Author Archives: jolanta

"Art" and "play" are almost impossible to define–both are characterized by infinite variability, risk and invention. Most of us consider adult play as respite or indulgence, but having fun is no trivial pursuit. In fact, it’s crucial to our mental creativity, health and happiness. Unburdened by consciousness or self-consciousness, we act spontaneously. Play restores our […]

Molly Kleiman: In each issue of Artic, numerous artists respond to a given theme with original, innovative, reproducible works. As one of the co-creators of this publication, what would you note as the genesis of this project? Redefining an Active Reader Molly Kleiman courtesy of the artistMolly Kleiman: In each issue of Artic, numerous artists […]

It was no different from any other Carnegie Hall concert. While the solo pianist played waltz after waltz that begged for dancers, the audience stayed decorously still. Jason Freeman’s Othello Principle Dawn Chan courtesy of the artist It was no different from any other Carnegie Hall concert. While the solo pianist played waltz after waltz […]

At the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York, "Digital Play: Reloaded" bleeped and whizzed into its opening–a museum-arcade of nostalgic cabinets (Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Burnout 3: Take Down) alongside Sony’s Eyetoy for Playstation, and a mod of Dance Dance Revolution (known simply as DDR to those in the know) called Stepmania, […]

English?a language clogged with synonyms?is entirely uncreative in describing play. Try a couple that my Encarta suggests: "Recreation" (sounds institutional); "fool around" (too x-rated); "have fun" (vague). Other languages provide many more distinctions. Play! Molly Kleiman An invite to a conceptual art party: 60 participants with synchronized discmen arrived in Central Park and wandered together […]

Margot Jacobs is an interaction design researcher who is dedicated to the playful, emotional incorporation of technology in everyday life. She develops innovative design methods and experimental prototypes for social interventions in public space. An American, she now works with the Interactive Institute in Sweden specifically with the former PLAY Studio (recently split and renamed […]

What excites me about this body of work is how it connects Sowon Kwon?s ongoing investigation of the body and subjectivity to her newest thinking about how electronic media shapes the space of memory. Questioning Memory Christina Yang, curator What excites me about this body of work is how it connects Sowon Kwon’s ongoing investigation […]

What is beautiful? How do we even attempt to create a criteria? And if something fits that prescription, can it still be beautiful? Stefania Carrozzini explores: Beauty in Art, Art in Beauty Rebecca Seefen-Soliman Exhibition view of "The most beautiful thing I ever saw" currated by Stefania Carrozzini at the Berliner Kunstprojekt. What is beautiful? […]

What is the opposite of a one-man show of my own fingernail parings, signatures, and unique medical waste? Collage! A mixture of fragments (I know: "no mo’ po-mo, mo-fo") assembled in the gallery from the many, many, many places where I "found" them. Rhythm Science, by Paul D. Miller, a.k.a. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid […]

The mythic, iconic figure, Joseph Beuys has waited over twenty years for a retrospective in the United States with only one venue, the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas. Overseas in London, the Tate Modern will be the second and last stop of an engaging and timely show that asks almost as much of the viewer […]