From Japan the digital revolution appears to be centered in the United States. This may be because the US is the main developer of technology that is key to the revolution's development.Also, yhe computer industry is bound to politics and and the economy in the United States.
However, one special characteristic of the digital revelution is that to a certain extent it is universal. Any country or people who incorporate the necessary technology will generate their own unique output. The expression will differ depending on the person. Anyone can play guitar, but the type of music produced will depend on the person.
However, because of the great mass media exposure and the outstanding number of digital projects, the trend is to take the US style as the standard. We should be careful here. Unreflectively accepting the American stance will narrow the dormant possibilities of expression and media. The US style of expression is merely one 'dialect' among many.
In Holland there are people with a slightly different stance from that of the US and are working is digital expression and media. Holland has a potent graphics design base and it is now linking up with digital media. Pirated broadcasts and squatting show that they differ from the US in terms of social thought. Amsterdam in particular has assimilated many people and much culture as a free port. The undercurrent of such a society is revealed in digital media and expressions.
It can't be said that Holland is at the leading edge of the digital revolution. And there are not a lot of people involved in digital projects. However we can find in Holland an opposing force to mainstream digital media. How do you feel avout this? (text by Inamoto, Axis)