I am foremost, an artist. I am also a researcher, theorist, technologist, and maker. I enjoy investigating and learning new technologies, methods, and ideas always with a mind towards questioning their theoretical and philosophical effects.
My website can be viewed at: MinkaArt.net There, you can find many of my artworks and my research.
I also maintain a Tumblr MinkaArt Tumblr where I blog, highlight my personal popular culture interests, and announce my newest art projects.
I assume that most individuals at VarnaLab, or following this project from afar are wondering what I plan to work on at the lab. I have a number of art projects that are currently underway, so I would like to spend some time working on at least some (if not all) of these.
- I have one "net-art" project, a dynamically generated animated text web-page that has been in some stage of production for about a year -- I keep abandoning it. I would like to spend some time on that experiment while at VarnaLab.
- I have a video work currently underway which engages with the apparent isolation on can experience within social media that I will likely complete during my time
- I am also working on a video which will engage with the Occupy movement in a reflectionary manner using YouTube clips from Occupy Wall Street and Zizek's speech
- Inspired by the work of Barbara Krueger, I have a photo+text series that I will launch as a Tumblr account (see All Your Text for an idea of what this might look like.
- Finally I have an ongoing project that involves collecting recordings of individuals reciting their browser histories. This work is intended to question the ways that we associate our online browsing patterns with definitions of our selves. If anyone would like to participate in this project, please let me know!
The Documentary
: As some of you may know, I have been working on collecting footage for a non-linear documentary that focuses on the open-source, technology, and art communities in Bulgaria. I will likely be working on this documentary while at VarnaLab, and would (of course) appreciate any insight you would like to bring to my research.Possible Artist's Talk
: I am interested in the possibility of giving an Artist's Talk towards the end of the week of residency if anyone is interested. Please comment below or come chat with me if you would be interested in such a thing.Finally!
This entire experiment is about exchange! While I will be in the space working on my own projects, I will also be viewing what is happening in the space, and trying to find some way in which I can create an artwork specifically suited to and inspired by VarnaLab and VarnaLab's members. Towards this goal, please feel free to interrupt my work, chat with me etc. I may also invite members to engage in activities that will help me to define how members relate to the space, and how I, as an artist, can best engage with that relationship.Also! While much of my artwork does take the form of video/net art and performance, I am always willing to lend my abilities to any projects that members have ongoing, as I am able. Feel free to ask for my advice etc... if you would like it.
I look forward to working with you all!
--Minka