The Glitch
Mo- ment
The Glitch
Moment(um)
Moment(um) The Glitch Moment (um) Glitch Mo- t
Rosa MenkMan
04
The Glitch Moment(um)
The Glitch Moment(um)
04
ConTenTs
ACknowledGeMenTs � 5
InTroduCTIon � 7
GlITCh sTudIes MAnIfesTo � 11
A TeChnoloGICAl ApproACh To noIse � 12Linear�Progression�and�the�Myth�of�Perfect�Transmission�� 12Noise�Artifacts�� 15Encoding�And�Decoding:�Compression�Artifacts�� 15A�Vernacular�Of�File�Formats�� 17Orderly�Chaos:�Feedback�Artifacts�� 26The Other�Noise�Artifact:�Glitch�� 26
The perCepTIon of GlITCh � 28The�Meaning�Of�Noise�� 28The�Glitch�Moment(um):�A�Void�In�Techno-Culture�� 29Technorealism�And�the�Accident�Of�Art�� 31
A phenoMenoloGy of GlITCh ArT � 33The�Predicaments�Of�Defining�Glitch�Art�� 33Categorical�Precursors:�A�Binary�Approach�To�Glitch�Art?� 35From�Passive�Appropriation�Or�‘Pure�Glitch�Art’�To�Active,�‘Post-Procedural�Glitch�Art’�� 36Post-procedural�Glitch�Art�Or�the�Intentional�Faux�Pas�� 37The�Concept�And�Technique�Of�Ruin�� 40Creating�the�‘Perfect�Glitch’�Using�Critical�Media�Aesthetics�� 43The�Tipping�Point�of�Cool:�Critical�Media�Aesthetics'�Becoming�Commodities�� 44
froM ArTIfACT To CoMModITy � 46From�Circuitbending�to�Simulation�� 46From�Databending�to�Transcoding�� 49From�Enchanting�Affect�To�Filtered�Effect�� 53The�Glitch�Art�Genre:�Between�the�Void�And�Commoditized�Form�� 55The�Genre�Paradox�� 57
orGAnIzInG GlITCh spheres � 59Glitch�Art�Networked�� 62Glitch�Sphere�Relations�� 63Some�Final�Reflections�On�The�Glitch�Spheres�� 64
The eMAnCIpATIon of dIssonAnCe GlITCh � 65
BIBlIoGrAphy � 67
4
Colophon
Network Notebooks editors: Geert Lovink and Sabine NiedererProducer of this publication: Margreet RiphagenCopy editing: Rachel O'ReillyDesign: Studio Léon&Loes, Rotterdam http://www.leon-loes.nl Printer: Printvisie RotterdamPublisher: Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam Supported by: School for Communication and Design at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Domein Media, Creatie en Informatie) and Stichting Democratie en Media.
The glitch moment(um) is composed of texts that have been extended and reworked by Rosa Menkman, 2006–2011.
If you want to order copies please contact:Institute of Network CulturesKenniscentrum Create-ITSingelgrachtgebouwRhijnspoorplein 11091 GC AmsterdamThe Netherlandshttp://[emailprotected]:+31 (0)20 59 51 866 – f: +31 (0)20 59 51 840
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Amsterdam, October 2011. ISBN/EAN 978-90-816021-6-7
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PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED NETWORK NOTEBOOKS Network Notebooks 03: Dymtri Kleiner, The Telekommunist, 2010. ISBN: 978-90-816021-2-9.Network Notebooks 02: Rob van Kranenburg, The Internet of Things: A critique of ambient technology and the all- seeing network of RFID, 2008. ISBN: 978-90-78146-06-3.Network Notebooks 01: Rosalind Gill, Technobohemians of the new Cybertariat? New media work in Amsterdam a decade after the Web, 2007.ISBN: 978-90-78146-02-5.
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AcknowledgementsI�am�very�thankful�to�the�Institute�of�Network�Cultures�for�supporting�me�and�my�love�for�glitch,�and�for�devoting�one�of�their�publications�to�this�subject.�I�am�especially�grateful�to�Geert�Lovink,�not�just�for�his�endless�insights�into�and�support�towards�all�fringes�of�digital�culture,�but�specifically�for�pushing�me�into�unexpected�territories.�I�have�to�thank�Jodi�for�opening�my�eyelids�and�Goto80�for�opening�my�earlids,�and�for�the�journey�we�shared.�Besides�this,�I�have�Karl�Klomp�to�thank�for�his�technical�support.�Annet�Dekker�and�Josephine�Bosma�wrote�the�first�texts�that�showed�me�a�way�into�theo-rizing�glitch�art�–�I�have�to�thank�them�for�writing�those�texts�and�also�Matthew�Fuller�for�the�conversation�that�we�had�the�day�he�welcomed�me�into�his�office,�which�I�consider�the�starting�point�for�this�text.�Special�thanks�to�my�editor,�Rachel,�who�worked�long�hours�reviewing�my�glitches.�Finally,�I�would�like�to�make�a�shout�out�to�The�gli.tc/h/bots�and�all�broken�executables�everywhere,�for�bringing�me�late�night�Unicode�barf,�all�the�organizers�of�festivals�I�have�attended�and�all�the�people�who�have�supported�me�in�the�last�years,�artistically,�theoreti-cally�and�technically.�Finally,�my�family�and�close�friends�–�may�good�spam�be�with�you.
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IntroductionGlitch�first�came�into�my�life�in�2005,�when�I�visited�the�world�wide�wrong�exhibition�by�the�Dutch/Belgium�artist�collective�Jodi�(Joan�Heemskerk�and�Dirk�Paesmans)�at�Mon-teVideo/Time�Based�Arts�in�Amsterdam�(now�known�as�the�NIMK,�Netherlands�Media�Art�Institute).� An� introductory� text� on� the� work� of� the� artists� by� Annet� Dekker� went� a� long�way�in�articulating�the�artists’�deconstructive�methods.�However,�the�work�that�made�the�biggest�impression�on�me,�untitled�game�(1996-2001),�which�was�a�modification�of�the�videogame�quake�1,�seemed�the�most�incomprehensible.�I�could�only�understand�it�as�irrational�and�void�of�meaning,�and�so�I�walked�away�from�it,�confused�and�titillated.�In�hindsight,�I�learned�about�myself�in�that�moment�–�about�my�expectations�and�concep-tions�of�how�a�videogame�should�work.�The�strange�game�seemed�only�to�return�me�to�my�own�perspectives�and�expectations�around�the�medium�that�it�was�failing�to�be.�A�second�text� by� Josephine� Bosma� usefully� outlined� Jodi’s� active� deprogramming� of� computers,�and�the�paradoxes�and�tensions�inherent�to�their�working�method.�Even�still,�untitled�game� in� particular� remained� for� me� under-articulated� in� theory,� which� increased� my�curiosity�about�this�kind�of�art�practice.�I�did�not�realize�it�then,�but�my�taste�for�glitch,�and�for�its�potential�to�interrogate�conventions�through�crashes,�bugs,�errors�and�viruses,�was�spawned�by� that� initial� and�persistent� critical�evasion�of�untitled�game�from�my�theoretical�grasp.
At�the�end�of�my�master�thesis�in�2006,�which�focused�on�Jodi’s�work�untitled�game,�I�had�still�not�yet�referred�to�Jodi’s�art�work�as� ‘glitch art’�–�I�only�mentioned�the�words�‘glitch’�and�‘buggy’.�This�is�probably�because�the�notion�of�glitch�art�was�just�crossing�over�from�sound�culture,�and�leaking�into�visual�art�cultures�only�sporadically.01�Glitch�more�fully�entered�my�vocabulary�for�visuals�and�networks�when�I�began�an�artistic�collabora-tion�with�the�musician�Goto80�(Anders�Carlsson)�in�2007.�He�explained�to�me�how�he�ex-ploited�the�Commodore�64�sound�chip�(the�SID�chip)�for�the�creation�of�music.�The�bugs�Goto80�used�gave�a�very�specific�texture�to�the�sound�(the�result�of�noise artifacts)�and�I�began�to�develop�and�recognize�visual�equivalents�to�this�process.�I�found�more�and�more�artifact-based�correspondences�between�audio�and�visual�technologies,�such�as�compres-sions,�feedback�and�glitches,�in�my�at�that�time�mostly�online�art�practice.�Then�in�early�2008,�Geert�Lovink�invited�me�to�the�Video�Vortex�conference�for�a�visual�live�performance�(which� was� quite� a� challenge� since� I� had� never� stood� onstage� before)� and� in� 2009� put�me�in�touch�with�Matthew�Fuller,�an�artist,�author�and�lecturer� in�London,�which�later�turned�out� to�be�two�key� turning� points,� artistically� and�theoretically.� I�began�perform-ing�and�more�strongly�theorizing�what�I�was�then�calling�my�acousmatic�videoscapes.02�I� explained� to� Fuller� my� observations� of� compressions,� feedback� and� glitches� in� sound�
01|��Around�this�time,�there�were�only�a�few�people�using�the�term�‘glitch�art’�in�the�context�of�the�visual�arts:�Ant�Scott�had�been�working�on�his�
‘glitch�art’�since�July�2001�and�was�also�one�of�the�key�performers�at�a�Glitch�festival�that�took�place�in�Norway�in�2002.�Besides�this,�Iman�
Moradi�just�finished�his�Glitch�Aesthetics�-�dissertation�(2004)�in�which�he�used�the�terms�‘glitch�art’�and�‘glitch�design’�interchangeably.�The�
term�‘glitch�art’�first�entered�Wikipedia�in�2007,�where�it�was�explained�as�manipulated�B-movies�and�erotic�art,�also�known�as�a�subset�of�
Rape�Art.�This�description�changed�only�in�2009.�In�conversation�with�Moradi,�we�agreed�that�the�term�only�permeated�visual�art�theory�and�a�
general�vocabulary�after�2005,�if�not�a�couple�of�years�later.
02�|��In�reference�to�Pierre�Schaeffer,�I�called�these�videos�‘videoscapes’.�These�videos�followed�the�logic�of�acousmatics;�I�refused�the�audience�
knowledge�over�the�instrument�and�thus�denied�them�their�inherent�cultural�conditioning�that�would�otherwise�help�them�in�their�process�of�
making�meaning.�In�doing�so,�I�put�in�front�of�them�the�‘unseen�visual�artifacts’,�from�behind�Pythagoras’�curtain�-�the�shrouded,�black�veil�of�
technology,�http://videoscapes.blogspot.com/
8
and�their�correspondences�to�the�visual�sphere,�who�pointed�me�to�the�early�information�theory� of� Claude� Elwood� Shannon� and� Warren� Weaver.� Their� work� proved� most� useful�to�my�project�of�developing�a�technology-driven�framework�for�theorizing�these�usually�unwelcome,�increasingly�exploited�noise artifacts�in�which�my�practice�was�so�invested.
In� the� beginning� of� 2010,� I� developed� and� distributed� the� glitch� studies� manifesto�(2010)� in� which� I� argued� in� favor� of� more� critical� attention� to� glitch’s� increasing� ossifi-cation�in�standardized�design.03� I�also�wrote�a�vernacular�of�file�formats�(2010),�a�work�in�the�genre�of�a�handbook,�intended�to�more�rigorously�communicate�the�techni-cal�specifications�of�all�(or�most-used)�digital�compression�artifacts�that�could�be�created�through� random� data� insertion� at� that� historical� moment.04� This� comprehensive� PDF�guide�to�compression�artifacts�was�positively�received�by�the�glitch�community�and�also�spawned�my�next�project,�the�co-development�of�a�piece�of�generative�glitch�design�soft-ware�together�with�Johan�Larsby,�called�monglot�(2011).�monglot�made�it�possible�for�anybody,� without� extensive� data� corruption� skills,� to� technically� interrogate� and� learn�about�the�development�of�specific�glitch�formations.05
More�recently�I�have�merged�my�technical,�narrative�and�historical�comprehension�of�dig-ital�glitch�culture�into�an�audiovisual�performance�called�the�collapse�of�pal�(2010),�in�which�the�(Paul�Klee’s)�Angel�of�History,�as�narrated�by�Walter�Benjamin,�reflects�specifi-cally�on�the�ending�of�PAL,�the�analog�Phase�Alternate�Line�television�signal.�By�introduc-ing�a�critical�and�melodramatic�narrative�to�a�work�of�glitch�art,�I�tried�to�underline�that�there�is�more�to�glitch�art,�and�more�at�stake,�than�just�design�and�aesthetics.�The�work�addresses� themes� such� as� planned� obsolescence,� built-in� nostalgia,� critical� media� aes-thetics�and�the�gentrification�and�continuing�development�of�a�glitch�art�genre.�Finally,�I�have�been�participating�in�critical�community�building�around�glitch,�in�my�work�as�co-or-ganizer�and�co-curator�of�the�GLI.TC/H�festival�alongside�Jon�Satrom,�Nick�Briz�and�Evan�Meaney.�The�first�installment�of�GLI.TC/H�took�place�in�Chicago�in�2010�and�was�hugely�successful.�In�2011�the�GLI.TC/H�festival�will�spread�to�Amsterdam�and�Birmingham.�
Every�form�of�glitch,�whether�breaking�a�flow�or�designed�to�look�like�it�breaks�a�flow,�will�eventually�become�a�new�fashion.�That�is�fate.�This�is�because�of�glitch’s�inherently�criti-cal�moment(um)�–�a�concept�I�use�throughout�my�work�to�indicate�the�potential�any�glitch�has�to�modulate�or�productively�damage�the�norms�of�techno-culture,�in�the�moment�at�which�this�potential�is�first�grasped.�In�this�publication�for�the�Institute�of�Network�Cul-tures,�I�have�consolidated�my�efforts�at�writing�into�the�silences,�under-articulated�theo-ries�and�assumed�madness�of�digital�glitch�art.�The�book�makes�sense�of�recent�glitch�art,�technically,�culturally,�critically,�aesthetically�and�finally�as�a�genre.�I�bring�in�the�early�in-formation�theorists�not�usually�studied�as�theoretical�foundations�for�digital�art�practice�(Shannon�and�Weaver)�to�consider�and�refine�a�signal�and�informational�framework�ap-propriate�to�glitch’s�technological�origins�and�orientations.�I�go�on�in�later�parts�to�build�
03�|��Rosa�Menkman,�‘Glitch�Studies�Manifesto’�in�Geert�Lovink�and�Rachel�Somers�Miles�(eds)�Video�Vortex�Reader�II:�moving�images�beyond�
YouTube,�Amsterdam:�Institute�of�Network�Cultures,�2011,�pp.�336-347,�http://dl.dropbox.com/u/17713740/Glitch%20Studies%20Mani-
festo%20rewrite%20for%20Video%20Vortex%202%20reader.pdf.
04�|��Rosa�Menkman,�a�vernacular�of�file�formats,�August�2010.�http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9054743/lofi%20Rosa%20Menkman%20-%20A%20
Vernacular%20of%20File%20Formats.pdf.
05�|��Johan�Larsby�and�Rosa�Menkman,�monglot,�2011.�<�http://rosa-menkman.blogspot.com/search/label/Monglot.
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the�term�glitch�more�broadly�than�this�technological�beginning.�I�describe�the�‘glitch’�as�a�(actual�and/or�simulated)�break�from�an�expected�or�conventional�flow�of�information�or�meaning�within�(digital)�communication�systems�that�results�in�a�perceived�accident�or�error.�A�glitch�occurs�on�the�occasion�where�there�is�an�absence�of�(expected)�functional-ity,�whether�understood�in�a�technical�or�social�sense.�Therefore,�a�glitch,�as�I�see�it,�is�not�always�strictly�a�result�of�a�technical�malfunction.�
At�the�same�time,�theorists�need�to�be�more�clear�about�the�relationship�between�technical�and�metaphorical�or�cultural�dimensions�of�glitch�culture.�Focusing�on�the�glitch�within�this�broader�perspective�makes�it�possible�to�think�through�some�of�the�more�interesting�political� and� social� uses� of� the� glitch� within� the� field� of� digital� art.� Glitch� makes� sense�differently�in�terms�of�noise,�failure�and�accident.�Moreover,�glitch�transitions�between�artifact� and� filter,� or,� in� other� words,� between� radical� breakages� and� commodification�processes.�Finally,�glitch�could�be�said�to�exist,�in�all�of�its�tensions�and�through�all�kinds�of�cultural�feedback,�as�a�recognizable�genre�of�art.�Finally,�I�finish�up�with�a�relational�visualization� of� the� glitch� cultural� communities� and� scenes� that� this� book� attempts� to�make�sense�of.
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Glitch studies Manifesto1. The dominant, continuing search for a noiseless channel has been – and will always
be – no more than a regrettable, ill-fated dogma. Acknowledge�that�although�the�constant�search�for�complete�transparency�brings�newer,�‘better’�media,�every�one�of�these�improved�techniques�will�always�possess�their�own�in-herent�fingerprints�of�imperfection.�
2. Dispute the operating templates of creative practice. Fight genres, interfaces and expectations!
Refuse�to�stay�locked�into�one�medium�or�between�contradictions�like�real�vs.�virtual,�ob-solete�vs.�up-to-date,�open�vs.�proprietary�or�digital�vs.�analog.�Surf�the�vortex�of�technol-ogy,�the�in-between,�the�art�of�artifacts!�
3. Get away from the established action scripts and join the avant-garde of the unknown. Become a nomad of noise artifacts!
The� static,� linear� notion� of� information-transmission� can� be� interrupted� on� three� oc-casions:�during�encoding-decoding�(compression),�feedback�or�when�a�glitch�(an�unex-pected�break�within�the�flow�of�technology)�occurs.�Noise�artists�must�exploit�these�noise�artifacts�and�explore�the�new�opportunities�they�provide.
4. Employ bends and breaks as metaphors for différance. Use the glitch as an exoskel-eton for progress.
Find� catharsis� in� disintegration,� ruptures� and� cracks;� manipulate,� bend� and� break� any�medium�towards�the�point�where�it�becomes�something�new;�create�glitch art.�
5. Realize that the gospel of glitch art also tells about new standards implemented by corruption.
Not�all�glitch�art� is�progressive�or�something new.�The�popularization�and�cultivation�of�the�avant-garde�of�mishaps�has�become�predestined�and�unavoidable.�Be�aware�of�easily�reproducible�glitch effects�automated�by�softwares�and�plug-ins.�What�is�now�a�glitch�will�become�a�fashion.
6. Force the audience to voyage through the acousmatic videoscape.Create� conceptually� synaesthetic� artworks� that� exploit� both� visual� and� aural� glitch� (or�other�noise)�artifacts�at�the�same�time.�Employ�these�noise�artifacts�as�a�nebula�to�shroud�the� technology� and� its� inner� workings� and� to� compel� an� audience� to� listen� and� watch�more�exhaustively.
7. Rejoice in the critical trans-media aesthetics of glitch artifacts. Utilize�glitches�to�bring�any�medium�into�a�critical�state�of�hypertrophy,�to�(subsequently)�criticize�its�inherent�politics.�
8. Employ Glitchspeak (as opposed to Newspeak) and study what is outside of knowl-edge. Glitch theory is what you can just get away with!
Flow�cannot�be�understood�without�interruption,�nor�function�without�glitching.�This�is�why�glitch�studies�is�necessary.
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A Technological Approach To noise Since, ordinarily, channels have a certain amount of noise, and therefore a finite capacity, exact transmission is impossible.01
- Shannon Weaver
lIneAr proGressIon And The MyTh of perfeCT TrAnsMIssIon
In�1948,�Claude�Shannon,�today�known�as�the�founder�of�information�theory,�developed�a�basic�mathematical�theory�of�communication�while�working�in�the�Bell�Telephone�labo-ratories�in�the�US�during�the�Second�World�War.�Shannon’s�main�concern�was�to�work�out�a�way� in�which�the�channels�of�communication�could�be�used�most�efficiently.02� In�the�model,�Shannon�reduced�communication�to�a�process�of�‘transmitting�information’,�and�distinguished�information�from�the�category�of�a�message.�He�wrote:�
The�fundamental�problem�of�communication�is�that�of�reproducing�at�one�point�either� exactly� or� approximately� a� message� selected� at� another� point.� Frequently�the� messages� have� meaning;� that� is� they� refer� to� or� are� correlated� according� to�some�system�with�certain�physical�or�conceptual�entities.�These�semantic�aspects�of�communication�are�irrelevant�to�the�engineering�problem.�The�significant�as-pect�is�that�the�actual�message�is�one�selected�from�a�set�of�possible�messages.�The�system�must�be�designed�to�operate�for�each�possible�selection,�not�just�the�one�that�will�actually�be�chosen.03
Shannon�based�his�mathematical�theory�of�communication�on�the�fundament�that�infor-mation�does�not�change�when�its�context�changes.�He�also�suggested�that�communica-tion�systems�could�roughly�be�divided�into�three�main�categories�–�discrete,�continuous�and�mixed�–�all�following�a�basic�model�for�communication.�In�these�systems,�informa-tion�can�be�understood�as�a�quantity,�‘a�yes�or�no�decision’,�a�bit.04�The�model�thus�‘has�applications� not� only� in� communication� theory,� but� also� in� the� theory� of� computing�machines,� the� design� of� telephone� exchanges� and� other� fields’.05� Building� on� the� prior�work�of,�among�others,�Harry�Nyquist�and�Ralph�Hartley,�Shannon�developed�this�linear�model�to�calculate�and�optimise�the�signal�to�noise�ratio�(a�measure�that�compares�the�level�of�a�desired�signal�to�the�level�of�background�noise).�Because�Shannon�focused�on�the�transmission�of�information�between�machines�and�not�on�the�transmission�of�mean-ing�between�human�beings,�the�model�makes�it�possible�to�consider�noise�from�a�purely�mathematical� level,�while�bracketing�to�one�side�the�influence�of�culture,� linguistics�or�other�contextual�factors�that�bring�communication�into�the�realm�of�interpretation�and�
01�|��Claude�Elwood�Shannon,�‘A�Mathematical�Theory�of�Communication’,�Reprinted�with�corrections�from�The�Bell�System�Technical�Journal,�
Vol.�27�(July,�October,�1948):�p.�48.
02�|��Susan�Ballard,�‘Information,�Noise�and�et�al’,�M/C�Journal,�10.5�(October,�2007),�http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0710/02-ballard.php.
