April | 2023 | Sarah Norris

This spring, INF 386E, Planning and Understanding Exhibits, created the exhibit Algorithmic Assemblages: Do Machines Dream of Art?.

Drawings that represent Roller skating covering Hypogean fishes, a student artwork featured in our class exhibit — *Drawings that represent Roller skating covering Hypogean fishes*, a student artwork featured in our class exhibit

This exhibit featured the data-based artwork A Work of Art for Every Entry in Index – Subjects – Library of Congress by sound and media artist Holland Hopson. The artwork generates descriptions of non-existent artworks by using actual Library of Congress terminology; our students then created real artworks based on these fabricated descriptions. We were so pleased to host Holland at our exhibit closing reception, and to work with him throughout the semester!

Exhibit closing reception on April 13, 2023

Holland also presented two talks while visiting us here at UT: “Listening as a Creative Act,” sponsored by the Bureau for Experimental Ethnography and “Data as Medium,” sponsored by UT’s Visual Arts Center. Thanks to Marina Peterson and MacKenzie Stevens for coordinating these talks, and to Holland for being our visiting artist!

Last weekend marked the 20th anniversary of the Austin Edible Book Festival! This April Fools’ Day tradition showcases serious fun, as local bibliophiles create edible books to compete for prizes and glory.

What’s an edible book? It’s anything that’s edible, based on a book title, and likely includes a pun. Inspired by the International Edible Book Festival, Austin’s event keeps it weird by offering the unique opportunity to literally eat one’s words.

Austin Edible Book Festival is sponsored by the Austin Book Arts Center and the University of Texas Student Chapter of the Society of American Archivists. The event also featured the City of Austin Office of Sustainability, discussing their work creating a healthy and just local food system.