| Ars Electronica on Sat, 11 Apr 1998 18:17:21 +0100 |
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| Syndicate: Declaration of INFOWAR. |
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DECLARATION OF INFOWAR!
Over the past few weeks rumors have been circulating, both
on the Internet and international print, television and
radio media, concerning the libelous distribution of a fake
program announcement for the forthcoming Ars Electronica
festival, "INFOWAR."
This hoax appeared to have been distributed by Ars
Electronica's own mailing list, and was sent to numerous
members of our art and business community in an unwarranted
attempt to undermine relations with our most valued
sponsors. This access to our private lists initially led us
to suspect an 'inside job', and therefore we held off
distributing a public denial while conducting a thorough
investigative check on our staff and volunteers. After a
complete investigation, we are certain that our security has
been breached by an outside source.
We are preparing to fight the spread of disinformation that
has unsuccessfully attempted to undermine the curatorial
integrity of Ars Electronica. We will utilize techniques of
blocking, jamming and deletion to flush out suspected
assailants.
[Please find the original German posting translated below.]
THIS IS INFOWAR !
Ars Electronica has reason to believe the info-warriors were
vain enough to include themselves in the hoax list of
participating artists. From now until the capture and
disclosure of the cyber-terrorists, all parties mentioned in
this hoax will be removed from all Ars Electronica events.
Please note that we plan to prosecute to the full extent of
the law. We ask that any individual with any information
that might lead to the exposure of the criminals step
forward in order to expedite the removal of these imposed
sanctions. Ars Electronica is offering financial
compensation or public commemoration to any individual or
organization offering information leading to the
perpetrators. Information by parties wishing to remain
anonymous will also be accepted.
Documentation of this conflict will be exhibited at the Ars
Electronica Infowar festival at an event and symposium
entitled "The Advantage of Recuperation".
RUMORS
We wish to dispel a number of false rumors that have been
circulating around this incident, mistakenly perpetuated by
the international media and Internet art community.
1. Our corporate sponsorship remains intact and unaffected
by this incident.
It has been suggested that our trusted relationships with
existing sponsors have been damaged, and that we have been
seeking new funding sources; this is not the case. It is
also not true that Ars Electronica Festival is in financial
crisis after the reported withdrawal of Arbeiter Kammer, Sun
Microsystems and Siemens Nixdorf. Organizations the size of
Ars Electronica regularly reassess their partnerships,
making additions and withdrawals daily occurrences: this
process has remained unscathed by this minor hoax.
2. We suspect a group of charlatans NOT rival companies and
sponsors.
We must dispel rumors that this crime was initiated by a
rival company or a former corporate sponsor. Again there is
no evidence to substantiate this claim and is most likely an
attempt by the responsible artists or hackers to cover their
own tracks.
3. This is NOT an art project submition to the Infowar
festival, but a poor attempt to undermine a valuable themed
show.
This crime must NOT be misinterpretted as art. In its lack of
institutional context, and in its disruption of order, is
merely misplaced propaganda and an aimless and meaningless
criminal act. Art MUST reflect the order of things and NOT
oppose them. It MUST draw attention to itself and NOT to
external issues.
Naive supporters of this hoax have repeatedly suggested that
the best art can be made without the aid of high-tech
corporations or institutional sponsorship, which is clearly
not supported or substantiated by the facts of history.
THE FUTURE PLAN
To prevent further security breaches all future
communications, (this one included), will be authenticated
with a digital signature. If you receive further unsigned
email that appears to originate from Ars Electronica,
please delete immediately.
>Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 14:58:40 +0100
>To: Ars Electronica <[email protected]>
>From: Ars Electronica <[email protected]>
>Mime-Version: 1.0
>Subject: INFOWAR - Weapons of Contemporary Communications Technology.