03�|��Claude�Elwood�Shannon,�‘A�Mathematical�Theory�of�Communication’,�Reprinted�with�corrections�from�The�Bell�System�Technical�Journal�27�
(July,�October,�1948):�p.�1.
04�|��Susan�Ballard,�‘Information,�Noise�and�et�al’,�M/C�Journal,�10.5�(October,�2007),�http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0710/02-ballard.php.
05�|��Claude�Elwood�Shannon,�‘A�Mathematical�Theory�of�Communication’,�reprinted�with�corrections�from�The�Bell�System�Technical�Journal,�
Vol.�27�(July,�October,�1948):�p.�3.
13
meaning.�This�makes�his�work�considerably�abstract,�while�opening�up�possibilities�for�considering�non-human,�machinic�communication�more�cogently,�as�the�starting�point�for�theorizing�noise.�
Visualization of the communication model as outlined by shannon and WeaVer.
Shannon’s� modelling� of� communication,� in� terms� of� signal� and� noise,� consists� of� five�basic� steps.� The� transmission� of� information� begins� at� the� information source,� which�produces�the�message.�A�transmitter encodes� the�messages�in�signals�made�suitable�for�transmission,�which�it�then�sends�through�a�channel.�A�receiver decodes�the�message�from�the�signal,�to�finally�deliver�the�message�in�its�proper�form�to�the�destination,�the�machine�for�which�the�message�is�intended�or�where�the�message�arrives.06�The�model�‘informa-tion�source->�encoder->�channel->�decoder->�destination’�that�Shannon�constructed�also�includes�an�additional�arrow�inserting�noise�into�the�channel,�which�is�a�sixth,�disruptive,�external�factor.07�In�signal�processing�theory�(which�has�existed�in�different�forms�since�the�17th�century),�noise�is�generally�considered�in�terms�of�the�mechanical�imprecision�of�instrumentation.08�Shannon’s�adaptation�of�signal�processing�to�communication�theory�accounts�for�external�noise�being�introduced�to�the�signal�while�it�is�in�transmission,�to�obscure�the�purity�of�the�signal.�This�kind�of�external�noise�has�a�particular�materiality�and�enters�into�the�equation�as�unexplained�variation�and�random�error.09
In� addition� to� this� first� kind� of� noise,� Shannon� also� described� a� second� kind� of� noise�called�entropy,�which�is�encoded�within�the�message�itself.�Entropy,�taken�from�the�field�and�theories�of�thermodynamics,�is�the�measure�of�disorder�of�a�system�at�a�given�time.�According�to�thermodynamics,�it�is�inherent�to�any�system�of�information,�natural�or�tech-nological,�to�tend�towards�disorder�or�to�fall�apart�completely.�This�entropic�orientation�is�essential�and�in�some�ways,�positive,�because�it�can�tell�something�about�the�relation-ships� between� the� material� bodies,� representations� and� spaces� connected� together� for�
06�|��Claude�Elwood�Shannon,�‘A�Mathematical�Theory�of�Communication’,�Reprinted�with�corrections�from�The�Bell�System�Technical�Journal,�
Vol.�27�(July,�October,�1948):�p.�2.
07�|��Claude�Elwood�Shannon,�‘A�Mathematical�Theory�of�Communication’,�Reprinted�with�corrections�from�The�Bell�System�Technical�Journal,�
Vol.�27�(July,�October,�1948):�p.�2.
08�|��Paolo�Prandoni�and�Martin�Vetterli,�Signal�Processing�for�Communications,�Lausanne:�EPFL�Press,�2008,�http://www.sp4comm.org/webver-
sion.html.
09�|��Susan�Ballard,�‘Information,�Noise�and�et�al’,�M/C�Journal,�10.5�(October,�2007),�http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0710/02-ballard.php.
14
the�purposes�of�transmission.�Following�this,�it�is�important�to�realise�that�in�Shannon’s�communication�model,�information�is�not�only�obfuscated�by�noise,�it�is�also�dependent�upon�it�for�correct�transmission.�Without�noise,�either�encoded�within�the�original�mes-sage,�or�present�from�sources�outside�the�channel,�there�cannot�be�a�functioning�channel.�Noise�serves�to�contextualize�information;�information�needs�noise�to�be�transmitted�suc-cessfully.�Consequently,�without�noise�there�is�no�information.10�Shannon�eventually�with�Weaver�adapted�this�mathematical�model�into�‘The�Shannon�and�Weaver�model�of�com-munication’,� bringing� machine� communication� theory� to� the� consideration� of� human�communication,�by�incorporating�Norbert�Wiener’s�cybernetic�concept�of�feedback.11
In�optimising�signal�to�noise�ratios,�Shannon�was�working�very�much�in�line�with�what�has�become�the�dominant,�modernist�and�even�twentieth�century� ideal� for� technology:�the�notion�of�the�optimally�transparent�channel.�(I�use�'transparent'�throughout�the�book�to�describe�the�assumption�that��technology�can�be�"see-through",�or�does�not�intervene�into�the�process�of�sending�or�perceiving�information.)�Within�media�design�and�develop-ment�cultures,�the�pursuit�of�ultimate,�noise-free�and�hi-fi�channels�and�supposed�highest�levels�of�‘reality’�has�tended�to�be�the�Holy�Grail�(epitomized�for�example�as�media�dreams�in�the�Holodeck�of�Star Trek,�or�the�direct�brain�cinema�of�Bigelow’s�Strange Days,�and�so�on).12�While�the�ideal�is�always�unreachable,�innovation�is�nevertheless�still�assumed�to�lie�in�finding�an�interface�that�is�as�non-interfering�as�possible,�enabling�the�audience�to�forget�about�the�presence�of�the�medium�and�believe�in�the�presence�and�directness�of�immediate�transmission.�As�Bolter�and�Grusin�note�in�Remediation� (2001),� ‘our�culture�wants�to�multiply�its�media�and�to�erase�all�traces�of�mediation:�ideally,�it�wants�to�erase�its�media�in�the�very�act�of�multiplying�them’.�It�is�the�very�‘logic�of�immediacy’,�accord-ing�to�Bolter�and�Grusin,�which�‘dictates�that�the�medium�itself�should�disappear’.13�An�example�of�this�is�the�computers’�Graphical�User�Interface,�which�was�developed�to�let�us-ers�interact�with�multiple�electronic�devices�using�graphics�rather�than�complicated�text�commands.�This�development�made�these�technologies�more�accessible�and�widespread,�yet�more�obfuscated�in�their�functionalities.�Indeed,�what�makes�any�medium�specific�is�how�it�fails�to�disappear�–�as�techné.�To�study�media-specific�artifacts�is�to�take�interest�in�the�failure�of�media�to�disappear,�or�in�other�words,�in�noise�artifacts.�
10�|��Susan�Ballard,�‘Information,�Noise�and�et�al’,�M/C�Journal,�10.5�(October,�2007),�http://journal.media-culture.org.au/0710/02-ballard.php.
11�|��The�fact�that�Shannon�and�Weaver�approached�human�communication�with�a�model�developed�for�the�transmission�of�information�and�
thus�did�not�consider�the�difference�of�the�human�process�of�making�meaning�resulted�in�heavy�criticism�from�other�human�communication�
theorists,�who�eventually�developed�modified�and�alternative�models.�These�models�often�emphasised�the�fact�that�communication�doesn’t�
mean�the�transmission�of�information,�but�rather�that�meaning�is�actively�constructed�by�both�the�initiators�and�interpreters.�In�1954,�Wilber�
Schramm�adjusted�Shannon�and�Weaver’s�model,�putting�greater�emphasis�on�the�process�of�encoding�and�decoding.�This�alteration�was�later�
adopted�by�Stuart�Hall,�who�wrote�about�encoding�and�decoding�from�the�perspective�of�mass�communication�(principally�in�television).�
The�only�other�mediated�communication�model�that�has�gained�a�wide�usage�since�Shannon�and�Weaver�is�the�communication�model�by�
McLuhan.�McLuhan�essentially�argues�that�mediation�and�communication�is�what�we�all�live�inside�of,�therefore�cannot�be�caught�in�one�
transparent�model.�McLuhan�drops�the�source�and�the�sender�that�enclose�Shannon’s�communication�model.�He�also�rejects�the�notion�
of�mathematics�and�mostly�focuses�on�the�influence�of�the�medium�over�the�content�of�the�message.�According�to�McLuhan,�the�medium�
shapes�the�content�of�the�message:�the�medium�for�instance�changes�the�scale,�pace�or�pattern�of�the�message.�Although�I�am�aware�that�
aspects�of�both�McLuhan’s�and�Shannon�and�Weaver’s�work�can�be�applied�to�glitch�in�different�ways,�I�believe�that�for�the�purposes�of�my�
research�the�model�of�Shannon�and�Weaver�is�most�clearly�useful�as�a�basic,�informational�approach�to�noise.
12�|��Michael�Heim,�The�Metaphysics�of�Virtual�Reality,�New�York:�Oxford�University�Press,�1993.�p.�122.
13�|��Jay�David�Bolter�and�Richard�Grusin,�Remediation:�Understanding�New�Media,�Massachusetts:�MIT�Press,�1999.�pp.�5-6.
15
noIse ArTIfACTs
While�the�linear�communication�process�described�by�Shannon�is�reasonably�determin-istic,�its�predictability�is�undermined�by�the�overall�addition�of�noise,�which�reveals�itself�on�the�surface�of�the�information�and�is�categorizable�as�‘noise�artifacts’.�Types�of�noise�artifacts�depend�on�the�form�of�the�information,�including�how�it�is�shaped�by�encoding/decoding�(in�the�digital�realm�this�process�materializes�de/compression artifacts)�or�mis-shaped�by�signal�corruption,�whilst�in�transmission.�Feedback� is�another�differentiation�of�a�signal�from�the�linear�transmission�model�that�can�also�lead�to�particular,�medium-specific� artifacts.� Once� their� cause� is� known,� different� forms� of� noise� artifacts� can� be�named�according�to�these�three�categories.�Each�category�of�interruption�involves�its�own�technical�aesthetics,�shaped�through�media�specificity.�
enCodInG And deCodInG: CoMpressIon ArTIfACTs
Today’s� communication� strives� to� become� exponentially� faster� and� (partly� as� a� conse-quence)�to�become�more�transparent.�In�the�present�pursuit�of�immediacy,�signal�speed�has� been� increasingly� prioritized.� In� contrast,� earlier� developments� in� audio� and� video�technologies�focussed�on�the�reduction�of�noise�in�order�to�improve�media�experiential�‘quality’.�Today�quality�seems�to�be�of�secondary�importance;�recent�technological�devel-opments�appear�to�reverse�or�downplay�the�focus�on�signal�quality�as�a�genuine�digital-cultural�concern.�
With�the�help�of�more�powerful�(transfer)�protocols�such�as�en/decoding�or�compression algorithms,�information�can�travel�faster�and�further.�A�compression�reorganises�informa-tion,�the�time�and�space�through�which�the�elements�of�sound�and�images�are�commu-nicated,�by�scaling,�reordering�and�decomposing.14�Compression�can�be�quite�complex.�Consider� a� single� file.� First� there� is� a� file� format,� which� can� be� a� ‘container’� of,� for� ex-ample,�sound�and�image�(examples�include�MPEG,�AVI�or�MOV).�This�container�possesses�the� meta-information� about� what� type(s)� of� compression-decompression� protocol(s)� or�‘codecs’�are�needed�to�store�and�transfer�the�information�or�to�view�the�data�object.�The�container�thus�does�not�carry�the�compression�algorithm�itself.�Instead�these�are�installed�on�the�computer�in�the�form�of�codecs.�Besides�this,�there�are�two�different�kinds�of�com-pression�protocols:�lossless�and�lossy.�
Lossless� and� especially� lossy� compressions� have� become� almost� ubiquitous,� whereas�original� RAW� (uncompressed)� information� is� considered� now� rare� and� relatively� un-wieldy,�especially�in�the�realms�of�digital�music,�photography�and�cinema.�Lossless�com-pressed�files�can�be�rebuilt�exactly�the�way�they�were�before�being�compressed,�and�retain�all� information� during� the� process.� Contrarily,� a� good� example� of� new� lossy� data� com-pression�technologies�is�the�mp3�data�format,�which�has�made�it�possible�to�distribute�music�easily,�but�in�lower�quality�than�the�CD�(which�uses�an�uncompressed�linear�PCM�organisation).� Lossy� data� compression� takes� a� pragmatic,� versioned� distance� from� the�original�file.�This�compression�focuses�only�on�the�data�that�is�important�for�the�eye�and/
14�|��Adrian�Mackenzie,�‘Codecs’,�in�Matthew�Fuller�(ed.)�Software�Studies,�Massachusetts:�MIT�Press,�2008,�pp.�48-55.�p.�36.
16
or�the�ear�to�perceive�and�discards�the�information�that�is�believed�to�be�of�lesser�impor-tance.�For�video�images�for�instance,�perception�depends�on�the�thresholds�of�luminance�(brightness)�and�chrominance�(colouring)�in�space�and�time.�Therefore,�video�codecs�are�designed�around�the�transmission�of�these�two�values�as�efficiently�as�possible.�The�rise�of�lossy�files�has�resulted�in�contemporary�media�consumption�practices�in�which�noise�is�increased�rather�than�decreased.
Most� compressions� are� relatively� concealed.� They� rarely� come� to� the� surface� to� explic-itly�reveal�their�language,�or�system�of�rules.�They�have�been�built,�debugged�and�tested�many�times�in�order�for�them�to�seem�negligible,�or�indeed,�to�recede�into�transparency.�However,�every�de/encoding�(or�compression)�technology�has�its�visible�and�less�visible�artifacts,�that�will�be�able�to�come�to�the�surface�when�either�an�error�corrupts�the�image�information,�or�the�encoding/decoding�process�malfunctions.�
17
A VernACulAr of fIle forMATs15
The only resolution to the problem of non-communication was to incorporate it within the system.16
- Friedrich Kittler
A PhotoshoP RAW imAge (.RAW). | this is the original, uncompressed (raW) source image, Which i Will glitch
throughout this chapter, in order to outline a condensed Version of my Vernacular of file formats. the image is a
Video still, Which is Why it inVolVes (nearly inVisible) scan lines. these lines are from the original Video.
Raw�image�files�contain�minimally�processed�data�(pixels)�from�the�image�sensor�of,�for�instance,�a�digital�camera�or�image�scanner.�The�file�header�of�a�RAW�image�typically�con-tains�information�concerning�the�byte-ordering�of�the�file;�the�camera�sensor�information�and�other�image�metadata�like�exposure�settings;�the�camera,�scanner�or�lens�model;�the�date�(and,�optionally,�place)�of�shooting�or�scanning;�the�format,�size�and�number�of�col-�ors;�as�well�as�other�information�needed�to�display�the�image.
15�|�This�section�is�in�fact�a�condensed�adaptation�of�my�2010�artwork,�Vernacular�of�File�Formats.�
16�|��Friedrich�Kittler,�Draculas�Vermächtnis:�Technische�Schriften,�Leipzig:�Reclam�Verlag�Leipzig,�1993.�p.�242.
18
A dAtAbent PhotoshoP RAW (h=0) imAge (.RAW). | this image Was constructed by opening the original three channel
interleaVed raW image as a single channel (single color/greyscale) interleaVed document. the image generated is
a reVersible databend. this image is uncompressed.
It� is� possible� to� save� a� RAW� image� file� without� a� header� (when� you� open� the� image� in�Photoshop,�for�example,�you�can�choose�header=0�in�a�pop-up�box).�When�the�RAW�im-age� is�saved�without�a�header� the�computer�doesn’t� know�the� dimensions�or�any�other�crucial�information�that�is�needed�to�reconstruct�the�image�out�of�the�image�data.�This�opens�up�creative�possibilities.�It�is�for�instance�possible�to�input�new�dimensions�for�the�image,�change�the�amount�of�color�channels�or�choose�whether�or�not�the�image�will�be�displayed�as�‘interleaved’�or�‘non-interleaved’.�In�the�case�of�a�RAW�image�file,�interleav-ing�and�non-interleaving�refer�to�the�order�in�which�the�RGB�(Red,�Green�and�Blue)�color�values�of�every�pixel�are�stored.�In�an�interleaved�RAW�image,�the�data�is�stored�in�a�RG-BRGBRGB�sequence.�When�the�image�is�saved�in�non-interleaved�order,�the�RGB�values�are�not�ordered�sequentially�but�have�their�own�‘layers’.�By�deviating�from�the�values�of�the�originally�recorded�image,�the�image�can�be�displayed�in�a�distorted�way�and�the�structure�of�the�file�becomes�visible.
19
A dAtAbent bitmAP imAge (.bmP). | this bmp image Was databent by copy-pasting a selection of random image data
oVer and oVer into the original file. the image generated is an irreVersible databend. this image is uncompressed.
The� BMP� file� format� is� uncompressed.� Every� bit� that� indexes� a� bitmap� pixel� value� is�packed�within�a�linear�row�and�processed�in�a�reversed�order�to�the�normal�image�raster�scan�order,�starting�in�the�lower�right�corner,�advancing�row�by�row�from�the�bottom�to�the�top.�This�is�why,�when�you�copy-paste�just�some�parts�of�the�image�data,�the�lower�part�of�the�image�data�and�the�image�itself�will�remain�intact,�while�the�upper�part�of�the�image�shifts�horizontally.
In�BMP�files,�and�many�other�bitmap�file�formats,�the�color�palette�consists�of�a�block�of�bytes�(a�table�or�palette)�listing�the�colors�available�for�use�in�a�particular�indexed-color�image.�Each�pixel�in�the�image�is�described�by�a�number�of�bits�(1-32�bit�color�depth)�that�index�a�single�color�from�the�color�palette,�which�is�described�right�after�the�header.�The�BMP�color�palette�uses�the�interleaved�RGB�color�model.�In�this�model,�a�color�depends�on�different�intensities�(from�0�to�255)�of�the�primary�RGB�colors.�A�color�is�thus�defined�by�the�final�intensities�of�R+G+B.�When�you�copy-paste�the�image�data,�certain�shifts�within�the�RGB�values�may�take�place;�the�intensity�of�the�data�from�B�can�(for�instance)�shift�to�R,�creating�sudden�discolored�blocks.�
20
gRAPhics inteRchAnge FoRmAt imAges (.giF). | left: a gif image featuring truncation (inVolVing quantization
error). right: a gif image in Which quantization error is minimized through the use of dither artifacts. the gif
compression is lossless.
The�Graphics�Interchange�Format�is�a�bitmap�image�format�that�supports�8�bits�per�pixel.�This�compression�can�therefore�consist�of�no�more�then�256�colors.�The�format�supports�animation�and�employs�dither�(a�grain�or�block�artifact),�which�can�be�intentionally�ap-plied�as�a�form�of�noise�to�‘randomize�quantization�error(s)’.�Quantization�refers�to�the�procedure�of�constraining�information�from�a�relatively�large�or�continuous�set�of�values�(such�as�real�numbers)�to�a�relatively�small�discrete�set�difference�between�the�actual�ana-log�value�and�quantized�digital�value�of�color.�‘Quantization�error’�is�thus�an�error�often�impacting�upon�color,�caused�by�truncation�(the�discarding�of�less�significant�color�infor-mation).’
Dither�helps�to�prevent�images�from�displaying�or�transforming�into�large-scale�patterns�such� as� ‘banding’� (a� stepped� process� of� rendering� smooth� gradations� in� brightness� or�hue).� Moreover,� because� the� human� eye� perceives� the� diffusion� caused� by� dither� as� a�mixture�of�the�colors,�unavailable�(cut�out�or�uncodable)�colors�are�approximated.�This�creates�the�illusion�of�color�depth.
21
graphics interchange format images (.gif).
this interlaced gif image Was databent by the introduction of a random error to the information data. the image
generated is an irreVersible databend.
The�gif�format�uses�a�four�pass�dimensional� interlacing�strategy.�This�basically�means�that�the�image,�consisting�of�different�rows�of�pixels,�decodes�some�rows�of�pixels�before�other�rows.�The�example�image�shows�the�displacement�of�the�different�rows�during�weav-ing�(the�putting�together�of�the�two�layers),�resulting�in�‘combing�artifacts’�with�‘jagged�edges’.
22
A dAtAbent PRogRessive Joint PhotogRAPhic exPeRts gRouP imAge (.JPeg). this baseline Jpeg image Was databent by
the introduction of a random error to the information data. the image generated is an irreVersible databend. the
Jpeg compression is lossy.
A JPEG compression consists of 6 subsequent steps:1. Color space transformation.�Initially,�images�have�to�be�transformed�from�the�RGB�col-
or�space�to�another�color�space�(called�Y´CbCr),�that�consists�of�three�components�that�are�handled�separately:�the�Y�(luma�or�brightness)�and�the�Cb�and�Cr�values�(chroma�or�color�values,�which�are�divided�into�hue�and�saturation).�
2. Downsampling.�Because�the�human�eye�doesn’t�perceive�small�differences�within�the�Cb�and�Cr�space�very�well,�these�elements�are�‘downsampled’�(their�information�is�re-duced).
3. Blocksplitting.� After� the� color� space� transformation,� the� image� is� split� into� tiles� or�‘macroblocks’,� which� are� rectangular� regions� of� the� image� that� are� transformed� and�encoded�separately.�
23
an 8 × 8 dct basis function of a Jpeg With differentiated macroblocks (.Jpeg).
4. Discrete Cosine Transform.� Next,� a� discrete� cosine� transform� (which� works� similar�to�the�Fourier�Transform�function�exploited�in�‘datamoshing’�and�‘macroblock’�experi-ments�to�which�I�will�later�refer)�is�used�to�create�a�frequency�spectrum,�to�transform�the�8×8�blocks�to�a�combination�of�64�two-dimensional�DCT�basis�functions�or�patterns�(as�mapped�out�by�the�lines).5. Quantization.� During� the� quantization� step,� the� highest� brightness-frequency� varia-tions�become�a�base�line�(or�0-value),�while�small�positive�and�negative�frequency�differ-entiations�are�given�a�value�that�starts�from�this�baseline,�which�takes�many�fewer�bits�to�represent.6. Entropy coding.� Finally,� entropy� coding� is� applied.� Entropy� coding� is� a� special� form�of�lossless�data�compression�that�involves�arranging�the�image�components�in�a�‘zigzag’�order.�This�allows�the�quantized�coefficient�table�to�be�rewritten�in�a�zigzag�order�to�a�se-quence�of�frequencies.�A�‘run-length�encoding’�(RLE)�algorithm�groups�similar�frequen-cies�together�and�after�that,�via�‘Huffman�coding’�organizes�what�is�left.
