Jack the Pelican is pleased to present the world premiere of Vox Populi, an interactive sound and video installation by internationally acclaimed new media artist Don Ritter.

Vox Populi is an assembly of virtual citizens. They urge the visitor to step up to the teleprompter and into the words of Dubya or JFK or Hitler or Martin Luther King. “Speech!” they implore, “Speech!”

Clear your throat into the microphone and they are silent. They listen. All eyes are on you. This is a test of your charisma. It is your chance to wow the crowd to heights of ecstasy. But fail, and they will hate you!

Don Ritter has been celebrated throughout the world as a giant in new media. He has been well known in Europe since 1986 for his large-scale interactive installations. Over 500,000 people in 7 countries have visited his sound installation Intersection. And his upcoming book based upon interviews with more than 100 curators and critics worldwide promises to redefine the boundaries of new media.

Ritter began developing psychological models for interactive interfaces as a graduate student at MIT in the 1980s. His groundbreaking interactive software has set the standard among new media artists.

His large scale interactive installations, performances and video tapes have been exhibited in North America, Europe and Asia, including Ars Electronica(Austria), Sonambiente Festival(Berlin), Siggraph 99(Los Angeles), SAM Museum(Osaka), European Media Art Festival(Osnabruck), Art Institute of Chicago, New Music America 89/90(New York, Montreal), Musee d'art Contemporain de Montreal, Metronom(Barcelona), Banff Centre for the Arts(Canada) and ArtFuture 2000(Taipei).

Ritter's writing, software, and artistic projects have received support and recognition from the Canada Council, Pratt Institute(New York), Prix Ars Electronica(Austria), ZKM(Germany), Bell Northern Research, and the Banff Centre for the Arts(Canada). He has collaborated on performances with musicians George Lewis, John Oswald, Ikue Mori, Trevor Tureski, Nick Didkovski, David Rokeby, Amy Denio, Genevieve Letarte, Tom Walsh, Tom Dimuzio, Richard Teitelbaum, Neil Rolnick, Robert Rowe, Kathleen Supové and Ben Neill. Ritter's video imagery or interactive software have been used in installations by video artists Paul Garrin and Laurie Anderson. Ritter has worked professionally with electronic media technologies since 1979 as a human interface designer for Bell-Northern Research, a telecommunications designer for Northern Telecom, an Associate Professor of Fine Arts at Concordia University(Montreal), and since 1996 as a Professor of Computer Graphics & Interactive Media at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He holds undergraduate degrees in Fine Arts, Psychology and Electronics Engineering, and an MSc in Visual Studies from CAVS and the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT). His education includes film studies at Harvard University, and his teachers include artist Otto Piene (MIT), film maker Richard Leacock (MIT), computer scientist Marvin Minsky (MIT), designer Muriel Cooper (MIT), social psychologist Mark Zanna (Waterloo), and film theoretician Vladamir Petric (Harvard).

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING:

	“In none of Mr. Ritter’s maturing phases as an artist did he employ technology without reason or merely for its own sake as we have so often witnessed with other artists. In other words, with Don Ritter’s work we are dealing with interactive art in its purest and most beautiful form” —Dr. Christine Schöpf, co-director, Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria, 2002 “Combined with his technological competence and searching curiosity to find and probe new media, his poetic vocabulary is orchestrated into vivid, powerful multi media pieces which are authentic and original. His imagery incorporates old love of surrealism on the one hand and fascination with several generations of technology on the other hand highlighted by flashes of humor and spiced by emanations of angst. His blend of art, emotion and sophistication is unique and engaging.” —Otto Piene, Professor Emeritus, Center for Advanced Visual Studies, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2002 "I find Don Ritter to be one of the most important video artists working with computers in the world today and have no doubt that his rare combination of aesthetic sense and programming prowess will continue to produce stunning results in the years ahead." —Professor Robert Rowe, New York University, author of the books "Machine Musicianship" and "Interactive Music Systems," 2001 "In his work, he makes an appropriate use of technology, often making the technology invisible to the audience, allowing the art experience to remain of paramount importance. Out of technology-based art being produced today, Ritter's work is among the most interesting and memorable." —Lynn Pocock, Chair, Siggraph 2001, Los Angeles "Don Ritter belongs to the most original contemporary video-artists. Although Ritter uses complex technologies to create aesthetic experiences for audiences, he is not a technocrat; for him the interaction is not the aim but the means to test the influences and impacts of nature, machines and media to human personality" —Jozef Cseres, curator/writer, Profil Contemporary Art Magazine, Slovakia, 2001

