<nettime> Furtherfield legacy Research

["marc.garrett via nettime-l" <nettime-l@lists.nettime.org>]

Sorry for any cross posting.

Hi all,

All ready for 2026, is -- diwologue­.co­.uk: Furtherfield legacy Research.
https://diwologue.co.uk/

My professional and research journey is deeply intertwined with Furtherfield, the non-profit digital arts organisation I co-founded with Ruth Catlow in 1996. For 30 years, we have pioneered international engagement with critical digital arts, with our core activities supported by the Arts Council of England since 2004. My commitment to understanding and articulating this field culminated in a PhD from Birkbeck College, University of London (2021), for which my dissertation provided the first critical examination of Furtherfield’s dynamic history across its online and physical venues. I hope to start a fellowship later this year (fingers crossed) that would enable me to build directly on this foundational work, transforming my doctoral research into a primary public-facing output that secures this necessary legacy work.

1. The Digital Archive: A Living Research Tool.

We are launching a comprehensive online archive that makes a wealth of historical material publicly accessible for the first time. More than a static repository, it will be a dynamic research engine, consisting of:

A digital archive of primary sources. Together, these will form the foundation for a future program of international exhibitions. This initiative is designed to secure Furtherfield’s legacy as a cornerstone of digital art history.

2. The Book: Contextualising a Movement

Building on the research from my PhD, I will prepare a new book for publication. This volume will offer a critical reflection on the core themes that have defined Furtherfield’s journey. Expert Editorial Guidance: The manuscript will be refined under the co-editorship of renowned scholars Regine Debatty (We Make Money Not Art) and Dr Martin Zeilinger, Reader in Computational Arts & Technology, Abertay University, Dundee, Scotland. Legacy in Print: It will serve as the definitive narrative companion to the archive, contextualising landmark projects and spotlighting the creative intersections that have shaped the field.

We have already begun working with respondents to various chapters. This approach uses the DIWO principle, in which the community is part of the ethnographic context and experience, building a mutualist art venture beyond top-down defaults.

3. Future Exhibitions: Activating the Legacy

The archive and book will directly fuel the next stage of public engagement: a program of groundbreaking exhibitions celebrating thirty years of critical digital art. These exhibitions will weave Furtherfield’s historical shows and commissions with the work of contemporary artists. I will be supported in this by an exceptional curatorial team, including: Ruth Catlow (Furtherfield Co-Founder), Pita Arreola-Bates (Victoria & Albert Museum), Alex Estorick (Editor-in-Chief, Right Click Save; Contributing Editor, Flash Art).

Together, we will develop an exhilarating exhibition proposal for a major institution like the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), ensuring this legacy continues to inspire and challenge audiences.

4. A Supported Research Journey

Furtherfield’s legacy honours its artists, community, and dynamic history. It will recognise the organisation’s ever-evolving cultural footprint both in the UK and internationally, at a time that marks a significant chapter in the history of art, in which technology has been explored not only critically but also as a collaborative and social innovation.

Furtherfield – Arts, Technology, and Eco-social change https://www.furtherfield.org/
Featured image by Andy Deck. Glyphiti, 2006. https://artcontext.org/en/

Wishing you well.

Marc

Feral Class, by Marc Garrett.
Available at Minor Compositions.
https://www.minorcompositions.info/

Currently editing '30 years of Furtherfield: Art. Technology and Eco-Social Change. Eds, Marc Garrett, Regine DeBatty and Martin Zeilinger. 2026.
Furtherfield legacy Research
https://diwologue.co.uk/
Furtherfield - https://www.furtherfield.org/
Feral Class - https://marcgarrett.org/cv/

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