24
a databent baseline Joint photographic experts group image (.Jpeg).
this baseline Jpeg image Was databent by the introduction of a random error to the information data. the image
generated is an irreVersible databend. the Jpeg compression is lossy.
Because�the�RGB�color�values�of�JPEG�images�are�described�in�such�a�complex�algorithm,�random�data�replacements�can�also�result�into�dramatic�discoloration�and�displacement.�The�very�high�compression�ratio�of�a�JPEG�affects�the�quality�of�the�image�and�the�size�of�the�artifacts.�When�using�quantization�with�block-based�coding,�as�I�have�done�in�these�JPEG-compressed�images,�several�types�of�artifacts�can�appear,�for�instance�‘ringing’�or�‘ghosting’,�‘blocking’�and�‘jaggies’.�The�image�shows�‘blocking’�or�‘staircase’�artifacts�ap-pearing�most�clearly�along�the�curving�edges�as�a�result�of�the�8×8�JPEG�blocks.�Blockiness�in�‘busy’�regions�is�sometimes�also�referred�to�as�‘quilting’�or�‘checkerboarding’.�‘Jaggies’�is�the�informal�name�for�artifacts�in�raster�images.�They�are�often�the�result�of�poor�alias-ing,�which�happens�when�a�JPEG�signal�reconstruction�after�downsampling�has�produced�only�high�frequency�outcomes.
25
A dAtAbent Joint PhotogRAPhic exPeRts gRouP committee 2000 imAge (.JPF). | this Jpeg 2000 image Was databent by
the introduction of a random error to the information data. the image generated is an irreVersible databend. the
Jpeg 2000 compression is lossy.
The�JPEG�2000�standard�is�a�compression�standard�developed�especially�for�the�medical�imaging�industry�because�of�the�many�edge�and�blocking�artifacts�possible�for�the�JPEG�format,�which�can�cause�catastrophic�misreadings�in�medical�pictures.�JPEG�2000�has�im-proved�scalability�and�edit-ability.�In�JPEG�2000,�after�the�color�transformation�step,�the�image�is�split�into�so-called�tiles,�rectangular�regions�of�the�image�that�are�transformed�and�encoded�separately.�Tiles�can�be�any�size�and�it�is�also�possible�to�consider�the�whole�image�as�one�single�tile.�This�tiling�process�turns�the�image�into�a�collection�of�‘sub-bands’,�which�represent�several�approximation�scales.�A�sub-band�is�a�set�of�coefficients�that�rep-resent�aspects�of�the�image�associated�with�a�certain�frequency�range�as�well�as�a�spatial�area�of�the�image.�The�quantized�sub-bands�are�split�further�into�‘precincts’;�rectangular�regions�in�the�wavelet�domain.�A�‘wavelet’�is�a�wave-like�oscillation�with�amplitude�that�starts�out�at�zero,�increases,�and�then�decreases�back�to�zero.�It�can�typically�be�visualized�as�a�‘brief�oscillation’�like�one�might�see�recorded�by�a�seismograph�or�heart�monitor.�Pre-cincts�are�split�further�into�code�blocks,�which�are�located�in�a�single�sub-band�and�have�equal�sizes.�The�chrominance�components�(of�JPEG�2000)�can�be�(but�do�not�necessarily�need� to� be)� downscaled� in� resolution;� in� fact,� since� the� wavelet� transformation� already�separates�images�into�scales,�downscaling�or�downsampling�is�more�effectively�handled�by�dropping�the�finest�wavelet�scale.
26
orderly ChAos: feedBACk ArTIfACTs
Feedback,�a�category�of�noise,�is�a�circular�process�in�which�a�part�of�the�process’s�output�is�returned�(fed�back)�to�the�input,�influencing�the�future�behaviour�of�the�process.�The�addition�of�feedback�changes�the�communication�model�considerably,�from�a�linear�to�a�non-linear�model�of�transmission,�which�also�opens�the�model�up�to�new�forms�of�noise.�Feedback� then� is� both� an� artifact� within� digital� technologies� and� a� generative� quality�available�in�many�communication�media.�
Norbert� Wiener� established� the� foundations� of� cybernetics� (in� 1948)� by� describing� the�principle�of�cybernetic�feedback.�He�wrote�that�in�a�feedback-oriented�system,�the�factual�outcome�has�to�be�compared�with�the�intended�outcome.�If�the�intended�condition�is�not�reached,�it�is�pursued�through�feedback,�either�by�increasing�or�decreasing�the�difference.�An�example�of�such�a�system�is�for� instance�a�thermostat,�but�more�complex�examples�include�signal�(for�instance�audio)�equalizers�or�the�stock�market.17
The other noIse ArTIfACT: GlITCh
Malfunction and failure are not signs of improper production. On the contrary, they indicate the active production of the "accidental potential" in any product. The invention of the ship implies its wreckage, the steam engine and the locomo-tive discover the derailment.18
- Paul virilio
When�the�cause�of�a�noise�artifact�is�known,�the�artifact�is�often�not�referred�to�as�noise,�but�instead�is�named�after�its�technical�cause,�for�instance�as�a�compression�artifact�(jaggies,�macroblocking,� checkerboarding)� or� feedback artifact.� The� difference� between� compres-sion�and�feedback�artifacts�is�thus�not�always�strict.�When�the�source�of�the�noise�artifact�is�not� (yet)�known,�the�noise�becomes�puzzling.�In�the�digital�realm,�this�kind�of�noise�is�often�referred�to�as�‘glitch’.�Glitch,�an�unexpected�occurrence,�unintended�result,�or�break�or�disruption�in�a�system,�cannot�be�singularly�codified,�which�is�precisely�its�conceptual�strength�and�dynamical�contribution�to�media�theory.�From�an�informational�(or�techno-logical)�perspective,�the�glitch�is�best�considered�as�a�break�from�(one�of)�the�protocolized�data�flows�within�a�technological�system.�According�to�The�American�Heritage®�Dictionary�of�the�English�Language,�the�word�glitch�was�first�recorded�in�English�in�1962�in�the�writings�of�astronaut�John�Glenn,�who�describes�glitch�as�a�term�adopted�by�his�team�‘to�describe�some�of�our�problems’.�Glenn�gives�the�technical�sense�of�the�word�that�the�astronauts�had�adopted,�as�‘literally…�a�spike�or�change�in�voltage�in�an�electrical�current’�only�to�note�how�that�more�specific�technical�definition�was�soon�applied�to�a�range�of�‘other,�not-yet-spec-ified’�problems.�Close�to�the�moment�of�its�inception�then,�‘glitch’�already�passes�beyond�specific�technical�use�to�describe�a�wide�variety�of�malfunctions�and�mishaps.19
17�|��Norbert�Wiener,�Cybernetics:�Or�Control�and�Communication�in�the�Animal�and�the�Machine,�Paris:�Hermann�&�Cie�&�Camb,�1948.
18�|��Sylvere�Lotringer�and�Paul�Virilio,�The�Accident�of�Art,�Semiotext(e):�New�York,�2005.�p.�2.
19�|��The�American�Heritage®�Dictionary�of�the�English�Language,�Fourth�Edition,�Houghton�Mifflin�Company,�2004.�http://dictionary.reference.
com/browse/glitch.
27
The�result�of�a�glitch�can�range�significantly,�from�a�catastrophe�to�just�a�minor�hiccup�or�slip.�In�the�case�of�minor�glitches,�the�informational�inputs,�encoding�or�decoding�or�other�technological�protocols�are�revealed�to�be�at�some�point�‘erroneous’,�while�the�rest�of�the�system�or�the�parts�processing�the�data�flows�within�that�system�(the�hardware,�soft-ware�or�for� instance�the�monitor�interface)�continue�to�function,�and�display�the�error-ridden� output� unscrutinized.� When� the� glitch� is� more� disastrous,� the� system� might� not�function�properly�at�all,�or�ever�return�to�its�normal�mode�of�operation.
From�a�media�culture�perspective�then,�the�term�glitch�refers�to�a�not�yet�defined�break�from�a�procedural�flow,�fostering�a�critical�potential.�Here�I�use�‘procedural’�as�a�moniker�from� ‘procedural� programming’� (or� ‘imperative� programming’),� to� reference� series'� of�computational�steps�that�must�be�carried�out�in�order�for�a�program�to�reach�a�desired�state.�Once�a�procedural�flow�is�broken,�there�are�two�possible�ways�in�which�the�glitch�tends�to�move.�If�the�cause�of�the�machine’s�erratic�behavior�becomes�known,�the�glitch�tips�and�becomes�a�simple�bug�report�of�a�failure,�in�which�it�will�be�described�under�its�technological�name�(which�at�that�point�is�often�a�compression�artifact).�However,�if�the�cause�of�the�glitch�remains�unknown,�the�glitch�can�either�be�ignored�and�forgotten,�or�transformed�into�an�interpretation�or�reflection�on�a�phenomenon�(or�the�memory�there-of)�defined�by�a�social�or�cultural�context� (conventions,�histories,�perspectives)�and�the�technology�that�is�malfunctioning.�In�short, failure is a phenomenon to overcome, while a glitch is incorporated further into technological or interpretive processes.�Accordingly,�when�the�glitch�opens�up�to�the�realm�of�symbolic�or�metaphorical�connotations,�the�interrup-tion�shifts�from�being�a�strictly�informational�or�technological�actuality,�into�a�more�com-plex�post-procedural�phenomenon�to�be�reckoned�with.�
28
The perception of GlitchOur taverns and our metropolitan streets, our offices and furnished rooms, our railroad stations and our factories appeared to have us locked up hopelessly. Then came the film and burst this prison-world asunder by the dynamite of the tenth of the second, so that now, in the midst of its far-flung ruins and debris, we calmly and adventurously go traveling.01
- Walter Benjamin
The MeAnInG of noIse
To�develop�a�categorization�of�noise�for�contemporary�audio-visual�media�theory,�I�have�used�Claude�Shannon’s�mathematical�theory�of�communication.�In�his�definition�of�in-formational�noise,�Shannon�conveniently�focused�on�the�transfer�of�information�between�machines,� leaving�human�elements�and�context�out�of�the�equation.�Drawing�on�Shan-non’s�model,�I�was�able�to�divide�digital�noise�into�three�basic�categories�of�noise�artifacts:�encoding/decoding artifacts� (which� are�most� often�referred�to�as� compression�artifacts),�feedback artifacts�and�the�‘other’�corruptions�known�as�glitch artifacts�–�artifacts�for�which�the�causes�are�not�(yet)�known.�It�is�important�to�realize�that�the�difference�between�each�of�these�artifacts�is�not�rigid,�as�the�description�of�a�glitch�artifact�can�be�understood�as�a�de/compression�or�feedback�artifact�(and�visa�versa),�depending�on�the�viewer’s�knowl-edge�of�the�technology.�In�the�context�of�human-computer�communication,�I�also�deviate�from�Shannon�and�Weaver�and�believe�that�the�concept�of�noise�becomes�more�complex�as�it�connotes�meaning�and�translation.�Consequently,�human-computer�definitions�of�noise�must�also�include�social�parameters�and�become�more�complex,�inevitably�negoti-ating�questions�of�context,�perception�and�aesthetics.�
The� etymological� definition� of� noise� refers� to� states� of� aggression,� alarm� and� powerful�sound� phenomena� in� nature� (‘rauschen’)02.� When� the� concept� of� noise� is� approached�within�a�social�context,�noise�does�not�exist�independently,�but�only�in�relation�to�what�it� is� not.� However� complex� or� inclusive� noise� appears� as� a� signifier,� it� is� always� a� kind�of�negativity:� it�stands�for�unaccepted�sound,�not�music,� invalid�information�or�the�ab-sence�of�a�message.�Noise�is�unwanted,�other�and�unordered.�Accordingly,�there�is�also�no�unequivocal�cultural�definition�of�noise,�because�in�the�end,�what�noise�is�and�what�noise�is�not,�is�a�social�matter.�As�James�Brady�Cranfield-Rose�writes,�‘noise�is�a�“cipher”,�a�question�mark,�forever�eluding�fixed�definitions’.03�Furthermore,�whichever�way�noise�is�defined,�its�negative�orientation�also�has�positive,�critical�dimensions.�Noise�tends�to�reflexively�stage�a�reconsideration�or�re-view�its�opposite�–�the�world�of�meaning,�norms�and�regulations,�goodness,�or�beauty.04
01�|��Walter�Benjamin,�‘The�Work�of�Art�in�the�Age�of�Mechanical�Reproduction’,�in�Hannah�Arendt�(ed.)�Illuminations,�New�York:�Schocken,�1968,�
pp.�219-254.�p.�236.
02�|Torben�Sangild,�The�Aesthetics�of�Noise,�Copenhagen:�Datanom,�2002.�www.ubu.com/papers/noise.�p.�5-8.
03�|��James�Brady�Cranfield-Rose,�Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick…�Oval,�the�glitch�and�the�utopian�politics�of�noise,�unpublished�master�thesis,�Burnaby,�
Canada:�Simon�Fraser�University,�2004.�p.�13,�http://lib-ir.lib.sfu.ca/handle/1892/8961.
04�|��Paul�Hegarty,�Noise/Music:�A�History,�London�and�New�York:�Continuum,�2007.�p.�5.
29
The GlITCh MoMenT(uM): A VoId In TeChno-CulTure
Noise�aesthetics�pose�both�a�technological�and�perceptual�challenge�to�habitual�or�ideologi-cal�conventions.�While�media�developers�design�their�technologies�in�order�that�the�user�will�forget�about�the�presence�of�the�medium,�following�the�ideal�logic�of�transparent�immediacy,�in�reality,�the�complexity�of�the�user’s�inherently�aesthetic�and�perceptual�responses�to�the�human�computer�interface�requires�a�more�nuanced�approach.�As�Ernst�Gombrich�declared:�‘However�we�analyse�the�difference�between�the�regular�and�the�irregular,�we�must�ultimately�be�able�to�account�for�the�most�basic�fact�of�aesthetic�experience,�the�fact�that�delight�lies�somewhere�between�boredom�and�confusion’.05�Situations�of�either�extreme�immediacy�or�extreme�reliability�do�not�contribute�as�might�be�expected�to�the�actual�richness�of�a�media�experience.�Most�people�need�some�kind�of� interplay�between�surprise�and�uniformity� to�keep�them�actively�involved.06�Expanding�on�this�important,�indeed�integral�role�of�irregular-ity�and�surprise�in�human�perception,�Gombrich�quotes�Adelbert�Ames,�Jr,�who�explains:
the�organism�is�continually�comparing�the�prognosis�of�the�continually�changing�new�external�events�with�his�determined�frame�of�significance.�If�they�conform,�i.e.�‘work’,�he�is�no�longer�interested;�but�in�so�far�as�they�do�not,�he�has�to�take�stock�of�the�situation.�There�are�three�possibilities�–�either�his�frame�of�significances�may�be�wrong,�or�his�immediate�sense�response�may�be�wrong,�or�both.�In�any�case,�he�has�a�problem�to�solve.07
The� first� encounter� with� a� glitch� comes� hand� in� hand� with� a� feeling� of� shock,� with� be-ing�lost�and�in�awe.�The�glitch�is�a�powerful�interruption�that�shifts�an�object�away�from�its�flow�and�ordinary�discourse,�towards�the�ruins�of�destructed�meaning.�This�concept�of�flow� I�emphasize�as�both�a�trait�within�the�machine�as�well�as�a�feature�of�society�as�a�whole.�DeLanda�distinguishes�between�chaotic�disconnected�flows�and�stable�flows�of�matter�that�move�in�continuous�variations,�conveying�singularities.08�DeLanda�draws�here�on�Deleuze�and�Guattari,�who�describe�flow�in�terms�of�the�beliefs�and�desires�that�both�stimulate�and�maintain�society.�They�write�that�a�flow�is�something�that�comes�into�exis-tence�over�long�periods�of�time.�Within�these�periods,�conventions�are�established,�while�deviations�tend�to�become�rare�occurrences�and�are�often�(mis)understood�as�accidents�(or� glitches).� Although� meaningful� aspects� of� every� day� life� might� in� fact� be� disclosed�within� these� rare� fluctuations,� their� impact� or� relevance� is� often� likely� to� be� ruled� out,�because�of�social�tendencies�to�put�emphasis�on�the�norm.09
A�glitch�is�the�most�puzzling,�difficult�to�define�and�enchanting�noise�artifact;�it�reveals�itself�to�perception�as�accident,�chaos�or�laceration�and�gives�a�glimpse�into�normally�obfuscated�
05�|��Ernst�Hans�Josef�Gombrich,�The�Sense�of�Order:�A�Study�in�the�Psychology�of�Decorative�Art,�London:�Phaidon�Press,�1984.�p.�9.
06�|��Robert�Pepperell,�‘Computer�aided�creativity:�practical�experience�and�theoretical�concerns’,�in�Proceedings�of�the�4th�conference�on�Creativ-
ity�&�cognition,�Loughborough,�UK:�ACM,�2002.�pp.�50-56,�http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=581710.581720&type=series.
07�|��Ames,�Jr.�Adelbert,�‘The�morning�Notes’,�in�Ernst�Hans�Josef�Gombrich,�The�Sense�of�Order:�A�Study�in�the�Psychology�of�Decorative�Art,�
London:�Phaidon�Press,�1984.�p.�117.
08�|��Manuel�DeLanda,�War�in�the�Age�of�Intelligent�Machines,�New�York:�Zone�Books,�1991.�p.�20.
09�|��Gilles�Deleuze�and�Pierre-Félix�Guattari,�A�Thousand�Plateaus:�Capitalism�and�Schizophrenia,�Trans.�B.�Massumi,�Londen:�The�Athlone�
Press,�1988.�p.�219.
30
machine�language.�Rather�than�creating�the�illusion�of�a�transparent,�well-working�inter-face�to�information,�the�glitch�captures�the�machine�revealing�itself.�Television�is�arguably�one�of�the�more�flow-centric,�ideologically�‘transparent’�media�forms.�In�Television: Technol-ogy and Cultural Form�(1974),�Williams�describes�a�viewer�frequently�caught�up�in�a�flow�of�technology�and�its�contents.�He�emphasizes�that�the�process�of�this�flow�seems�natural,�but�is�in�fact�strictly�guided�by�larger�corporations�and�powers.�When�a�(televisual)�flow�breaks,�the�user�comes�to�witness�only�shreds�of�the�flow�through�which�the�message�is�normally�transmitted,�while�the�machinic�functions�that�are�conventionally�relied�upon�–�as�obfus-cated�–�are�revealed.10�When�a�supposedly�transparent�interface�is�damaged�in�this�way,�the�viewer� is� momentarily� relocated� to� a� void� of� meaning.� Interruptions� like� these� are� often�perceived�as�disastrous,�threatening�and�uncanny.�Sometimes�they�create�a�moment�where�seemingly�any�sense�that�could�be�made�of�a�situation�is�eliminated�from�thought�or�pos-sibility.�On�other�occasions,�the�metaphorical�impact�of�the�unspeakable�mediatic�disaster�also�brings�with�it�the�tendency�to�reflect�(on�for�instance�what�the�differentiation�from�the�flow�means).�Eric�Kluitenberg�describes�how�this�was�the�case�on�September�11,�2001,�when�the�CNN�website�temporarily�went�down�and�a�black�screen�repeatedly�interrupted�the�flow�of�the�television�broadcast.�He�refers�to�these�moments�in�time�as�
the�rupture�of�professional�media�codes,�which�signaled�complete�panic�and�dis-array�[…],�the�infinity�of�possible�alternative�discourses,�of�other�possible�modes�of�explanation�and�interpretation.11
What�is�challenged�or�brought�forward�in�the�case�of�the�void�is�the�idea�of�authorship�itself,� which,� prior� to� this� supposedly� voiding� moment,� was� in� fact� neutralized� from�media-cultural�experience.�It�is�possible�to�realize�at�this�point�–�and�only�belatedly�–�that�the�conventions�of�‘the�seamless�surface�of�the�networked�media�spectacle�itself,�and�its�illusion�of�stability’12�tend�to�foreclose�any�sense�of�authorship�whatsoever.�In�media�ac-cidents� like� these,� the� void� involves� the� unknown� –� that� which� cannot� be� described� or�planned� for.� These� empty� spaces� of� non-understanding� trigger� a� horror vacui:� a� fear� of�voids�to�which�nothing�else�can�be�compared�and�that�is�beyond�all�possibilities�of�calcu-lation,�measurement�or�imitation.13�However,�these�terrifying�voids�also�create�a�form�of�counter-experience,�a�negative�pleasure�that�is�not�so�different�from�the�proto-modern,�aesthetic�conception�of�the�sublime�(described�as�early�as�1693�in�John�Dennis’s�writings�on�the�Alps),�as�contradictory�and�immense�‘delight�that�is�consistent�with�reason’�but�yet,�‘mingled�with�Horrors,�and�sometimes�almost�with�despair’.14
Like�in�this�‘nature’-generated�sublime,�the�glitch�is�an�uncanny�or�overwhelming�experi-ence�of�unforeseen�incomprehension.�Experiencing�a�glitch�is�often�like�perceiving�a�stun-
10�|��Raymond�Williams,�Television:�Technology�and�Cultural�Form,�Hanover:�University�Press�of�New�England,�1974.
11�|��Eric�Kluitenberg,�Delusive�Spaces.�Essays�on�Culture,�Media�and�Technology,�Rotterdam:�NAi�Publishers�and�Amsterdam:�Institute�of�
Network�Cultures,�2008.�p.�357.
12�|��Eric�Kluitenberg,�Transfiguration�of�the�Avant-Garde/The�Negative�Dialectics�of�the�Net,�posting�to�nettime�mailing�list,�23�January,�2002,�
http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-0201/msg00104.html.
13�|��Eric�Kluitenberg,�Delusive�Spaces.�Essays�on�Culture,�Media�and�Technology,�Rotterdam:�NAi�Publishers�and�Amsterdam:�Institute�of�
Network�Cultures,�2008.�p.�333.
