Internet Interventions: Imperica magazine interviews Ruth Catlow of Furtherfield. Networks are disrupting our society. They offer new opportunities, while bringing age-old issues into sharper focus. If networks offer us a chance to engage and connect with others in order to crystallise thinking, the devices that provide a connection to them can be ecologically unpleasant. According to Ruth Catlow, we are nowhere near a harmonious resolution to these problems – even though we can almost feel them within our grasp. Catlow is the co-founder and co-director of Furtherfield, a digital community of co-creators that are interested in the intersection between art and technology, complimented by the Furtherfield Gallery in north London, a space dedicated to the exhibition and performance of work. Underpinning the organisation is a creative approach which is inspired by the metaphors and material media of networks within art. http://www.imperica.com/features/ruth-catlow-internet-interventions/ Furtherfield continues to offer new angles on received and perceived thinking. As arts funding starts to put digital creativity at risk, Catlow is adamant that, as digital media becomes more sophisticated and more connected, this is a space that should build, not shrink. "What gets missed out is how much value there is in a much more networked, lateral, thinking approach that isn't just about markets, but is pumping value into the communities that are engaged with it - that doesn't fit into the existing model of metrics. The value of this approach is missed." Ruth Catlow is co-founder and co-director of Furtherfield. Re-rooting Digital Culture takes place on Friday 13 May at the University of Westminster. Chair: John Hartley Speakers: - Michel Bauwens - On how Peer to Peer thought and technology point towards alternative production methods and a sustainable future. Catherine Bottrill - On working with producers and consumers to consider the environmental long-tail of digital culture. Ruth Catlow - On ecological approaches to tools, networks and behaviours in a digital art community. http://www.furtherfield.org/event/re-rooting-digital-culture-media-art-ecolo...