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Artmedia was one of the first scientific projects concerning the relationship between art, technology, philosophy and aesthetics. It was founded in 1985 at the University of Salerno. For over two decades, until 2009, dozens of projects, studies, exhibitions and conferences on new technologies^[1] made Artmedia a reference point for many internationally renowned scholars and artists,^[2] and contributed to the growing cultural interest in the aesthetics of media, the aesthetics of networks, and their ethical and anthropological implications.

Beginnings and international events

Since the late 1970s, a permanent Seminar of the Aesthetics of Media and Communication has been directed by its founder Mario Costa at the University of Salerno. The basic principles of the aesthetics of technological communication were identified and conceptualized in 1983.^[3] A conference on "Technological Imaginary", held in 1984 at the Museo del Sannio in Benevento, discussed the issue of the new relationship between art and technology and the consequent need to re-evaluate aesthetics, warning that "all our future existence will be played at the crossroads between technology and imagination".^[4]

The comprehensive relationship between art and technoscience, technology, and philosophy has also been the theoretical subject of the ten international "Artmedia" conferences which were held in Salerno and Paris between 1985 and 2008. Particularly relevant were conferences held in Paris between 2002 and 2008, which took place at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, the Bibliotheque Nationale de France (BNF) and the Institut National d'Histoire de l 'Art (INHA), with the partnership of the Société Française d'Esthétique, the Université du Québec à Montréal, the University of Toronto, the Universidade de São Paulo, the Université de Paris 1 Sorbonne, and the U.S. magazine Leonardo.^[5]

Continuous debate between artists and theorists

Artmedia wanted to gather theorists and artists from all over the world and encourage both joint and complementary work, beginning with the need to give attention to theoretical and artistic practices and developing both together. These also contributed towards spreading the spirit of the project, both in a number of festivals and shows, and through their own artworks and research.^[6]

Theorists who worked with Artmedia and participated in its activities included Bernard Stiegler, René Berger, Abraham Moles, Derrick De Kerckhove, Pierre Levy, Gillo Dorfles, Paul Virilio, Frank Popper, Roger Malina, Daniel Charles, José Jiménez, Anne Cauquelin, Edgar Morin, Thierry de Duve, Catherine Millet, Filiberto Menna, Andreas Broeckmann, Rudolf zur Lippe, Edmond Couchot, Dominique Chateau, Yannick Geffroy, Philippe Queau, Arlindo Machado, Tetsuo Kogawa, and Bernard Teyssedre.

Artists included Fred Forest, Roy Ascott, Takahiko Iimura, Maurizio Bolognini, Tom Klinkowstein, Tom Sherman, Eduardo Kac, Enzo Minarelli, James Dashow, Peter D'Agostino, Mit Mitropoulos, Shawn Brixey, Bruno Di Bello, Antoni Muntadas, Orlan, Kit Galloway, David Rokeby, Miguel Chevalier, Norman White, Richard Kriesche, Olivier Auber, Caterina Davinio and Casey Reas.^[7]

The questions raised in various projects promoted by Artmedia, in a continuous dialogue between artists and theorists, led to discussions on topics including Aesthetics of Communication and the anthropology of the future (1985), Global aesthetic communication (1986), Electronic performativity and the art system (1990), Neo-technological arts between aesthetics and communication (1992), Aesthetic research and technology (1995), Developments in aesthetics: change or mutation? (1999), From the Aesthetics of Communication to Net art (2002), and Ethics, aesthetics and techno-communication. The future of meaning (2008).

All Artmedia symposiums have been followed by many publications. For the two held in Paris, a complete video recording is also available, and can be viewed at the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel.

An assessment of 25 years of Artmedia activity was made into a seminar on The aesthetic object of the future, held at the University of Salerno in 2009. The Artmedia project produced a large number of publications and documents that are being catalogued, with a view to their proper placement and use.

