In the 1990s, the CalArts (‪@calartsofficial‬) School of Music was at the forefront of developing new interactive music technology, multimedia performance, and telecommunication art. In 2024, as major institutions in California recognize the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration by participating in PST “Art & Science Collide” (‪@gettymuseum‬), we wanted to bring to light the contribution of the CalArts-based Center for the Art, Information, and Technology (CEAIT), in collaboration with Electronic Café International (ECI), in the lineage of art and technology nexus. In a conversation, the former CEAIT affiliates and collaborators - Becky Allen, Hunter Ochs, Kit Galloway, and Tom Erbe, shared their recollections of the music technology inventions and hybrid practices they witnessed and/or developed over the 1990s. In light of the sudden proliferation of audio+video telecommunication applications and the spread of remote live collaboration, for ex. over Zoom, the panelists, (early adopters), discussed the creative telecollaboration 30 years ago compared to the heyday practices.
The panel discussion & screening took place on June 23rd, 2024 at the Barret Art Gallery of Santa Monica College (‪@SantaMonicaCollegeOfficial‬). The event was a part of the public program of the Digital New Arts (DNA) Festival organized by EZTV and LA-SIGGRAPH in collaboration with the Center for Media & Design of SMC.
Video credit: Michael J. Masucci.