>Precedence: bulk
>Cc:[email protected],
>[email protected],
>a3boom! (magazin fuer marketing) <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>apa austria presse agentur marketing <[email protected]>,
>appletime (zeitschrift) <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>brian springer <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>calin dan <[email protected]>
>[email protected],
>com (computerzeitschrift erb-verlag)
<[email protected]>,
>computerwelt <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>critical art ensemble <[email protected]>,
>david blair <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>debra solomon <[email protected]>,
>der neue grazer <[email protected]>,
>der standard (tageszeitung) <[email protected]>,
>diana mccarty <[email protected]>,
>[email protected] ,
>[email protected],
>etoy <[email protected]>
>eugene kashpureff <[email protected]>,
>eva grubinger <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>fiala franz (chefredakeur pc-news) <[email protected]>,
>frannie armstrong <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>gary singh <[email protected]>,
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>geert lovink <[email protected]>,
>graham harwood <[email protected]>,
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>[email protected],
>hightech presse <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>igler andre (wirtschaftsblatt) <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>[email protected]
>ingo gçnther <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>[email protected],
>jesis <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>john perry barlow <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>jordan crandall <[email protected]>,
>journal networks <[email protected]>,
>kapper harald (computerwelt) <[email protected]>,
>knowbotic research <[email protected]>,
>[email protected],
>kunstradio <[email protected]>,
>
>
>PRESS RELEASE 02.04.98
>
>Ars Electronica 98
>INFOWAR - Weapons of Contemporary Communications Technology.
>7.-12. Sept. 98
>Linz, Austria
>
>For further information please contact:
>Maria Falkinger / Gabi Hofer
>Presse und Information
>Tel: +43.732.7272-72
>Fax: +43.732.7272-77
>e-mail: [email protected]
>On line - Information: http://www.aec.at
>
>Curated by: gerfried stocker <[email protected]>
>
>
>InfoWar
>
>The Ars Electronica Festival of Art, Technology and Society,
>presents work on the social and political definition of the
>information society. The emphasis here will lie not on
>technological flights of fancy, but on the fronts drawn up
>in a society that is in a process of fundamental and violent
>upheaval. The critical aspects of information warfare are
>information denial, protection and distortion.
>
>The latest upheaval caused by the series of critical texts
>and press releases periodically distributed by Ars
>Electronica anonymously since December 1997 has laid bare
>the vulnerability of a global market as well as the
>impossibility of regulating ownership and authority in the
>electronic circus, such as only the digital revolution could
>have mothered. Hegemonic critical discourses are losing
>their power in regulating the international value of their
>currencies; they can no longer control, but only react. This
>was acutely illustrated in the indignant and outraged
>reactions to the critical forgeries of the last months, in
>response to the release of information warfare targeting the
>art world with forged texts masquerading as art world
>players such as Timothy Druckery, Peter Weibel, Mark Amerika
>and Joshua Decter, faked exhibition press releases for
>nonexistent shows at Los Angeles County Museum of Art,
>Lisson Gallery in London, among other incidents. The
>outcries against these works focused mainly on the legality
>and the political viability of the strategy of info-warfare
>and came both from individuals and institutional forces with
>unacknowledged investment in a mainstream international art
>world. Such reactions revealed a deeply entrenched
>commitment to an authoritative system of control and power
>that is rapidly fading. Those witnessing their positions of
>power undermined, and hard pressed to loosen their hold of
>the control of signification, have desperately sought out
>retaliation by threatening litigation and through base name
>calling, accusing their so called victimizers of naivete,
>ignorance, self promotion and racism.
>
>One cannot help but question the nature of the political
>investment of each of these so called counterculture
>critics, each of whom understand the forgeries as personal
>attacks, revealing the way in which their private investment
>in their own power and authority overshadowed postures of
>radical, avant-garde or leftist agendas.
>
>This infowar ammunition, initially released as a means to
>provoke debate and discussion about power, investment and
>the status of information as commodity in the art world, has
>served its aims well. Casualties in the form of polarization
>of individuals and bad faith accusations directed at
>underground net artists are an inevitable aftermath of any
>war, whether a war of bodies or a war of information.
>
>It is without a doubt that those who master the techniques
>of information warfare will find themselves at an advantage
>over those who have not; indeed, information warfare where
>machines fight machines will, in and of itself, relegate
>other organ and blood based warfare to the sidelines. We
>will finally be able to experience the aesthetics of pure
>war.
>
>
>
>PROGRAM OF EVENTS
>
>SYMPOSIUM
>
>Nihilism On The Run.