Key areas of investigation

Electronic music
Photochemical versus digital photography
Aesthetics of radio
Electroacoustic poetry
Electronic writing and poetry
Video art
Generative art and software art
Computer art
Aesthetics of networks
Net art
Aesthetics of virtual
Telerobotics and remote interactivity
Aesthetics of (technological) flux versus aesthetics of form

Proceedings and catalogs

Artmedia I (1985)

Mario Costa (ed.) (1985), Artmedia, Salerno: Opera Universitaria di Salerno (Catalog, pp. 206).^[8]

Artmedia II (1986)

Mario Costa (ed.) (1986), Artmedia, II Convegno Internazionale di Estetica della comunicazione, Salerno: Università di Salerno (Catalog, pp. 80).^[9]

Artmedia III (1990)

Mario Costa (ed.) (1990), Artmedia. Terzo Convegno Internazionale di Estetica dei Media e della Comunicazione. Catalogo, Salerno: Università degli Studi di Salerno (Catalog, pp. 80).
Mario Costa (ed.) (1990), Artmedia. Terzo Convegno Internazionale di Estetica dei Media e della Comunicazione. Atti, Salerno: Università degli Studi di Salerno (Proceedings, pp. 96).^[10]

Artmedia IV (1992)

Mario Costa (ed.) (1992), Nuovi media e sperimentazione d’artista, Naples: Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane (including Artmedia IV Proceedings, pp. 1–156).^[11]

Artmedia V (1995)

Università degli Studi di Salerno, Comune di Salerno (1995), Quinto Convegno Internazionale di Estetica dei Media e della Comunicazione, Salerno (maquette).

Artmedia VI (1997)

Università degli Studi di Salerno, Fondazione Filiberto Menna (1997), Artmedia VI, Salerno (maquette).^[12]

Artmedia VII (1999)

Mario Costa (ed.) (1999), Artmedia VII, Settimo Convegno Internazionale di Estetica dei Media e della Comunicazione, Salerno: Università degli Studi di Salerno (Catalog, pp. 60).^[13]

Artmedia VIII (2002)

Dossier Artmedia VIII, in "Ligeia", Paris, 2002, pp. 21–245 (CNRF journal, including Artmedia VIII Proceedings).
Mario Costa (ed.) (2004), New Technologies: Roy Ascott, Maurizio Bolognini, Fred Forest, Richard Kriesche, Mit Mitropoulos, Salerno: Artmedia, Museo del Sannio (Catalog, pp. 64).^[14]

Artmedia IX (2005)

Mario Costa (ed.) (2005), Phenomenology of New Tech Arts, Salerno: Università di Salerno (Catalog, pp. 56).^[15]

Artmedia X (2008)

Mario Costa, Fred Forest (eds) (2011), Ethique, esthétique, communication technologique dans l'art contemporain ou le destin du sens, Paris: Institut National Audiovisuel, Editions L'Harmattan (including Artmedia X Proceedings).^[16]

