MARCEL is a permanent broadband interactive network and web site dedicated to artistic, educational and cultural experimentation, exchange between art and science and collaboration between art and industry.
During a meeting in Souillac, France in July 1997 a group of international experts from art and industry agreed on the importance of fundamental artistic research, over applied arts, in the development of telecommunication networks. The need for collaboration between artists, artistic establishments and the public and private sectors in building a permanent high band-width network for artistic experimentation was stressed.
During the second meeting in Souillac, one year later, it was decided to build a portal site for organising and co-ordinating the permanent art and cultural network. That decision marked the beginning of the project MARCEL and the creation of this site.
The model has been developed since Souillac to expand its possibilities, adding categories and enlarging others to better serve the needs described by all the working groups during all the meetings in Souillac including a third meeting in the summer of 2000. Development of MARCEL began in 2001 at Le Fresnoy, an art research institute based in the region of Lille and is continuing in collaboration with the Wimbledon School of Art, The Public in West Bromwich and other art institutions in Europe and North America.
The portal site MARCEL will give participants access to and allow them to post information on relevant art projects, educational programmes, research, events, pertinent information in many categories, on-line collaboration, and partnerships. It will be an open platform for expansion to interested future participants.
That goal is translated into the following programme: