Revolver Publishing, ISBN-13: 978-3957633910, English, 362 pages, 2018, Austria

In a history of media art social organisations, the Time’s Up collective deserves a special place. Founded in Linz by people leaving the activist space Stadtwerkstatt, led by Just Merit, who passed away in 2001, it established a place on the city harbour next to the Danube, in a house in the middle of an isolated industrial area. It quickly became a reference space, where openness, skills and play were producing remarkable outputs, which were shown also during the compelling Ars Electronica party with alternative and unlisted programmes, as a true informal alter ego of the festival’s official protocols, authorities and cleanness. With this book they’re celebrating 20 years of existence, avoiding as much as possible a “retrospective”, and inviting instead contributors to write shortly about themselves from their own experience. The publication then starts as a birthday, with the sharing of personal memories, feelings, and opinions. In this sense, it’s a printed social space, perfectly reflecting their attitude to welcoming, integrating and developing science-based playfulness. It’s a lavishly illustrated book including a substantial selection of successful projects but also a reflection about the main failed one, a gallery of pictures and quotes defining them (which they refuse to), a diary of the first years, infographics quantifying their work and the collection of trademark postcards spread to announce their events. In the final analysis the book proves to be a successful form to commemorate and share such an unconventional and significant work.

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