14�|��Jeffrey�Barnouw,�‘The�Morality�of�the�Sublime:�To�John�Dennis’,�Comparative�Literature,�Vol.�35,�No.�1�(Winter,�1983):�p.�21-42.�
31
ningly�beautiful,�brightly�colored�complex�landscape�of�unexplainable,�unfathomable�and�otherworldly�images�and�data�structures.�A�glitch�represents�a�loss�of�control.�The�‘world’�or�the�interface�does�the�unexpected.�It�goes�beyond�the�borders�of�its�known�and�programmed�territories,� changing� viewers'� assumptions� about� technology� and� its� assumed� functions�(as�was�for�instance�the�case�during�the�September�11�broadcast),�and�comes�to�seem�pro-foundly�irrational�in�its�‘behavior’.�The�glitch�makes�the�computer�itself�suddenly�appear�unconventionally�deep,�in�contrast�to�the�more�banal,�predictable�surface-level�behaviors�of�‘normal’�machines�and�systems.�In�this�way,�glitches�announce�a�crazy�and�dangerous�kind�of�moment(um)�instantiated�and�dictated�by�the�machine�itself.
The�concept�of�moment(um)�is�twofold:�first�of�all�there�is�the�moment,�which�is�experi-enced�as�the�uncanny,�threatening�loss�of�control,�throwing�the�spectator�into�the�void�(of�meaning).�This�moment�then�itself�becomes�a�catalyst,�with�a�certain�momentum.�Noise�turns�to�glitch�when�it�passes�a�momentary�tipping point,�at�which�it�could�tip�away�into�a�failure,�or�instead�force�new�knowledge�about�the�glitch’s�techné,�and�actual�and�pre-sumed�media�flows,�onto�the�viewer.
Through�the�distorted�images�and�behaviors�of�machinic�outputs,�the�viewer�is�thrown�into�a�more�risky�realm�of�image�and�non-image,�meaning�and�non-meaning,�truth�and�interpretation.�The�machine�no�longer�behaves�in�the�way�the�technology�was�supposed�to.�Its�glitching�interface,�strange�sounds�and�broken�behavioral�patterns�introduce�ten-sion�into�user�intentions;�an�astonishing�image�(or�sound)�must�be�somehow�negotiated�amidst�a�normally�much�more�boring�masquerade�of�human�computer�relations.�Though�at�first�the�viewer�reacts�with�shock�and�perceives�the�experience�as�a�loss,�the�glitch�can-not�be�subdued�as�a�solid�state�of�perception.�Just�as�the�understanding�of�a�glitch�changes�once�it�is�named,�so�does�the�notion�of�transparency�or�systemic�equilibrium�supposedly�damaged�by�the�glitch�itself.�The�‘original’�experience�of�rupture�is�moved�beyond�its�sub-lime�moment(um)�and�vanishes�into�a�realm�of�new�conditions.�The�glitch�has�become�a�new�mode;�and�its�previous�uncanny�encounter�has�come�to�register�as�an�ephemeral,�personal�experience�of�a�machine.
TeChnoreAlIsM And The ACCIdenT of ArT
I can no longer use the figure without destroying it, so I’d rather be abstract.15
- marK rothKo
Notions�of�disaster,�aesthetics�of�failure�and�accidental�events�have�been�integral�to�modern�and� contemporary� art,� Avant-Garde� progressions� and� turnings.� With� the� growing� impor-tance�of�technology,�especially�so�in�the�modern�century,� it� is� the�accident�that�becomes�immanent�to�culture,�as�Virilio�has�emphasized�most�strongly�among�media�theorists:�
To�invent�the�sailing�ship�or�steamer�is�to invent the shipwreck.�To�invent�the�train�is�to invent the rail accident�of�derailment.�To�invent�the�family�automobile�is�to�produce�the�pile-up�on�the�highway.�To�get�what�is�heavier�than�air�to�take�off�in�the�
15�|��Sylvere�Lotringer�and�Paul�Virilio,�The�Accident�of�Art,�Semiotext(e):�New�York,�2005.�p.�22.
32
form�of�an�aeroplane�or�dirigible�is�to invent the crash,�the�air�disaster.�As�for�the�space�shuttle,�Challenger,�its�blowing�up�in�flight�in�the�same�year�that�the�tragedy�of�Chernobyl�occurred�is�the�original accident�of�a�new�motor,�the�equivalent�of�the�first�ship-wreck�of�the�very�first�ship.16
In� correlation� with� Gombrich,� Virilio� argues� that� although� many� people� encounter� ac-cidents� as� negative� experiences,� an� accident� can� also� have� positive� consequences.� The�accident�doesn’t�only�equal�failure,�but�can�also�‘reveal�something�absolutely�necessary�to�knowledge’.17�To�Virillio,�the�accident�resides�beyond�the�classical�opposition�of�func-tional�versus�dysfunctional.�In�the�introduction�to�the�Deaf�’98�festival�Reader,�which�was�largely�dedicated�to�Virilio’s�theories�on�the�accident,�the�accident�is�even�described�as�hyper-functional.�The�accident�(and�thus�the�glitch)�shows�a�system�in�a�state�of�entropy�and�so�aids�towards�an�understanding�of�the�ultimate�functioning�of�a�system.�This�opens�up�space�for�research�and�practice,�and�the�arts�are�a�special�domain�for�this.18
In�The Accident of Art� (2005),�Virilio�argued�that�art�itself�has�been�terrorized�by�the�last�century;�it�has�been�devastated�consecutively�by�the�two�World�Wars,�the�Holocaust�and�nuclear�power.�Dadaists�and�Surrealists�cannot�be�understood�without�World�War�1;�they�are�its�casualties,�the�‘broken�faces’�or�war�victims�that�used�automatic�writing�as�their�machine-gun.19� Virilio� explains� how� WW1� blew� reality� into� pieces� and� how� the� cubist�painter�Georges�Braque�collected�those�pieces�and�put�them�back�together,�not�just�as�a�formalist�experiment�or�as�a�destruction�of�perspective�but�as�an�artistic�realism�appropri-ate�to�the�techno-cultural�present.�For�Virilio,�while�figurative�work�retreats,�this�category�of�Abstract�art�is�‘not�really�abstract’.20�Because�the�war�disfigured,�destroyed�and�muti-lated�reality,�as�much�as�it�did�human�bodies�and�outdoor�spaces,�realist�conventions�(for-merly/formally�understood)�were�no�longer�reproducible.�Thus,�many�artists�could�only�use�some�(destroyed�or�mutilated)�form�of�figuration.�This�understanding�leads�Virilio�to�conclude�that�in�the�art�of�the�accident,�there�should�be�a�differentiation�between�non-figurative�and�disfigured�art.21�Such�a�‘formal’�comprehension�of�technological�realisms�makes�for�all�kinds�of�disaster�or�accident�related�art.�In�the�digital�realm,�what�has�come�to�be�known�as�glitch�art�deals�with�the�digital�dimension�of�error,�accident�and�disaster�from�different�angles,�within�a�larger�context�of�cultural�meaning.
16�|��Paul�Virilio�and�Julie�Rose,�The�Original�Accident,�Cambridge:�Polity�Press,�2007.�p.�10.
17�|��Sylvere�Lotringer�and�Paul�Virilio,�The�Accident�of�Art,�Semiotext(e):�New�York,�2005.�p.�63.
18�|��Andreas�Broeckmann,�Joke�Brouwer,�Bart�Lootsma,�Arjen�Mulder�and�Lars�Spuybroek,�The�Art�of�the�Accident,�NAI�Publishers/V2_Organisa-
tie:�Rotterdam,�1998.�p.�3.
19�|��Andreas�Broeckmann,�Joke�Brouwer,�Bart�Lootsma,�Arjen�Mulder�and�Lars�Spuybroek,�The�Art�of�the�Accident,�NAI�Publishers/V2_Organisa-
tie:�Rotterdam,�1998.�p.�3.
20�|��Sylvere�Lotringer�and�Paul�Virilio,�The�Accident�of�Art,�Semiotext(e):�New�York,�2005.�p.�19-21.
21�|��Sylvere�Lotringer�and�Paul�Virilio,�The�Accident�of�Art,�Semiotext(e):�New�York,�2005.�p.�19-21.
33
A phenomenology of Glitch Art“Failure” has become a prominent aesthetic in many of the arts in the late 20th cen-tury, reminding us that our control of technology is an illusion, and revealing digi-tal tools to be only as perfect, precise, and efficient as the humans who build them.01
- Kim caScone
The predICAMenTs of defInInG GlITCh ArT
Artists�often�find�themselves�on�a�frontline,�reflecting�on�the�cultures,�politics�and�tech-nologies� of� their� time.� Over� the� last� decades,� audiovisual� media� and� computers� have�gradually� gained� more� and� more� importance� in� an� art� field� that� is� still� fundamentally�ruled� by� classical� media� forms� and� genres.� Noise� itself� is� of� course� not� new;� similarly,�contemporary�glitch�art�relates�to�a�long�history�of�noise�art�and�artists�battling�in�differ-ent�ways�against�media�forms�and�their�flows�and�conventions,�including�especially�what�I�have�outlined�as�the�convention�of�transparent�immediacy.�
While�not�being�new,�noise�art�arises�unpredictably�in�new�forms�across�different�tech-nologies�and�cultural�scenes.�Over�time,�noise�artists�have�migrated�from�exploring�the�grain,� the�scratching�and�burning�of�celluloid�(for�example,�a�colour�box�by�Len�Lye,�1937)�to�the�magnetic�distortion�and�scanning�lines�of�the�cathode�ray�tube�(a�significant�work�being�Nam�June�Paik�in�magnetTV�in�1965).�Subsequently,�glitch�artists�wandered�the�planes�of�phosphor�burn-in,�as�Cory�Arcangel�did�in�panasonic�TH-42PWD8UK�plas-ma�screen�burn,�in�2007.�With�the�arrival�of�LCD�(liquid�crystal�display)�technologies,�dead� pixels� were� rubbed,� bugs� were� trapped� between� liquid� crystals� or� plastic� displays�and�violent�screen�cracking�LCD�performances�took�place�(of�which�my�favorite�is�%SCR2,�by�Jodi,�under�the�Pseudonym�webcrash2800�in�2009).�
To�some�artists,�myself�included,�it�has�become�a�personal�matter�to�break�the�assured�informatic�flows�of�media.�While�normally,�transparent�media�screens�generate�conven-tional� impressions� of� immediacy,� there� is� a� desire� to� force� the� viewer� to� think� beyond�his�comfort�zones.�Glitch�artists�make�use�of�the�accident�to�‘disfigure’�flow,�image�and�information,�or�they�exploit�the�void�–�a�lack�of�information�that�creates�space�for�deci-phering�or� interpreting�the�process�of�creating�(new�kinds�of)�meaning.�Through�these�tactics,�glitch�artists�reveal�the�machine’s�techné�and�enable�critical�sensory�experience�to�take�place�around�materials,�ideologies�and�(aesthetic)�structures.�Their�destructive�or�disfiguring�processes�have�no�technological�name,�definition�or�explanation�(yet).�For�this�reason,�it�is�necessary�to�not�only�define�and�categorize�glitch�at�technological�levels,�but�also�to�look�closely�at�how�specific�media�are�exploited�on�a�more�complex�techno-cultural level.�The�artists�I�discuss�here�include�Ant�Scott,�5VOLTCORE�Gijs�Gieskes�and�Jodi.�Of�course�many�other�artists�whose�practices�are�invested�in�the�moment(um)�or�culture�of�glitch�could�have�been�included�here.�An�actual�historiography�would�for� instance�also�include�signal�processing�artists�like�Karl�Klomp,�Lovid,�Morgan�Higby-Flowers�and�Max�Capacity,�aesthetic�glitch-tricksters�like�Jon�Satrom,�jonCates,�fabric�artist�Melissa�Baron,�and�databend�generative�artists�such�as�stAllio!,�glitch-irion�Pixelnoizz�and�Hellocatfood.�This�historiography�is�still�unwritten�(partly�because�it�is�still�in�progress).
01�|��Kim�Cascone,�‘The�Aesthetics�of�Failure:�Post-Digital�Tendencies�in�Contemporary�Computer�Music’,�Computer�Music�Journal�24.4�(Winter�
2000):�p.�13.
34
As�is�clear�by�now,�the�inherent�openness�of�glitch�as�a�concept�makes�glitch�art�difficult,�if�not�impossible,�to�define.�Although�a�glitch�can�take�place�strictly�within�the�compu-tational�system,�the�majority�of�artifacts�that�are�called�or�referred�to�as�glitches�within�glitch�art�are�not�purely�informational,�but�make�sense�only�through�a�synthesis�of�agents�and�contexts�involved.�Glitch�is�post-procedural�(a�break�from�a�procedural�flow)�and�so,�dialectically�connects�to,�while�departing�from,�a�linear�and�informational�model�of�me-dia�communication�(‘information�source->�encoder->�channel->�decoder->�destination’),�while� also� incorporating� contextual� and� social� processes� of� interpretation� and� making�meaning.�Furthermore,�it�is�necessary�to�recall�that�the�word�‘glitch’�in�‘glitch�art’�is�often�used�as�a�metaphorical�concept,�even�by�glitch�artists,�and�therefore�varies�from�the�stand-alone�technical�or�informational�term�‘glitch’.
ant scott. suqqe. digital screenshot. 2002.
The� complexities� that� must� be� faced� by� a� theorist� or� researcher� when� trying� to� define� or�demarcate�some�kind�of� ‘essence�of�glitch�art’� (if� this� is�even�possible)�come�to�the�fore-ground�upon�close�engagement�with�Ant�Scott’s�(Beflix)�work.�For�years,�Ant�Scott�has�been�a�leading�figure�in�the�realm�of�glitch�art.�From�2001�until�2005�he�published�hundreds�of�glitch�images�–�static�and�animated�–�on�his�blog,�appearing�here�as�the�first�glitch�artist�actually�using�the�term�‘glitch�art’�for�his�work.�These�images�don’t�have�a�common�source;�further,�some�of�them�are�‘found’�glitch�artifacts�turned�into�or�framed�as�art,�while�oth-ers�are�intentionally�made�from�scratch�by�the�artist.�Ant�Scott�describes�his�series�glitch�(2007),�a�collection�of�25�‘works’�(small�digital�renders�of�lo-fi�captured�glitches)�accessible�via�his�home�page,�as�the�best�of�his�‘pure�glitch’�phase.�The�images,�which�at�first�might�appear�bewildering,�are�actually�created�from�computer�crashes,�software�errors,�hacked�games,�and�megabytes�of�raw�data�turned�into�colored�pixels.02�They�originate�or�are�con-
02�|��Ant�Scott,�GLITCH�#12,�GLITCH�ART,�2007,�http://www.Ant�Scott.com/works/glitch.php?id=12.
35
structed�from�thorough�trial�and�error�processes,�to�which�Scott�carefully�reassigns�colours,�and�crops�select�areas�of�interest.�The�result�is�the�works�that�make�up�the�glitch�series.�
Ant�Scott’s�working�process�presents�all�kinds�of�dilemmas�in�the�quest�for�a�definition�and� categorisation� of� glitch� art.� What kind of ‘glitch’ is this ‘glitch art’ exploring? How can the glitch be explained as an unexpected, abnormal mode of operation, when the art-ist’s working process and what he aims for are these abnormalities to begin with? Can the intended error be really described as erroneous?�On�the�other�hand,�Scott’s�wide-ranging�interrogation�of�glitch�aligns�with�other�aspects�of�glitch�that�I�have�outlined.�A�glitch�can�indeed�exist�within�and�across�different�systems,�for�instance�the�system�of�production�and� the� system� of� reception.� Similarly,� a� glitch� can� depend� on� different� actors� within�these�systems;�not�just�the�technological�elements�that�Shannon�described,�but�also�the�ideological�and�cultural�contexts�of�the�technology,�which�brings�aspects�of�time,�place�and�structure�(aesthetics)�into�the�art�work,�all�of�which�differ�between�different�publics,�involved�in�the�process�of�making�meaning.�Despite�glitch�art�having�no�solid,�or�single�definition�through�time�and�place,�just�as�Virilio�argued�that�it�is�helpful�to�describe�a�dif-ference�between�non-figurative�and�disfigured�art,�I�believe�it�is�useful�to�make�a�similar�distinction�between�different�dimensions�of�‘glitch’�in�‘glitch�art’.�Glitch�art�then�poten-tially�incorporates�a�range�of�works�that�are�post-procedural,�deconstructive,�accidental�and�so�on,�alongside�works�more�focussed�on�a�final�end-product,�aesthetic�or�design.
CATeGorICAl preCursors: A BInAry ApproACh To GlITCh ArT?
The�post-procedural�essence�of�glitch�art�is�opposed�to�conservation;�the�shocking�per-ception�and�understanding�of�what�a�glitch�is�at�one�point�in�time�cannot�be�preserved�for�a�future�time.�The�artist�tries�to�somehow�demonstrably�grasp�something�that� is�by�nature�unstable�and�ungraspable.�Their�commitments�are�to�an�unconventional�utopia�of�randomness,�chance�and�idyllic�disintegrations�that�are�potentially�critical.�The�core�of�a�work�of�glitch�art� is� therefore�best�understood�as�the�momentary�culmination�of�a�history�of� technological�and�cultural�movements,�and�as�the�articulation�of�an�attitude�of�destructive�generativity.�In�short,�glitch�art�practices�are�invested�in�processes�of�non-conforming,�ambiguous�re-formations.
At�the�same�time,�however,�many�works�of�glitch�art�have�developed�into�archetypes�and�even�stereotypical�models,�and�some�artists�do�not�focus�on�the�post-procedural�dialectics�and�complexity�of�glitch�at�all.�They�skip�the�process�of�creation�through�destruction�of�a� flow� and� focus� only,� directly,� on� the� creation� of� new� formal� designs� for� glitch,� either�by�creating�the�final�imagistic�(or�sonic)�product,�or�by�developing�shortcuts�to�recreate�the�latest-circulated�glitch�re-formation.�Purposive,�design-driven�efforts�at�glitch�can�be�created�in�plug-ins,�filters�or�‘glitching�software’�that�automatically�emulate,�simulate�or�mimic�a�particular�glitching�method.�These�tools�tend�to�surrender�‘affect’�(the�shocking�moment(um)�of�glitch)�in�favor�of�‘effect’.�
Design-driven� glitch� art� has� tended� to� be� referred� to� as� artificial� or� ‘glitch-alike’.� Iman�Moradi�has�gone�so�far�as�to�develop�a�true-false�binary�to�deal�with�these�matters�of�glitch�imitation,�which�he�explains�with�the�following�statement�and�schema:�
36
Because� of� the� intrinsic� nature� of� this� imagery� and� its� relation� to� pure� glitches,�both�in�terms�of�process�and�viewer�perception,�I�felt�the�need�to�form�a�word�that�adequately� describes� this� artifact’s� similarity� with� actual� glitches� and� present� it�as�an�obviously�separate�entity.�Thus�the�term�“Glitch-alike”�came�about�to�fulfil�this�role.�[…]�Glitch-alikes�are�a�collection�of�digital�artefacts�that�resemble�visual�aspects�of�real�glitches�found�in�their�original�habitat.03
Pure glitch glitch-alike
accidental deliberatecoincidental Plannedappropriated createdFound designedreal artificial
While�Moradi’s�scheme�can�be�a�useful�starting�point�for�consideration,�I�also�see�a�lot�of�is-sues�with�it.�The�creation�of�a�binary�opposition�within�glitch�art�seems�not�only�too�simple,�but�also�in�conflict�with�a�genre�that�so�often�scrutinizes�and�aims�to�violate�binary�oppo-sitions.� The� glitch� genre� is� primarily� about� breaking� categories� open,� uncovering� what� is�in-between�and�beyond.�The�‘glitch’�in�‘glitch�art’�does�not�only�depend�on�technology,�but�also�involves�ideologies�and�visual�structures�(aesthetics)�including�the�artist’s�individual�perspective,�and�the�context�of�viewing.�Instead�of�denouncing�a�non-informational�glitch�(or�glitch�practice)�as�artificial�or�false,�I�think�it�is�more�interesting�to�research�why�and�how�a�particular�investment�in�glitch�is�actually�understood�as�glitch art�within�a�larger�media�culture.� This� can� be� done� by� describing� existing� cultural� instantiations� of,� and� relations�between,�a�range�of�differently�spawned�glitch�art�practices�in�context.�
froM pAssIVe ApproprIATIon or ‘pure GlITCh ArT’ To ACTIVe, ‘posT-proCedurAl GlITCh ArT’
When all is said, what remains to be said is the disaster. Ruin of words, demise of writing, faintness faintly murmuring: what remains without remains (the fragmentary).04
- maurice Blanchot
At�a�most�basic�level,�glitch�artists�can�challenge�the�standard�mode�of�operation�of�a�system�by�appropriating�glitches�that�are�spawned�(partially�or�completely)�by�production�processes.�Typically,� these� glitches� are� encountered� accidentally� and� often� unstable� (both� in� their�process�and�in�terms�of�results),�which�means�that�the�artist�has�to�somehow�capture�the�glitch,�in�order�to�appropriate�and�present�it�to�his�audience.�An�example�of�this�first�kind�of�glitch�art�is�an�image�by�Greg�J.�Smith.�The�image�shows�a�Mac�interface�going�haywire�for�no�understandable�reason.�Although�the�image�can�be�described�as�compelling�or�titillating�in�terms�of�aesthetics,�the�work�does�not�signify�more�than�what�was�captured�in�the�first�place:�a�broken�computer�interface.�It�is�a�passive�capture�of�failure,�sent�off�to�an�audience.
03�|��Iman�Moradi,�Glitch�Aesthetics,�unpublished�bachelor�thesis,�Huddersfield,�UK:�University�of�Huddersfield,�2004.�http://www.oculasm.org/
glitch/download/Glitch_dissertation_print_with_pics.pdf,�p.�10.
04�|��Maurice�Blanchot,�The�writing�of�the�disaster,�Nebraska:�University�of�Nebraska�Press,�1995.�p.�33.
