MetaForum

MetaForum X, 2024.

A presentation by Dutch political activist Wam Kat about the war situation in the Balkans, Metaforum II, Intermedia Department (Room 13), Budapest, 6 Oct 1995. From left to bottom: Andreas Kallfelz (verein 707), Tom Bass, Noel Villers, János Sugár, Diana McCarty, Walter van der Cruijsen, Zoltán Szegedy-Maszák, Dani Molnár (B2Men), Ákos Maróy (EastEdge), E. "Gomma" Guarneri (Decoder), Matthew Fuller (IOD), Ferenc Gerlóczy, John Perry Barlow (EFF), Wam Kat (Zamir), Vuk Ćosić. Photo: Miklós Bölcskey. Source.

MetaForum is a series of conferences initiated by the Media Research Foundation in Budapest in 1994-1996, with the organising committee of Geert Lovink, Diana McCarty, and János Sugár. The fourth edition took place in 2024.

"The series, primarily organised by the Media Research Foundation, began in 1994, with the topic of multimedia. This small, chaotic event included CD-ROM and the World Wide Web, which was just gaining attention in the explosive hype of the Internet. There were no commercial Internet providers in Hungary, and just three Hungarian CD-ROMs. The lack of a working Internet connection during the event led to a heated debate between representatives of the Hungarian Telecom and EastEdge, a group of Hungarian students well acquainted with the Internet. This debate led to MetaForum II/NO BORDERS/Budapest Networking Conference in 1995. These were international topics, and perhaps even more important in Hungary, where bad telephone lines and a general lack of expendable wealth magnify the issues of new communication technologies in the West. MetaForum III followed with the subject of content, which has become the crucial element in the new media discourse. " (organisers, 1996)

The participants in the first three editions included Richard Barbrook, John Perry Barlow, Konrad Becker, Tamás Bodoky, Heath Bunting, Vuk Ćosić, Nina Czegledy, Hans-Christian Dany, Erik Davis, Manuel DeLanda, Matthew Fuller, David Garcia, Ferenc Gerlóczy, Mieke Gerritzen, Rop Gonggrijp, Debra Guzman, E. "Gomma" Guarneri, John Horvath, Heiko Idensen, Gábor Kelemen, Max Kossatz, Attila Kotányi, George Legrady, Olia Lialina, Alpár Losoncz, Eveline Lubbers, Oliver Marchart, Masuyama, András Nyírő, Benjamin Perasovic, Miklós Peternák, Gereon Schmitt, Pit Schultz, Alexei Shulgin, Cornelia Sollfrank, Mark Stahlman, Marleen Stikker, Barbara Strebl, Tamás Szalay, Katalin Timár, Jozsef Tillman, László Tölgyes, Toshiya Ueno, Walter van der Cruijsen, Salvatore Vanasco, Willem Velthoven, Charles Wessel, and Peter Lamborn Wilson (Hakim Bey).

An exhibition showcasing the MetaForum and Nettime-l documentation, entitled Select All, was held in June 1997 in Budapest. Included were video clips, texts, and other memorabilia tracing major topics that fueled the growth of the Internet and World Wide Web.

The fourth edition was held in October 2024 to mark the 30th anniversary of the conference. The original organising team was joined by Flóra Barkóczi, Áron Lődi and Zsolt Miklósvölgyi.

Editions

• MetaForum 94/Budapest Multimedia Conference, 7-9 October 1994.

Concept and program. Announcement.

• MetaForum II/NO BORDERS/HATÁROK NÉLKÜL/Budapest Networking Conference, 6-8 October 1995.

"The conference critically examines the role that the internet plays now and what is possible in the future. How and where do geographic borders render cyberspace mythical? How is democracy defined and enforced in the fourth dimension? What role do economics play in the colonization of the last frontier? How is identity altered by new communication technology?".

Programme (DOC), HTML. Event website (HU). Report (IT). Intervention by Strato Network. Tomaso Tozzi's Netstrike.

• MetaForum III/UNDER CONSTRUCTION/Budapest Content Conference, 11-13 October 1996.

Program DOC. Concept and program.

• MetaForum X – PermaCrises, Trafó & Intermedia Department (Hungarian University of Fine Arts), Budapest, 25-26 October 2024.

"Embracing the legacy of the three MetaForum conferences (1994-96), MFX continues to highlight the urgent issues of the times with a reflection on contemporary crisis surfing. The theme of PermaCrises examines the persistent breakdown of our political, societal and cultural systems, capturing the extremity of this situation through its continuality and pervasiveness."

