RTMark specializes in artistic strategies that include hijacking corporate and political identities and challenging commercial conventions. RTMark assumed the identity of the Novartis corporation for openX. They also presented their video "Bringing it To You", in which RTMark mimics the info-mercial model - donning business suits to "sell" RTMark as a product. Ernest Lucha responded to my questions for RTMark.
Q: How do you position your work within the context of "Life Science"?
EL: Pesky, as you can see.
Q: What is your impression of Ars Electronica so far?
EL: What a remarkable festival.
Q: Have you seen anything that you are particularly interested in?
EL: The Novartis sponsorship was of course very interesting.
Q: Is this project representative of your body of work or is it different in some way?
EL: Representative.
Q: What are the differences between this project and your previous projects?
Same thing.
Q: What are the structures and support systems that allow you to do your work?
EL: Individuals with a conscience, who hate what corporations have done to America and are trying to do to the rest of the world.
Q: As an artist working in a technological or scientific crossover, are you developing alliances and working relationships with commercial or corporate research and development venues?
EL: In a way, with Novartis for example, but they're not privy to it.
Q: How do you envision art in the future regarding new technologies, new science and a new millennium? How do you envision your work in this context?
EL: Same as always on all counts.
Q: How do you think the social dynamic of the network art community unfolds when we are together here in real time?
EL: I had some drinks with Novartis reps and with Gerfried Stocker, got a bit tipsy.
Switch V5N3 - Interviews from Ars Electronica '99 by Paula Poole