyr to a live poet any day. They can put words in the mouth of a dead martyr but real poets have a way of refusing to shut-up.

14. E-Mail from
Bill KREYSLER, computer sculptor,
Paul HIGHAM, computer sculptor,
USA, May, 31

From: Paul Higham
To: Bill Kreysler


Bill,
so that could work well then. normally sending money to and from europe as thats where I am from,has been complex
I found a reasonable flight earlier Today

Flight: Air France flight 22 on a Boeing 777 Jet
Departs: Wednesday, Jun 06
From: Paris de Gaulle, Fra (CDG) at 8:25am
To: New York, NY Kennedy (JFK) at 10:25am Wednesday, Jun 06
Stops: None
Departs: Wednesday, Jun 06
From: New York, NY Kennedy (JFK) at 12:30pm
To: Pittsburgh, PA (PIT) at 2:35pm Wednesday, Jun 06

if we can get him over Id like to invite hin to be on the international panel
I did say to him Id like to get him over here asap
so that would work well
Does Christian know about this yet? I wouldnt want to get his hopes up and him not be able to come
Paul

From: Bill Kreysler
Paul:
Thanks for the suggestions and also for the homework on the flight. I didn't see the price of the flight. Did you get that? Sometimes there are pretty inexpensive internet flights too. Anyway I am up to only $120.00 so I don't know if this is going to work but it's a gesture I am sure Christian will appreciate even if it isn't enough to make it acutally come true. I am certain that we could have done it with a couple weeks more. I asked Timothy to send CL a copy so he knows what is going on and isn't unrealistic about the prospects. I will also copy him on this so he knows where we are.
Who knows? Stranger things have happened.
BK