Machine Art of the Twentieth Century
A brief introduction to the history of media art and the philosophy of technology
Introductory 2019
Machine Art of the Twentieth Century: Telegraph/Telephone
The telegraph was the first widespread means of electronic transmission of messages at a distance. In the prototypes of the telegraph (Caselli’s machine) one can trace both the echoes of spiritistic séances and the prototype of facsimile transmission of messages Its rhythm determined not only the directions of avant-garde poetry of the beginning of the century (“Caligrams” by G. Apollinaire) and serves as a material for the works of modern technological artists (Paul de Marinnis).
The advent of the telephone changed many things, the accumulation of key technologies of the twentieth century in it changed almost everything. Since the 60’s a number of audio recordings available through the phone call have become curated spaces for exhibiting all sorts of sound art. Today we can talk about it as a universal artistic tool and an element of cyborgization of the human body.
Machine Art of the Twentieth Century: Radio
Radio was the first way to transmit a sound signal over a distance. Throughout the twentieth century, radio connected, promoted, guided and united people. For the first time it was possible to be together in solitude, radio outlined the changing soundscape of what is commonly called home. Gradually, the soundscape diversified and changed, and programmatic media gave way to platforms in which content is created by users. Now radio technology-and the radio itself, which has absorbed all previous associations and meanings-can become a tool in the hands of contemporary artists.
Machine Art of the Twentieth Century: Computer
The universal computing machine brings to contemporary art the concept of informational aesthetics (M. Bense). A work of digital or computer art receives an algorithmic aspect and begins to unfold before the viewer’s eyes. Its form becomes non-infinite and changeable, it can be deployed on multiple surfaces.
Machine Art of the Twentieth Century: Sputnik
Space travel becomes both the end of the era of great discoveries and the transition of theosophy into communication theory: communication with aliens is replaced by visions of god and saints, and the dream of space is replaced by the dream of long-distance travel. “Philosophy of the Common Cause” of Nikolai Fedorov, formulated at the end of the 19th century influences the idea of flight in weightlessness important as a
Satellite as a technology not only provides the first pictures of the earth with a “divine eye”, enables teleconferences and live sports broadcasts, but also makes cellular communication and geolocation possible.
The lecture will talk about the dreams of Russian cosmonauts, space aesthetics and geolocation art:
Prometheus Research Institute, Bulat Galeyev
Tom Sachs
Philipp Ronnenberg, Open Positioning System (2012).
Hojun Song at launch for Open Source Stellite
Julian Oliver, Border Bumping,
Шон Раффман 9 eyes of google street view
nataliafedorova.com 
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