S E L E C T E D P E R F O R M A N C E S A N D
E X H I B I T I O N S:
THE WORKS FESTIVAL, Edmonton, Canada, "Intersection" interactive sound installation. 2004

SCHAFLER GALLERY/Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, USA. documentaries of installations. 2004

SONIC LIGHT FESTIVAL, Amsterdam, interactive video-music performances with Ikue Mori. 2003

VICTORIA INDEPENDENT FILM and VIDEO FESTIVAL, Canada, interactive video-music installation. 2003

WESTERN FRONT, Vancouver, Canada, interactive video-music performances. 2003

EI, New York City. interactive video-music performances with Kathleen Supové and solo. 2001

RIVA GALLERY, New York City. "Digestion" interactive video-sound installation. 2001

MADMAN & The TECHNOPHOBE, Internet2 telecommunications performance in 2 cities; collaborative project, New York City and Troy, USA. 2001

ARTFUTURE 2000, Taipei, Taiwan. "Intersection." 2000

EXIT Festival, Creteil, France. "Intersection." 2000

VIA Festival, Maubeuge, France. "Intersection." 2000

THAI ELEPHANT CONSERVATION CENTRE, Lampang, Thailand. interactive synthesizer controlled by elephants. 2000

TAIPEI GALLERY, New York City, USA. "Fit." 1999

KUNST HAUS/COMTEC ART FESTIVAL, Dresden, Germany. "Intersection." 1999

SIGGRAPH '99, Los Angeles, USA. "TV Guides" interactive video-sound installation. 1999

BANFF CENTRE FOR THE ARTS, Banff, Canada. "Skies" interactive video-sound installation. 1998

METRONOM, Barcelona, Spain. "Intersection" interactive sound installation. 1997

NEW YORK COLISEUM, New York City, USA. "TV Guides, "Fit" and "Intersection" interactive video and sound installations. 1997

CYBER MONDE, Montreal, Canada. "TV Guides" interactive video and sound installation. 1997

ARS ELECTRONICA, Linz, Austria. "Intersection" interactive sound installation. 1996

SONAMBIENTE FESTIVAL, Berlin, Germany. "Intersection" interactive sound installation. 1996

IMAGES du FUTUR, Montreal. "Intersection" interactive sound installation. 1995

SHAKING RAY LEVI SOCIETY, Chattanooga, Tennessee. "Static Boy" & "Jacko" interactive video performances with Dennis Palmer and Bob Stagner. 1995

SAM MUSEUM, Osaka, Japan. "FIT" interactive video/sound installation controlled by viewers' bodies. 1994-95

OBSCURE, Quebec City, Quebec "Jacko" interactive video performance with Jean-Maurice Payur. 1994

MUSEE D'ART CONTEMPORAIN DE MONTREAL. "Oh toi qui vis la-bas!" interactive video-poetry performance with Genevieve Letarte and Michel F. Cote. 1994

SOUND SYMPOSIUM, St. John's Newfoundland. "Intersection" interactive sound installation of road traffic controlled by visitors' presence; and "A Structural Theory of Emotions" interactive video performance with Trevor Tureski. 1994

CENTRE FOR IMAGE & SOUND RESEARCH, Vancouver and McLUHAN CENTRE, Toronto. "Nervous Orpheus" interactive telecommunication event with David Rokeby. 1994

VIDEO POOL/MELNYCHENKO GALLERY, Winnipeg, Manitoba. "Synchronous Blast Channels" interactive video performances with Trevor Tureski and Chris Marten. 1994

EUROPEAN MEDIA ART FESTIVAL, Osnabruck, Germany. "Intersection" interactive sound installation. 1993

WESTERN FRONT, Vancouver. "untitled" interactive video-poetry performance with Genevieve Letarte. 1993

CONFERENCE ON DANCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vancouver, BC. "A Structural Theory of Emotions" interactive video performance with Trevor Tureski. 1993

IMAGES du FUTUR, Montreal. "FIT" interactive video/sound installation controlled by viewers' bodies. 1993

OBSCURE, Quebec City and McLUHAN CENTRE, Toronto. "Performance Telematique" interactive telecommunications performance with John Oswald, Jocelyn Robert and David Rokeby. 1993

SIGGRAPH/NYC at PACE UNIVERSITY, New York City. "Fortex2.0" interactive video performance with Nick Didkovski and Ben Neill. 1992

SIGCHI '92, Monterey, California. "A Structural Theory of Emotions" interactive video performance with Trevor Tureski. 1992

