Jeremy Douglass and Noah Wardrip-Fruin are chairing a theme at Digital Arts and Culture 2009 on Software Studies that invites proposals for papers on Critical Code Studies as well. The conference will be held at UC Irvine, dates TBA:

See the full call:

Software is the engine that drives cyberculture, new media, and digital art a layer of control and communication that permeates contemporary culture. Platforms are the hardware and software relationships that enable and constrain software expressions. To investigate the logics of visualization, simulation, and representation in contemporary digital arts and culture is to engage in Software Studies and Platform Studies. The DAC09 Software and Platform Studies Theme invites submissions that explore digital art and culture through source codes, platform architectures, or similar engagements. Papers and panels exploring the emerging paradigms of critical code studies and the interpretation of algorithms are particularly encouraged. (emphasis mine)

Send abstracts (600 words max) to theme leaders:

Theme Leaders:
Jeremy Douglass, PhD. Researcher in Software Studies at UCSD.
jeremydouglass[at]gmail.com
Noah Wardrip-Fruin,Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department, University of California, Santa Cruz.
nwf[at]ucsc.edu.

Also Jessica Pressman and I will be hosting an evening of interactive art. Codework and software art are more than welcome > compelled to submit. Here is that full call:

call for Artists for the Electronic Literary Arts Performances for DAC 2009. We are seeking the widest variety of digital-born literary works for a 90-minute extravaganza. Each performance is limited to 5-7 minutes and should take the form of interactive engagement with the audience and dramatic presentations of creative digital-born works. Proposals (200-300 words) should include the title and a short description of the work (including any links to your material), a plan for presentation, technology requirements, and a short (50 words) bio for each participant. Available technology will be audio, projector, and wifi. Please email Jessica Pressman (Yale University) and Mark Marino (University of Southern California) [Subject: DAC Literary Arts] at DAC09LitArts@gmail.com with your proposals for first-round selections by May 15, 2009.

All these calls should make DAC 2009 a Critical Code Soiree!