References

^ In addition to the ten international "Artmedia" conferences, which took place in Salerno and Paris from 1985 to 2008, the Laboratory has led to numerous other initiatives and events, such as "L'immaginario tecnologico", 1984 (conference and exhibition); "Technettronica", 1989 (Exhibition about the Aesthetics of Communication); "Estetica e antropologia", 1983 (International Symposium); "Tecnologie e forme nell'arte e nella scienza", 2003 (International Symposium); "New Technologies: Roy Ascott, Maurizio Bolognini, Fred Forest, Richard Kriesche, Mit Mitropoulos", Museo del Sannio, 2003 (Exhibition on the Aesthetics of Communication); "Estetica e tecnologia", 1987 (Symposium); "L'immateriale in piazza" (Aitiani, Forest, Mitropoulos, Grossi, Prado), Naples, 1992 (Exhibition on the Aesthetics of Communication); "Un'estetica per i media" 1989 (RAI, Dipartimento Scuola Educazione, TV program); "Cartacarbone", 1990 (radio program); "Coincidences", 1995 (Aesthetics journal, in French); "Epiphaneia", 1995-1996 (Aesthetics journal, in Italian). See Edition spéciale Artmedia, "Art Press", Paris, 2002.
^ A. R., Des hauts et débats. Colloque Artmedia VIII, "Liberation", November 29, 2002, p. 13; Dossier: De l’esthétique de la communication au Net Art, "Art Press", 285, November 2002, pp. 37-43.
^ The history of the "aesthetics of communication", especially upon its debut in the 1980s, is recorded in the book by Mario Costa,The Aesthetics of Communication. Aesthetic use of simultaneity at a distance, Rome, Castelvecchi, 1999; its basic principles, formulated by Costa, were expressed for the first time in News and Notes, published by the International Center of Aesthetic Communication, Salerno, 1986.
^ "Aa. Vv., L’immaginario tecnologico, Museo del Sannio, Benevento, p. 8.
^ See Mario Costa, Fred Forest (eds) (2011), Ethique, esthétique, communication technologique dans l'art contemporain ou le destin du sens, Paris: Institut National Audiovisuel, Editions L'Harmattan, and Dossier Artmedia VIII, in "Ligeia", Paris, 2002.
^ Antonella Fimiani, Arte & tecnologia, la frontiera-Salerno, in "Il Mattino", November 24, 1999, p. 23; Sylvie Lisiecki e Marie Saladin, Fenetrês sur les arts numériques, in "Croniques de la Bibliothèque Nationale de France", 46, 2008.
^ On the participation of artists and theorists, see in particular: Mario Costa, Fred Forest (eds) (2011), Ethique, esthétique, communication technologique dans l'art contemporain ou le destin du sens, Paris: Institut National Audiovisuel, Editions L'Harmattan; Mario Costa (ed.) (2004), New Technologies: Roy Ascott, Maurizio Bolognini, Fred Forest, Richard Kriesche, Mit Mitropoulos, Salerno: Artmedia, Museo del Sannio; Dossier Artmedia VIII, in "Ligeia", Paris, 2002, pp. 21-245; Edition spéciale Artmedia, "Art Press", Paris, 2002; see also the OLATS/Leonardo websites: http://www.olats.org/projetpart/artmedia/2002/mono_index.php Archived 2011-01-29 at the Wayback Machine and http://www.olats.org/projetpart/artmedia/2008/mono_index.php Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine .
^ On Artmedia I, see also: Video Magazine, IV, 43, 1985, p.13; Mario Costa, Artmedia, Salerne et l’esthétique de la communication, "Plus Moins Zéro", Editeur S. Rona, 1, Bruxelles 1985, pp.3-4; C.A. Art et technologies de la communication à Salerne, in "L'art vivante", 11 nouvelle série, Paris 1985, pp. 15 e 54; Mario Costa, Video Images και Media-performances, in "CAMERA review", Athens 1986, pp. 47-49; Artmedia: dateci un video e solleveremo l'arte, in "Il Mattino", May 18, 1985, p. 6; Angelo Trimarco, Lontano dal pennello, in "Il Mattino", July 8, 1985, p. 3; Rino Mele, Il video è un'arte che viene da lontano, in "Paese Sera", July 15, 1985, p. 5; Vitaliano Corbi, Artmedia: rassegna di estetica del video e della comunicazione, in “”Paese Sera” (Napoli), May 20. 1985, p. 3; Carla Errico, Sette giorni per parlare di video-comunicazioni, in "Il Mattino", May 19, 1985, p. 17; Natan Karczmar, ART MEDIA en Italie, in "Réalités d’Israel", 1985, p. 18; Stella Cervasio, Artmedia, l'arte del video, in "La Torre", 1985, p. 3.