Booklet PDF. Program: Day 1, Day 2. Full program with abstracts, [1]. Call for participation. Announcement on nettime. [2]

Gallery

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  George Legrady, Melentie Pandilovski, Nina Czeglédy, MetaForum I, 1994. Photo: János Sugár

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  EastEdge and Heath Bunting, MetaForum I, 1994. Photo: János Sugár

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  Geert Lovink, John Perry Barlow, Konrad Becker, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Debra Guzman, MetaForum II, 1995. Photo: János Sugár

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  Hungarian net initiatives, MetaForum II, 1995. Photo: Miklós Bölcskey

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  Andreas Broeckmann, MetaForum III, 1996. Photo: Miklós Bölcskey

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  MetaForum speakers: Matthew Fuller (MF II, 1995), Attila Kotányi (MF III, 1996), Manuel DeLanda (MF III, 1996), Heath Bunting (MF III, 1996), Richard Barbrook (MF III, 1996), Rop Gonggrijp (MF II, 1995). Photo: Miklós Bölcskey, János Sugár

Publications

• ZK Proceedings 95: Net Criticism, eds. Geert Lovink and Pit Schultz, Amsterdam, Jan 1996. Contains several presentations from MetaForum II (listed below).
  • Strano Network (Tommaso Tozzi), "Strategies for Liberation" [23 Nov 1995]. Presented at MetaForum II.
  • East Edge, "Draft of eastedge appearance at metaforum ii".
  • East Edge, "brave new Heaven - the net as a transcendent space".
  • Matthew Fuller, "SPEW, excess and moderation on the networks". Presented at MetaForum II. [3]
  • Peter Lamborn Wilson (Hakim Bey), "Islam and the Internet. Net-Religion - War in Heaven". Presented at MetaForum II.

• János Sugár, "Interview of John Perry Barlow @ MetaForum II, Budapest, October 95'", ed. Noel Villers, Media Research Foundation, 1996. The interview was broadcast in a shortened version on Mediamix (Hungarian Television, ed. J. Kopper) and a full version was published in the weekly Magyar Narancs. [4]

• ZKP3: The Metaforum III Historical Files, eds. Thomas Bass, Geert Lovink, Diana McCarty, and Pit Schulz, Budapest, Oct 1996. [5]. Includes texts by MetaForum III participants (listed below). (English)
  • Mark Stahlman, "Who Are We: Who Are We Becoming?" [posted on Nettime list on 7 Oct 1996].
  • John Horvath, "Wittgenstein's Nightmare" [6 Oct 1996].
  • Manuel DeLanda, "Markets, Antimarkets and Network Economics" [6 Oct 1996].
  • John Horvath, "Virtual Marxism" [25 Sep 1996].
  • Oliver Marchart, "Settlers, Indians, and the Cavalry, or How to Subvert Electronic Identities [5 Oct 1996].
  • Richard Barbrook, "The Sacred Cyborg" [10 Sep 1996]. [6] [7] [8]
  • Toshiya Ueno, "Japanimation and Techno-Orientalism" [29 Sep 1996].
  • Benjamin Perasovic, "Tekno Scene in Croatia" [6 Oct 1996].
  • Steve Carlson , "Brave Old World: Reflections on Europe in the Digital Age" [23 Sep 1996].
  • Erik Davis, "Philip K. Dick's Divine Interference" [24 Sep 1996].
  • Ferenc Gerloczy, "Beyond Netiquette: interreligious dialogue and the making of a global ethic through the Net" [7 Oct 1996].
  • Geert Lovink, Pit Schultz, "Academia Cybernetica. Ueber die Sintflut als Internet" [7 Oct 1996]. (German)
  • Alexei Shulgin, "Art, Power and Communication" [6 Oct 1996].
  • Eveline Lubbers, "Back to the Source: an archivist exploring new dimensions of Netactivism" [28 Sep 1996].

• Attila Kotanyi, "Is There Any Media Criticism That Isn't Suicidal?" [Oct 1996], Vie Moderne 2, 2007. Presented at MetaForum III.

• "The Best Content Money Can Buy. Final Debate of Metaforum III: 'Under Construction'. The Budapest Content Conference, October 13, 1996", nettime, 7 Nov 1996. Transcript of closing debate with participants Mark Stahlman, Oliver Marchart, Erik Davis, Richard Barbrook, Pit Schultz, Manuel Delanda and Geert Lovink (chairman).

• Nettime list discussion, Oct 1996.