37
Another�form�of�glitch�art�relies�on�errors�within�the�production�system�that�the�artist�actively�triggers.�These�purposively�triggered�breaks�from�the�flow�are�at�least�partially�understood�and�can�often�be�debugged.�In�this�case�the�artist�chooses�to�exploit�a�production�system�(the�protocols�built�into�the�machine's�hard-�and�software),�or�the�input�that�makes�a�system’s�protocols�behave�in�a�particular�way,�or�both.�An�example�of�this�second�category�of�glitch�art�is�5VOLTCORE.�During�their�live�performances,�the�men�of�5VOLTCORE�attack�the�computer�with�power�interruptions�from�an�audio�signal,�which�produces�short�circuits�that�generate�unexpected�signals.05�This�process�tortures�the�machine�and�makes�it�scream�out�shreds�of�powerfully�colored�images,�until�the�computer�eventually�dies,�which�ends�the�performance.�In�their�performances,�5VOLTCORE�take�issue�with�the�governing�charge�of�the�computer.�Working�in�direct�opposition�to�the�computer’s�procedural�flow,�actively�overturning�it,�their�aggressive�glitches�lead�always�to�one�fatal�endpoint,�rather�than�breaking�open�the�future;�they�are�not�so�invested�in�the�generative�qualities�of�post-procedural�glitch.�
posT-proCedurAl GlITCh ArT or The InTenTIonAl fAux pAs
giJs gieskes. circuitbend sega megadriVe2.2. modified sega. 2007.
A�less�aggressive�and�more�‘positive’�example�of�an�intervention�in�machinic�flow�can�be�found� in� Gijs� Gieskes’� work.� Gieskes� takes� machines� apart� and� changes� their� circuitry.�Through�circuitbending,�he�redefines�the�technology�and�its�contents,�penetrating�and�exploring�the�machine�from�the�inside.�First,�he�dismantles�the�system�and�then�he�de-constructs� and� re-appropriates� it.� One� of� his� circuitbent� machines,� the� circuitbend�sega� megadrive2.2� (2007),� consists� of� a� Sega� console� with� a� modified� circuit,� actively�transforming�the�videogame�console�into�an�autonomous�video�synthesising�machine.�
05�|��5VOLTCORE,�5VOLTCORE�|||�SHOW,�2006,�http://5voltcore.com/typolight/typolight257/index.php/show.html.
38
Gieskes�did�not�add�any�code�to�the�chips�or�the�videogame;�he�only�changed�the�circuitry�of�the�console.�This�means�that�the�glitches�that�appear�on�the�television�screen�were�already�part�of�the�videogame’s�software�(the�ROM);�the�generated�visuals�are�readymade,�manipu-lated� appropriations� of� mass-produced� objects.� The� look� and� feel� of� these� videographic�utterances� is� dependent� on� the� technology� inside� the� original� machine.� This� introduces�questions�around�the�built-in�aesthetics�and�conventional�usage�of�the�circuitbend�sega�megadrive2.2.06�Gieskes’�work�perverts�a�classical�sense�of�aura,�which�according�to�Wal-ter�Benjamin,�would�be�built�upon�unicity�and�authenticity.�Contrarily,�the�circuitbend�sega�megadrive2.2�doesn’t�possess�one�particular�‘here�and�now’.07�Instead,�the�artwork�is�generated�every�time�the�machine�is�activated.�Therefore,�the�aura�is�situated�within�the�in-terpretations�and�context�of�the�user�or�viewer�and�the�changed�technology�of�the�machine.�
Another� example� of� the� intentional faux-pas,� or� glitch� art� that� is� in� violation� of� accepted�social�norms�and�rules,�is�untitled�game�(1996-2001),�a�combined�series�of�11�modifica-tions�of�the�first�person�shooter�game�(FPS)�quake�1�by�the�Dutch/Belgium�art�duo�Jodi.�Jodi�makes�subversive�glitch�art�that�battles�against�the�hegemonic�flows�of�proprietary�media�systems.�They�work�to�reframe�users’�or�consumers’�perception�of�these�systems.�The�duo’s�work�is�often�simultaneously�politically�provocative�and�confusing.�This�is�partly�because�Jodi�originally�never�prioritized�attaching�explanations�to�their�work,�but�also�because�of�the� way� in� which� their� practice� itself� overturns� generic� expectations.� They� challenge� the�ideological�aspects�of�proprietary�design�by�misrepresenting�existing�relationships�between�specific�media�functionalities�and�the�aesthetic�experiences�normally�associated�with�them.�
Jodi. untitled game. 11 quake modifications for pc mac. 1999. mods: e1m1ap and ctrl-f6.
06�|��Gijs�Gieskes,�circuitbend�sega�megadrive2.2,�2007,�http://gieskes.nl/circuitbending/?file=segamegadrive2.
07�|��Walter�Benjamin,�‘The�Work�of�Art�in�the�Age�of�Mechanical�Reproduction’,�in�Hannah�Arendt�(ed.),�Illuminations,�New�York:�Schocken,�
1968,�pp.�219-254.�p.�II.
39
In�an�online�interview�in�2006�I�encouraged�Dirk�(di�from�Jodi)�to�break�the�duo’s�silence�around�the�description�of�their�art.�About�the�work�untitled�game,�Dirk�said:
Our�point�was�to�erase�and�make�this�other�version�of�Quake�and�then�deny�[the�Quake�game]�the�name.�[…]�to�call�it�untitled�game�(meant)�that�it�was�just�a�pro-totype�of�any�of�these�games�that�(consists�of)�these�kind�of�standard�construction�elements�and�things�you�can�do�as�a�user.08
In�untitled�game,�Jodi�critically�exploited�errors�in�the�source�code�of�the�original�game.�The�glitches�created�by�these�modifications�destabilize�and�alter�the�normal�laws�of�phys-ics,� so� that� steering� and� shooting� becomes� unpredictable� and� illogically� geared,� while�the�sounds�and�designs�of�the�game�itself�are�also�modified�to�surprise.�By�changing�the�algorithms�that�define�the�videogame’s�playability,�the�game�becomes�seemingly�‘unplay-able’,�at�least,�according�to�what�is�expected�as�normal�game-play.�The�game�itself�is�not�totally�ruined;�it�actually�functions�quite�well,�albeit�in�a�wholly�non-Newtonian,�visually�nonsensical�way�that�the�FPS-player�is�not�trained�to�be�aware�of,�or�competent�with.�In�E1M1AP�for�instance,�one�of�the�11�mods�making�up�untitled�game,�Jodi�used�the�grav-ity�algorithm�to�create�unsettling�vortex�effects,�while�in�Ctrl-F6�the�collective�exploited�anti-aliasing�to�create�cubes�filled�with�beautifully�evolving�moiré�patterns.09
untitled�game�is� an� intentionally� ruined�videogame� that� questions�conventional�and�normative� videogame� goals,� for� example� ‘self-improvement’,� ‘competition’,� and� ‘win-ning’,�all�of�which�are�naturally�embedded�in�the�software�design�codes�of�the�games�that�dominate�the�videogame�battlefield.�The�modified�algorithms,�visuals�and�sounds�of�un-titled�game�generate�a�new�ensemble�of�conventions,�aims�and�feelings,�in�which�visual�and�dimensional�experimentation�takes�hold�over�competitive�logic,�and�the�outcome�of�the�game�is�no�longer�a�score�but�a�colorful,�disconcerting�experience.In� this� way,� untitled� game� rebels� against� the� techno-social� determinism� of� (game)�technology�and�consumption,�and�frames�this�particular�medium�of�‘play’�as�a�taken�for�granted�technique�of�enculturation.�When�read�through�McLuhan�–�who�as�early�as�the�1960s�identified�media�technological�developments�as�the�most� important�(and�at�that�time,�under-acknowledged)�sites�of�social�cultivation�–�Jodi�seem�to�indicate�that�not�only�media content and socially determining genres� (game� conventions),� but� also� specific ma-terial forms� (interfaces)� and� techné� (the� game's� operational� elements)� are� important� to�interrogate�as�objects�of�study.�Recall�McLuhan’s�own�words�here:�
“the�medium�is�the�message”�because�it�is�the�medium�that�shapes�and�controls�the�scale�and�form�of�human�association�and�action.�The�content�or�uses�of�such�media�are�as�diverse�as�they�are�ineffectual�in�shaping�the�form�of�human�associa-tion.�Indeed,�it�is�only�too�typical�that�the�“content”�of�any�medium�blinds�us�to�the�character�of�the�medium.10
08�|��Rosa�Menkman,�Beauty�in�the�Age�of�Digital�Art;�aesthetic,�poetic�or�rhetoric,�June�2006.�http://rosa-menkman.blogspot.com/2006/05/beauty-
in-age-of-digital-art.html.
09�|��Rosa�Menkman,�Jodi�op�de�Pijnbank,�unpublished�master�thesis,�Amsterdam:�University�of�Amsterdam,�2006,�http://home.student.uva.nl/
rosa.menkman/Jodi%20op%20de%20pijnbank.pdf.
10�|��Marshall�Mcluhan,�Understanding�Media:�The�Extensions�of�Man,�New�York:�McGraw�Hill,�1964.
40
In� digital� glitch� art� like� untitled� game,� the� medium� is� redefined� as� a� platform� that�doesn’t�follow�its�genre,�form�or�technique.�This�triggers�the�user�to�reflect�upon�her�con-ventional�frames�of�reference�for�the�particular�game�and�perhaps�even�the�commercial�game� in� general.� The� work� criticizes� the� flow� of� a� specific� medium,� its� interface� and� its�inherent�conventions,�but�does�not�necessarily�break�it�(as�opposed�to�5VOLTCORE’s�per-formance).�The�fact�that�the�game�still�‘works’�while�being�programmed�to�glitch,�makes�it�all�the�more�critically�challenging�as�media�experience.�Jodi�shows�that�software�is�more�than� just� a� preprogrammed� tool:� it� is� a� materialization� of� social� modalities,� which� can�furthermore�be�endlessly�re-modified�to�different�interpretive�or�social�conclusions.�
The�irrational�and�conceptual�glitches�within�untitled�game,�its�voiding�of�original�and�received�meanings,�forces�the�viewer�to�make�active�sense�of�the�work.�The�structures�of�origi-nal�meaning�are�intentionally�ruined.�But�in�this�case,�‘ruin’�is�both�a�conceptual�orientation�and�a�technique�that�underlines�the�constructedness�of�media�(art),�forcing�the�viewer�to�con-sider�the�computer�as�no�longer�just�a�device�of�standardization�but�instead�as�a�technology�that�functions�within�a�social�reality.�Only�after�reflecting�on�this�new�form�of�the�work,�can�the�user�see�that�what�the�glitch�does�is�not�just�destroy�the�old�videogame,�but�in�fact�modify�its� existing� denotations� and� exchanges,� entangling� it� within� new� lines� or� architectures� of�meaning.�The�‘techniques�of�the�void’�–�the�systematic�distortion�of�communication�–�helps�to�open�media�up�for�discussions�of�their�internal�politics.�This�is�how,�through�the�tactics�used�within�these�glitched�games,�users�can�re-territorialize�these�techniques.
The ConCepT And TeChnIque of ruIn
You cannot prohibit the catastrophe, you must surf it!11
- Paul virilio
Today�news�and�current�affairs�is�generated�and�spread�not�only�through�rich�and�power-ful�press�monopolies�and�infrastructures,�but�at�the�same�time�through�smaller,�more�in-dependent�and�autonomous�agents�that�do�not�require�a�great�capital�outlay�to�contribute�to�debate�online.�This�is�why�social�blogging�softwares�like�Blogger�are�often�described�as� democracy-enhancing� tools;� they� are� celebrated� as� an� ideal� medium� supporting� the�political�mythology�of�‘freedom�of�speech’.12
During�2006�and�2007,�Jodi�made�the�work�<$blogtitle$>,�based�on�the�social�publishing�tool�Blogger,�from�Google.13�<$blogtitle$>�looks�like�a�Blogger�page�in�a�broken�state.�The�pages�generated�by�Jodi’s�(mis)usage�of�the�tool�are�either�filled�with�gibberish�or�in�ruins.�It’s�hard�to�say:�perhaps�you�are�looking�at�back-end�code,�broken�on�to�the�surface�of�the�site,�or�perhaps�it�is�just�nonsense�that�was�never�part�of�any�codified�language�system?�
11�|��Andreas�Broeckmann,�Joke�Brouwer,�Bart�Lootsma,�Arjen�Mulder�and�Lars�Spuybroek,�The�Art�of�the�Accident,�NAI�Publishers/V2_Organisa-
tie:�Rotterdam,�1998.�p.�30-32.
12�|��Donald�Matheson,�‘Weblogs�and�the�Epistemology�of�the�news:�some�Trends�in�Online�Journalism’,�Sage�Journals,�London:�SAGE�Publica-
tions,�Thousand�Oaks�CA�and�New�Delhi�Vol�6.4�(2004):�pp.�443-468.�p.�445.
13�|��Jodi,�<$blogtitle$>,�2006-2007,�http://blogspot.jodi.org/.
41
In�these�works,�Jodi�indeed�plays�with�different�language�systems,�for�instance�the�visual�and�the�non-visual�source�(code)�of�the�Blogger�software.�Template�formats�such�as�the�title�of�the�blog,�the�post�headers�and�certain�blog�addresses�in�the�link�list�appear�all�in�ruins,�while�Blogger-specific�images�like�comment-icons,�dates�and�additional�otherwise�functional�visual�elements�are�now�reduced�to�theatrical�objects.�What�is�normally�invis-ible�as�the�infrastructure�of�the�blog�–�snippets�of�code�and�interface�commands�like�“S�=�Publish,�D�=�Draft»”�or�“Allow�New�Comments�on�This�PostYes�No”14�–�are�moved�to�the�front�of�the�site,�where�normally�only�a�‘human�discourse’�would�be�visible.�
Jodi’s�<$blogtitle$>�partially�exposed�the�mythical�notion�of�'democracy�enhancing'�so-cial�blogging�tools,�when�Blogger�blocked�7�of�its�22�blog�pages.�In�this�case,�the�process�of�‘free�online�publishing’�resulted�in�censorious�destruction.�This�unforeseen�eventual-ity�made�it�clear�that�Blogger-users�(any�blog�users)�answer�to�a�built-in�(political)�system�and�don’t�operate�completely�under�their�own�authority.�Moreover,�the�system�is�governed�by�the�belief�(shared�by�both�the�creators�of�the�technology,�the�conventional�users,�and�the�audience)�that�the�software�will�be�used�to�distribute�only�conventionally�formatted�knowledge.�Bloggers�that�do�not�subscribe�to�the�conventions�risk�the�possibility�of�being�blocked�or�having�their�blogs�completely�deleted.
Jodi. my blog is blocked. blogspot.Jodi.org. 2007.
14�|��Jodi,�<$blogtitle$>,�2006-2007.�http://blogspot.jodi.org/.
42
<$blogtitle$>� stands� apart� as� a� purposeful� artifact� that� captures� what� Deleuze� and�Guattari� have� described� as� a� ‘line� of� flight’:� an� elusive,� divergent,� inherently� political�moment(um)�through�which�axioms�are�questioned,�genres�are�broken�open�and�catego-ries�are�created.15�Jodi�uses�the�glitch�to�emphasize�a�rejection�of�what�can�be�referred�to�as�‘software-determinism’�or�in�the�case�of�blogger,�‘platform-determinism’.�In�an�inter-view�with�Tilman�Baumgartel,�Jodi�states:�‘It�is�obvious�that�our�work�fights�against�high�tech.�We�also�battle�with�the�computer�on�a�graphical�level.�[…]�We�explore�the�computer�from�inside,�and�mirror�this�on�the�net’.16�<$blogtitle$>,�as�an�example�of�this�working�method,�enacts�this�battle�at�the�border�between�system�and�entropy,�standardization�and�corruption,�expression�and�code,�meaning�and�non-meaning,�thwarting�the�user�and�the�viewer’s�expectations�and�understandings.�
<$blogtitle$>�is�generated�within�the�system�of�Blogger,�but�does�not�follow�the�rules,�the� language� or� the� syntax� of� that� blogging� system.� On� the� one� hand,� the� work� can� be�understood�as�a�social�criticism�towards�Blogger�and�other�celebrated�‘direct’�read/write�web�2.0�platforms�or�as�a�blog�that�entails�a�(re-shuffled)�sign�system�through�which�the�viewer�can�navigate�and�glean�her�own�select�fragments�of�meaning.�
In� <$blogtitle$>,� artistic� negation� has� become� a� generative� and� creative� force.� In� a�seeming�void�of�meaning,�the�spectator�is�forced�to�use�his�imagination�while�reflecting�on�the�work.�The�glitch’s�formal�fragmentation�signifies�that�the�work�is�‘open’�to�inter-pretation�and�meaningful�engagement.�This�new�text�is�no�longer�a�work�that�displays�or�retells�conventions,�but�a�writerly�software�where�meaning�can�be�actively�(re)constructed.�By�ruining�the�Blogger�medium,�Jodi’s�use�of�formal�fragmentation�opens�the�platform�itself�up�to�deconstruction,�interpretation�and�further�active�engagement.�As�a�result,�the�meaning�of�the�ruined�work�is�never�finished,�whole�or�complete.�Instead�of�being�static�it�differs�from�reading�to�reading,�or�with�each�fragmented�element�of�the�syntax.�In�this�sense,�the�work�has�become�a�virtual�space�where�the�audience�can�actualize�an�infinite�amount�of�potential�meanings.�However,� for�the�reader�to�actually�give�meaning�to�the�ruins,�they�must�take�the�initiative�of� imposing�(their�own�select)�new�constraints,�new�frameworks�of�analysis�and�limitations�on�other�possibilities.�The�viewer�becomes�aware�that�every�act�of�creating�meaning�is�also� just�as�strongly�an�act�of�destruction�(of�more�infinite�possibilities).17
Moreover,�in�the�case�of�<$blogtitle$>,�this�openness�also�had�a�negative�consequence:�Blogger�interpreted�the�blog�as�a�malicious�spamblog�and�consequently�blocked�it.�This�act�could�be�described�as�a�rather�rigorous�‘death�of�the�author’,�in�which�the�meaning�of� the� work� is� not� negotiated,� but� instead� dismissed� and� deleted.� In� fact� this� could� be�understood�as�a�second�death.�The�author�‘dies’�in�a�Barthesian�sense�at�the�moment�of�(web)�‘publication’�when�the�viewer’s�interpretation�takes�over�from�authorial�intention,�but� also� in� a� second� and� more� violent� way� when� the� corrupted,� ‘writerly’� text� is� totally�eliminated�from�the�blogosphere�altogether.
15�|��Gilles�Deleuze�and�Pierre-Félix�Guattari,�A�Thousand�Plateaus:�Capitalism�and�Schizophrenia,�Trans.�B.�Massumi,�Londen:�The�Athlone�
Press,�1988.�p.�213.
16�|��Tilman�Baumgärtel,�‘TP:�Interview�with�Jodi.�We�love�your�computer’,�Telepolis.�May�2006,�http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/6/6187/1.html.
17�|��Gilles�Deleuze�and�Claire�Parnet,�Dialogues�II,�London�and�New�York:�Continuum,�2006.�p.�112.
43
<$blogtitle$>� opens� up� and� intervenes� into� the� normally� inter-locked� relations� be-tween�conventional�information,�a�possible�message,�and�the�back-end�coding�of�Blogger,�and�treats�these�relation�as�a�system�that�can�be�modified�or�expanded�towards�new�pos-sibilities�through�‘glitching’.�Here�glitches�articulate�an�alternative�language�that�blends�systems� into� a� form� that� nobody� can� read� (yet).� The� ‘voided’� <$blogtitle$>� shows� the�conventions�by�which�the�user/reader�navigates�online,�and�the�norms�that�help�him�to�operate�these�daily�technologies�transparently.�The�constructedness�of�such�discourse,�in�terms�of�locked�down�proprietary�software�is�not�necessarily�negative�in�itself,�but�some-times�(as�<$blogtitle$>�suggests)�leads�to�generalized�assumptions�and�the�under-�or�non-acknowledgement�of�invisible�political�forces�in�the�form�of�underlying�conventions.�The� glitch� can� help� us� uncover� these� obfuscated� political� dimensions� as� well� as� create�strategies�to�see�through�them.�In�<$blogtitle$>,�Jodi�shows�that�a�glitch�can�be�com-pletely�constructed�(by�the�artist),�but�also�that�such�constructs�can�in�turn�reveal�the�con-structedness�of�software-generated�knowledge�and�expression.�Jodi’s�investment�in�glitch�shows�that�Blogger�can,�like�quake�1,�be�used�in�many�more�ways�than�users�pacified�by�convention�might�assume.18
CreATInG The ‘perfeCT GlITCh’ usInG CrITICAl MedIA AesTheTICs
[The] absence of meaning is in this case the presence of all meanings, absolute ambiguity, a construction outside meaning.19
- jacqueS attali
Within�the�constructed�ruins�of�glitch,�new�possibilities�and�new�meanings�arise.�There�is�something�more�than�just�destruction:�new�understandings�lie�just�beyond�the�tipping�point.�The�glitch�generates�new�understandings�of�techno-culture�through�the�gestations�of�Glitchspeak,�glitch’s�constantly�growing�vocabulary�of�new�expressions.�
I� use� the� term� ‘Glitchspeak’� in� opposition� to� George� Orwell’s� ‘Newspeak’.� For� Orwell,�Newspeak�is�a�language�whose�political�goal�it�is�to�shrink�its�vocabulary�and�grammati-cal�nuance�over�time,�so�as�to�render�any�alternative�thinking�–�which�he�referred�to�as�‘thoughtcrime’,�or�‘crimethink’�–�impossible.�The�final�goal�of�Newspeak�is�to�construct�a�society�in�which�only�politically�approved�(dominant�and�conventional)�statements�can�be�articulated,�at�the�expense�of�the�possibility�of�free�expression,�rebellion,�and�so�on.20�Fighting�Newspeak,�Glitchspeak�contests�the�obfuscated�limitations�of�language�created�by�proprietary�technology,�to�capture�the�constant�transformation�and�growing�wealth�of�glitch�artifacts�and�their�meanings.�
Most� glitch� artists� are� always,� directly� or� indirectly,� trying� to� answer� one� question:� How much agency should I provide to my systems of destruction?�Their�post-utopian�strategies�aim�to�identify�where�the�‘tipping�point’�is:�When and how can a glitch be found and transition
18�|��Michael�Truscello,�Behind�the�Blip:�Essays�on�the�Culture�of�Software�(review),�Cultural�Critique,�no.�63,�(2006):�pp.�182-187.
