SuperStructures

SUPERSTRUCTURES showcased the innovative new media work produced by the 1999 MA Creative Technology course at The University of Salford.

Operating at the intersection of the physical, imaginative and the social, SUPERSTRUCTURES defines a new breed of creative practitioner - one that can deal with the extraordinary speed of our ever changing technological environment.

Said Simon Robertshaw, then Course Leader of the MA: "We are constantly reminded of the way in which technologies are converging: television, soon to become fully interactive; the internet that provides information down a phone line for the home; and video played from discs the size of CD ROM. If we accept that these new technologies are changing in production methods and the way in which we view them, then it is paramount our education institutions provide the opportunities for individuals to engage with the next technological wave of developments.

What is unique to the course, and indeed the exhibition, is that the practitioners not only come from arts and design disciplines as one might expect but also from backgrounds as diverse as computer science, film theory, philosophy and music. This mix of backgrounds provides a rich environment for debate, practice and collaboration, culminating in a body of work of remarkable diversity and range, both in its content and its use of new technologies.

Memory, history, human spaces, communication, voyeurism, consumerism and identity are just some of the elements that made up SUPERSTRUCTURES at Cube. From new interfaces allowing multi users to "mind map" over the internet to sophisticated character computer animation, SUPERSTRUCTURES aimed to challenge and engage its audience to watch, interact, play and pause for reflection.

Said Simon Robertshaw: "The works on show marked a key point in the students' careers, and represents a twelve month engagement with technologies and theories. Some literally came with no technological skills, whilst others had great skill. However, it needs to be stressed that utilising new technologies is not an end in itself but rather a facilitator, a means by which ideas can be nurtured and refined so as to realise their creative potential."