From Passive White Cube Viewer to Active Black Cube User: Tracking Changes in Museum Environments via 'Interactive' Installation Art (Analogue to Digital 1968-2008)

In many countries of the world, the art gallery used to be mainly a site for contemplation. Now today, many contemporary gallery spaces globally, are sites for 'entertainment' or 'play', in which audiences are immersed in cinematic programmes, or are forced to interact more directly with the works. From the late 1960s many artists' works worldwide had posed challenges to the institutional framework of the Modernist art museum which had been initiated in New York by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in 1929. Much of this was commandeered by artists who would employ the latest form of art and technology such as video art to critique institutional structures. While the accessibility of video technology to artists by the mid- 1970s was less than a decade old the process of commodifying the form of video art had progressed in earnest by the major institutional galleries largely from the late 1960s. Yet the ability of mainstream/large scale galleries such as MoMA or those that would follow MoMA to reconfigure their spatial flexibility would take some time. Central to the urgency of meeting their commitments to commodify the form (as a legitimate form of contemporary art) would be the critique of gallery structures by the artists themselves. The galleries wanting to incorporate this work lacked the ability (largely) to accomplish this. The paper tracks the development of the contemporary art museum/gallery framework (from 'White Cube' to 'Black Cube' paradigm) from a period of high-to-late modernism until the present day (i.e. 1968-2008)

An Inquiry into the Design and Aesthetics of the Venice Biennale Pavilions

Margreiter's film Pavilion and McQueen's film Giardini exhibited respectively inside the Austrian Pavilion and the British Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennale of Art, question the architecture of the pavilion in general in the constructed environment of the Giardini. Is the architecture used as a container of art or the architectural form, the container itself, to be interpreted as art? Their films are about the places in which they are shot and displayed: the pavilions themselves, the containers of art, which are transformed through the films into architectural sculpture/art objects. Arguably, Margreiter's and McQueen's film reveal the extent to which the modern language of architecture of the Venice pavilions, frozen in 'space' (within the boundary of the Giardini) and 'time' (still contemporary from the date of their realization), seem to conjure that particular primordial 'timelessness' which can be valued as one of the main attributes of contemporary architecture in general. These 'kaleidoscopic spaces' which are used to haunt our memory are used to stimulate the ontological role of imagination - creating a new experience of the universe via the pavilion

Connecting Disciplines and Tracing an Educated Imagination: Biennale of Sydney Pavilions Design Summer Studio

In January 2010 the Architecture Program of the Faculty of the Built Environment at the UNSW hosted a design summer studio: 'Biennale of Sydney Pavilions' open to approximately thirty Masters students of architecture and fine arts. The studio took place twice a week for four weeks with a total of 48 hours. The purpose of this studio was to give the students the opportunity of designing a pavilion for the 17th Biennale of Sydney visitors, already affected by the display of many artworks in the Biennale, with specific spaces limited to contemplation, thinking and meditation. The pavilion, intended as the point of interaction between art, architecture and the natural beauty of the Sydney Harbour, would offer to Biennale visitors a moment for pause and reflection. The aim of the studio was to cultivate in the students an 'educated design imagination' through the integration of multiple disciplines in order to approach the design in a holistic way. Accordingly, the disciplinary background of the four lecturers/tutors involved in this studio included Art, Architecture and Philosophical Aesthetics. The paper traces the vital role of these respective disciplines taught in the design studio and attempts to gauge to what extent the students will benefit from this multidisciplinary exposure. The term 'educated imagination' is borrowed from the Canadian scholar Northrop Frye's book The Educated Imagination, (1963)1, where he distinguishes the way the sciences and the arts construct imagination from opposite ends. Frye suggests that science begins with the world as it is and from a rational and intellectual approach science turns to imagination. On the other hand, 'art begins with the world we construct, not with the world we see. It starts with the imagination, and then works towards ordinary experience'

The Relative Importance of Macro and Firm-Level Fundamentals to Nigerian Stocks’ Prices: Lessons for other Emerging Markets

The recapitalization policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2005 increased transactions in the Nigerian stock market and also attracted the interest of many investors. As most capital markets are pro-cyclical, the Nigerian stock market was not different. The investors’ interests were not sustained over a long period of time due to a crash. Whenever there is a burst of the market bubble, it is always attributed to a deviation of the stock prices from the fundamentals of the firms that issue the stocks. Therefore, this study investigates the issue of movement in stock prices and the various changes that occurred in the characteristics of banks’ stocks prices between 2006 and 2010. This study adopts pooled least square regression method using a panel of 10 banks to find out the major determinants of stock prices in the Nigerian stock market with the view to establish if the burst was actually a function of deviation of the price from the fundamentals of the firms. One of the striking findings of this study is that prices of banks’ stocks have been mostly driven by the announcement and issuance of returns on investment at previous time periods – declared dividends. Both at individual bank level and the aggregate banks’ level, declared dividend proved to be the major driver of stock prices. This implies that the burst might not have been as a result of deviation of the prices from the fundamentals of the banks, rather by other forces outside the firm fundamentals. Keywords: Nigerian capital market, Bank Stock Prices, Bank Fundamentals, Emerging Market Economies, Macroeconomic fundamentals, Cyclical Market

Prevalence of Intestinal Amoebiasis in School Age Children in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Abstract Amoebiasis has a worldwide distribution. I

Buccal soft tissue lipoma in an adult Nigerian: a case report and literature review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Lipomas are benign mesenchymal neoplasms composed of mature adipocytes, usually surrounded by a thin fibrous capsule. They are uncommon intra-oral tumors with 1% to 4% occurring in this region. The literature is scanty on lipomas occurring in the buccal soft tissue, especially in our environment.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We present a case of a 35-year-old woman of the Tiv ethnic group of Nigeria who presented with a slow growing left cheek swelling that was treated by intra-oral local excision.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The purpose of this report is to highlight the existence of this rare but not uncommon disease even in our environment and to emphasize that a high index of suspicion is needed in making a diagnosis. Surgical excision as treatment is associated with an excellent outcome.</p