19�|��Jacques�Attali�and�Brian�Massumi,�Noise:�The�Political�Economy�of�Music,�Manchester:�Manchester�University�Press,�1985.�p.�33.
20�|��George�Orwell,�Nineteen�Eighty-Four,�London:�Secker�and�Warburg,�1949.�p.�372.
44
into something new?�The�perfect�glitch�exists,�momentarily,�at�the�shocking�tipping�point�between�(potential)�failure�and�a�movement�towards�the�creation�of�a�new�understanding.�The�glitch’s�inherent�moment(um),�the�power�it�needs�or�has�to�pass�through�an�existing�membrane�or�semblance�of�understanding,�helps�the�utterance�to�become�an�unstable�ar-ticulation�of�counter-aesthetics,�a�destructive�generativity.�As�an�exoskeleton�for�such�(post-utopian)�progress�however,�the�glitch�does�not�just�take�place�on�a�critically�ruined�surface.�The�choice�to�accept�the�glitch,�to�welcome�it�as�an�aesthetic�form,�means�to�accept�a�new�critical�dialectic�that�makes�room�for�error�within�the�histories�of�‘progress’.�
Following�this�dialectic�of�critical media aesthetics,� the�glitch�can�obtain�a�place�within�larger�media�cultural�scenarios�of�political�productivity�and�evolution.�The�role�of�glitch�artifacts� as� (instances� of)� critical� media� aesthetics� is,� again,� twofold.� On� the� one� hand,�these�aesthetics�show�a�medium�in�a�critical�state:�a�ruined,�unwanted,�unrecognized,�ac-cidental� and� horrendous� moment.� This� transforms� the� way� the� consumer� perceives� its�normal�operation�(every�accident�transforms�the�normal)�and�registers�the�passing�of�a�tipping�point�after�which�it�is�possible�for�the�medium�to�be�critically�revealed�at�greater�depth.�On�the�other�hand,�these�aesthetics�critique�the�medium�itself,�as�a�genre,�inter-face� and� expectation.� They� radically� challenge� the� technological,� social� or� ideological�constructedness�of�all�media�cultural�formations�while�producing�a�theory�of�reflection.
The TIppInG poInT of Cool: CrITICAl MedIA AesTheTICs' BeCoMInG CoMModITIes
In� The Laws of Cool,� Alan� Liu� asks� himself:� ‘What� is� “Cool”?’� He� describes� that� cool� is�the�ellipsis�of�‘knowing�what�is�cool�and�of�withholding�that�idea’.�‘Cool�is�information�designed� to� resist� its� status� as� information,� a� paradoxical� “gesture”� through� which� the�unknown�struggles�to�arise�(or�resists�arising)�in�the�midst�of�the�economies�of�knowledge�work’.21�Liu�concludes�that�those�who�insist�on�asking�what�is�cool�are�definitely�uncool.�Keeping�Liu’s�statement�in�mind�and�thus�paradoxically�over-theorizing�cool�glitches,�I�suggest�that�the�cool�glitch�can�be�found�at�the�moment�of�its�preliminary�non-definition;�when�it�is�still�denied�its�existence�–�before�its�tipping�point�–�where�errors�are�deleted,�or�remain�ignored,�blocked�or�unaccepted,�unwilled.��Liu-cool�glitches�only�exist�during�the�moment(um)�of�glitch�–�before�the�glitch�is�over-come�as�failure�or�has�become�a�new�established�form.�To�think�a�glitch�is�‘cool’�is�to�ac-knowledge�that�the�glitch�is�still�actively�reflected�upon�and�has�not�yet�been�established.�Indeed�the�coolest�work�of�glitch�art�is�denied�existence�at�the�same�time�as�it�incorpo-rates�this�very�dismissal�into�its�momen(tum),�so�as�to�implicitly�say�something�about�this�action:�the�deletion�of�<$blogtitle$>�gave�Jodi�the�opportunity�to�exploit�this�Liu-cool�logic�and�incorporate�it�into�the�informational�lure�of�their�work.�
Cool�is�in�a�constant�state�of�flux,�as�is�‘cool�glitch�art’.�The�latter�exists�as�an�assemblage�relying�on,�on�the�one�hand,�the�construction,�operation�and�content�of�the�technology�(the�medium)�and�on�the�other�hand�the�work,�the�writer/artist,�the�interpretation�by�the�
21�|��Liu,�Alan.�‘What’s�cool?’,�in�The�Laws�of�Cool:�Knowledge�Work�and�the�Culture�of�Information,�Chicago:�University�of�Chicago�Press,�2004,�
pp.�176-179.
45
viewer� and/or� user� (the� social� meaning)� and� the� work’s� aesthetics.� The� tipping� point,�the� application� of� (aesthetic)� meaning� or� value,� can� move� the� glitch� from� the� realm� of�cool�glitch�art�to�hot, established�or�even�commodified.�It�is�however�important�to�realize�that�not�all�glitch�art�is�‘cool’,�or�progressive�or�something�new.�The�popularization�and�cultivation�of�an�avant-garde�of�mishaps�and�breakages�has�indeed�become�predestined�and�unavoidable.�What�is�now�(or�next)�a�glitch�will�become�a�hot fashion�soon�enough�-�reproducible,�standardized,�automated�by�softwares�and�plug-ins.�This�movement�is�an�integral�part�of�a�movement�that�should�be�theorized�as�the�genre�of�glitch�art.
46
from Artifact To CommodityI woke up one morning in March to a flood of emails telling me to look at some video on YouTube. Seconds later I saw Kanye West strutting around in a field of digital glitches that looked exactly like my work. It f*cked my show up… the very language I was using to critique pop content from the outside was now itself a mainstream cultural reference.01
- Paul B. daviS
froM CIrCuITBendInG To sIMulATIon
The�‘debuggers’�of�the�digital�realm,�the�technicians�and�engineers,�are�tasked�with�con-trolling� the� erratic� reactions� and� behaviors� of� files,� hardwares� and� softwares.� Complex�compression� algorithms� developed� for� mobile� phones,� dvds� and� mp3s� for� example,�are�designed�to�minimize�the�amount�of�artifacts�a�device�will�show�at�the�surface�of�its�interface,�to�make�the�medium�seem�as�transparent�as�possible.�In�the�culture�of�glitch�art,�technicians�and�engineers�are�more�like�‘re-buggers’;�they�engage�themselves�with�an�almost�opposite�practice,�prompting�and�amplifying�glitch�artifacts�on�purpose�and�even�writing�softwares�or�building�blatantly�non-standard�machines�with�the�intent�to�spawn�more�new�artifacts�for�the�user/viewer’s�development�of�a�rich�Glitchspeak�vocabulary.
Jeff donaldson. notendo. minidV capture from circuit bent nes. 2007.
01�|��Paul�B.�Davis,�Define�Your�Terms�(Or�Kanye�West�f*cked�Up�My�Solo�Show),�28th�May�2009,�http://www.seventeengallery.com/index.
php?p=3&id=42.
47
don miller/no carrier. glitchnes 0.2 screenshot. 6502 asm. august 2010.
For� more� than� 20� years� now,� glitch� sounds� have� been� consumed� and� standardized� in�contemporary�music�culture.�Only�recently�a�similar�trend�is�crystalizing�itself�around�visual�glitch-generation�tools.�An�example�of�this�tendency�towards�generative�glitch�de-sign�and�its�consumption�can�be�found�within�the�8bit�scene.�noteNdo�(Jeff�Donaldson�from�New�York)�has�been�performing�his�live�visuals�generated�with�a�circuitbent�Nin-tendo�Entertainment�System�(nes)�since�2001.�He�has�played�at�many�festivals,�while�his�broken�sprites�–�the�two-dimensional�images�generated�in�his�console�and�triggered�by�his�custom-made�bends�–�have�inspired�other�people�to�start�circuitbending�their�own�nes�devices.�
Because�circuitbending�involves�a�certain�threshold�of�knowledge�and�expertise�(a�basic�understanding�of�electronics�and�its�tools),�programmers�have�apprehended�opportuni-ties�in�emulating,�rather�than�manually�repeating,�the�physical�process�of�circuitbend-ing.�The�artist�no�carrier�(Don�Miller,�also�from�New�York)�for�example,�whose�work�arose� slightly� later� in� the� visual� glitch� scene,� has� written� glitchnes,� a� software� that�
48
emulates�some�parts�of�the�technological�process�of�circuitbending�an�nes�console.02�no�carrier�describes�his�work�in�this�way:�
glitchnes� is� an� open� source� software� project� for� nes.� This� software� causes�graphical�glitches�similar�to�hardware�circuitbending.�The�images�produced�are�caused�by�deliberate�ram�corruption�due�to�overloading�the�ppu,�or�Picture�Pro-cessing�Unit,�of�the�nes.�The�result�is�random�flashes�of�colour�and�patterns�that�change� with� each� button� press.� The� open� source� nature� of� this� project� allows�users�to�create�their�own�glitchnes�roms�and�cartridges�with�unique�tile�sets�and�effects�by�altering�the�source�code�to�their�liking.03
The� difference� between� noteNdo’s� hardware� glitching� and� no� carrier’s� emulated,�software� glitching� are� many.� But� as� one� example,� noteNdo� never� open-sourced� his�knowledge�and�strategies�for�circuitbending�the�hardware�of�a�nes,�while�no�carrier�aims�to�keep�his�glitchnes�and�all�the�research�it�involves�open�and�accessible.�This�means�that�while�noteNdo�kept�his�research�closed�and�in�so�doing,�retained�some�form�of�authorship�of�his�work,�no�carrier�open�sourced�his�work,�giving�users�the�oppor-tunities�to�change�parameters�(and�in�doing�so,�the�looks�of�the�generated�glitches)�or�even�build�a�similar�work�from�scratch.�
Vade. What a horrible night to haVe a curse - caslteVania. glitched system emulation Via openemu. 2009.
02�|��Don�Miller,�nocarrier�glitchnes,�no�carrier.com,�2009,�http://www.no�carrier.com/glitchnes.html.
03�|��Don�Miller,�biography�for�the�Playlist�exhibition,�2010,�http://www.imal.org/playlist/artworks/17.
49
The� idea� that� a� glitch� can� be� designed� or� distributed� by� knowledge� alone,� or� glitch�software,�seems�at�first�maybe�a-typical,�but�throughout�the�development�of�the�glitch�genre,�this�has�become�a�more�and�more�common�tendency�or�even�a�tradition.�In�this�tradition,�no�carrier’s�glitchnes�was�followed�by�the�open�emu�project�for�Quartz�Composer.�open�emu�is�an�open�source�game�emulation�tool,�a�program�that�allows�the�computer�to�virtually�run�a�certain�console’s�operating�systems�on�another�machine�for�which�it�was�not�designed.�open�emu�also�makes�it�possible�for�users�to�modify�game�engines�and�make�use�of�‘existing’�game�architectures�and�scripts�for�all�kinds�of�cre-ative�purposes.�It�even�‘includes�a�separate�plugin�just�for�the�Nestopia�engine�(the�nes�emulation�program),�which�supports�extended�features,�such�as�ROM�glitching,�cheat�codes�and�game�rewinding’.04�This�particular�form�of�glitching�does�not�effect�the�game�itself;� instead� it� randomly� shuffles� the� sprites� by� a� process� referred� to� as� ‘name� table�ram�disordering’.
The�open�emu�extended�plugins�made�it�extremely�easy�for�‘anyone�(to)�software�‘bend’�a�virtual�nes,�in�real-time’.05�But�whereas�the�original�noteNdo�console�and�no�carrier’s�glitchnes�were�technically�invested�projects,�the�difference�of�the�open�emu�rom�lies�in�the�fact�that�it�puts�an�emphasis�on�aesthetics.�The�simulation�of�medium-specific�or�maybe�even�medium-branded�game�artifacts�generates�images�that�imitate or mimic�the�process�of�glitching.�Finally,�a�difference�between�emulation�and�simulation�lies�within�the�space�offered�to�users�to�learn�about�the�technology�and�its�exploited�protocols.
Today�more�and�more�‘new’�glitch�art�is�being�modeled�after�original�glitches�within�older�media,�perpetuating�a�shift�in�glitch�culture�from�destabilizing�breaks�within�technology�or� information-based� processes� towards� generic� and� associative� displays� of� more� and�less� ‘retro’� effects.� With� the� help� of� these� slowly� standardized,� commodified,� institu-tionalizing�effects,�any�user�can�handle�a�broad�range�of�data�types�and�technologies�in�predetermined,�often�retro-nostalgic�ways,�and�create�what�can�best�be�described�as�an�approximation�of�what�originally�would�have�been�the�materialization�of�a�destabilizing�break�of�machine�technology.
froM dATABendInG To TrAnsCodInG
Another�striking�example�of�the�evolution�of�glitch�can�be�found�in�the�realm�of�databend-ing.�In�2005,�Beflix�(Ant�Scott),�Organised�(Iman�Moradi)�and�Dmtr�(Dimitre�Lima)�devel-oped�the�glitchbrowser�(2005,�taken�offline�in�2008).�Whereas�normally�browsers�are�designed�to�make�websites�accessible,�standardizing�their�outputs�into�easily�understand-able,�uniformly�structured�content�that�appears�the�same�across�different�computers,�the�glitchbrowser�was�designed�to�‘read’�a�web-source�and�replace�all�its�inherent�images�with�glitched�or�disfigured�versions.
Today,�if�you�go�to�the�url�where�the�glitchbrowser�was�once�available,�the�browser�is�commemorated�by�a�text�that�explains�the�concept�as
04�|��Today,�open�emu�has�a�designed�plug-in�emulation�tool�for�many�different�game�engines�like�Nintendo,�Sega�and�Game�Boy.
05�|��Dan�Winkler�and�Anton�Marini,�open�emu,�14�Jan�2009.�http://openemu.sourceforge.net/.
50
a�deliberate�attempt�to�subvert�the�usual�course�of�conformity�and�signal�perfec-tion.� Information� packets� that� are� communicated� with� integrity� are� intention-ally�lost�in�transit�or�otherwise�misplaced�and�rearranged.�The�consequences�of�such�subversion�are�seen�in�the�surprisingly�beautiful�readymade�visual�glitches�provoked�by�the�glitchbrowser�and�displayed�through�our�forgiving�and�un-suspecting�web�browsers.06
The�glitchbrowser�specifically�re-encoded�embedded�jpegs�and�gifs�and�returned�them�to�the�user�as�‘damaged’�pictures,�imitating�transmission�errors.�
glitchbrowser� as� a� browser� was� an� autonomous� work� of� art,� but� the� browser� also�made�it�possible�to�download�the�generated�glitch�images,�and�to�present�them�as�in-dependent,�stand�alone�‘works’.�This�is�how�the�browser�took�on�a�dual�role�as�both�a�conceptual�art�piece�and�as�a�glitch-image�generation�tool.�The�glitchbrowser�was�an�early�version�of�a�still�growing�number�of�glitch�image�generation�softwares�and�plugins�that�include�projects�like�corrupt™�(Recyclism,�2006),�glitchmonkey�(Youpy,�2007)�and�bytemolester�(Károly�Kiripolszky,�2008).�These�scripts,�plugins�and�softwares�all�generate�results�similar�to�the�glitchbrowser,�while�breaking�and�disfiguring�jpegs�and�/�or�gifs�(the�most�commonly�used�image�compressions)�in�different�ways�and�dif-ferent�environments�(for�instance�within�a�browser,�or�as�an�app�for�the�pc).
A�couple�of�years�later,�in�2010,�reflecting�on�these�trends�and�their�resulting�outputs,�I�wrote�a�vernacular�of�file�formats:�an�edit�guide�for�databend�compression�design.� The� Vernacular� was� an� attempt� to� voice� my� concerns� regarding� the� growing�popularity�of�designed�glitching�in�favor�of�informational�or�process-oriented�glitch�re-search.�It�was�a�performative,�playfully�meant�intervention�that�criticized�the�simplicity�that�glitch�had�become,�while�at�the�same�time�aimed�to�demystify�the�last�remaining�‘cool’�elements�of�file�format-based�glitching.�In�the�introduction�I�wrote:
Glitches�are�hot.�It�is�clear�from�what�we�can�see�on�mtv,�Flickr,�in�the�club�or�the�bookstore.�While�the�“Glitch:�designing�imperfection”�coffee�table�book�in-troduces�the�glitch�design�aesthetic�to�the�world�of�latte�drinking�designers,�and�Kanye�West�uses�glitches�to�sing�about�his�imperfect�love�life,�the�awkward,�shy�and�physically�ugly�celebrate�under�the�header�“Glitched:�Nerdcore�for�life”.07
The�logic�of�these�developments�seemed�to�reduce�the�glitch�to�an�imagistic�slogan:�‘No�Content�–�Just�Imperfection’.�I�wanted�to�move�glitch�artists�beyond�these�burgeoning�conservative�impulses�into�rethinking�and�expanding�out�from�the�standardizing�and�only�aesthetically�engaging�forms�of�glitch.�In�the�Vernacular,�I�showed�a�selection�of�the�most�commonly�used�file�formats�in�their�corresponding�(glitched)�states,�in�order�to�categorize�and�compare�prominent�examples�of�what�has�come�to�be�heralded�as�the�results�of�hot�glitch�design.�
06�|��Dimitre�Lima,�Iman�Moradi�and�Ant�Scott,�glitchbrowser�02.12.2005�–�18.03.2009,�2009.�http://glitchbrowser.com/.
07�|��Rosa�Menkman,�a�vernacular�of�file�formats,�August�2010.�http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9054743/lofi%20Rosa%20Menkman%20-%20A%20
Vernacular%20of%20Fil%20Formats.pdf.
51
larsby, Johan and rosa menkman. monglot. glitch softWare interface. 2011.
Building� from� the� Vernacular� I� went� on� to� create� monglot,� a� piece� of� glitch� software,�together�with�Johan�Larsby,�in�2011.�monglot�allows�the�user�to�easily�transcode�com-pletely� identical� informational� disturbances� in� different� file� formats� (for� instance� from�jpeg�to�PNG),�in�order�to�uncover�and�understand�the�inherent�structures�of�an�encoding�(or�the�file�format).� It� is� ironically� in�this�way�a�software�of�reproduction�and�repetition�(non-creativity),�invested�in�coming�into�standardizing�contact�with�the�non-standardized�moment(um)�of�glitch�artifacts.
The� monglot� software� generates� glitch� images� by� mashing� together� the� visual� lan-guage� of� an� image� with� the� imagedata� encoded� in� the� language� of� the� compression,�the� latter� erupting� over� the� surface� of� the� former� as� precisely� ruined� artifacts.� It� can�generate� common� glitch� aesthetics� like� ‘fragmentation’,� ‘grain’,� ‘ghosting’,� ‘interlac-ing’,� ‘jitter’,� ‘jaggies’,� (…)� ‘posterization’,� ‘pixelating’,� ‘quantization� error’,� ‘ringing’,�‘staircase�noise’�and�so�on.�The�software�enables�the�user�to�increase�their�knowledge�about� what� kinds� of� compressions� can� generate� certain� kinds� of� aesthetic� outcomes.�Moreover,� monglot� factored� in� the� ambivalence� and� double� articulation� (encoding�vs.�image�data;�artifact�vs.�filter)�of�file�format-based�Glitch�Art�and�design.�The�images�generated�by�the�software�are�ironically�standardized�(by�enabling�the�repetition�of�any�glitch)�and�as�such�exist�as�a�compromise,�in-between�‘cool’�(unknown,�or�under-articu-lated)�glitch�and�known�glitch�design.�Unlike�monglot,�most�other�glitch�art�softwares�up�until�then�had�only�accepted�one�or�two�different�file�formats�for�experimentation.�monglot� focuses� on� opening� up� glitched� outcomes� to� experimentation,� modulation�and� generative� inquiries.� At� the� same� time,� glitch� art� (as� progressive� and� against� the�grain)�becomes�a�virtual�entity�through�the�software�(a�concept�that�is�only�referenced).�monglot�imposes�breaks�strategically,�as�a�norm,�to�reflexively�think�through�the�dia-lectical�and�forking�paths�that�inform�the�makings�of�glitch�art.
52
Finally,�the�research�into�file�formats�and�the�opportunities�they�provide�for�artistic�and�technological�experimentation�was�taken�one-step�further�in�extrafile,�an�application�written�by�Kim�Asendorf�in�2011.�Asendorf�describes�the�purpose�of�his�software�as�‘a�proj-ect�for�developing�new�image�file�formats�for�artistic�purposes’.�The�extrafile�software�presents�the�concept�of�an�image�file�format�as�a�work�of�art,�bringing�the�filename�exten-sion�into�the�scope�of�the�artwork�itself,�as�a�form�of�image�exclusivity.08
aSendorF, Kim and roSa menKman. extraFile vS. monglot. Blinx. 2011.
asendorf, kim and rosa menkman. extrafile Vs. monglot. bascii. 2011.
08�|��Kim�Asendorf,�extrafile,�2011,�http://extrafile.org/.
53
The� extrafile� software� allows� a� user� to� transcode� any� image� (e.g.� a� jpeg)� into� a� non-proprietary� format� invented�by�the�artist,�Asendorf,�such�as�blinx�or�bascii.�While� the�outcome� or� look� of� the� file� depends� on� the� image� chosen� by� the� user,� the� encoding� or�compression� itself� is� the� primary� work� of� art.� Some� of� the� compressions� developed� by�Asendorf�only�restructure�the�image�data�and�are�at�first�sight�invisible�in�the�image;�they�only�show�within�the�encoding.�Other�compressions�such�as�bascii�involve�the�transcod-ing�of�the�image�into�very�different�building�blocks�and�color�palettes,�changing�the�look�of�the�file�quite�dramatically.�All�of�the�different,�artistically�generated�file�formats�take�the�work�of�art�away�from�mainstream�standards.�The�process�and�the�resulting�bytes,�re-gardless�of�content,�become�the�artwork�itself.�extrafile�thus�offers�an�escape�from�the�licensed�image�file�formats�(standards)�and�the�proprietary�protocols�that�are�under�the�rule�of�the�International�Organization�for�Standardization�(ISO),�which�has�authored�stan-dardization�laws�for�information�processing�since�1947.�extrafile�is�best�understood�as�a�critique�against�the�governing�codes�of�ict�culture�that�involve�an�overly�complex�and�entangled�web�of�proprietary�licensed�protocols.
