Artist Michael Mandiberg is participating in the upcoming show in Kellen Gallery, “Art Environmental Action!” which opens this week.
Building on the work of Wikipedia Illustrated and others, Michael Mandiberg will facilitate a series of three workshops to create images and illustrations for environmentally oriented Wikipedia pages. The goal will be to use visual language to explain complex concepts without over simplifying them. This could range from the factual, such as diagrams of biological or chemical phenomena, maps of environmental issues/disasters, or charts, to the poetic or expressive. Artists, scientists, illustrators, environmental historians, designers, activists, and Wikipedians are invited to this collaborative workshop.
Wikipedia is the largest reference work ever created. It is ranked sixth globally on Alexa’s list of the largest websites. Typically Wikipedia pages show up in the top three search results. Wikipedia is also open-source, peer-produced, and peer reviewed, though in different ways to academic peer-review. Though the peer review process is anonymous and open to anyone, according to numerous academic studies, it still produces articles that are of equal quality to conventional reference works like Encyclopedia Britannica. All of this is to say; it is a highly influential cultural, intellectual, and political work that we should be helping to build. As Wikipedia is largely text based, visual artists and designers have a unique ability to contribute.
The first workshop will survey some approaches to making visual work for Wikipedia. During the first workshop, participants will form small interdisciplinary teams based on thematic affinities to brainstorm potential articles and subject matter. The second workshop will be a feedback/discussion/critique session with input from Galia Offri & Mushon Zer-Aviv. Participants will bring final versions to the third workshop where members of Wikimedia NYC will facilitate uploading the work to the Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia.
Space limited to 18 ppl. REGISTER NOW
Drawing For Wikipedia
Part of Art Environment Action! at the SJDC
http://www.sjdcparsons.org/aea/schedule/category/michael-mandiberg/
October 29, November 1, November 5
