Gary Paige welcomes the audience to the first lecture in the series “Differentiated Topographies,” investigating extended territories and field conditions. Paige introduces David Karam and Gigi Biederman of Post Tool, as a multimedia design practice.

Karam and Biederman begin with a discussion of the methodologies and ideologies behind their practice, stressing the convergence of sound, text, and imagery. They explore the topic of virtual environments as ways of exploring impossible scenarios. Karam and Biederman discuss the problem of databases and user interfaces, reflecting on the facilitation of a dialogue with their work. They discuss an installation for the Limn Gallery in San Francisco.

Karam and Biederman discuss a project for Body Shop International, in which the client wanted to convey listening and cultural sensitivity for their wide customer base. The product became CD-ROM that functions in 21 languages, making the user actively tune into the content.

Karam and Biederman present a portfolio of their work, beginning with an interactive piece titled “Post TV.” They describe a project called “Saigon on Wheels,” which uses the shutter of a camera to illustrate information coming into focus. Karam and Biederman explore their interest in actively empowering the user as creator in a project for the band Gravity.

Karam and Biederman describe a series of self-described experiments. They present an online portfolio where the user can generate new arrangements of pre-determined imagery.