In the digital era, progressive media practice and the commercialisation of public space are becoming more pervasive. The mass media are multiplying their channels and are homogenising their contents. Democratic online forums, the creative development of new technologies, and the expansion of the public surveillance apparatus via video and data surveillance, are all leading to the development of a global info-sphere with both new borders and new room for manoeuvre.

go public! was an exhortation to artists and visitors to the transmediale.02, to create publicity, to go into the public arena, and to develop new creative ideas for the design and the use of the public space in the digital era. The exhibition hosted interactive installations, partially internet and screen-based works, and the international conference was devoted to changes in the public sphere in the digital era.

The transmediale changes, and yet remains the same. Although we still have our offices in the Podewil, the festival is taking place for the first time in the Haus der Kulturen der Welt (House of World Cultures), whose wonderful spaces offer us an exceptional atmosphere for the big media art exhibition, the conference, the media lounge, video screenings, and the remaining program. The motto for the 15th transmediale 'go public!1 asks the question how art using digital media can play upon the tension between publicity and economy, ‘go public!’ signifies both the stock market flotation of a company, and the step Into the public arena - with an own project, with information, with a political issue. The transmediale.02 is a forum for new developments in media art, and for the exchange of ideas as to what the public sphere can be in the digital era: ranging from the trading floor and tactical networks, to global media concerns and SMS encounters.

Demands for a stock market flotation are of course not without irony following the crash of the new market. The call to arms of the new economy has, in the space of a few years, been transformed into a very sensitive hesitancy. This hesitancy also casts doubt on the natural assumption that the public sphere and market are as one. Publicity is something greater and functions according to different rules from those created by marketing strategists. The transmediale.02 will offer several impressive artistic examples for this, and will encourage a discussion on the nature of this shared space of communication and action within the information society. It is not least the events of September 11th that indicate the urgent need for such a discussion, since on this day a bond was very suddenly forged between the global public as a result of a terrible media event. The consequences of our actions shoot through the cable networks to the other end of the world.

Andreas Broeckmann, Susanne Jaschko

Berliner Kulturveranstaltungs-GmbH Organizer, in cooperation with Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Andreas Broeckmann Artistic Director, Susanne Jaschko Curator/Deputy Director, Silvia Keller Festival Coordination, Carsten Radke Project Coordination, Martin Germann Exhibition Assistant, Mario Purkathof Project Coordination, Gabriela Salamanca Coordination Screening Program, Annette Schäfer Press and Communications, Anna Kindler Assistant Press and Communications, Daniel Saltzwedel Sponsoring, Flóra Tálasi, Podewil/BKV Support, Funding & Sponsoring, Thomas Munz Text Editing, Silke Bülow Intern Text Editing, Francesca Ferguson Translation, Martin Müller, das planungsbüro Technical Director/Construction, Kascha Lemke, das planungsbüro Assistant to the Technical Direction, Phillip Sünderhauf, serve-u technical Support Technical Direction/IT-Installation, Tomski Binsert, XXLight Projections/Lighting Design, Anne-Marie Duguet, John Hanhardt, Wulf Herzogenrath, Joachim Sauter Advisory Board

Partners and Sponsors: ableton, Ambassade de France, Art+Com, Auswärtiges Amt, AVM, Barco, Berliner Gazette, Berliner Kulturveranstaltungs-Gesellschaft mbH, Botschaft der USA, Botschaft von Kanada, Botschaft von Spanien & EspahaiAccion Cultural en el exterior, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, bureau de la musique française, cast, Chaos Computer Club, Europäische Kommission, European Coordination of Film Festivals, filmboard, gate 5, granini, Hansa Computer, Hauptstadtkulturfonds, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Hoyer & Schindele, IN-Berlin, Koninkrijk der Nederlanden, Kulturbüro von Québec in Berlin, Loewe, M, m box, MEDIA, Media Arts Lab im Künstlerhaus Bethanien, MediaMutant, Native Instruments, Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, Österreichische Botschaft, Podewil, pool products, PrintFactory AG, Schweizerische Botschaft, spmtechnologies, The British Council, Triad, Verein der Freunde der Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln, Volkswagen artfoundation, ZF Art Logistics

Media partners: arte, DE:BUG, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Info RADIO 93,1, MUTE, zitty