SIGGRAPH Art Gallery.(Portfolio)

Ask any digital artist, and he or she will say that one of the big advantages to using CG over traditional media is speed--in particular, the ability to create iterations and changes in a flash. So it seems rather ironic that the theme of this year's SIGGRAPH Art Gallery is Slow Art. That is, until the meaning of the title is revealed. "'Slow' refers to the Slow movement. It advocates being more thoughtful about what you eat and how food is prepared. The movement encourages community and taking the time to enjoy something fundamental and good from a very broad perspective," explains Stanford University's Lina Yamaguchi, this year's Art Gallery chair.

Since we commonly think of computers as speed enhancers and art as a platform for contemplation and commentary, Yamaguchi concluded that this concept would make an intriguing call for participation in which the Art Gallery is considered a venue for new media work. Furthermore, the title parallels with SIGGRAPH's other conference themes, including Global Responsibility, Impact on Society, and Future History.

The committee received more than 400 submissions, with 64 accepted for the Slow Art and the Design & Computation exhibits. The works will be shown in one of four areas: Erosion, Hybrids, Rhythms, and Traversal. Yamaguchi describes these segments: "Erosion is a ...