^ In addition, see Gianpiero Gamaleri, Pennello elettronico per il video artista, in "Radiocorriere TV", 8, 1986, pp. 102-103; Valerio Caprara, A Salerno "Art media", ovvero video e dintorni, in "Il Mattino", May 27, 1986, p. 12; Filiberto Menna, Estetica della comunicazione e video arte a Salerno. Quando evento e trasmissione coincidono, in "Paese Sera", June 9, 1986, p. 3; Video Magazine, 55, 1986, p. 13; Mario Forgione, Tanta nostalgia per la radio. Problemi di un'estetica della radiofonia, Napoli Oggi, June 26, 2006, p. 7; Giuseppe Rocca, La prosa riposa. Radio/Iniziativa al Grenoble, in "Il Mattino", June 13, 1986, p. 10; Alfredo D'Agnese, L'estetica del video, in "Il Giornale di Napoli", May 22, 1986, p. 11.
^ On Artmedia III, see also: Vincenzo Cuomo, Teoria e performances al convegno "Artmedia", in "Mass Media", 5, 1990, pp. 68-70; Fred Forest, Colloque Artmedia III, in "Communication et langages", vol. 86, 1990, pp. 119-120; Mario Costa, La nuova immagine della comunicazione, in "Il Mattino", November 6, 1990, Libri & Arte, p. IV; Mario Lignano, Il futuro è presente, in "Enne", 41, 1990, p. 14; Antonio Marmo, Il mandala nel computer, in "Gazetta di Salerno", November 22, 1990, p. 8.
^ See also Riccardo Notte, L'arte multimediale e l'estetica della comunicazione, in "Roma", November 19, 1992, p. 15.
^ On Artmedia VI, see also: Annibale Elia, Arti moderne, kermesse a Salerno. In rassegna ipertesti e iper-media: la postmodernità, in "Il Mattino", November 26, 1997, p. 33; Salvatore Sabatino, Artmedia tra ateneo e città, in "Cronache del Mezzogiorno", November 27, 1997, p. 7.
^ On Artmedia VII see also: Claudia Bonasi, Artmedia, tra videoistallazioni e scrittura digitale, in "Corriere del Mezzogiorno", November 24, 1999, p. 2; Patrizia Sessa, Artmedia. Linguaggio artistico d’avanguardia, in "La Città", November 24, 1999, p. 37; Antonella Fimiani, Arte & tecnologia, la frontiera-Salerno, in "Il Mattino", November 24, 1999, p. 23; Antonella Croce, I media e la comunicazione, in "Cronache del Mezzogiorno", November 24, 1999, p. 33; Enrica Tifatino, Mutamenti estetici e comunicazione, in "Il Denaro", November 27, 1999, p. 57; Re.Ga., Al via la settima edizione di Art media, in "Cronache del Mezzogiorno", November 20, 1999, p. 27.
^ See also, about Artmedia VIII: the OLATS/Leonardo website http://www.olats.org/projetpart/artmedia/2002/mono_index.php Archived 2011-01-29 at the Wayback Machine ; Edition spéciale Artmedia, "Art Press", Paris, 2002; A.R., Des hauts et débats. Colloque Artmedia VIII, in "Liberation", November 29, 2002, p. 13; Felice Piemontese, Artmedia trasloca a Parigi, in "Il Mattino", November 29, 2002, p. 19; Matteo D’Ambrosio, Tutto cambia con la Net Art, in "Il Denaro", December 30, 2002, p. 32; Dossier: De l’esthétique de la communication au Net Art, in "Art Press", 285, 2002, pp. 37-43.
^ On Artmedia IX, see also: Mario Franco, La creatività è multimediale, in "La Repubblica", November 25, 2005, p. XIII; Gianni Valentino, Musica & Arte. Nella notte del Grenoble si ascolta l’Etna, in "La Repubblica", November 26, 2005, pp. XVI-XVII; Maria Romana Del Mese, Art media a Salerno tra filosofi e matematici, in "Roma-Cultura", November 22, 2005, p. 9; Salerno capitale internazionale della musica elettronica, in "Corriere del Mezzogiorno", November 23, 2005, p. 15.
^ Extensive documentation on Artmedia X is on-line at OLATS / Leonardo http://www.olats.org/projetpart/artmedia/2008/mono_index.php Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine ; see also Sylvie Lisiecki, Marie Saladin, Fenetrês sur les arts numériques, in "Croniques de la Bibliothèque Nationale de France", 46, 2008, p. 22.