The first conference on Internet pornography. This international event, organized by the Institute of Network Cultures, will include presentations from a broad selection of artists and researchers from all over the world. All of them have been researching the subject in their own individual ways. The event's grand finale will be a 'porn pour porn soiree', a festive night with various performances and screenings.
Supported by: Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis and Interactive
Media, Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
In the weekend of September 30 and October 1, the ‘Badcuyp’ in
Amsterdam will host the first conference on Internet pornography,
entitled ‘The Art & Politcs of Netporn’. This international event,
organized by the Institute of Network Cultures, will include
presentations from a broad selection of artists and researchers from
all over the world. All of them have been researching the subject of
Internet pornography in their own individual ways. The event’s grand
finale will be a ‘porn pour porn soiree’, a festive night with
various performances and screenings. The party will kick off with a
presentation of Katrien Jacobs’ new book ‘Libidoc’, about her quest
for sex artists all around the world.
Even in this modern age, Internet pornography is a subject that makes
most people uncomfortable. The common image isn’t pretty, since the
subject is mostly related to raunchiness, exploitation, ‘strange
people’ with awkward sexual preferences, and dubious networks and
practices. The Art and Politics of Netporn wants to draw attention to
the other side of this phenomenon by focusing on the political and
economical implications of netporn, as well as to the ethical and
aesthetic aspects of digital communities (i.e. weblogs, chat groups,
mailing lists and webzines). These relatively new forms of
communication enable people to meet up anonymously, form communities,
or present themselves while having creative control over the process
of communciation.To provide us with an alternative view on netporn,
the conference organization has also invited artists whose work
reflects different ideas on sexuality and who have appropriated the
language or specific qualities of Internet pornography. The Art and
Politics of Netporn challenges the visitors to discuss the current
social climate of heightened control over information processes and
the power of censorship. Who gets to decide what we are allowed to
see, and what are the limits to our freedom?
Five different themes will be presented during the two days of the
conference, with contributions by artists, researchers and
journalists. ‘Sex Workers of the Net World’ is centered round the
political and economical values of netporn and online sex workers.
And what is the importance of porn for E-commerce? In ‘The Rise of
the Netporn Society’ the focus is on the individual use of Internet
by for example bloggers and producers of so-called indieporn.
Dominant images and concepts about netporn and the possibility of
creating a ‘history of netporn’ are some of the concepts of the theme
‘Porn meets Brain: Netporn Theory’. ‘Porn as a Technology of the
Self’ is about the possibilities of the use netporn by minority
groups like queers and transgenders. How do they use elements of
pornography to create their own sexual identity? An open debate about
censorship will give the visitor a chance to share their opinions
about this subject with the participants. The conference closes with
Porn pour Porn, a soiree mixte with dj’s and vj’s live performance,
screenings and all else that pours into it..
The organization
Katrien Jacobs: Guest Scholar/Curator Art and Politics of Netporn
Jacobs works as an assistant professor at City University of Hong
Kong. She is a scholar, writer and activist in the field of digital
art and culture who has published widely on netporn, sex art, and
censorship. She has a Ph.D. degree in comparative literature and
media, with a thesis on dismemberment myths and rituals in 1960s/
1970s body art and performance media. She recently finished her book
‘Libidoc: Journeys in the Performance of Sex Art.’ (Maska
Publications), a grand-scale emotive and illuminated travelogue into
the work of 27 artists, with tales and commentaries by the double-
narrator ‘Libidot’ and ‘dr jacobs’.
Geert Lovink: Founder of the Institute of Network Cultures, co-
initiator of The Art and Politics of Netporn
Geert Lovink is a Dutch-Australian media theorist and activist. Since
January 2004 appointed as senior researcher/associated professor at
Amsterdam University (HvA/UvA). He is organizer of conferences,
festivals and (online) publications and the founder of numerous
Internet projects such as www.nettime.org and www.fibreculture.org .
He recently published Dark Fiber (2002), Uncanny Networks (2002) and
My First Recession (2003).
Matteo Pasquinelli: Stimulator and co-curator of the Art and Politics
of Netporn
After participating in a number of media projects (from Luther
Bissett to Telestreet) Matteo Pasquinelli momentarily works in London
as a freelance curator and critic with a focus on media philosophy.
He is the author of ‘Media Activism’ (Derive Approdi, Rome 2002) and
editor of Rekombinant (www.rekombinant.org), an influential Italian
webzine and forum about media activism, culture jamming and radical
philosophy.
Sabine Niederer: producer of The Art and Politics of Netporn
Sabine works as a producer and researcher Institute of Network
Cultures. She graduated as an art historian (MA) at Utrecht
University. She has produced and (co-)curated several screenings,
shows and events in the field of visual arts and digital culture and
has recently taught courses in media theory. Sabine is one of the
editors of the bimonthly film and video program ‘Cinematiek’ and
reviews music videos for the Dutch broadcaster’s NPS short film website.
Nieke Kempen: production assistent of The Art and Politics of Netporn
Nieke Kempen is a fourth year student of Communication and
Information Science at the University of Utrecht. Within these three
years she also took a minor in Justice and Society, and courses in
womenstudies. This way she got in contact with legal and social
gender aspects. After graduating her Bachelor this summer and a
successful execution of her function as production assistant for The
Art and Politics of Netporn, Nieke wants to obtain her Master in
Communication, Policy and Management.
Marije Janssen: research assistent of The Art and Politics of Netporn
Marije is a fifth year student at the Faculty of Arts of the
University of Utrecht. In 2004 she graduated as Bachelor in the Arts,
with a specialization in Mediastudies. As part of the master’s
program New Media & Digital Culture she works as an intern at the
Institute for Network Cultures for the conference ‘The Art & Politics
of Netporn’. At the INC she will start her research for her Master’s
thesis on the cyberfeminist perspective on the representation of the
female sexual identity in online communities. Marije has a broad
interest in everything related to new media, from the art of
computergames to digital copyrights. But after completing several
courses at the faculty of Women’s Studies, she has specialized in
cyberfeminist views on the relationship between new media and identity.
more info:
mail: nieke@networkcultures.org / sabine@networkcultures.org
phone: +31 (0)20 5951866 / +31 (0)20 5951863
De Badcuyp, Amsterdam
Eerste Sweelinckstraat 10 (corner Albert Cuypstraat)
http://www.badcuyp.nl
entrance fee
allround ticket (2 days + party): 50 euros, students 25 euros
day ticket friday or saturday: 30 euros, students 15 euros
party ticket (saturday night): 8 euros, students 5 euros