30 DAYS OF NEW LIFE
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Statement

The 30 Days of New Life project is comprised of a series of performances in which a team of cartographers relocate to a new city for 30 days.

The first performance took place in 2008 in Berlin, Germany in conjunction with the New Life Berlin Festival, hosted by Wooloo Productions. The second will occur in the summer of 2009.

During the performances the cartographers work with local residents to identify places and people that are personally, artistically, historically or culturally significant.

Essentially, the performances result in an online interactive map.

The map is created using Google Maps and the project's website. Each point of interest includes a description, information gathered from local residents/sources, reflections, images, and/or video.

The cartographers do not control what gets included in the map.

Local residents make suggestions and it is their suggestions that ultimately build it.

Biography

Douglas Gast is an exhibiting artist and educator. He received an MA in Communication Studies from Baylor University (2001) and an MFA in Electronic Art from the University of Cincinnati (2003). Gast is currently an Assistant Professor of Fine Arts at Washington State University where he teaches in support of the Digital Technology and Culture program. His research/creative interests include:

Video/Film/Animation, New Media/Electronic Art, Photography/Imaging, Installation, Performance, Web/Net Art, Sound, Interactive Art, Conceptual Art/Fluxus/Dada, Semiotics, Curatorial Studies

While typically digital or electronic in nature, his work involves the identification and activation of the inherent elements of the media which stands to best serve his chosen message. The role of his art is twofold: It strives to clarify the very definition of art while concurrently utilizing the fundamental properties of the media to construct idea systems. These idea systems are designed to be thought through, instead of thought of, and ultimately call into question some typical socio-political situation or structure.

His projects take the form of videos, films, images, websites, sculptures, performances, books and installations. They have been exhibited and screened nationally and internationally in places like Chicago, Seattle, Cincinnati, Nashville, Austin, Madison and NYC as well as Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Canada.