Panel Statement

Orai Symposium, October 30  

A new kind of social structure, and an altogether new view of ourselves

Our view of our social structure has undergone an undeniably dramatic change along with the emergence and popularization of computers and the Internet. The shape of our world, and our perception of it, are indelibly affected by changes in the media, given that it is such an integral part of our lives. In this forum, we explored how artists portray our new view of the world, and of ourselves – a view which has undergone drastic change due to the expansion of our sensory perceptions, in terms of time and spatial concepts, as humanity has critically reexamined Descartes’ treatises on the dual nature of mind and body. We also pursued the concept of the ways in which individuals precipitate future trends. Yet another important issue was that of how computer networks would affect the various social structures in the future. And finally, we considered the role of the artist as a “sensor” of social trends.

Panelists:

• Keisuke Oki, Tokyo, Japan, Artist
• Kaoru Motomiya, Japan, Artist
• Troy Innocent, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Design at Monash University, Australia,
• Nancy Nisbet, new media artist http://www.nancynisbet.ca/index.html
• Masao Kohmura (Moderator), Professor, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Chukyo University, Japan