ETATS SONIQUE, Montreal. "Fortex" interactive video performance with Lisle Ellis & Lines of Descent.1992

WESTERN FRONT, Vancouver. "Fortex "&"Static Boy" interactive video performance with Amy Denio.1991

OBSCURE, Quebec City. "Cloudmouth"&"Static Boy" interactive video performances with Tom Dimuzio. 1991

NEW MUSIC AMERICA 1990, Montreal. "Beat" & "Cloudmouth" interactive video performances with Leslie Coles, Tom Dimuzio and David Rokeby(video and music controlled by dancer's movements). 1990

FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL MUSIQUE ACTUELLE VICTORIAVILLE, Victoriaville, Quebec. "Media Play" & "Cloudmouth" interactive video performance with George Lewis. 1990

VERONA JAZZ FESTIVAL, Italy. "The Empty Chair" interactive video performance with George Lewis. 1990

STEIM, Amsterdam. "Media Play:Given the television" interactive video performance with live television. 1990

A SPACE, Toronto. Media Play: "Given the trombone and the television" & "And Sum" interactive video performances with George Lewis and live television. 1990

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. "And Sum" interactive video performance with George Lewis. 1990

THE KITCHEN, New York City. "The Empty Chair" interactive video performance with George Lewis. 1990

NEW MUSIC AMERICA 1989 at EXPERIMENTAL INTERMEDIA FOUNDATION, New York City. "And Sum" interactive video performance with George Lewis. 1989

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, MA. "Mechanical Underground" interactive video performance. 1989

ALTERNATIVE MUSEUM, New York City. "Ducks Against Glass" interactive video performance with George Lewis, Leo Smith and Richard Teitelbaum. 1989

THE MUSIC GALLERY, Toronto. "Underground Orpheus" interactive video performance with CEE. 1989

MEDIA LAB/MIT, Cambridge, MA. "Nose Against Glass" interactive video performance with George Lewis.

1988 BADISCHER KUNSTVEREIN, Karlsruhe, Germany. "Stithy" video installation. 1988

CAVS/MIT, Cambridge, MA. "Fish,"b," "c," & "Stithy"interactive video installations. 1986-88

CAVS/MIT. "Telecommunications Piece" performance with Charlotte Moorman and Joe Davis. 1986




S E L E C T E D V I D E O S C R E E N I N G S:

URBAN DRIFT, Berlin, Germany, ‘Excity,” 2002

PAUSE-SIGN INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC FESTIVAL, Budapest, Hungary, 2001

NOT SO GOOD MUSIC, Synagoga GJK, Halenarska ul, Tmava, Slovakia, "Elephant Keyboard." 2001

ZKM MEDIA ART AWARD NOMINATIONS, national TV broadcast, SÜDWEST Fernsehen. Germany. 2000

ZKM MEDIA ART AWARD NOMINATIONS, K+S Gallery, Berlin, Germany. "Intersection." 2000

ALTERNATIVA MUSIC FESTIVAL, Prague, Czech Republic. 2000

NOT SO GOOD MUSIC, The Rosenberg Museum, Slovakia, "Elephant Keyboard." 2000

VISIONS UNDERGROUND, Paris, France. "Excity." 1999

VISIONS UNDERGROUND, Montreal, Canada. "Excity." 1998

LUX CENTRE, London, England, "Excity." 1998 GALERIE OFF-OFF, Copenhagen, Denmark. "Excity." 1998

METRONOM, Barcelona, Spain. 1997

WORLD WIDE VIDEO FESTIVAL, The Hague, Netherlands. "Excity." 1996

GEMS, Pollack Concert Hall, McGill University, MontrÎal, QC. "Excity" and "Oh toi qui vis la-bas!" 1996

ELECTRONIE D'ARTE E ALTRE SCRITTURE, Rome, Italy. "Video Installations and Performances" 1995

GRAPHICS '94, Banff, Alberta. "A Structural Theory of Emotions." 1994

MIT/CAVS, 25th Anniversary, Cambridge, MA. "A Structural Theory of Emotions." 1993

ANGLES of INCIDENCE Conference, The Banff Centre, Alberta. "A Structural Theory of Emotions." 1993

INTERACTIVA Conference, Koln, Germany. "A Structural Theory of Emotions." 1992

CYBERIA television program. University of Washington, DC. "Orpheus: Current Diversions." 1992

ICMC(International Computer Music Conference) at McGill University, Montreal, QC. "Fortex." 1991

