What Can the History of New Media Learn from History of Science/Science Studies? (Introduction to the Session)

Abstract

As in the case of artists working in traditional media who have engaged science and technology, new media artists must be situated contextually in the "cultural field" (Kate Hayles) in which they have worked or are working. Science and technology have been an important part of that cultural field in the twentieth century, and the history of science and science studies-along with the field of literature and science--offer important lessons for art historians writing the history of new media art. This session invites papers from art historians and scholars in science-related disciplines which explore methodological and theoretical issues as well as those that put interdisciplinary approaches into practice in studying new media art.