Wonder Women Residency: New News is Old News

2011 is going to be a good year.  I can feel it already.  In addition to our upcoming presentation at the 2011 PCA/ACA Conference this April, Andria and I were also accepted to the Wonder Woman Residency at the _gaia studio, in New Jersey. Curated by Maya Joseph-Goteiner and Doris Caçoilo, this year's theme is: New News is Old News.

New News is Old NewsIn our society, the importance of news has shifted; some would argue that it has been elasticized or else devalued. As the blogosphere replaces the daily newspaper as the purveyor and distributor of breaking news, the reporting of events is no longer filtered by the journalist/editor. Instead the voice of news is replaced by a dynamic exchange of information.

Already, online, the same article that has appeared black on white in the early print edition has been updated, corrected or even replaced on the web. Newspaper stories no longer fit the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of news as “a report of recent events: previously unknown information.” In many respects, we have created an endless source of updated information online, a bottomless pit of patter. We cannot possibly consume all the news and commentary published online, and while few people have the time to read the entire newspaper, even fewer can keep up with the minute-to-minute updates via Twitter, blogs, online publications, and RSS feeds.

A residency that focuses on the ways in which news is presented, represented, distributed, and modified within the space of the web...  hmm...  can you think of anything more perfect for us?So what are we doing?I won't spill all the beans yet, but here is an excerpt from our preliminary proposal:

Our project takes its cue from the recent Buy Life Digital Death campaign, where celebrities volunteered their virtual lives (activity on Twitter and Facebook) with the goal of raising $1 million for children and families in Africa and India affected by HIV/AIDS. We were fascinated by their use of highly stylized, seductive images of Kim Kardashian (and other participating celebrities) lying in a coffin, and the role these images play in the dissemination of news coverage surrounding this HIV/AIDS campaign.

Almost immediately following Digital Death's inception, images of  a "dead" Kardashian started appearing in news stories everywhere from CNN to Gawker. Now layered with multiple levels of  history and meaning, screenshots of the sultry Kardashian lying in a coffin, continue to be re-distributed on personal blogs, Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter pages...

Stay tuned for more project updates here and on Are You My Other?

Ian Weaver, The Black Knights of the Black Bottom, and Are You My Other?

On the afternoon of November 18, 2010, on the Island of Facebook, history was made...in response to the Fat Free Elotera post:Ian Weaver: I take ALL the credit for this (and future) collaborations between these two exceptional artists....! [just needed to make sure I put in that legal boilerplate stuff, just a formality]Andria Morales: No doubt! We are eternally grateful to the prolific genius of Ian Weaver for the inspired notion of pairing us together.Maya Escobar: YES!!! So true- we are Are You My Other? because of this Fine Man. We keep trying to figure out just how to pay homage... Latina Black Bottom promo girls? Just saying :)Ian Weaver: By commenting on my post you have in effect given me the legal authority to profit in part from any future performances, lectures, presentations, and sales of related merchandise. I will work out the percentages later with my BB lawyer, but for conversation sake, let's just say if you perform jointly at, say, the Mattress Factory or the Renaissance Society that I will net 33.33% of profits from said performance.Again, I will get my BB lawyer to draw up the papersAndria Morales: Did we just get served??? So much for the We ♥ BB Knights campaign...Ian Weaver: Nooooo! You haven't been served! I can't do that online; you will be formally served in person presently (I think someone is at your door; delivery guy??? Flowers By Irene???)Maya Escobar: I think a cut of all "BB profits" is totally fair and should be required.. LOL.. "profit" what an interesting concept... "to make money from art"... am I dreaming? But hey Ian if you can work us in to an of the aforementioned "performances, lectures, presentations, and sales of related merchandise" and oh "performances at, say, the Mattress Factory or the Renaissance Society" Are You My Other? would be eternally grateful.Ian Weaver: Done! I am on the phone with Hamza was we speak. I will work the Pittsburgh angle after the holidays.And seriously, fantastic work by both of you! I got on the blog; really interesting! I am having Maya present in my spring Research class for artists, and if I had the dough I would fly you out Andria and have you guys co-present. But, that would blow my transfer student's minds!Andria Morales: I think Maya and I meeting each other in person would blow OUR minds. Lets start a fundraiser!Maya Escobar: Wow, wow, wow!!! Is it okay with the two of you if I screen-shot this convo and re-post? Ian, I am going to try to see if there are any opps to lecture in other SAIC departments that week so that we could get funding for Andria to come in.Andria Morales: Summon your internet powersIan Weaver: GO FOR IT! I AM OPEN TO IT!!