Tuesday 31 May 2011

The birth of hyper-realism in legal representation

me 2011
I've been reading Paul Virilio again: The Vision Machine 1994, p. 44:

"What we are witnessing here is the birth of hyper-realism in legal and police representation... How can we hope to scandalise, surprise, move to tears under the gaze of electronic magistrates that can fast forward or reverse in time and space at will ..." 

Media and the Trial

Cameras in the courtroom seems a hot item in the press. Starting this Thursday night on ABC1 is "On Trial - Proof or Truth", a five-part documentary series featuring criminal cases before judge and jury. The series promises to provide insights into criminal legal process and the emotional narratives of those implicated.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/abc1/201106/programs/DO0713H001D2011-06-02T203329.htm?program=On%20Trial


Recently on ABC Radio was a programme "Virtual courts and the technological revolution" considering how far technology can go in embracing technology while still ensuring that justice is being served. As my research starts to take shape, I am wondering while formal justice may be 'seen to be done', there may be other elements that may impact upon a fair, humane and dignified legal experience. The intangibles of the live trial experience are what particularly fascinate me.
 

Carolyn McKay Video Still 2009

Monday 30 May 2011

From critical criminologists to critical animals

The second semester is shaping up to be an interesting one from a conference perspective. I'll be presenting at Critical Criminologists in July then later at Critical Animals:

http://criticalanimals.org/

Critical Animals is described as:
" ... the creative research arm of This is Not Art, a festival held in Newcastle, NSW, every October. It's a symposium on creative/critical praxis, a chance for conversation between practising artists engaged in critical thinking (institutionally or otherwise). CA is interdisciplinary and unthemed – an opportunity to present research material and creative work, in particular that which engages with creative research, challenges medium or reflects upon practice."


This is Not Art (TiNA) runs this year 29 September to 3 October: 


http://thisisnotart.org/


And coincides with the announcement of the 2011 Newcastle Poetry Prize, National Poetry Symposium and the National Young Writers' Festival. I guess there is also ElectroFringe, Crack Theatre and Sound Summit ... Sounds like Newcastle is the place to be over the October long weekend.







Thursday 26 May 2011

Visual Response

Here are a couple of images I included in my presentation last week at the Sydney College of the Arts Graduate School Conference Critical Thinking: Research + Art + Culture. They inspire me to respond in a visual manner ... 

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2009/08/man_faces_sex_charges_in_alleg.html
accessed 10/05/11 4:15 PM




http://www.correctiveservices.nsw.gov.au/information/video_conferencing
accessed 10/05/11 4:35 PM




PlaceMaking Grant

This post has nothing to do with criminology ... but everything to do with community.
As a recently reborn Novocastrian I'm very happy to have been notified by Newcastle Council of my successful application for a PlaceMaking Grant.
Living in flashily-named Sparke Street, I called the PlaceMaking event Bright Sparkes. I'll be organising the neighbourhood to do a lantern-making workshop and then hang the lanterns outside the houses one evening, close the street and have a lantern-lit community gathering. Should be fun. Thanks, BJ, for the inspiration.
Image from Raise the Red Lantern, National Ballet of China

Thursday 19 May 2011

crim* discussion group

On Tuesday, I attended the first crim* discussion group at Sydney Law School. There were only 5 postgrad students and we enjoyed a challenging discussion about empirical research. I mentioned how I'm using my art practice as a part of my research strategy and as a means to produce new knowledge and perspectives - to which one student replied "But art ... is just .... art!"
I might have more to say about this in further discussions!

Critical Criminology Conference in Cairns

I'm looking at attending the 5th Annual Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference 7-8 July 2011 in Cairns:

http://www.jcu.edu.au/cairnsinstitute/info/events/JCUPRD1_067303.html

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Reports of Crime Etc., Etc.,

Upcoming exhibition of work I created as artist-in-residence at The Lock-Up:
Reports of Crime Etc., Etc., at the project space, Mosman Art Gallery. More details to follow!

Critical Thinking: Research + Art + Culture Conference

I'm presenting The Principle of Orality and the Posthuman Courtroom at the Sydney College of the Arts Graduate School Conference 19 - 20 May 2011.

Check out the full program at:
http://sydney.edu.au/sca/research/conferences/index.php

Wednesday 4 May 2011

Virtual court plan to be scrapped after tech trial highlights additional costs of £450million - The Daily Record

Virtual court plan to be scrapped after tech trial highlights additional costs of £450million - The Daily Recordhttp://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/science-and-technology/2010/12/20/virtual-court-plan-to-be-scrapped-after-tech-trial-highlights-additional-costs-of-450-million-86908-22796443/

A report late 2010 found that virtual courts cost more than traditional court procedures. While the average time from charge to hearing was reduced, there was a higher rate of adjournments and concerns were raised regarding the physical separation of defendants, communication difficulties with and between lawyers, a perception of 'hasty justice' and the finding that defendants appeared to treat the process less seriously. The virtual court pilot involved two magistrates' courts and 15 police stations in London and north Kent.

Monday 2 May 2011

The Voice is a Language

While researching Roland Barthes' essay "The Grain of the Voice" (from Image, Music, Text), I came across this blog:

http://voiceisalanguage.wordpress.com/about/

It relates to a screening and performance event THE VOICE IS A LANGUAGE shown at Tramway, Glasgow as part of Glasgow International 2010. The project featured various artists responding to the work of avant-garde pioneer Meredith Monk. The project explored the dispersal of the voice and its relationship to image and sought to displace the primacy of the linguistic in favour of a synthetic language.