"In Bb 2.0": a Collaborative Project Conceived by Darren Solomon,

here, consisting of an array of 20 YouTube videos with a variety of audio tracks accompanied by visuals of the people creating the audio or other images, any or all of which you can play in any sequence, combination or simultaneously.

I put up an open call on the website for submissions, with these instructions:

• Sing or play an instrument, in Bb major. Simple, floating textures work best, with no tempo or groove. Leave lots of silence between phrases.
  
• Record in a quiet environment, with as little background noise as possible.
  Wait about 5-10 seconds to start playing.
  
• Total length should be between 1-2 minutes.
  
• Thick chords or low instruments don't work very well.
  
• Record at a low volume to match the other videos.
  
• You can listen to this mix on headphones while you record.
  
• After you upload to YouTube, play your video along with the other videos on this page to make sure the volume matches.
  

Nice (thanks, Dan!) More info here.

Exhibitions: Yinko Shonibare MBE

The Newark Museum is showing a new, commissioned piece by Shonibare (through Jan. 3, 2010; sorry, that's the best image I could get).

And the Brooklyn Museum's showing a mid-career survey (through Sept. 20), including these gals (click on the image for a larger version), who must be related to these guys I shot at the 2007 Venice Biennial.

Headlessness seems so right lately.

Finally, Shonibare's work will also be included in the Dallas Museum of Art's exhibition, Performance/Art, Oct. 8 - Mar. 21.

"This [Data] Will Self-Destruct in Five Seconds."

"Vanish is a research [?] system designed to give users control over [their] . . . personal data stored on the web or in the cloud. Specifically, all copies of Vanish encrypted data — even archived or cached copies — will become permanently unreadable at a specific time, without any action on the part of the user or any third party or centralized service.

"For example, . . . a user can create an email, a Google Doc document, a Facebook message, or a blog comment — specifying that the document or message should "vanish" in 8 hours. . . . after that timer expires, nobody can read that web content — not the user, not Google, not Facebook, not a hacker who breaks into the cloud service, and not even someone who obtains a warrant for that data. That data — regardless of where stored or archived prior to the timeout — simply self-destructs and becomes permanently unreadable.

* * * * *
"An enormous amount of private data is now stored on the web or in the cloud, outside the end-user's control. . . . Web-based email systems may back up the message, potentially forever, even if you delete it. Similarly, when you send a message via Facebook or create a Google Doc, you have no idea where and for how long copies of your data will be stored.

" . . . . There are known examples of data remaining in the cloud long after users explicitly request that data's deletion. Private data could be exposed by accidental misconfigurations on a web service, be compromised by hackers, or be used in legal proceedings.'"

(Emphasis supplied; via boingboing, via Ben – thanks!) More at Vanish.

Of course, this means the gummint can "vanish" its own records, too – but lately there's been little to stop them from doing that the old-fashioned way.

Nicolas Bourriaud Re- the "AlterModern"

Bourriaud keeps nailing some of the same things I've been seeing.



Near the end, he suggests history is the new, last undiscovered continent, which artists are exploring as if it were a jungle (cf. my posts on Barney, Linzy, and Trends at the 2009 NYC Fairs.)

Find Bourriaud's altermodernist "manifesto" (and another instance of the video) at the Tate. (Interesting to compare the comments there to those on YouTube.)

L's in Lo Places

TFLNJ: txts frm lst nght.

Can also grow on one: MyLifeIsAverage.

Pres. Jimmy Carter Resigns from his Church over Discrimination Against Women

"'Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status . . . ' (Article 2, Universal Declaration of Human Rights).

"'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.' (Galatians 3:28)

"I have been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world.

"So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention's leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses . . . ordained that women must be 'subservient' to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This was in conflict with my belief – confirmed in the holy scriptures – that we are all equal in the eyes of God.'"

More at the UK Guardian (the story's been scarcely mentioned in the corporate U.S. media).

Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Loses Control, Crashes into Racine Home

(Thanks, Pirate Smile!)

Big Bro Amazon Remotely Deletes Purchased Copies of "1984" from Thousands of Kindles

Too grotesque not to reblog; details here.