ITERATIONS uses artistic means to investigate and develop possible forms of transnational cooperation in digital space.

Digital technologies are a fundamental technical, economic and social challenge of the 21st century, which is characterized by a digital revolution and a second machine age. The growing automation is just beginning to be perceived by the general public - and it is a phenomenon that they are fond of admiring. But scientists warn that technology-influenced behaviors will unthinkingly determine the future status quo of our coexistence.

This presupposes, however, that we deal with new technologies and strategies beyond mere use, with their social phenomena in a differentiated way, in order to be able to elaborate norms or laws that regulate the use and application of digital technologies.

"We have the right not to be made predictable."

[Frieder Nake, Professor für Informatik der Universität Bremen]

ITERATIONS is based on the concept of “Iteration”, which is an important module in the open source software development in the form of repetition and circularity as artistic method, where the output of one activity becomes the input for the next one.

In "handover meetings" the participants hand over a selection of their concepts and works to the artists of the next iteration working group and contribute their thoughts, results and experiences. Traditional notions of individual authorship and individual intellectual property will be abandoned in favour of extended textual and work comprehension.

Following the basic idea of open source, a jointly agreed structure will be established for all activities, thus creating a framework for the collective and collaborative process and the resulting reactions and insights. The knowledge generated in this art project can be used as a basis for future networking models.

In the course of the project, practices, materials and generated knowledge will be documented in the form of an archive that will be made accessible to specific target groups (artists, programmers, activists) as well as to a wider audience. The intention of ITERATIONS is to preserve the Internet as a decentralized, free structure for art and culture in view of its ever-increasing complexity and tendencies of appropriation.

64 artists, theorists, programmers, performers from eight countries; work in 25 residencies and worklabs, as well as in online meetings, joint project development meetings and exhibitions in Brussels, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Sicily and Graz; over a period of 3 years.

ITERATIONS is a co-production of the media art initiatives Constant in Brussels, Hangar in Barcelona, Dyne.org in Amsterdam and Sicily and esc medien kunst labor in Graz.

Constant, Association for Art and Media, Brussels

Constant is a research oriented non-profit organisation for experimental digital arts practices, based in Brussels since 1997.

Constant works in the fields of art, media and technology, from a feminist, copy-left and open source perspective. Constant organizes various types of activities on a regular basis for artists, creators and researchers who are interested in experimentations, discussions and exchanges. Interdisciplinary worksessions gather art related professional to experiment and prototype around themes such as data ethics, gender and technology, active archives, digital migrations and networked counter politics. Constant promotes the use and development of Free and Open Source Software within artistic practices. For its public programme, Constant collaborates with partner organisations such as: Beursschouwburg, Recyclart, FoAM, Q-O2, iMAL, NOVA cinema, Royal Library of Belgium, Les Samedies, Amazone, Sophia, Z33, University of Gent, University of Leuven (Computer science) (BE) esc medienkunstlabor (AT) Transmediale (GER), Goldsmith college (UK), Medialab Prado (ES), Piet Zwart Institute, Het Nieuwe Instituut (NL), Aarhus university (DK) etc.

Constants public ranges from audiovisual and digital artists to software programmers, academics, Linux users, interface designers, urban explorers, performance artists, lawyers, body hackers, 3D theorists, game activists, queer designers, software feminists, storytellers and other creative souls.

esc medien kunst labor, Graz

The central task of esc is the production of art. In this context the main focus is on the precise observation and seismographic recording of artistic processes that examine and deal with socio-political developments (information- and biotechnologies, socio-economic systems) and new technologies (hardware and software).

The artistic activities of the esc media art laboratory derive from the notion that art is understood as a subsystem of social and societal reality; the media-specific approach is based on the designation of this reality through “new” culture technologies “new media”.

esc focuses on local and international artists and artists’ collectives as well as art educators and art students, touching different fields: visual and audiovisual art, sound engineering and radio making, media and tech-art, art that explores alternative social forms and life systems. esc gallery is situated in the city center of Graz. The exhibition program reaches passers-by, specialists and art-lovers from all ranges of life.

Hangar, Barcelona

Hangar is a centre for art research and production, offering support to artists. Hangar’s mission is to support the visual artists and creators during the different phases of their art production processes as well as to contribute to the best development of their projects. For doing so, Hangar facilitates equipment, facilities, production assistance and a suitable context for experimentation and free knowledge transfer. The center offers an array of services and a framework that allows for the research and development of art productions in their entirety, or partially. Hangar follows up on the results by including the projects in various networks and platforms, or by detecting possibilities for their incorporation within other fields.

Hangar is a member of Culture Action Europe, Art Factories Barcelona and Xarxaprod (Network of creation and production centres of Catalonia) Hangar is specialized in visual and multimedia artists and creators with a special eye on those who are interested in cross-sector production and transmission of knowledge, contemporary and future narratives, societal inquiries. Experimental collectives, academics, researchers interacts with them through different activities and services.

Dyne.org, Amsterdam/Sicily

Dyne is a foundation committed to the research and development of free and open source software and services. Dyne supports artists, creatives and engaged citizens in the digital age with tools, practices and narratives for community empowerment. Dyne is constituted by an international network of experts syndicating and contributing to diverse technological developments for their quality and role within societies. Dyne shares peer reviews, mutual support and resources for peace and equal rights, operating outside the logic of profit and competition. Dyne supports cooperation within social contexts to leverage on-line and on- ite community values, to empower people with the hacker attitude to re/think, re/mix and re/design to circumvent limitations and find a way out from economies based on scarcity and privilege.

Dyne.org touches different communities: radio makers, computer and reality hackers, humanitarian organisations, artists, medics, activists, educators, art and tech-students, who experiment with creativity, art and artisan-ship exploring new forms of expression and interaction, disseminating new languages that can be freely adopted and modified.

Closing exhibition: Bozar, Brussels

The closing exhibition/presentation of the project ITERATIONS will take place in Brussels will be partly hosted by Palais des Beaux Arts (Bozar) in the frame of the Bozar Electronic Art Festival. A Federal Institute, Bozar is Belgium's largest Center for Fine Arts, housed in the heart of Brussels in a monumental building by architect Victor Horta.