Kathleen Sweeney

  

My work lies at the intersection of video art, viral media, education and activism, especially encouraging girls to cross the gender divide with technology. Drawn from my background as an artist in residence to youth media programs at Reel Grrls, Seattle; Girls Inc, LA; Girls Write Now, NYC; Dia:Beacon; and University Settlement, with (funded by NEA, MacArthur, NYSCA, etc) I wrote a book, Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age (2008) with the core motto "Out of the Mirror and through the Lens". Current teaching on Pop Culture, Superhero(ine)s and Viral Media at The New School, NY focuses on street art, remix, multimedia creativity, and sometimes vampires.

Jane McGonigal's "Reality is Broken" work with gaming and collaborative problem-solving is a current source of geek fascination. Current collaborative projects include a renewable energy video installation with a Seattle-based oceanographer, "Waving" (working title), and a video documentary about eco-artists who remediate toxic landscapes with EcoArtspace. And TheViralMediaLab.org is an ongoing blog/website open to collaborators. The site was included in the recent exhibition #searchunderoccupy at The New School/Parsons.

With the blowback witnessed with #Kony2012, ideas about Slow Media, how we consume messages, how quickly we respond/tweet/blog without thinking has been a current conundrum. Can we start a Slow Media or Organic Media movement that corresponds to the Slow Food or organic foods movement? Or are we destined for Fast Media Nation?

Best thing about TedTalks? The rockstar headsets. Favorite quote? "Art is anything you can get away with." --Marshall McLuhan