The haudenschildGarage commissioned Sean Neil to write about his experience of the 2006 ISEA and Zero One festivals in San Jose, California.

This August (2006), I was asked to contribute to Shada/Jahn’s talented artistic endeavor involving 20 international students from around the globe at the International Symposium for Electronic Arts (ISEA) and the Zero One festival (San Jose, California). ISEA is an international, non-profit organization whose aim is to foster “interdisciplinary academic discourse and exchange among culturally diverse organizations and individuals working with art, science and emerging technologies”. Working with the students from all over the globe was a wonderful experience but we were one of many art projects being presented. So, on an afternoon off, I went back to the dorm room where we were all staying and, rather than take a nap, I decided to check out the festival.

I began by heading down to the Tech museum to try to take part in a game involving large red balloons. I missed the launching of the balloons but saw what they looked like, which was exactly like large red balloons. People were inside the museum playing some sort of interactive, competitive game involving the balloons.

Checking the schedule, I was excited to see the release of homing pigeons as part Beatrice da Costas’s highly hyped Pigeon Blog project(www.pigeonblog.mapyourcity.net). The pigeons were equipped with sensors that would relay environmental air pollution information which would be presented in the form of an internet blog. I expected a flock of pigeons to emerge from the clock tower and block the sun sending people screaming for safety, but only about five pigeons were released and flew away (I heard that animal rights activists were protesting the inhumane treatment of the pigeons). An exciting idea but a disappointing launch; still, the website and its design are fascinating to check out.

After, I headed down to City Hall where I was awaiting the arrival of the mobile karaoke/ice cream truck. With some time to kill, I was able to check out Babylove(http://babylove.biz/), inside the City Hall Rotunda. Presented by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Babylove consisted of six over sized teacups, similar to the teacup ride from Disneyland. Each cup already had a “passenger” on board who you could sit with consisting of a giant molded plastic “baby clone”.

People could upload love songs to be played while you careened into other museum patrons attempting to spin the teacups around the main floor. When crashing into other teacups, a data screen would record the time of the interaction and the music would be altered. This was an exciting interactive event that will repeat at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York City in November.

Soon after, Karaoke Ice (www.karaokeice.com) arrived. Driven by a man in a large chipmunk outfit, this ice cream truck jumped the curb and began to hand out free icees to anyone who approached. I was the first to be chosen to perform karaoke and had to sing the Ramones, I Wanna Be Sedated. Here’s a link to my performance which includes maybe the worst photo ever taken of me. I think I sang well and didn’t make a total fool of myself. Everyone participated, whether given an icee or asked to sing karaoke – sea of smiles encircled the karaoke van.

Then I went back into the Rotunda to see what would win the Emerging Artist Award entitled ACCLAIR (www.acclair.co.uk). I placed a virtual reality helmet on my head, covered my ears and eyes, and was subjected to images and sounds while my brainwaves were analyzed. While not as fun as Babylove or Karaoke Ice, I did gain amnesty points against a variety of illegal activities I would perform in the future. I inched myself into a seat located near the front of where the opening ceremonies were to take place and found myself sitting next to the Mayor of San Jose (who might be facing jail time!) as well as presidential types from Microsoft and Adobe. With the sounds of Taiko drummers pounding away, Akira Hasegawa’s Digital-Kakejiku spit steam out from empty flag poles while massive projections covered the Rotunda and played tricks through the mist. Overall, it was an impressive sight and an impressive festival performance.

My festival experience concluded in my heart weeks later when I read that the fountain in Cesar Chavez Plaza, recently promoted on the cover of the San Jose Official Visitors guide and where people would play during the hot weather days of the symposium, had contaminated water and (caused everyone to get diarrhea, click here for the story)!

There is a lesson to be learned here somewhere.

-Sean Neil, 2006
Sean Neil has been teaching in the public school system for seven years. He began his teaching career working with inner city youth in Brooklyn, NY. He taught science for three years. He then taught for science and literacy for three years at Ray Kroc in San Diego. Currently he is teaching at juvenile hall in San Francisco. He is working to raise money to build a computer lab at the school (click here to donate at DonorsChoose.org). By teaching his students how to use modern technological skills, he hopes to reduce the high rate of recidivism of incarcerated minors by giving them skills that would help them in entering the workforce. He loves both his parents.