Alien Intelligence

One of Kiasma's major exhibitions of 2000 is entitled Alien Intelligence. It explores the area where art and computers meet including the earliest and most recent dimensions of media art. The exhibition is curated by Erkki Huhtamo, known both as the curator of interactive media art exhibitions at Gallery Otso and as an international researcher of media art.

The term media archaeology comes up in the planning of Alien Intelligence. What kind of significance does a media archaeological approach have, and why is it important? Isn't the change in media inevitable, a bit like natural laws?

Media technology seems to be breaking loose from history constantly: computers, just a couple of years old, are already regarded as outdated. Many see them as only fit for the dump or the collection of some eccentric freak. Technologically speaking this attitude might be justified, but from the perspective of culture and human experience it is definitely not the case. We cannot understand contemporary culture without access to past and obsolete technology. Media archaeology emphasises that the pace of technology doesn't go hand in hand with the ideas, hopes, and fears related to it. Early photographers were often described as cyborgs, frightful or amusing mongrels part human, part camera. Many of the attitudes we have towards computers today emerged ages ago. Fears of artificial intelligence breaking away from human control and the users ending up in being enslaved by their own creations are familiar to us from discussions about automatons, and have been since 18th century. We need media archaeology to understand what is really new in the computer culture and what is a mere recycling of the old in the disguise of novelty. Media archaeology generates critical yet constructive approaches to contemporary culture.

Alien Intelligence is a curious name for an exhibition. What does it refer to?

In this exhibition, the world's leading media artists explore the significance of computers in the development of contemporary culture. Although we rarely discuss artificial intelligence any longer, computers have undoubtedly created new, intelligent environments where we spend an increasing amount of our time. We often read features of consciousness or artificial life into these environments: computers somehow resemble living creatures; we talk with and through them, we work and day-dream with them. Many artists allude to the pre-history of these concepts. This gives the exhibition a media archaeological emphasis which is enhanced by a couple of 'found objects' which belong to the history of computers. The name Alien Intelligence refers to our rational and yet mystical intercourse with new technology. Is the computer a mirror distorting our inner self or a springboard for a new kind of awareness, a synthetic life? On the threshold of the new Millennium, an exhibition can hardly have a more topical theme.

At the turn of the Millennium, where does media art stand? Despite technological inventions, the atmosphere seems to be rather serene, even halted in terms of development. The Venice Biennale declared that media art is a fundamental part of contemporary art and yet the exhibition is full of video art!

The art world often lags behind technological development. Video art, which dates back to the 1960s, has only recently been accepted into the art world. And media art utilising computers has only just begun to wriggle its way, although it is a natural channel of expression for the rising generations of contemporary artists. It provides a critical, even playful tool with which to explore the phenomena of our increasingly digital contemporary culture. Viewers become active participants. Contrary to the general fallacy, media art is easy to approach: it is a compelling and thought-provoking form of art. We mustn't allow media art merely to passively reflect technoculture - it has to be a real-time factor moulding it. Kiasma's exhibition is a brave and unprejudiced gesture from a large museum of contemporary art. It is a new kind of comprehensive display introducing famous names in media art from around the world.

How would you describe Nokia's role in the exhibition? You have worked as media art correspondent for Nokia's web magazine.

Nokia has always approached the newest phenomena in media culture, including media art, in an open and broad-minded way. Rather than limiting itself to engineer's perspective, Nokia has shown interest in the contents that are conveyed via new technologies. To my knowledge, focusing on the contents has become increasingly important in media art, technological development, and marketing. There is far more to it than just the introduction of new equipment or user interfaces. Media art reveals previously unused opportunities including critical notions. Media artists are curious about new technologies, and big companies, such as Nokia can really benefit from this type of outlook, too. Not surprisingly, many technology companies have established programmes and laboratories for visiting artists during recent years.

What made you choose the artists for Alien Intelligence?

The artist group in Alien Intelligence consists of both household names and new artists. Established artists include, for instance, David Rokeby (Canada); Toshio Iwai (Japan); Christa Sommerer (Austria) and Laurent Mignonneau (France); and Perry Hoberman and Ken Feingold from the United States. Younger talents include Troy Innocent (Australia), Zoe Beloff and Richard Pell (the United States), and Coenen and Bosma (the Netherlands). Although most of the artists utilise the latest technology, Coenen and Bosma's production reminds us that media art can also be done with the most traditional tools: their work, an extensive floor mosaic, depicts Lara Croft, the heroine of the Tomb Raider computer game, who is the first digital star in the world!

Ars Electronica is about to make an award to Linux which, with the best will in the world, cannot be described as a traditional work of art. Have the boundaries of art become so loose that the categories of art and aesthetics fail to contain the essence?

After the wave of interactive art, the focus shifted on to study of the ever deepening internal symbiosis of humans and digital technology. This is what Alien Intelligence is about. What is this strange equipment and what are these artificial creatures surrounding us? How does our dialogue with them affect our inner self? After the era of playing with mere user interfaces we are on the threshold of more challenging contents and a deeper understanding - which doesn't entail abandoning the playfulness and surprise elements, so inherent in media art. Media art must continue to have an identity as an art form. Although the Linux operating system is definitely a creative product and culturally significant, I still wouldn't call it a work of art. Media art may have points in common with practical applications of new technology, but only superficially. Media artists are intrigued by the often problematic and profound matters lying not only on the surface but also much deeper.

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