>
> "The new cultural battlefield of electromagnetic waves,
> jamming, sensors and deception is an unavoidable electronic
> plane which intersects even the most ardent luddite",
> President of Vickers Incorporated.
>
> Moderation: Geert Lovink, writer.
>
> Leaving The Self Build Castles.
>
> "The Most Radical Gesture is Sacrifice", Kali.
>
> Speakers: - Mark Dery, theorist.
> - Sadie Plant, writer.
> - Peter Lamborn Wilson, writer.
> - Frannie Armstrong, aktivist.
> - Graham Harwood, artist.
> - Critical Art Ensemble, writers.
> - Calin Dan, artist.
> - Diana McCarty, activist.
> - Keiko Sei, curator.
>
> Console Revolutionaries.
>
> "The Internet has become a new medium for political imagination
> and a new form of social representation, due particularly
> to the mediation possibilities provided by the World Wide
> Web.", Dewy Reid, Creative Director, Microsoft Network.
>
> Speakers: - Benjamin Weil, Curator.
> - Ingo Gunther, artist.
> - John Perry Barlow, activist.
> - Richard Barbrook, writer.
>
>
>PROJECTS
>
>Seven forms of information warfare -- conflicts that involve
>the protection, manipulation, degradation, and denial of
>information -- can be distinguished:
>
>Command-And-Control Warfare (which strikes against the enemy's head
and neck).
>Decapitation can be accomplished by a blow to the head or by severing
the
>neck, each thrust serving a different tactical and strategic purpose.
>Gunning for the commander's head is an old aspect of warfare:
>
> Installationen - The Naval Research Laboratory Tactical Electronic
Warfare
> Division shows "10,000 Invisible Iraqi Corpses",
inspired
> by Jim Gasperini.
>
> Event - Using Digital Equipment's Rackmount Digital
> MicroVAX 3100 Simon Poulter presents "Going For
Gold".
>
> Network - With Compaq's Professional Workstation 5000
> Paul Garrin hosts Name Space.
>
> Exhibitions - Netnames Plc introduces data interception works
> "Success In Warfare Is Gained By Carefully
Accommodating
> Ourselves To The Enemies Purpose" by Trina Mould.
> - Microsoft with the aid of PowerPoint¨ 97 for
Windows¨
> 95 introduces "There's nowhere left to go".
>
>Intelligence-Based Warfare (which consists of the design, protection,
and
>denial of systems that seek sufficient knowledge to dominate the
>battlespace):
>
> Installationen - Stanford University's Hoover Institution on War,
> Revolution, and Peace shows "Practice
Dissimulation
> And You Will Succeed", work by Natalie
Jeremijenko.
>
> Event - Adt Security Systems premier "Rapid Eye"
performance,
> endorsed by Julia Scher.
>
> Network - With the aid of Hewlett-Packard's HP 9000
Enterprise
> Servers, I/O/D Inc. distributes "The Web Stalker".
>
> Exhibitions - Reuters Holdings PLC "5 Minutes Delayed",
> authenticated by Antonio Muntadas.
> - IVEX shows "Aero Realty - Visual Systems For
> Simulation", validated by Ken Goldberg.
>
>Electronic Warfare (radio, electronic or cryptographic techniques):
>
> Installationen - ORF Nachrichten introduces "The Ardent Cultural
> Battlefield Luddite", representing Brian Springer.
>
> Event - Oesterreichische Brau Ag in conjunction with
> The Zapatistas presents "Press/ Ferment/ Release".
>
> Network - Creditanstalt International releases "Pretty Good
Profit",
> in association with Phil Zimmerman.
>
> Exhibitions - Oracle Corporation opens "Born In The Era Of The
Internet",
> endorsed by Jenny Holzer.
> - Ericsson Austria AG presents using their Mobile
Datennetze
> (Mobitex), "OZONE - The Portable Pirate Radio
Station".
>
>Psychological Warfare (in which information is used to change the
minds of
>friends, neutrals, and foes):
>
> Installationen - Silicon Graphics Inc installs Integrated
Ballistics
> Identification System IBISTM for the piece
"Propagating
> Posthuman Paranoia", recommended by N. Katherine
Hayles.
>
> Event - Netscape Communications Corporation hosts "Avoid
What
> Is Strong And Strike At What Is Weak", with
special
> guest Hakim Bey.