Both�monglot�and�extrafile�are�open�sourced�image�generation�tools,�inviting�artists�to�play�with�the�code,�the�software�and�the�concept.�Whereas�extrafile�itself�is�not�a�glitch�software,�the�functionality�of�the�tool�is�best�(if�not�only)�appreciated�by�glitching�its�outputs.�When�Asendorf�launched�extrafile�online,�he�did�so�without�showcasing�any�images�gen-erated�by�himself.�Instead,�he�relayed�part�of�the�authorship�on�to�other�glitch�artists�like�Jose�Irion�Neto,�Benjamin�Gaulon,�Bit�Synthesis�and�myself.�Asendorf�invited�us�to�produce�glitched�images�using�extrafile�just�prior�to�the�launch�of�the�software�on�the�internet.
While�monglot�both�transcodes�image�files�from�one�conventional�standard�to�another�and�databends�images�on�an�informational�level,�extrafile�transcodes�image�files�into�new,�rogue�standards.�Both�applications�underline�a�critique�of�the�standardization�of�file�formats�and�the�commodification�of�their�corresponding�glitches.�At�the�same�time,�they�contribute� to� the� growing� indifference� between� glitch� art� as� informational� or� process-based�research,�and�glitch�design,�which�focuses�on�the�aesthetics�of�an�end�product.
froM enChAnTInG AffeCT To fIlTered effeCT
If it works, it’s obsolete.09
- marShall mcluhan
We already know too much for noise to exist.10
- douglaS Kahn
As�the�popularization�and�cultivation�of�glitch�artifacts�is�now�spreading�more�widely,�it�is�interesting�to�track�the�development�of�these�processes�in�specific�case�studies.�One�case�study�of�a�compression�artifact,�recently�referred�to�as�‘datamoshing’,�tells�an�especially�interesting�account�of�glitch�cultivation.�The�datamosh�artifact�is�located�in�a�realm�where�
09�|��Meenakshi�Gigi�Durham�and�Douglas�Kellner,�Media�and�Cultural�Studies,�New�Jersey:�Wiley-Blackwell,�2006.�p.�110.
10�|��Douglas�Kahn,�Noise,�Water,�Meat:�A�History�of�Sound�in�the�Arts,�Massachusetts:�MIT�Press,�1999.�p.�21.
54
compression�artifacts�and�glitch�artifacts�collide.�The�artifact�caused�by�compression�is�stable� and� reproducible,� as� it� is� the� effective� outcome� of� keyframes� being� deleted.� The�outcome�of�this�deletion�is�the�visualisation�of�the�indexed�movement�of�macroblocks,�smearing�over�the�surface�of�an�old�keyframe.�This�makes�the�video�morph�in�unexpected�colours�and�forms.11
In� 2005,� Sven� König� embarked� on� his� exploration� into� the� politics� of� file� standards,�through�this�particular�datamoshing�effect,�and�in�relation�to�the�free�codec�Xvid.�Xvid�is�a�primary�competitor�of�the�proprietary�DivX�Pro�Codec�(note�that�Xvid�is�DivX�spelled�backwards),�which�is�often�used�for�speedy�online�video�distribution�through�peer-to-peer�networks.�In�aPpRoPiRaTe!�(Sweden:�2005)�König�used�the�codec�to�manipulate�and�ap-propriate� ‘complete� video� files� found� in� file� sharing� networks’.12� His� work� included� an�open�source�software�script�that�could�be�used�to�trigger�the�compression-effect�in�real-time.�Through�the�use�of�the�Xvid�codec�and�copyrighted�material,�König�tried�to�pinpoint�the�tension�between�the�usage�of�non-proprietary�compression�codecs�and�their�uptake�in�DRM�(Digital�Rights�Management)�remix-strategies.
In�his�next�project,�download�finished!�(2007),�König�explored�how�the�codec�could�be�used�to�transform�and�republish�found�footage�from�p2p�networks�and�online�archives.�The�result�became�the�rough�material�for�his�online�transformation�software,�which�translated�‘the�underlying�data�structures�of�the�films�onto�the�surface�of�the�screen’.�With�the�help�of�the�software,�file�sharers�could�become�‘authors�by�re-interpreting�their�most�beloved�films’.13
A�swift�maturation�of�the�datamoshing�effect�took�place�in�2009�at�the�same�time�as�Paul�B.�Davis�was�preparing�for�his�solo�show�at�the�Seventeen�Gallery�in�London.�Davis’�show�was�partially�based�on�a�formal�and�aesthetic�exploration�of�the�artifact.�While�the�show�was�intended�to�critique�popular�culture�by�way�of�datamosh�interventions,�this�culture�caught�up�with�him�overnight,�when�the�effect�penetrated�the�mainstream�just�prior�to�the�opening�of�his�show.�Davis’�reaction�to�the�fate�of�appropriation�plays�out�as�the�opening�quote�of�this�chapter:�‘It�f*cked�my�show�up…�the�very�language�I�was�using�to�critique�pop�content�from�the�outside�was�now�itself�a�mainstream�cultural�reference’.14
11�|��The�lossy�compressed�video�image�is�framed�fundamentally�differently�from�analogue�or�RAW�video�footage.�The�frames�no�longer�rely�upon�
RAW�pixels.�Instead,�macroblocks�become�one�of�the�elementary�components�of�the�lossy�compressed�moving�image�(at�least�under�current�
standard�codecs�of�the�Moving�Pictures�Experts�Group�‘MPEG’�and�others).�Lossy�compressed�video�often�depends�on�luminance�(bright-
ness)�and�chrominance�(coloring)�thresholds�arranged�within�16x16�pixel�(more�or�less)�macroblocks�within�the�keyframes�(the�I-frames)�
of�an�image�sequence.�The�thresholds�(or�frequencies)�of�chrominance�and�luminance�depend�on�an�oscillating�cosine�function�(following�
Fourier�Transform).�
Moreover,�the�material�of�the�digital�film�is�no�longer�based�on�a�linear�series�of�discrete�images�(a�sequence);�instead�the�video�consists�of�
different�kinds�of�frames�(I-frames�or�reference/key�frames,�P-frames�or�forward-predicted�frames�and�B-frames�or�bi-�directional�frames),�
of�which�only�the�keyframe�possesses�a�complete�matrix�of�macroblocks.�The�frames�between�the�keyframes�(the�P-�and�B-frames)�consist�
of�motion�vectors�that�index�only�the�difference�in�position�(the�offset)�of�the�macroblocks�between�the�original�and�the�next�frame.�The�
handling�of�space�and�time�within�the�video�technologies�is�thus�significantly�different�between�the�linear�analog�or�RAW�footage�and�lossy�
compressed�footage.�
A�recently�popularized�wave�of�video�artworks�was�based�on�the�deletion�of�keyframes�and�the�exploitation�of�the�vector�motion�of�P-frames.�
This�is�currently�dubbed�datamoshing,�pixel�bleeding�or�just�compression�art.
12�|��Sven�König,�aPpRoPiRaTe!,�2005,�http://www.popmodernism.org/appropirate/.
13�|��Sven�König,�download�finished,�the�art�of�filesharing�-�make�p2p�cinema,�2007,�http://www.download-finished.com/.
14�|��Paul�B.�Davis,�Define�Your�Terms�(Or�Kanye�West�f*cked�Up�My�Solo�Show),�28th�May�2009,�http://www.seventeengallery.com/index.
php?p=3&id=42.
55
Prominent� music� videos,� including� Kanye� West’s� welcome� to� heartbreak� (2009,� di-rected�by�Nabil�Elderkin)�and�Chairlift’s�evident�utensil�(2009,�Ray�Tintori)�indeed�had�popped�up,�bringing�the�datamoshing�effect�into�the�mainstream�via�mtv.15�The�new�wave�of�interest�in�the�effect�generated�by�these�clips�lead�to�a�Youtube�tutorial�on�datamoshing,�followed�by�an�explosion�of�datamosh�videos�and�the�creation�of�different�datamosh�pl-ugins,�developed�by�for�instance�the�Japanese�artist�ucnv.�In�the�2010�gli.tc/h�festival�in�Chicago,�thirty�percent�of�the�entries�were�based�on�the�datamoshing�technique�(around�80�of�a�total�240).�The�technique�that�was�used�to�critique�popular�culture,�by�artists�like�König�or�Davis,�was�now�used�to�generate�live�visuals�for�the�masses.16�Datamoshing�had�become�a�controlled,�consumed�and�established�effect.�The�aesthetic�institutionalization�of�the�datamoshing�artifact�became�more�evident�when�Murata’s�video�art�work�monster�movie�(2005),�which�used�datamoshing�as�a�form�of�animation,�entered�the�Museum�of�Modern�Art�in�New�York�in�an�exhibition�in�2010.
This�‘new’�form�of�conservative�glitch�art�puts�an�emphasis�on�design�and�end�products,�rather�than�on�the�post-procedural�and�political�breaking�of�flows.�There� is�an�obvious�critique�here:�to�design�a�glitch�means�to�domesticate�it.�When�the�glitch�becomes�domes-ticated�into�a�desired�process,�controlled�by�a�tool,�or�technology�–�essentially�cultivated�–�it�has�lost�the�radical�basis�of�its�enchantment�and�becomes�predictable.�It�is�no�longer�a�break�from�a�flow�within�a�technology,�but�instead�a�form�of�craft.�For�many�critical�artists,�it�is�considered�no�longer�a�glitch,�but�a�filter�that�consists�of�a�preset�and/or�a�default:�what�was�once�a�glitch�is�now�a�new�commodity.
The GlITCh ArT Genre: BeTween The VoId And CoMModITIzed forM
The�fatal�manner�of�glitch,�its�orientation�towards�the�destruction�of�what�is,�can�present�a�problem�to�those�who�want�to�describe�old�and�new�culture�as�a�continuum�of�different�discrete�practices.�One�way�to�deal�with�this�problem�is�to�repeatedly�coin�new�terms�and�concepts�to�make�room�for�splinter�practices�within�the�expanding�media�cultural�field.�An� abundance� of� designations� such� as� databending,� datamoshing� and� circuitbending�have�come�into�existence�to�name�and�bracket�varieties�of�glitch�practices,�but�all�in�fact�refer�to�similar�practices�of�breaking�flows�within�different�technologies�or�platforms.�
While�technological�glitch�is�primarily�a�process�of�shock�requiring�investigation�and�cogni-tion,�glitch�art�is�best�described�as�a�collection�of�forms�and�events�that�oscillate�between�extremes:�the�fragile,�technologically-based�moment(um)�of�a�material�break,�the�conceptual�or�techno-cultural�investigation�of�breakages,�and�the�accepted�and�standardized�commodity�that�a�glitch�can�become.�To�encapsulate�a�whole�range�of�unstable�processes�and�sometimes�almost�contradictory�intentions�of�glitch�artists,�it�is�useful�to�consider�glitch�art�as�a�genre.�In�thinking�about�a�genre�that�encompasses�both�the�most�rebellious�and�the�most�stable�or�commoditized�works�of�glitch,�the�first�question�that�arises�is�whether�there�can�even�be�any�common�denominator�in�these�works.�What�does�saying�‘glitch�is�a�genre’�actually�say?�
15�|��See�quote,�beginning�of�this�chapter.
16�|��Peter�Kirn,�‘Live�Glitching�with�MIA�at�Coachella:�Glotchy-Glithcy�Videos,�Pictures,�Live�Gig�Report’,�Create�Digital�Motion,�1�May�2009,�http://
createdigitalmotion.com/2009/05/01/live-glitching-with-mia-at-coachella-glotchy-glithcy-videos-pictures-live-gig-report/#more-3750.
56
To�consider�glitch�art�as�a�genre� is� to�emphasize�that�genres�are�social�and�consensus-based� constructs,� rather� than� definitive� categories.17� Steve� Neale� has� suggested� that�genres�are�best�understood�as�processes:
The�process-like�nature�of�genres�manifests�itself�as�an�interaction�between�three�levels:�the�level�of�expectation,�the�level�of�the�generic�corpus,�and�the�level�of�the�‘rules’�or�‘norms’�that�govern�both.�[…]�the�elements�and�conventions�of�a�genre�are�always�in�play�rather�than�being,�simply�re-played;�and�any�generic�corpus�is�always�being�expanded.18
While�genres�are�always�‘in�play’,�they�also�–�by�definition�–�have�some�sort�of�organized�and�perceived�unity.�This�unity�models�both�how�a�viewer�perceives�any�work�in�the�genre�and�how�she�comes�to�associate�new�works�within�it.�Mary�Ann�Doane�suggests�that�‘the�unity�of�a�genre�is�generally�attributed�to�consistent�patterns�in�thematic�content,�iconog-raphy,�and�narrative�structure’.19�In�glitch�art,�this�‘thematic�content’�can�be�found�within�the�work’s�language�and�design,�while�iconographic�and�narrative�themes�are�positioned�within�glitch�art’s�investment�in�the�rupture�of�procedures�and�technique,�the�break�from�a�flow�or�the�void�of�meaning�in�the�social�understanding�and�the�esthetical�references.�
To�call�glitch�a�genre�also�means�to�suggest�that�it�is�intelligible�as�a�tendency:�to�exploit�medium-reflexivity�and�to�take�on�the�rhetorical�questioning�of�the�perfect�use�and�func-tion� of� technologies,� their� conventions� and� expectations.� Paradoxically� then,� out� of� its�instantiation�in�error�and�breakages,�Glitch�art�can,�through�its�play�with�conventions�and�expectations,�be�described�as�a�genre�that�fulfills�certain�expectations.�This�reflexive�ap-proach�to�materiality�in�glitch�tends�to,�as�Katherine�Hayles�would�assert,�re-conceptualize�materiality�itself�as�‘the�interplay�between�a�text’s�physical�characteristics�and�its�signify-ing�strategies’.�Rather�than�suggesting�media�materiality�as�fixed�in�physicality,�Hayles’�re-definition�is�useful�because�it�
opens� the� possibility� of� considering� texts� as� embodied� entities� while� still� main-taining�a�central�focus�on�interpretation.�In�this�view�of�materiality,�it�is�not�merely�an�inert�collection�of�physical�properties�but�a�dynamic�quality�that�emerges�from�the�interplay�between�the�text�as�a�physical�artifact,�its�conceptual�content,�and�the�interpretive�activities�of�readers�and�writers.20
Glitch�genres�perform�reflections�on�materiality�not�just�on�a�technological�level,�but�also�by� playing� off� the� physical� medium� and� its� non-physical,� interpretative� or� conceptual�characteristics.�To�understand�a�work�from�the�genre�of�glitch�art�completely,�each�level�of�this�notion�of�(glitch)�materiality�should�be�studied:�the�text�as�a�physical�artifact,�its�conceptual�content,�and�the�interpretive�activities�of�artists�and�audiences.
17�|��Rick�Altman,�Film/Genre,�London:�British�Film�Institute,�1999.
18�|��Steve�Neale,�‘The�Question�Of�Genre’,�Screen,�vol.�31.1�(1990):�pp.�45-66.�p.�56.
19�|��Mary�Ann�Doane,�The�Desire�to�Desire:�The�Woman’s�Film�of�the�1940s,�Bloomington�and�Indianapolis:�Indiana�University�Press,�1987.�p.�34.
20�|��N.�Katherine�Hayles,�‘Print�is�flat,�code�is�deep:�The�importance�of�media-specific�analysis’,�Poetics�Today�25,�no.�1�(2004):�pp.�67-90.
57
The Genre pArAdox
Obsolescence never meant the end of anything, it’s just the beginning.21
- mcluhan
There� is� another� factor� to� consider� in� this� pursuit� of� materiality� around� glitch� art�genres.�As�I�have�described�in�the�opening�chapters,�software�engineering�paradigms�are�fixated�upon�the�development�of�better,�faster�and�stronger�technologies,�while�the�ideal�transparent�technology�will�never�be�achieved�and�remains�a�mythological�holy�grail.�On�top�of�this�dominant�cultural�comprehension�of�media�technological�‘progression’�however,� it� is�also�the�case�that�engineers�are�economically�driven�to�strive�for�built-in�obsolescence.�Paradoxically,�while�designing�for�great�perfection,�it�is�a�basic�economic�condition�for�the�media�engineer�of�our�time�to�always�save�room�for� improvement.� This� ‘planned� obsolescence’� results� in� the� proprietary� capitalist�scheming�for� the� limited�usage�of�each�new�purchased�technology,�which�will�ma-nipulate�the�consumer�into�future�investments�on�(sooner)�improving�his�technolo-gies.�I�would�like�to�argue�that�this�economical�reasoning�is�very�much�connected�to�the�growing�fetishization�of�nostalgic�imperfection�in�(glitch)�art,�which�over�the�last�decades�has�become�a�kind�of�conceptual�virus.�Today�it�is�completely�normal�to�pay�extra�money�for�aesthetically�appealing�plugins�like�Hipstamatic�or�Instagram,�that�imitate�(analogue)�imperfections�or�nostalgic�errors,�like�‘faux�vintage’�lens�flare�and�lomographic�discolorations.�
Built-in�obsolescence�and�built-in�nostalgia�have�made�the�gap�between�new�and�old�technologies�both�smaller�and�more�dialectical.�While�the�obsolescence�and�nostal-gic�revival�of�imperfect�media�used�to�be�closely�connected�to�the�factor�of�(linear)�time,�this�factor�is�now�more�disorganized,�transforming�the�uncanny�anachronism�or�avant-garde�tendencies�of�post-procedural�glitch�into�a�fetish:�something�that�is�(‘now’)�understood�as�a�sign�of�(any�‘cool’)�time.�This�apparent�coming�together�of�the�hype�cycle�(the�arrival,�adoption�and�social�distribution�of�specific�technologies)�with�new�technologies’�designed-for�obsolescence,�results� in�glitch�itself�being�increas-ingly�understood�as�retro-nostalgic�artifacts.�Given�that�the�radical�moment(um)�and�conceptual�utility�of�glitch�was�at�least�initially�a�way�for�artists�to�penetrate�and�ex-perience�economical�and�political�drives�(and�their�critique)�within�the�development�of�new�technologies,�this�nostalgic�hovering�around�glitch�sets�up�very�strong�con-tradictions�and�tensions�within�the�glitch�art�genre.�If�I�am�to�describe�glitch�art�as�a�genre�then�(which�I�argue�is�quite�a�useful�way�to�comprehend�the�inter-influencing�forms,� reflexive� materialities� and� expectations� generated� around� glitch� practices),�it�is�important�to�bare�in�mind�Rick�Altman’s�warning�(paraphrasing�Wittgenstein)�about�categorical�‘genre’�interpretations.�He�suggests�to�the�media�theorist:
Don’t� say:� “There� must� be� something� common…”� but� look and see� whether�there� is� anything� common� to� all.� In� the� past,� it� has� simply� been� taken� for�granted� that� genres� are� broadly� shared� categories� […].� When� we� look� more�closely�at�generic�communication,�however,�it�is�not�sharing�and�understand-
21�|��Régine�Debatty,�‘Playlist,�it’s�not�(just)�about�nostalgia’,�Make�Money�Not�Art,�15�January,�2010,�http://we-make-money-not-art.com/
archives/2010/01/previously-playlist-playing-ga.php.
58
ing�that�appear,�but�competing�meanings,�engineered�misunderstanding�and�a�desire�for�domination�rather�than�communication.22
�Altman�implies�that�classification�by�genre�is�neither�an�objective�nor�a�clear�activity,�since�the�predication�of�meaning�always�precedes�the�act�of�classification.�In�order�to�place�an�item�in�one�category,�it�must�first�be�interpreted�as�being�such-or-such.�This�interpreta-tion�is�always�and�inevitably�an�act�of�classification�and�thus�involves�the�domination�of�certain�iconographic�structures.�This�occurs�for�example�with�the�work�404�error�by�Jodi,�which�has�become�not�just�about�an�error�or�non-place,�but�has�been�erected�as�an�icono-graphic�work�standing�for�a�‘desired�destination’,�and�spawned�a�cult�of�broken�link�art�works.�Such�works,�at�the�same�time,�insist�that�their�spectators�establish�new�conceptual�paradigms�for�approaching�these�particular�works�of�glitch�art.23
The�genre�of�glitch� art�draws�heavily�upon� spectator� literacy� (references�to�media�tech-nology�texts,�aesthetics�and�machinic�processes)�as�well�as�on�knowledge�of�more�‘con-ventional’� canons� of� media-reflexive� modern� art.� Accordingly,� glitch� art� prompts� the�spectator�to�engage�not�only�with�complex�themes,�but�also�with�complex�subcultural�and�meta-cultural�narratives�or�gestures,�presenting�considerable�cognitive�challenges.�Users�do�not�consume�but�instead�become�prosumers,�active�participants�in�a�culture�invested�in�constant�re-definition.
22�|��Rick�Altman,�Film/Genre,�London:�British�Film�Institute,�1999.�p.�99.�The�citation�is�from�Wittgenstein’s�Philosophical�Investigations�(post-
humously�published�in�1953),�section�66,�where�the�philosopher�attempts�to�establish�common�features�of�games�–�a�project�that�is�indeed�
very�much�related�to�the�establishing�of�genre�definitions.
23�|��White,�Michele,�‘The�Aesthetics�of�Failure:�Confusing�Spectators�with�Net�Art�Gone�Wrong’,�in�The�Body�and�the�Screen:�Theories�of�Internet�
Spectatorship,�Cambridge,�MA:�MIT�Press,�2006,�pp.�85-113.�p.�99.
