- Media lab
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For other uses, see Media lab (disambiguation).
Media lab (often referred to as new media lab, media art lab or media research lab) is a term used for interdisciplinary organizations, collectives or spaces with the main focus on new media, digital culture and technology.
Contents
Discussion of the definition
The definition of media lab is widely discussed and is open for debate. The term can describe a space, a cultural organization as well as a community or a way of working in which collaboration and experimentation plays a crucial role. Media labs usually:
- gather participants of multiple disciplines and of diverse professional backgrounds
- stimulate open knowledge exchange and sharing
- draw inspiration from, and try to work in the spirit of free culture
- often use open source softwares
- offer the possibility of non-formal learning practices
History
The name "media lab" was coined in 1985 with the creation of the MIT Media Lab by Nicholas Negroponte grew out of the Architecture Machine Group - a research group dedicated to studying man-machine interfaces - within MIT's School of Architecture and Planning.[1]
Activities
In media labs diverse activities take place: artistic research and development, creative production, knowledge sharing and exchange, education program, workshops, tinkering, experimentation, cultural mediation.
Classification of media labs
Organization forms
Media labs can be most easily categorized by the way they are organized which often relates to the way they are funded:
- University labs
- Public funded
- Private funding
- Grassroot initiatives
Typology
Media lab
- Fab lab
- Hackerspace
- Pop-up lab (temporary space or project space)
- Art initiative with media art focus
Social-political impact
Motivation
A lot of people are motivated to use technological tools for social and political goals.
Social effect
Media labs play a role in society to understand the new ways of education, culture, communication and even political participation.
Working in a media lab context can be considered as informal ways of learning.
Related terms
working attitudes: artistic research - creative technologies - DIWO - DIY - DIY culture - experimentation - interdisciplinary
fields of activities: digital art - digital culture - human–computer interaction - interaction - internet - media art - new media art
tools, concepts: Creative Commons - F/LOSS - FLOSS Manuals - free culture - open content - open hardware - open source - public domain
See also
- Fab lab
- Bricolabs
- Hackerspace
References
- mcd musiques & cultures digitales #62, March–April-May 2011, ISBN 9782952987219 ISSN: 1638-3400
- Laboratories of the inbetween [1], in: Future of the lab, BALTAN Laboratories, 2010, ISBN/EAN: 978-90-815830-1-5, p. 49-55.
- ^ Chardonnet, Ewen (March–April-May 2011). mcd musiques & cultures digitales 62: 15.
External links
- A discussion on the notion of media lab [2]
- LABtoLAB, a network of European media labs
- "Media lab role in digital culture: new collaborative creation interdisciplinary spaces in the ASTS systems (Art, Science, Technology and Society)" Reference code: [HAR2009-14667/ARTE]. (2010–2012, to be published online in August 2011)
Categories:
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