• Geert Lovink, Diana McCarty, János Sugár, "MetaForum (c) Bueno Bye! MetaForum, Select All/Clear", Dec 1996. [9]

• Ágnes Ivacs, János Sugár (eds.), Buldózer: Médiaelméleti antológia, intro. János Sugár, pref. Geert Lovink, Budapest: Media Research Foundation, Oct 1997, 220 pp. Anthology of contemporary media theory, derived from the Metaforum conference series and Nettime mailing list. (Hungarian)
  • János Sugár, "Bevezető" / "Introduction".
  • Geert Lovink, "Előszó" / "Preface".
  • I.
  • Gilles Deleuze, "Utóirat az ellenőrzés társadalmához" / "Postscript on the societies of control" (1990; ZKP1).
  • Thomas Pynchon, "Építhetünk-e a géprombolásra?" / "Is it O.K. to be a Luddite?" (1984; ZKP1).
  • Tjebbe van Tijen, "Ars Oblivivendi: a kollektív emlékezet felépítéséről" / "Ars Oblivivendi: about the construction of our collective memory system" (20 Aug 1996).
  • Bruce Sterling, "Az Internet rövid története" / "The Brief History of the Internet" (ZKP1).
  • II.
  • Richard Barbrook, Andy Cameron, "A kaliforniai ideológia" / "Californian Ideology" (ZKP1).
  • Manuel De Landa, "Piacok és antipiacok" / "Markets and Antimarkets" (presented at MetaForum 1996; ZKP3).
  • "A legjobb tartalom, mi kapható - A MetaForum III. konferencia záróvitája" / "The Best Content Money Can Buy. Final Debate of Metaforum III" (Nettime, 7 Nov 1996).
  • Felix Stalder, "Pénzügyi hálózatok" / "Financial Networks".
  • Matthew Fuller, "OKÁDÉK - mértéktelenség és mértékletesség a hálózatokon" / "SPEW, excess and moderation on the networks" (presented at MetaForum 1995; ZKP1).
  • Critical Art Ensemble, "Utópista ígéretek - hálózati tények" / "Utopian Promises - Net Realities" (Nov 1995; presented in Műcsarnok, Dec 1995; ZKP1).
  • Geert Lovink, Arthur Kroker, "Adatszemét: a virtuális osztály elmélete - Geert Lovink beszélget Arthur Krokerrel" / "Data Trash: The Theory of the Virtual Class" (ZKP1).
  • János Sugár, "Paradigmaváltás interruptus" / "Paradigm Shift Interruptus" (Nettime, 26 May 1996; ZKP2).
  • III.
  • Pit Schultz, "A végső tartalom" / "The Final Content" (Nettime, 4 Apr 1997; ZKP4).
  • Geert Lovink, "'Push média'-kritika a Wired magazin újjászületési stratégiáiról" / "A Push Media Critique: On the rebirth strategies of Wired magazine" (Nettime, 1 May 1997; ZKP4).
  • Alexei Shulgin, "Művészet, hatalom, kommunikáció" / "Art, Power and Communication" (Nettime, 6 Oct 1996; ZKP3).
  • Calin Dan, "Utazás egy adatszobán keresztül" / "Journey Through a Dataroom" (Nettime, 7 May 1996; ZKP2).
  • David Garcia, Geert Lovink, "A taktikus médiumok ábécéje" / "The ABC of Tactical Media" (Nettime, 11 May 1997; ZKP4).
  • Miklós Peternák, "In medias res" (presented at MetaForum 1996).
  • Lev Manovich, "Digitális valóság" / "Digital Reality".
  • Hans-Christian Dany, "Multiplex személyiségek" (presented at MetaForum 1994).
  • Michael Heim, "Aggályaim a számítógépekkel kapcsolatban" / "Anxieties" (Nettime, 10 Jan 1996; ZKP1).
  • IV.
  • Attila Kotányi, "Van-e médiumkritika, amely nem öngyilkos?" / "Is There Any Media Criticism That Isn’t Suicidal?" (presented at MetaForum 1996; ZKP4).
  • Gábor Bora, "AI-SERVICE".
  • Alpár Losoncz, "A határok digitalizálódása" (presented at MetaForum 1995).
  • Erik Davis, "Technokultúra és vallásos képzelet" / "Technoculture and the Religious Imagination" (presented at MetaForum 1996; ZKP4).
  • Peter Lamborn Wilson (Hakim Bey), "Net-vallás - háború a mennyben" / "Islam and the Internet. Net-Religion - War in Heaven" (presented at MetaForum 1995; ZKP1).
  • "Életrajzok".

• Geert Lovink, "The Budapest Debate", in Lovink, Dynamics of Critical Internet Culture, 1994-2001, Amsterdam: Institute of Network Cultures, 2009, pp 99-101.

• Szilvia Seres, "„Akkor már lehetett tudni, hogy a számítógép létezik és valahogy a jövő errefelé vezet, és végre ideológiamentesen lehetett valami korszerűt propagálni.” Seres Szilvia beszélgetése Sugár János képzőművésszel", Digikult.hu, 22 May 2014; reposted, Artmagazin, 23 May 2014. Interview with János Sugár. (Hungarian)

• Flóra Barkóczi, "Introduction to MetaForumX in Budapest", Oct 2024. [10]

Links

• MetaForum X
• MetaForum on MRF
• MetaForum III website (not archived)
• MetaForum II website (not archived)
• Select All, exhibition announcement, 1997