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Milia 96: International Publishing and New Media Market Conference9 - 12 February 1996: Cannes, France (Sponsored by Reed Midem Organisation) Keynote Address: Laurie Anderson, Performance Artist |
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Michael Bush
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Copyright (c) 1996 - Future Systems Inc.
PO Box 26 - Falls Church VA 22046 USA Phone 703/241-1799 - Telex 4996279 - Fax 703/532-0529 |
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In what might be termed a "somewhat quirky presentation," Laurie Anderson presented segments from her Puppet Motel CD-ROM (published by Voyager) and demonstrated some interesting sound effects. For example, she placed in her mouth an under-the-pillow speaker playing violin music. As the tones from the speaker changed, she shaped the sound with her mouth and lips, essentially "singing with the sound of a violin."
Anderson offered numerous comments on the changing landscape of the "Net. "Little logos have already started appearing on the 'Net,' she said, "and they all stand for something - For Sale, Private Property, and so forth. When I saw this, I started to get nervous. This tells me that corporations are getting down to business and saying, 'Let's try to do some business here.' Is the party over on the 'Net?'"
Anderson's ideal scenario would involve turning the "Net "into a giant library that would be open 24 hours a day to everyone, but she was not very optimistic about this happening. "This library scenario is not likely," she said. "What is more probable is that [the Internet] will become one giant sprawling shopping mall with interest areas for which people will be charged." She encouraged all writers, artists, and musicians to become a major force in keeping the "Net" from becoming "nothing but a trade show."
