logs are used to record various events that happen within a computer system
back when computers used punch cards, they were written documents
this is an image of a log for Harvard's Mark II computer
Mark II Computer Log, 1947
at some point, a moth flew into the computer, disrupting it's operation – marking the "first actual case of a bug being found"
Apache Access Log, /var/log/apache2/access.log
now, most computers do their own event logging in the background during it's regular process
for example, your servers have a log file which is updated daily and can be accessed via /var/log
the apache logs record requests for your website, including the IP address, timestamp, and client/browser used in each request
Log as... Detritus
logs can be understoog as a remnant of a process – kind of like digging through the garbage bin of the computer to get a sense of it's general nature or where things went wrong
zip, Yuji Agematsu
logging can be a form of creaative production
Yuji Agematsu's work is centered around walking
the artist walks around and collects debris of a neighborhood, which he then stores within the celophane of a cigarette pack
his work represents "the metabolism of the city and the habits and desires of its residents"
zip: 04.01.03 . . . 04.30.03, Yuji Agematsu
each zip is associated with metadata – the date of the walk – and organized as a calendar
Log as... Historiography
logging is a form traditionally associated with models of authority and offical channels often associated with an unequivical "truth"
they can also be used a form of historiography – a method of telling (or troubling) history within research-based practices
World 3, The Otolith Group
The Otolith Group is the research-based artist collective of Kodwo Eshun and Anjalika Sagar
In the book World 3, the artists use postage stamps and envelopes to tell the story of the 20th century african independance movement
World 3, The Otolith Group
rather than a didact reproduction or archive of the materials, Kodwo Eshun inserts himself into the work by addressing the envelopes to himself, as a way of envoking the hope and ambition of the pan-african and decolonial movements of the mid-century
Notebook volume 72: Missing Lebanese wars, The Atlas Group
The work consists a series of annotations of the notebook, which describe how a group of historians (with differing political agendas) would gather on Sundays to bet on horses.
They wouldnt bet on the horses themselves, but on the amount of distance between the horse’s nose and the finish line as captured in the photo-finish image.
Notebook volume 72: Missing Lebanese wars, The Atlas Group
in a way, the work acts as a commentary on the act of historiography itself. The role of photography, and how history is written (as opposed to actual historical events)
Log as... Ritual
Maintenance Art Manifesto, Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Mierle Laderman Ukeles is known for 'maintenance art', and the first artist-in-residence of the NYC Department of Sanitation in 1977
she shadowed sanitation workers for a period of 11 months and she dedicated her work to highlighting invisible labor in the city through carious projects and interventions
Handshake and Thanking Ritual, Mierle Laderman Ukeles
one project included the Handshake and Thanking Ritual, in which Ukeles shook the hand of all 8,500 Sanitation employees, saying to each “Thank you for keeping New York City alive.”
Opening and Closing Doors and Drawers, FLUXUS Midwest
Fluxus is an art collective / movement known for their instructional performances and durational art
Much of the work involves establishing a rule (a score) for a situation, and the resulting composition would be based on the fulfillment of that score
This is a website by "Fluxus Midwest" (i dont actually know who that is) but is a good example of the Fluxus ethos
Log as... Performance
Pool 5, Nora Turato
Nora Turato is a designer and artist who uses logging as a method of writing
She records fragments of langauge as she experiences them in the world (phrases heard, sent to her in text messages from friends, read, etc.)
She publishes the writing in a book series called "Pool", which is then used to create scripts for her performances
Pool 5, Nora Turato
The language is also installed in her performance spaces
Typography here by Sabo Day
I Got Up, On Kowara
I Got Up is a series of postcards produced by On Kowara between 1968 and 1979.
Each day, the artist sent two friends a picture postcard stamped with the exact time he woke up, and the phrase "I Got Up"
I Got Up, On Kowara
Kowara completed these every day for 10 years until a briefcase with his materials was stolen
this is considered a durational performace, that uses mail art as a medium (on that also acts as an important recursor to internet art)