Examining the Effects of Oil Price Long Memory and Exchange Rate Long Memory on Stock Market Behavior in Nigeria

The study examined the effect oil price long memory and exchange rate long memory on Nigeria’s stock. We have used ARMA estimating techniques to assess whether one or both variables exert impact on the stock market in Nigeria. Our result shows that long memory stock price is driven by a long memory of the exchange rate and long stock of the oil price. We therefore recommend that policymakers pursue policies aimed at stabilizing, on the one hand, the exchange rate regime and ensuring the economy has a position in net oil exportations. We also recommend the development of portfolio strategies by market practitioners so that long-term memory in exchange rates as well as in oil pricing are considered when making investment decision

Dispositifs at Play: Artist's Moving Image in the Gallery

Artists’ moving image work today occupies a key place in contemporary art. This is evident from the sheer amount of moving image media in public galleries and museums, retrospectives, biennales and artist-run initiatives. This chapter focuses on the installation of Australian artists’ moving image production, with an emphasis on installation and the way in which the work meets its audience. It examines the recent work of Brian Fuata, Pia van Gelder, Biljana Jancic and Angelica Mesiti with respect to exhibitions mounted in Sydney from 2012 to 2018. The concept of the dispositif—as a set of interrelated elements of an artwork for spatial display in the gallery—is put to work to confront the heterogeneity of forms, practices and experiences within four specified categories: ‘Document, Signal, Space and Channel’. This research connects the experience of the artists and curators in question, drawing on interviews, and links this with historical and theoretical discourse in relation to moving image (and sound) in the gallery. The chapter aims to show the inventive ways in which contemporary artists rely on inherited twentieth-century traditions of this relatively new (historically speaking) medium and engage with digital media convergence. This research finds Australian artists to be at the cutting edge of the field and provides a foundation to extend this research to the wider Asia Pacific region or international context. This chapter should be of interest to artists, filmmakers, screen and art theorists and creative practice-based researchers working in this domain

Predicting range shifts of African apes under global change scenarios

Aim: Modelling African great ape distribution has until now focused on current or past conditions, while future scenarios remain scarcely explored. Using an ensemble forecasting approach, we predicted changes in taxon-specific distribution under future scenarios of climate, land use and human populations for (1) areas outside protected areas (PAs) only (assuming complete management effectiveness of PAs), (2) the entire study region and (3) interspecies range overlap. Location: Tropical Africa. Methods: We compiled occurrence data (n = 5,203) on African apes from the IUCN A.P.E.S. database and extracted relevant climate-, habitat- and human-related predictors representing current and future (2050) conditions to predict taxon-specific range change under a best- and a worst-case scenario, using ensemble forecasting. Results The predictive performance of the models varied across taxa. Synergistic interactions between predictors are shaping African ape distribution, particularly human-related variables. On average across taxa, a range decline of 50% is expected outside PAs under the best scenario if no dispersal occurs (61% in worst scenario). Otherwise, an 85% range reduction is predicted to occur across study regions (94% worst). However, range gains are predicted outside PAs if dispersal occurs (52% best, 21% worst), with a slight increase in gains expected across study regions (66% best, 24% worst). Moreover, more than half of range losses and gains are predicted to occur outside PAs where interspecific ranges overlap. Main Conclusions: Massive range decline is expected by 2050, but range gain is uncertain as African apes will not be able to occupy these new areas immediately due to their limited dispersal capacity, migration lag and ecological constraints. Given that most future range changes are predicted outside PAs, Africa's current PA network is likely to be insufficient for preserving suitable habitats and maintaining connected ape populations. Thus, conservation planners urgently need to integrate land use planning and climate change mitigation measures at all decision-making levels both in range countries and abroad

Predicting range shifts of African apes under global change scenarios

Aim: Modelling African great ape distribution has until now focused on current or past conditions, while future scenarios remain scarcely explored. Using an ensemble forecasting approach, we predicted changes in taxon-specific distribution under future scenarios of climate, land use and human populations for (1) areas outside protected areas (PAs) only (assuming complete management effectiveness of PAs), (2) the entire study region and (3) interspecies range overlap. Location: Tropical Africa. Methods: We compiled occurrence data (n = 5,203) on African apes from the IUCN A.P.E.S. database and extracted relevant climate-, habitat- and human-related predictors representing current and future (2050) conditions to predict taxon-specific range change under a best- and a worst-case scenario, using ensemble forecasting. Results: The predictive performance of the models varied across taxa. Synergistic interactions between predictors are shaping African ape distribution, particularly human-related variables. On average across taxa, a range decline of 50% is expected outside PAs under the best scenario if no dispersal occurs (61% in worst scenario). Otherwise, an 85% range reduction is predicted to occur across study regions (94% worst). However, range gains are predicted outside PAs if dispersal occurs (52% best, 21% worst), with a slight increase in gains expected across study regions (66% best, 24% worst). Moreover, more than half of range losses and gains are predicted to occur outside PAs where interspecific ranges overlap. Main Conclusions: Massive range decline is expected by 2050, but range gain is uncertain as African apes will not be able to occupy these new areas immediately due to their limited dispersal capacity, migration lag and ecological constraints. Given that most future range changes are predicted outside PAs, Africa\u27s current PA network is likely to be insufficient for preserving suitable habitats and maintaining connected ape populations. Thus, conservation planners urgently need to integrate land use planning and climate change mitigation measures at all decision-making levels both in range countries and abroad