Michael Mandiberg

A quick post about a new project i'm doing with Marisa Olson.  Its called "Marisa Olson writes her Dissertation: An Endurance Performance in 31 Acts"  (http://www.marisaolson.com/31acts/)  Directed by me, Michael Mandiberg, performed by Marisa Olson.

Marisa is really really good at doing these intense endurance performances (she created, produced and taped a DIY TV show in Berlin for 15 days straight) but has been avoiding her diss. Making art is so much more fun.

So i thought: what if we reframed the diss as an endurance performance, complete with surveillance and an audience.  I wrote some scripts that take screenshots and photos off of the built in webcam and upload them to the server every minute.  

So you are the audience now.  It is kind of addictive watching.  Watching the changing look of concentration.  It also dovetails well with the topic of the dissertation, which partly deals with sousveillance and art!

Here is the more formal "Project Description":

Veterans of web-based autobiographical performance, Olson and "Coach Mandiberg" have teamed-up to get Marisa through her dissertation by framing it as an act of endurance. Every day for the month of September, Olson will spend all day writing while webcam shots and screencaps of her desktop are automatically uploaded to the net every 60 seconds. This gesture of transparency is a continuation of Olson's research into the role of sousveillance in "The Art of Protest." www.marisaolson.com/31acts/ 

Tags:   31acts · collaboration · VideoNo Comments