>
> Network - Libro Online launches "Cyberthugees - Character
> Assassination", with virtual signings by Luther
Blisset.
>
> Exhibitions - Arbeiterkammer Oberssterreich shows documentation
of
> black email hate campaigns, researched by
Jealousie.
> - Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG opens
"Leading
> The Enemy By The Leash", assisted by Valie Export.
>
>Hacker Warfare (In which computer systems are attacked):
>
> Installationen - Softimage opens "Machinen uber menschen" using
> Softimage|DS, with help from Ingo Gunther.
>
> Event - Martin Mitnic performs "Divine Manipulation Of The
> Threads" live from goal !
>
> Network - Matel launches "Workers Hack The Pentagon To Boost
> Subversion Funds", backed by Rtmark.
>
> Exhibitions - Rop Gongrip of XS4ALL shows counter Cyberpromo
> documentation.
> - Alternic Network Information Center presents
"Virtual
> Frontline", inspired by Eugene Kashpureff.
>
>Economic Information Warfare (blocking information or channeling it
>to pursue economic dominance):
>
> Installationen - Dow Jones' employee Nick Leason formerly of
Bearings Bank
> shows "Unsanctioned Activities".
>
> Event - Quantum Funds' George Soros makes a practical
> demonstration of The Theorie of Reflexivity.
>
> Network - National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) hosts
"ECHELON -
> Intercept The Ordinary", with cooperation from
> Toshio Iwai.
> - S plus S marketing releases "Weapons of
Contemporary
> Communications Technology".
>
> Exhibitions - Albanian Democratic Party presents Albanian
pyramid
> marketing entitled "With the DP everybody wins".
> - Ars Electronica Marketing department reveals
"Ersatz
> Posting Scandal of Late 1997".
>
>Cyberwarfare (a grab bag of futuristic scenarios):
>
> Installationen - McDonnell Douglas presents "all warfare is based
on
> deception" with the aid of Defense Message System
(DMS),
> supported by Knowbotic Research.
>
> Event - Center for Defense Information will host "Search
for
> secret Soviet intelligence weapons depots in the
> Austrian Alps" with ETOY as mountain guides.
>
> Network - France Telecom North America introduces "Reflex
> Forum - a counter gang artists project".
>
> Exhibitions - General Dynamics discusses "Anti Soviet becomes
Anti
> Islam Corpse Concealing Propaganda", endorsed by
> David Blair.
> - Sun Microsystems' SPARCengineTM CP family hosts
> "C@C - Computer Aided Commodification", researched
> by Eva Grubinger.
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>From [email protected] Tue Dec 2 04:54:43 1997
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Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 14:55:13 +1100
From: marko peljhan <[email protected]>
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Dear colleagues,
this is just a short note from Tasmania, where I've had a lecture
(Eastern European Technological Arts Scene) and presented a lot of
"unknown" web sites and talked extensively about the "deep europe"
issues, the workshop, made some illegal copies of the DE reader and
distributed URL lists and ZKP 4's, which are still abundant in
Ljubljana, so anybody interested to distribute them (sic!) should apply
asap to me, Vuk, or Luka.
The result:
deep australia and deep oceania was very much interested in the issues
and the variety of approaches taken by different authors and writers,
many of whom read this list, nettime and others.
there is an immediate need for:
- arround 30 readers (for the university, the library, the interested
deep tasmanians etc.)
- since I have been able to talk but not to show, there is a lot of
interest in the new video production, especially from territories of
former Yugoslavia (Bosnia, Serbia), Moldova, Albania, Romania and so on.
Deep Europe.
Is anybody working on a compilation of this work, is anybody cataloguing
it, because there is interest here and elswhere to show it in this
region, which has a lot of distribution potential. So, please, Edi,
Kathy, whoever is working on this, if somebody is, please let me know or
just post some information on the list and we can later connect with
CAST here, which will take care of the rest. Of course, in exchange,
they are offering Tasmanian video.
A good reader to accompany the program would be most welcome.
And, how to get hold of the DE readers?
stop
This is just to let you know that it was an interesting encounter of
distant cultural practices and approaches which should start to
communicate more deeply and on a more regular basis.