Volume 12: Vital presents nine artists exploring that which is essential, grave, indispensable, and/or critical to existence. Mirroring preconceived notions of reality, these works re-imagine new deities, investigate animal nature and human desire, contemplate the body vs. the psyche, meditate on the circular nature of our existence, and in one case force us to witness the final minutes of life. We confront our own profound mortality, experience fear and displacement within a technological landscape, and consider the sustaining reciprocal relationship of artist and gallery.

In this issue:

9-11/9-11 by Mel Chin w/ commentary by Ute Meta Bauer

Liberation of the Paranoid World; Gargoyling; Pressing the Vessel by   Goatsilk w/ commentary by Ricardo de Mambro Santos

Primate Cinema by Rachel Mayeri w/ commentary by Meredith Tromble

Sequence of Good Intentions by Park McArthur w/ commentary by Michael O'Malley

Bathyscape by Andrew Mowbray w/ commentary by Matthew Nash

Anemophilous Formula for Computer Art by Joelle Dietrick and Owen Mundy w/ commentary by Eduardo Navas

Freund Hein by Elisabeth Smolarz w/ commentary by Angelique Campens

Polar Bear God by Deke Weaver w/ commentary by Una Chaudhuri

excerpts from Untitled (Red); Untitled (Blue); Tell Me; Ned Talking by Suara Welitoff w/ commentary by Andrew Witkin

Credits: Editor:Michael Mittelman; Managing Editor:Liz Nofziger; Production:Brian Budak; Motion Graphics:Smith Smith; Sound Design:Eric Freeman