Sorry for any cross posting.

Hi all,

All ready for 2026, is -- diwologue­.co­.uk: Furtherfield legacy Research.
https://diwologue.co.uk/

My professional and research journey is deeply intertwined with Furtherfield, 
the non-profit digital arts organisation I co-founded with Ruth Catlow in 1996. 
For 30 years, we have pioneered international engagement with critical digital 
arts, with our core activities supported by the Arts Council of England since 
2004. My commitment to understanding and articulating this field culminated in 
a PhD from Birkbeck College, University of London (2021), for which my 
dissertation provided the first critical examination of Furtherfield’s dynamic 
history across its online and physical venues. I hope to start a fellowship 
later this year (fingers crossed) that would enable me to build directly on 
this foundational work, transforming my doctoral research into a primary 
public-facing output that secures this necessary legacy work.

1. The Digital Archive: A Living Research Tool.

We are launching a comprehensive online archive that makes a wealth of 
historical material publicly accessible for the first time. More than a static 
repository, it will be a dynamic research engine, consisting of:

A digital archive of primary sources. Together, these will form the foundation 
for a future program of international exhibitions. This initiative is designed 
to secure Furtherfield’s legacy as a cornerstone of digital art history.

2. The Book: Contextualising a Movement

Building on the research from my PhD, I will prepare a new book for 
publication. This volume will offer a critical reflection on the core themes 
that have defined Furtherfield’s journey. Expert Editorial Guidance: The 
manuscript will be refined under the co-editorship of renowned scholars Regine 
Debatty (We Make Money Not Art) and Dr Martin Zeilinger, Reader in 
Computational Arts & Technology, Abertay University, Dundee, Scotland. Legacy 
in Print: It will serve as the definitive narrative companion to the archive, 
contextualising landmark projects and spotlighting the creative intersections 
that have shaped the field.

We have already begun working with respondents to various chapters. This 
approach uses the DIWO principle, in which the community is part of the 
ethnographic context and experience, building a mutualist art venture beyond 
top-down defaults.

3. Future Exhibitions: Activating the Legacy

The archive and book will directly fuel the next stage of public engagement: a 
program of groundbreaking exhibitions celebrating thirty years of critical 
digital art. These exhibitions will weave Furtherfield’s historical shows and 
commissions with the work of contemporary artists. I will be supported in this 
by an exceptional curatorial team, including: Ruth Catlow (Furtherfield 
Co-Founder), Pita Arreola-Bates (Victoria & Albert Museum), Alex Estorick 
(Editor-in-Chief, Right Click Save; Contributing Editor, Flash Art).

Together, we will develop an exhilarating exhibition proposal for a major 
institution like the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), ensuring this legacy 
continues to inspire and challenge audiences.

4. A Supported Research Journey

Furtherfield’s legacy honours its artists, community, and dynamic history. It 
will recognise the organisation’s ever-evolving cultural footprint both in the 
UK and internationally, at a time that marks a significant chapter in the 
history of art, in which technology has been explored not only critically but 
also as a collaborative and social innovation.

Furtherfield – Arts, Technology, and Eco-social change 
https://www.furtherfield.org/
Featured image by Andy Deck. Glyphiti, 2006. https://artcontext.org/en/

Wishing you well.

Marc

Feral Class, by Marc Garrett.
Available at Minor Compositions.
https://www.minorcompositions.info/

Currently editing '30 years of Furtherfield: Art. Technology and Eco-Social 
Change. Eds, Marc Garrett, Regine DeBatty and Martin Zeilinger. 2026.
Furtherfield legacy Research
https://diwologue.co.uk/
Furtherfield - https://www.furtherfield.org/
Feral Class - https://marcgarrett.org/cv/

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