The growing social significance of computer soft­ware is indisputable. Countless processes within the Information Society are being shaped by soft­ware, and from Apple Macintosh, to Napster, free software and 'open source', it is clear that software is not a value-free instrument, but repre­sents in each case a wilful cultural artefact. Artists and cultural scientists are therefore increasingly reflecting upon the political, ideological, ethical and aesthetic dimensions of software and software design. The transmediale competition for 'software art' pays tribute to this development.
At the beginning of the programme, the projects nominated for the transmediale 'software award' will be presented by the artists: Daniel Hahn/Dietmar Schifferbauer (de); Joan Leandre (es); Local Area Network (ch); Alex McLean (uk)