The Place, Ground and Practice Working Group undertakes cultural and artistic investigations at the limits of collaborative practice. Central to the Working Group is an interest in the critique of imperial power and innovative practices that foster progressive change in the new media environment. Recognition of Indigenous practices and cultural politics suggest alternative ways of thinking about location-specific new media work, and influence our understanding of the Pacific Rim as a geographical formation with a rich pre-European history of cultural exchange. Through curatorial, artistic, media and residency activities, the Working Group draws inspiration from this history to propose alternative visions of dominant new media themes (global culture, intellectual properties, disembodied knowledge), with a commitment to politics that is critical, progressive, and reflexive, while maintaining a vision of optimism and enjoyment.

As well as sharing experiences and collaborating on work relating to thematic issues, in December 2005 most of the group converged in Auckland for a symposium entitled Cultural Futures: Place Ground and Practice in Asia Pacific New Media Arts. The symposium was held at Hoani Waititi, an inter-tribal urban marae in with a strong educational and artistic kaupapa, which firmly grounded the dialogue in a local context, responsive to the issues of indigenous self-determination and cultural development. Documentation of the event (including a broadsheet publication) is available from the symposium website.

http://culturalfutures.place.net.nz

A book entitled "PLACE: Local Knowledge and New Media Practice" featuring a number of participants from the symposium, will be published by Cambridge Scholars Press in early 2007.
 

Working Group Members:
Danny Butt, Chair, Partner, Suma Media Consulting, Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand
Jon Bywater, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Jason De Santolo, Jumbunna Research Unit, UTS, University of Technology, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Jenny Fraser, Artist, Queensland, Australia
Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Interdisciplinary Artist/Musician, Banff New Media Institute / Smartlab, Canada
Nova Paul, School of Art and Design, Auckland University of Technology, Aotearoa New Zealand
Lisa Reihana, Artist, Unitec School of Design, Auckalnd, New Zealand