LOS ANGELES— sixspace presents the groundbreaking art project SENT, the first major exhibition of camera phone art in the United States. Sponsored by Motorola and co-curated by technology journalist Xeni Jardin and sixspace owners Sean Bonner and Caryn Coleman, the project examines the camera phone's potential as a creative tool in two ways:

• through an online public dialogue in which amateur camera phone users
around the world share mobile snapshots of their lives
• through an invitational exhibit in which professional photographers, artists, and
celebrities explore creative possibilities offered camera phones.

The online portion of the project is now available for viewing at www.sentonline.com. An in-gallery exhibit takes place from July 10-17, 2004 at the Downtown Standard Hotel in Los Angeles

THE SENT MANIFESTO: Camera phones – mobile communication devices that include tiny, built-in digital cameras -- have only become widely available in the US within the past year. Their use is utilitarian; they're small and inexpensive. They capture mundane, personal moments of everyday life. But as candid and amateur-produced images of conflict and world events make their way into news, handheld mobile cameras make media history and become a force of social change. Soon, we'll use them to capture and manipulate data: camera phones are becoming handheld barcode readers, and tools for new mobile commerce applications.

The images they produce may seem less sophisticated when compared to standalone digital cameras capable of higher-resolution images -- but like instant cameras or snapshots from vintage or "toy" cameras, that lack of finesse lends a distinctive charm. Their combined ability to capture, view, and distribute what we see (through e-mail, online photo weblogs, or advanced mobile messaging) makes them revolutionary. Camera phones are changing the way we see the world, and our place within it. When everyone becomes photographer and publisher, how will art change? What will the difference between professional and amateur be? Can high art be low-res? Through SENT, we'll find out.

Participating artists, filmmakers, and media personalities include:
NAME WEBSITE FOR ARTIST BACKGROUND

EXHIBIT FORMAT: Images from invited artists, photographers, and celebrities will debut in print format at the gallery show, which launches for public viewing on July 10 in Los Angeles, and will later be added to the SENT website at sentonline.com, where images from the public are already on display. To make this unique exhibit a reality, SENT participants leveraged the newly available Motorola V600 camera phone to capture images over the past few months. The SENT website is already displaying a continually expanding database of phonecam photos submitted by the public. During the gallery show at LA's Standard Hotel, a grid of multiple plasma screens will display these public images in a constantly refreshing display.

National Public Radio's "Day to Day" program issued a "Phonecam Challenge" to their listeners in partnership with the SENT phonecam art show. Listeners from around the world submitted images to SENT, and five winning entries will be recognized after review by a panel of judges including "Day to Day" host Alex Chadwick. (Details online)

ABOUT SIXSPACE: contemporary art gallery sixspace opened in Chicago in 1998, relocated to Los Angeles in 2002, and has since become one of the most forward-thinking galleries in the United States. sixspace concentrates on emerging artists of diverse media (painting, drawing, embroidery, photography) who push boundaries -- artists whose aesthetic is the future face of the art world. Within the past year, the gallery has exhibited by work from Glen E. Friedman, Raymond Pettibon, Chad Robertson, Seonna Hong, The Clayton Brothers, and others. In 2004, the gallery hosted Shepard Fairey’s most notable exhibition to date (attended by over 4,000), and a benefit exhibition for the West Memphis Three hosted by Winona Ryder (attended by over 5,000 on opening night alone). Articles on the gallery, exhibitions, and artists have been featured in numerous print and broadcast venues including the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Flaunt Magazine, Wired, New York Post, MTV.com, People, US Weekly, Artweek, San Francisco Chronicle, artnet.com, and elsewhere. For more information: www.sixspace.com

ABOUT MOTOROLA: Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in wireless, broadband and automotive communications technologies that help make life smarter, safer, simpler, synchronized and fun. Sales in 2003 were $27.1 billion. Motorola creates innovative technological solutions that benefit people at home, at work and on the move. The company also is a progressive corporate citizen dedicated to operating ethically, protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which it does business.

SENT participants leveraged the newly available Motorola V600 mobile handset -- one of Motorola's first camera phones. Motorola plans to further progress the mobile photography and imaging world with the debut of the Motorola V710, a handset combining a 1. 2 mega-pixel camera with video record and playback capabilities. For more information: www.hellomoto.com.

LOS ANGELES GALLERY EXHIBITION DETAILS: The SENT exhibition takes place in the "Brunette" Meeting Room on the fourth floor of the Standard Hotel Downtown LA, 550 South Flower Street, Los Angeles California 90071 (more information: http://standardhotel.com; hotel phone for directions or parking information only, (213) 892-8080).

SENT will debut for public viewing at a reception from 7-10 pm on Saturday, July 10. The exhibit will be open for public viewing from Sunday, July 11 through Saturday July 17 from 12pm to 5pm daily. Admission is free of charge.

Please see the official website at: sentonline.com