For many contributors, it’s been the summer holidays, and we’ve taken a break since the build up to the launch. But now it’s a good time to get working again on n.e.w.s.

We got good feedback about the website platform during ISEA — both in small discussions with the contributors in Singapore (Ingrid, Mustafa, Rich, Renée and myself), as well as during the launch itself, and in small groups again, after the event. It’s important to acknowledge the achievement of putting the website together — of all the contributions and discussions: for many of us, the issue of cultural diversity was recurring topic; Inti, Rich and Yuliya talked about their specific regions or specific projects; Mia and Stephen, the outside and inside of the artworld; Ade, Inti and Stephen, about traffic; Branka and Mia, about web 2.0 and immaterial labour; Ingrid, Thomas, Mustafa and Stephen, about “world art” ... and so on.

It’s been a few weeks since the launch of n.e.w.s. in Singapore at the end of last July, and I’ve been meaning to write a short report to n.e.w.s. contributors and readers about some of the discussions those of us in Singapore had following the launch. But, as it often happens, after the one thing, there are the next several things, and you get very busy, and before you know it, weeks have passed by, and you’re still trying to follow-up ...

Both Ingrid Commandeur has already alluded to something like what I'm about to talk about, and so has Stephen Wright. Though here I've divested it of its locational/global factor, it still relates somewhat to territory. In this post, I'll describe some practices I'm attracted to in relation to this discussion. In the next post, I'll propose one hypothetical exhibition strategy, or non-exhibition strategy, produced in response to the wish to work with such practices.

Here are a few images from the launch event last Monday. More soon ....

Rich Streitmatter-Tran at the n.e.w.s. launch in Singapore, 28 July

Mustafa Maluka, Rich, Ingrid Commandeur and Renée Ridgway

Lee Weng Choy and Renée

The job of art criticism is to provide a reflection on contemporary art practice. Art criticism does not take place in a vacuum. It takes place in the social and cultural present from which we look, and look back, at objects that are already of the past, objects that we take to define our present culture. Art critics are essentially arbiters of “cultural memory in the present.”. Who's present do they reflect and what is their agenda? In an ever more "Connected Age" where artist's biographies are readily searchable on the internet, factual lapses should no longer be tolerated.

Web 2.0 is often referred as type of social networking providing “power to a user and democracy for everyone (...), as incubator of innovative forms of media and free cooperation” among its users. But, what if another point of view is added to this innocent image? We simply have to be able to comment, discuss and criticize something that is loudly (and successfully) represented as a new form of “information superhighway” bringing everyone “equal rights” to create and distribute content.

Part I: Discoveries

Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business but the Turks
- Lyrics from They Might Be Giants, "Istanbul Not Constantinople"

Will the Real Anti-Colonial Name Please Stand Up?

I'd like to respond to Mustafa Maluka's last blog about the South African photographer, by showing two photo's that I recently saw at the exhibition 'Snap Judgments - New positions in Contemporary African Photography', made by Okwui Enwezor, made by the photographer Nontsikelelo "Lolo" Veleko. Her photo's remind me of the ever more famous so-called Streetstyle blogs. (Blogs with photo's about normal people dressed hip, who are increasingly influencing the fashion industry. For instance www.facehunter.blogspot.com and www.playlust.net.