The Imaginary 20th Century
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 | |
| Authors | Norman M. Klein and Margo Bistis |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | 2xGoldstein+Fronczek |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical comedy, espionage, picaresque, adventure |
| Published | March 15, 2016 ZKM/Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe |
| Publication place | Germany |
| Media type | Print (paperback, e-book, narrated media archive) |
| Pages | 240 (48 illus.) |
| ISBN | 978-3--928201-48-3 |
| Funding: Graham Foundation, California Institute of the Arts, ZKM/Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe | |
The Imaginary 20th Century is a historical comic novel written by Norman M. Klein in collaboration with Gilded Age historian Margo Bistis. It is available in print (2016) and as an e-book with a companion narrated media archive (2014). The novel originated as an interactive archive with related solo and group exhibitions prior to publication. In 2012, Klein and Bistis coined the term "wunder-roman" to describe their alternative genre.[1][2] As described in the novel, this term references a mythical 19th-century version of the picaresque novel where the layers—as story roll along a water wheel.[3]
The original documents, and the curatorial idea for The Imaginary 20th Century, evolved out of Bistis’ research for “Comic Art: The Paris Salon in Caricature,” a 2003 exhibition organized by the Getty Research Institute.[4] Klein and Bistis started work on the project with support from California Institute of the Arts,[5] though principal support came from ZKM/Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe[6] and the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.[2]
The first iteration of The Imaginary 20th Century interface was built by Andreas Kratky, Klein’s collaborator on Bleeding Through. It premiered in 2007, in "YOU-ser: The Century of the Consumer," an exhibition organized by ZKM/Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe,[7] followed by solo shows at Orange County Museum of Art[8] and ShowKonstfack, and a group show organized by the Ben Maltz Gallery[9] of Otis College of Art and Design. After considerable redevelopment, the second iteration was built in collaboration with Blanka Earhart directing the interface design; interface production by Luke Domagalski and Raphael Arar; illustrations by Nick Lu; sound compositions by Aaron Drake and Kari Rae Seekins, with additional music by Raphael Arar. It premiered in the 2010 exhibition “The Future of the Future,” curated by Jaroslav Andĕl for the DOX: Centre for Contemporary Art Prague.[10] The Imaginary 20th Century was included in "The Digital Body: The 3rd International Exhibition on New Media Art- Part 2" at the CICA Museum.[11] For "The Future Can Only be Told in Reverse" organized by the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, thirteen artists presented works produced in response to the interactive archive and novel.[12] A solo show organized by the University of Maryland Art Gallery featured an installation of "7 Pieces from Carrie's Archive" drawn from university archives and special collections.[13]