59
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62
GlITCh ArT neTworked
Since�the�last�gli.tc/h�festival�in�Chicago,�I�have�been�noticing�glitch�networks�growing�more�and�more�tight.�This�observation�was�reinforced�for�me�after�May�18,�2011,�when�JamesBWatson�deleted�the�‘Glitch�Art’�article�on�Wikipedia.�Some�strong�reactions�to�this�deletion�within�the�online�glitch�scene�were�aroused�when�I�(re-)posted�an�image�of�this�moment�on�my�website.�Does�it�say�something�about�‘glitch’�culture�that�a�very�obviously�partial�and�incomplete�definition�of�the�field,�with�links�to�just�a�few�select�artists,�would�sit�unedited�in�such�an�‘encyclopedic’�space,�and�then�be�removed�for�not�being�represen-tative�enough?�Of�course.�At�the�same�time�though,�through�this�incident�it�became�obvi-ous�that�the�glitch�art�scene�does�actively�know�itself,�define�itself�and�relate�to�itself�as�a�tangible�community�of�actors�in�certain�ways.�I�reflected�more�deeply�upon�the�implicit�organization�of�glitch�artists�on�the�internet,�as�a�complex�community�of�specific�inter-influencing�actors�and�objects.�This�notion�inspired�me�to�attempt�to�map�the�difficult-to-represent�online�existence�and�associations�of�glitch�art�practices�and�culture.�
I� invited�Esther�Weltevrede,�a�PhD�candidate�at�the�humanities�department�of�the�Uni-versity�of�Amsterdam�working�on�internet�sphere�mapping�and�analysis,�to�assist�me�in�some�modest�experiments�towards�this�end.�There�are�a�number�of�problems�that�imme-diately�arise�in�mapping�web�spheres.�First�of�all,�we�had�to�choose�a�bias�–�some�starting�points�from�which�to�‘search’�–�because�there�is�no�way�to�create�the�‘integral�map�of�glitch�art’�without�starting�points�(and�also�no�way�of�representing�all�possible�starting�points).�There�is�bias�in�the�tools�used�to�do�the�mapping,�in�the�web�platforms�that�the�researcher�chooses�to�focus�upon�(where�tags�are�scraped�from),�and�in�the�depth�and�level�of�map-ping�assumed�to�glean�useful�levels�of�detail�and�degrees�of�understanding�from�the�larger�data�set�acquired�by�the�process.�
Esther�and�I�chose�to�use�the�Issuecrawler,�a�tool�that�indexes�the�web�following�set�instruc-tions�by�crawling�from�particular�chosen�starting�points.�We�focused�on�the�bookmarking�web�service�delicious�and�social�micro�blogging�software�Twitter�as�the�focus�of�the�data�scrape.�In�delicious,�we�only�scraped�bookmarks�that�used�glitch�as�a�‘top-tag’.�The�maps�were�then�organized�around�three�research�questions.�First�of�all:�1)�‘Bookmarking�on�de-licious�is�an�act�of�curating�–�the�organizing�and�including�(or�excluding)�of�links.�To�what�extend�do�the�‘glitch’�+�‘blog’�+�‘art’-tagged�bookmarks�form�(a)�networked�web�sphere(s)�and�what�spheres�are�part�of�this�glitch-artist�bookmark�network?’�2)�‘To�what�extent�do�the�glitch�+�artist�-tagged�bookmarks�form�(a)�networked�web�sphere(s)�and�what�spheres�are� part� of� this� glitch-artist� bookmark� network?’� And:� 3)� ‘Making� Twitter� lists� is� an� act�of� social� organizing� –� it� entails� the� active� including� (or� excluding)� of� contacts� within� a�particular�stream�or�network.�But�do�the�‘glitch’-listed�actors�and�their�websites�form�(a)�networked�web�sphere(s)�and�if�so,�what�spheres(s)�can�be�distinguished?’
Through�a�productive�orientation�around�tool�biases,�the�different�maps�could�potentially�give�insight�into�glitch�scene(s).�The�maps�are�generated�specifically�from�the�tags:�‘glitch’,�‘blog’�and�‘art’�or�‘glitch’�and�‘artist’.�We�excluded�generic�social�networks�and�media�shar-ing�platforms�(YouTube,�Vimeo)�so�as�to�focus�on�active�artist�and�organizational�websites.�The�maps�reveal�the�actors�and�agents�of�glitch�discovered�through�this�process�(in�the�form�of�websites),�while�the�size�and�color�of�the�nodes�shows�the�quantitative�in-�and�out-linking�behavior�of�these�actors.�A�node�in�the�map�only�appears�if�there�are�at�least�two�in-�or�out-
63
links�to�the�site.01�Very�basically,�the�more�in-links�and�out-links�that�show�up,�the�greater�the�artist�or�group’s�online�activity�or�authority�(at�least)�in�the�network.�Of�course,�glitch�artists�and�organizations�that�do�not�explicitly�propagate�the�tag�‘glitch’�will�not�easily�be�included�in�these�maps.�This�is�an�acknowledged�blind�spot�of�the�maps�and�of�course�does�not�mean�that�those�that�escape�the�grasp�of�the�map�are�not�part�of�any�glitch�sphere.02
GlITCh sphere relATIons
The�Delicious�map�based�on�the�‘glitch’�+�‘artist’-tags�and�the�Delicious�map�based�on�the�‘glitch’�+�‘blog’�+�‘artist’-tags�show�two�very�similar,�complex�networks�of�inter-influencing�actors�within�the�glitch�scene.�These�two�maps�enable�a�modest�assessment�of�the�location�of� the� glitch� art� communities� in� relation� to� other� web-based/digital� arts� communities.� It�appears�that�the�glitch�art�sphere�is�closely�connected�to�the�spheres�organized�around�digi-tal�tools,�platforms�and�softwares�(e.g.�Processing,�Openframeworks,�Puredata,�Arduino).�Besides�this,�the�glitch�spheres�are�organized�through�some�hubs�or�blog nodes.�These�can�be�divided�into�digital�art�blogs�proximate�to�the�New�York�City�community�of�new-media�art�(such�as�Rhizome,�319scholes�and�the�New�Museum);�blogs�with�a�European�geo-location�(note�for�example�Neural�and�Furtherfield);�and�nodes�dedicated�to�festivals�(note�Transme-diale,�Bent�festival�and�gli.tc/h).�Vagueterrain,�a�digital�arts�blog,�seems�to�function�as�a�pre-eminent�center-hub�that�is�greatly�responsible�for�bringing�the�different�communities�together,�while�being�disproportionately�small;�notably�it�does�not�receive�many�in-links,�whereas�Rhizome�does.�This�could�be�a�matter�of�authority.
Of�all�three�maps,�the�‘glitch’�+�‘artist’�map�seems�to�offer�up�a�most�interesting�map�of�glitch�art�nodes,�with�some�anomalies.�I�had�expected�the�Chicago�school�of�glitch�to�have�a�more�pronounced,�heavily�interlinked�presence.�While�there�is�definitely�a�dispropor-tionate�amount�of�Chicago-based�artists�indexed�in�all�of�the�maps,�they�do�seem�to�be�equally� connected� to� nodes� located� geographically� elsewhere� and� thus� the� rest� of� the�world’s�glitch�artists.�Besides�the�Chicago�school�of�glitch,�the�presence�of�a�Dutch�com-munity�(Gieskes,�Klomp,�Menkman,�Jodi,�Impakt,�mu,�v2�and�wormweb)�is�striking.�
It� is� a� problem� generated� by� the� tool’s� orientation� around� text search terms� that� other�glitch� actors,� including� for� instance� the� Japanese� visual� school� of� glitch� that� includes�ucnv,�Youpy�and�Shusaku�Hariya,�are�missing�from�the�maps.�For�these�artists,�the�use�of�Japanese�over�English�means�that�they�are�less�linked�with�other�artists�that�are�repre-sented�and�this�is�why�they�just�don’t�‘show�up’.03
01�|��For�the�construction�of�the�map,�we�set�the�Issuecrawler�to�crawl�two�iterations�deep�(to�index�the�links�not�only�from�the�starting�point,�but�
also�from�the�first�list�of�indexed�sites)�in�order�to�partially�overcome�nodes�created�by,�for�instance,�‘the�individual�tagging�himself’,�and�to�
be�able�to�make�more�legible�the�differences�between�influential�and�less�influential�nodes.
02�|��We�additionally�deleted�nodes�like�MySpace,�Twitter,�Flickr,�Vimeo�and�creative�commons�because�they�tend�to�take�a�lot�of�space�in�the�final�
visual�outcome�of�a�query�invested�otherwise�in�mapping�independent�(non-proprietary)�art�practices�in�relation.�Platform�nodes�(of�tags)�would�
however�be�interesting�for�more�platform-focused�research.�In�the�last�map,�we�decided�not�to�index�the�Twitter�lists�that�were�based�on�the�com-
puter�gamed�titled�‘Glitch’�since�these�lists�are�completely�trivial�to�glitch�art.�As�a�full�disclosure,�I�have�to�admit�that�some�bugs�in�the�mapping�
software�led�to�the�double�appearance�of�some�nodes.�After�some�failed�attempts�to�merge�these�‘double’�nodes�automatically�or�by�hand,�I�deleted�
the�smallest�one�of�each.�This�led�to�a�little�discrepancy�in�the�final�maps,�which�I�believe�otherwise�strongly�calibrate�an�overview�of�the�spheres.
03�|��In�this�sense,�while�the�maps�seem�to�‘argue’�(that�is,�in�their�biases,�rather�than�passively�show)�that�glitch�art�is�still�a�very�western�discourse�
and�culture,�responsive�as�it�is�to�Euro-American�techno-capitalisms�and�specific�traditions�of�media/machine�philosophy,�more�research�
would�be�required�across�language�groups,�and�in�to�sub-cultural�languages,�and�national�webs,�and�local�art�scenes,�to�confirm�that.
64
At�the�same�time�there� is�a�contemporaneity� to�the�maps�that� is�quite� informative.�For�example,�in�the�summer�of�2011�(during�the�time�the�research�maps�were�constructed)�IDN� magazine� featured� numerous� glitch� artists� and� projects,� including� Quayola,� Kim�Asendorf�and�Clement�Valla�who�are�new�to�the�glitch�scene.�They�have�already�been�cap-tured�in�the�delicious�networks�and�are�visible�here.�In�this�sense�the�maps�created�can�be�assumed�to�be�useful�snapshots�of�a�still�mutating�field�that�is�full�of�fresh�data.�
The� fact� that� I� have� published� these� results� on� my� own� rosa-menkman� website� (which�appears�quite�large�and�colorful�in�the�results),�and�that�the�crawler�indexes�both�in-links�and�out-links�to�my�blog,�is�a�further�matter�for�consideration.�As�a�research�authority,�ar-tistic�agent,�and�active�discursive�hub�within�these�spheres�that�I�am�researching,�the�rosa-menkman�blog�could�be�considered�to�be�itself�shaping�the�mapped�community.�This�is�an�important�problem�to�keep�in�mind�and�an�ongoing�consideration�for�my�research�work.�
In� contrast,� personal� blogs� and� artists� pages� such� as� Goto80,� designingimperfection,�beigerecords,� Gieskes,� Jonsatrom� and� jodi� seem� not� to� link-out� into� the� glitch� com-munity,�while�receiving�in-links�from�their�peers,�which�tends�to�reveal�matters�or�even�vectors�of�status�and�authority.04�Notice�however�how�Vade’s�many�websites�are�mapped.�Because�this�artist�has�many�different�web-located� nodes� (the� URLs� syphon,� Vade.info,�v002,�abstrakt.vade.info�all�refer�to�his�sites)�his�appearance�within�the�mapped�commu-nity�seems�both�hyper-present�and diffused�(given�the�many�different�nodes�all�governed�by�Vade).�Both�Vade�and�Pixelnoizz�take�up�an�interesting�place�within�the�map,�forming�active�hubs�between�the�generative�or�design�driven�side�of�the�map�(right)�and�the�more�post-procedural�driven�side�of�glitch�art�(on�the�left�side�of�the�glitch�map).
The�third�Twitter�glitch-listed�actor�map�consists�of�two�very�clearly�separated�spheres.�The�first�sphere�is�centered�around�glitch.fm,�the�glitchhopforum�and�a�couple�of�other�glitch�music�related�sites.�The�second�is�a�bigger,�diffused�sphere�that�locates�and�maps�the�genre�of�glitch�art.�Within�the�latter,�sites�like�8bitpeoples�(an�chiptune/8bit/lo-fi�com-munity),�gli.tc/h�(the�glitch�art�festivals�website),�Vagueterrain�(the�Digital�Art/Culture/Technology�blog),�slowelectronics�(where�the�music�label�slowelectronics�is�located)�and�personal�blogs�act�as�hubs�in�between�the�different�communities.�It�is�striking�to�me�how�many�of�the�personal�sites�are�connected�with�multiple�hubs,�indicating�a�larger�trend�of�cross-fertilization�and�networking�between�the�different�digital�art�communities.
soMe fInAl refleCTIons on The GlITCh spheres
The�circuitbending�‘community’�seems�under-represented.�Possible�reasons�for�their�lack�of�nodes�could�be�that�this�community�is�not�as�‘social’�(in�terms�of�in-�and�out-linking)�as�other�glitch�artists�working�more�directly�online�and�with�code.�Or�perhaps�they�are�not�tagged�as�‘glitch’�or�as�‘art’,�or�both.�The�maps�leave�out�under-tagged�and�anti-social�communities�in�this�way�–�what�appears�mapped�are�the�parts�of�the�(glitch)�web�sphere�built�most�strongly�on�link�connections�and�common�(English)�labels.
04�|��While�this�should�in�most�cases�indeed�be�understood�as�a�sign�of�authority�(or�status),�it�could�in�some�cases�also�be�a�problem�with�the�
crawler�encountering�a�coding�obstruction�when�fetching�out-links.
65
Interestingly,�the�Glitch.fm�community�(glitch�music)�is�not�tagged�as�‘art’�or�‘artists’�in�delicious� (they� have� no� delicious� presence),� while� the� click� and� cut/microsound� musi-cians�don’t�seem�to�be�active�bloggers.�They�are�not�present�in�the�‘glitch’�+�‘blog’�+�‘art’�sphere,� but� are� otherwise� tagged� as� glitch� artists� in� the� map� that� does� not� include� the�‘blog’� tag.� The� 8bit/chiptune� music� scene,� on� the� other� hand,� is� notably� connected� to�the�glitch�scene�in�all�three�maps.�Key�players�in�this�inter-linkage�are:�Goto80,�noteNdo,�Nullsleep,�NO�CARRIER�and�the�8bitpeoples�music�label.
Glitch�art�communities�of�course�do�not�start�or�end�at�the�‘borders’�of�these�maps,�and�many�more�could�be�created�which�would�enable�additional�insights�into�the�varied�com-munities� and� ‘techno-sociality’� of� glitch� agents� and� practices.� Link� relations� are,� com-plexly,�‘influence’�relations�but�like�the�glitch�itself�they�do�not�initially�or�easily�give�out�knowledge.�You�have�to�embed�yourself�a�little�and�trace�the�moment(um).
The emancipation of dissonance Glitch I don’t use the accident. I deny the accident. There�is�no�accident,�just�as�there�is�no�beginning�and�no�end.05
- jacKSon PollocK
The�noiseless�channel�doesn’t�exist.�What�makes�every�medium�specific�is�how�it�fails�to�reach�a�state�of�complete�transparent�immediacy.�These�failures�are�embodied�by�noise�artifacts;�categorizable�as�either�compressions,�or�feedback,�or�the�not�(yet)�technologi-cally� defined� break� of� a� (computational)� flow,� named� glitch.� Moving� from� information�theory�into�the�art�and�culture�of�noise�and�noise�artifacts,�glitch�art�proliferates�in�a�spec-trum�of�disturbances�that�traverse�both�the�sonic�and�visual,�technical�and�socio-cultural�realm.�Here�the�difference�between�failure�and�glitch�becomes�important:�while�failure�is�a�phenomenon�to�overcome,�the�glitch�is�a�phenomenon�that�will�be�incorporated�into�new�processes�and�conditions�of�technological�design�or�cultural�meaning.�
Contemporary�glitch�artists�exploit�the�inherent�moment(um)�of�glitch�in�different�ways.�A�threefold�categorization�of�glitches�addressed�a�continuum�for�thinking�about�glitch:�from�complete�machine�‘spontaneity’�in�the�accident�form,�to�controlled,�debuggable�or�conceptual�glitching;�to�a�more�conventional�realm�of�glitch�design�and�aesthetics.�The�perfect�glitch�only�exists�for�a�spectator�at�the�tipping�point�between�destruction�and�the�creation�of�something�new;�this�is�more�a�dialectical�relation�than�a�linear�trajectory�of�possibility.�Glitch�reveals�but�also�bridges�gaps�between�the�functioning�and�the�malfunc-tioning�of�systems.
In�the�end,�the�glitch�is�a�subjective�phenomenon.�There�is�no�unequivocal�cultural�defini-tion�of�glitch,�as�there�is�none�for�noise,�because�in�the�end,�what�glitch�is�and�what�glitch�
05�|��Monica�Bohm-duch*en,�The�private�life�of�a�masterpiece,�California:�University�of�California�Press,�2001.�p.�230.
66
is�not�is�a�subjective�matter.�Further,�as�a�sub-genre�that�participates�in�larger�media�cul-tures�of�distributed�authorship,�this�subjective�experience�of�glitch�is�paradoxically�shared�by�many,�which�makes�glitch�theory�difficult�to�practice,�accessible�to�many,�contestable�and�necessary.�An�intended�or�designed�error�can�still�rightfully�be�called�glitch�art;�and�glitch� art� is� not� always� just� a� personal� experience� of� shock,� but� can� be� a� metaphorical�expression,�dependent�upon�multiple�agents�for�interpretation.�Accordingly,�it�is�less�in-teresting�for�theory�to�police�the�difference�between�true�or�false�glitch�art,�than�to�under-stand�how�and�through�which�technological�systems�and�cultural�fabrics�any�particular�work�of�glitch�art�comes�to�be�understood�and�experienced�as�glitch.�
At�the�same�time,�some�recent�shifts�within�the�realm�of�glitch�art�are�important�to�keep�track� of.� It� seems� that� increasingly,� glitch� art� practices� downplay� the� technological� di-mension�of�glitch,�and�that�the�concept�of�glitch�has�changed.�As�the�error�itself�has�been�increasingly�gentrified,�the�glitch�is�already�being�supposedly�‘upgraded’�to�more�static�and�imagistic�values�(minus�the�radical�moment(um)�of�glitch).�Glitch�is�also�becoming�a�prominent�area�of�study,�and�archive�of�thought,�for�the�media�culture�intellectual.�Aca-demics�politicize�their�work�through�the�solid�cultural�and�technological�understanding�of�digital�society�developed�in�and�by�glitch�culture,�while�glitch�risks�being�reduced�to�just�another�theory�for�thinking�the�subjective�experience�of�media.�Perhaps,�since�glitch�art�is�full�of�paradoxes,�describing�glitch�art�as�a�genre,�institutionalizing,�is�yet�another�paradox�that�could�be�in�line�with�the�corrupting�and�damaging�future�potentials�of�glitch.�
To�think�with�glitch�is�to�straddle�a�gap�between�non-sense�and�knowledge.�It�is�to�search�for�the�unfamiliar�while�at�the�same�time�to�tenaciously�de-familiarize�oneself�from�what�might�be�taken�for�granted�of�software,�hardware�and�signal�realities�by�less�critical�media�theoreticians�and�artists.�To�embrace�and�account�for�glitch�is�therefore�to�be�potentially�open�to�new�critical�modes�of�thought�and�action.�When�these�notions�of�glitch’s�radical�difference�become�(paradoxically)�standardized,�the�actual�agents�of�glitch�culture�adapt�and� move� to� take� on� and� mine� other� technologies,� protocolized� flows,� and� discourses�elsewhere.�Glitch�work�is�a�kind�of�corrupting�investigative�work,�followed�by�a�vision�that�destroys�itself�by�its�own�purposive�modes�of�inquiry.�Like�the�best�ideas,�glitch�practices�are�dangerous�because�they�generate�awareness.�
Some�consider�glitches�as�solely�technological�phenomena,�while�others�perceive�them�as�social�constructions�reactive�to�technological�expectations�or�aesthetics.�Glitchspeak�explains�the�utterances�that�do�not�fail�to�be�heard,�yet�at�the�same�time�exist�outside�of�knowledge.�At�the�same�time,�cultural�and�technological�flows�and�functions,�designed�to�be�taken�for�granted,�cannot�be�understood�without�such�interruptions.�This�is�why�the�study�of�glitch�is�necessary.�Study�what�is�outside�of�knowledge,�start�and�continue�with�glitch�studies.�The�glitch�is�what�you�can�just�get�away�with!
67
BIBlIoGrAphyAdelbert,�Ames,�Jr.�‘The�Morning�Notes’,�in�Ernst�Hans�Josef�Gombrich,�The�Sense�of�Order:�A�Study�in�the�Psychology�of�Decorative�Art,�London:�Phaidon�Press,�1984.�p.�117.�
Altman,�Rick.�Film/Genre,�London:�British�Film�Institute,�1999.
Attali,�Jacques�and�Brian�Massumi.�Noise:�The�Political�Economy�of�Music,�Manchester:�Manchester�University�Press,�1985.�p.�33.�George�Orwell,�Nineteen�Eighty-Four,�London:�Secker�and�Warburg,�1949.�
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The Glitch
Mo- ment
The Glitch
Moment(um)
Moment(um) The Glitch Moment (um) Glitch Mo- t
Glitch culture organizes itself around the investigation and aestheticization of breaks in the conventional flow of information or meaning within (digital) communi-cation systems.
In this book, Rosa Menkman brings in early informa-tion theorists not usually encountered in glitch’s the-oretical foundations to refine a signal and informa-tional vocabulary appropriate to glitch’s technological moment(um) and orientations. The book makes sense of recent glitch art and culture: technically, culturally, critically, aesthetically and finally as a genre.
The glitch takes on a different form in relation to noise, failure or the accident. It transitions between artifact and filter; between radical breakages and commodifi-cation processes. Menkman shows how we need to be clearer about the relationship between the technical and cultural dimensions of glitch culture. Honing in on the specificities of glitch artifacts within this broad-er perspective makes it possible to think through some of the more interesting implications of glitched media experience. Using a critical media aesthetic orienta-tion, Menkman addresses the ongoing definitional ten-sions, paradoxes, and debates that any notion of glitch art as a genre must negotiate, rather than elude.
Rosa Menkman is a Dutch visualist, theorist and curator, working with glitches, compressions, feedback and other forms of noise artifacts, aiming to contribute to the development of a discourse for glitch art and culture.
Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2011.ISBN/EAN 978-90-816021-6-7