Soil Digital Media Suite, Neutral Ground

Untitled Series

(Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada)

Soil Digital Media Suite is a collective of established and mid-career artists and researchers that has emerged through the interdisciplinary mandate of Neutral Ground, an artist-run centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. Soil has been programming new media projects since 1997. For 2003, the collective has developed its program in partnership with the new media lab at the University of Regina.

The Foundation's support went towards key programs (presentations, artistic residencies, independent productions) and facilitated the partnership with the new media lab. The presentation program focused on different themes (sound as a sensory perception and audio as technology; capitalism and the global market; narrative structure and html; new social science). Among the artists to be featured are Bill Vorn, Simon Penny and Mark Rudolph. The artist-in-residence program has extended the research of Garnet Hertz whose work investigates technology and communication by exploring pessimism and relationships between digital and physical realms. Mr. Hertz's live Webcast project Experiments in Galvanism produced by Soil can be viewed at [http://www.conceptlab.com/frog/]. Finally, Soil commissions and supports the independent production of new media arts by providing chosen artists with access to equipment, distribution, and advice from mentors and senior artists. For 2003, in line with Soil's areas of interest and curatorial paths, the support was channelled into new works by Lynda C. Surjik and Paul Wong.