OBSCURE, Quebec City, QC. "C," "Certainty Persuaded Me," and "Baby Push." 1991

ARTRANSITIONS Conference at CAVS/MIT, Cambridge, MA. "Orpheus: Current Diversions." 1990

THE POWERPLANT, Toronto. "Certainty Persuaded Me, And Sum and Nervous Orpheus." 1990

SIGGRAPH 90, Dallas, TX. "Orpheus: Current Diversions." 1990 A SPACE, Toronto. "C." 1990

RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN, Providence, RI. "b." 1988 WCVB, Boston. "b." & "The Alternative Workshop." 1988



S E L E C T E D G U E S T S P E A K E R:

KLANGVISIONEN SYMPOSIUM, Cologne, Germany, “The Aesthetics of New Media," 2004

JIHUI DIGITAL SALON/PARSONS SCHOOL OF DESIGN, New York City, 2003

ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS, Prague, Czech Republic. 2003

JANACEK ACADEMY OF MUSIC, Brno, Czech Republic. 2003

FACULTY OF FINE ARTS, Brno, Czech Republic. 2003

AMAAS CONFERENCE, featured artist, Medicine Hat, Canada. 2003

VICTORIA INDEPENDENT FILM and VIDEO FESTIVAL, key note speaker, Canada. 2003

SIGGRAPH NYC, presentation on new works, New York, USA. 2002

MIT, CENTER FOR ADVANCED VISUAL STUDIES, Cambridge, MA. 2001

SIGGRAPH 2001, Interactive Art Sketch, Los Angeles, USA. 2001

BANFF CENTRE for the ARTS, Banff, Canada. 1998 , 1999, 2000, 2001

TRANSART COMMUNICATION - Human Body Electronics Festival, Nové Zémky, Slovakia. 2000

ARTISTSPACE, S.W.A.T. Think Tank Panel, New York, USA. 2000

BANFF CENTRE FOR THE ARTS. Living Architecture Summit, Banff, Canada. 2000

VIDEO ART 2000. Contemporary Museum/University of Baltimore Maryland County, Baltimore. 2000

MIT, CENTER FOR ADVANCED VISUAL STUDIES, Cambridge, MA. 1999

SIGGRAPH 99/ EDUCATION SUMMIT, Los Angeles, USA. 1999

BROWN UNIVERSITY/PONG FESTIVAL, Providence, Rhode Island. 1999

INSTITUT UNIVERSITARI de l"AUDIOVISUAL/UNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA, Barcelona, Spain. 1997

METRONÒM, Barcelona, Spain. 1997

TRIAD, Berlin, Germany. 1995

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ELECTRONIC ART(ISEA 95), Montréal, Canada. 1995

ALIAS RESEARCH INC., Toronto. lecture on Orpheus interactive animation software. 1995

SOUND SYMPOSIUM 7, St. John's, Nfld. workshop on interactive video performances and installation. 1994

CONFERENCE ON DANCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Vancouver, Canada. 1993

TISEA/THIRD INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ELECTRONIC ART, workshop, Sydney, Australia. 1992

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, Vancouver, Canada. 5 day seminar on interactive installations. 1992

NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC, Boston, USA. Lecture on interactive video performances. 1991

SIGGRAPH 90, Dallas, TX, USA. Interactive Art and Artificial Reality, panel discussion. 1990

SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, Lecture on interactive video performances. 1990

HARVEST WORKS/STUDIO PASS, New York City. Lecture on interactive video performances. 1989

HARVARD UNIVERSITY, Cambridge, USA. Lecture on perceptual differences between film and video. 1987

MEDIA LAB/MIT, Cambridge, USA. Lecture series on experimental aesthetics and human interface design. 1987



A W A R D S A N D G R A N T S:
CANADA COUNCIL, Senior Fellowship Grant in Media Arts. 2003-2004
PRATT INSTITUTE, Faculty Development Grants. 1998, 2000
ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany. "Intersection," nomination/honourary mention for International Media Art Award. 2000
COMTEC Art, Dresden, Germany. Anerkennung/Recognition for "Intersection." 1999
ACREQ Electro-Vidéo Clip Competition, Montréal, Canada. Prix du Public/Public's Selection for "Excity." 1996
CANADA COUNCIL, Integrated Media Arts Grants. 1989,1990, 1991, 1994
PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA, Honourary Mention for “Orpheus,” Linz, Austria. Interactive Art Category. 1991
BELL-NORTHERN RESEARCH, Graduate Education Grant, Ottawa, Canada. 1986-1988