Tuesday, February 05, 2002
DIGITAL WEEKEND
A MICRO-FESTIVAL OF DIGITAL CULTURE SOFIA 2002
CONTENT
> INTRODUCTION
> WELCOME NOTE
> INFO POINT
> TRAVEL TIPS
> AUDIO EVENT
> PROGRAMME
> SHORT DIGITAL FILMS
> LECTURES
> ARTISTS' AND CURATORS' TALKS
> INTRODUCTION
Red House – Centre for Culture and Debate, Sofia & New Media Scotland, Edinburgh
in collaboration with
Interspace, Sofia
National Academy of Arts, Sofia
Liverpool School of Art and Design, Liverpool John Moores University
present
DIGITAL WEEKEND
A MICRO-FESTIVAL OF DIGITAL CULTURE SOFIA 2002
curated by Iliyana Nedkova
WHERE: Studio 7, National Academy of Arts, Sofia
WHEN: 12-14 April 2002
All Events are FREE and open to the public
your guide to the digital arts and culture of the 21st Century featuring exciting new digital art projects by Bulgarian and international artists including film screenings, Internet audio streaming, lectures and talks
DIGITAL WEEKEND has been supported by
Goethe-Institut Sofia
British Council, Sofia
Soros Centre for the Arts, Sofia
Open Society Foundation Bulgaria
The Royal Netherlands Embassy, Bulgaria
Radio France International, Sofia
Foundation EDUCATION XXI, Sofia
Leteratura – Lettre International, Sofia
Backnet, Edinburgh
Edinburgh College of Art
Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts
School of TV and Imaging, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, The University of Dundee
The Irish Arts Council
and others
> WELCOME NOTE
Welcome to DIGITAL WEEKEND – your micro-festival guide to the digital arts and culture of the 21st Century.
During the DIGITAL WEEKEND of 12-14 April 2002 in Sofia you will be able to take part in a host of Bulgarian premiere events including digital film screenings, Internet audio streaming, as well as a micro-conference of lectures, talks and debates. Join us and meet leading artists, critics, art historians and curators from Bulgaria, England, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Scotland.
This year’s DIGITAL WEEKEND is the first of a series of art and technology events, bringing together the Red House Centre for Culture and Debate, Sofia and New Media Scotland, Edinburgh. This new partnership takes place in the unprecedented climate of increased interest towards digital culture in Bulgaria and the rising need for furthering the critical debate across the country. We would like to acknowledge the legacy of pioneering media art events held across Bulgaria recently – such as Net User, Communication Front, Computer Space, Urban Cycles, PHARE-reaching Academy and VideoArchaeology, to name but a few – yet we are proud to compliment them with a new focus.
The DIGITAL WEEKEND is a micro-festival, which celebrates the creative achievements of digital culture from various corners of Europe, hoping to help the dream of a digitally integrated Europe come true.
We also aim to provide you with a technical and theoretical understanding of digital art practices. Hopefully, the DIGITAL WEEKEND will open up aesthetic, philosophical and political questions arising from digital art and culture. The micro-festival will ultimately ask how great a contribution is made to cultural understanding and dialogue by artists whose work involves exhibiting or promoting their national cultures? Is contemporary media art yet another product that is in the process of being branded in an age of globalised capital? Are the countries, which used to be behind the Iron Curtain facing a Digital Divide or Digital Opportunity?
We hope you will enjoy an eye-opening festival weekend of digital culture.
Iliyana Nedkova
Curator
> INFO POINT
DIGITAL WEEKEND
A MICRO-FESTIVAL OF DIGITAL CULTURE SOFIA 2002
VENUE DETAILS:
National Academy of Arts Sofia, Studio 7
1, Shipka Street, Sofia 1000
AUDIO EVENT DETAILS:
globally: http://www.mediascot.org
locally: Radio France International, Sofia 103,6 FM
For further information:
Dessislava Gavrilova
Tel: 00359 2 980 49 24
http://www.redhouse-sofia.org
http://www.mediascot.org
The Red House - Centre for Culture and Debate (Sofia, Bulgaria) is a new cultural and socio-political centre. Currently, its events are held at various venues across Sofia. Once reconstruction is completed, the Red House will be located in a listed, early 20C building in central Sofia, hosting a range of visual and performing arts events, training courses, lectures, readings and others. By creating an open space for artistic experiments and public debates, The Red House aims to become a catalyst for stimulating new political, social and cultural awareness across Bulgaria. Further details are available on http://www.redhouse-sofia.org.
Dessislava Gavrilova (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Dessislava is founder-director (together with Tzvetelina Iossifova) of The Red House – Centre for Culture and Debate. She established and ran the Open Society Institute Performing Arts Programme (1997-2000) stimulating independent artistic work and innovation across Eastern and Central Europe and the former Soviet republics. Earlier, Dessislava did a research into the cultural policy of Britain after WWII at the University of Oxford. Her publications are in the field of the cultural policies and practices of performing arts.
New Media Scotland (Edinburgh, Scotland) is a non-profit agency enabling cultural activity shaped by new technologies: providing information, supporting research and development in new media, and creating opportunities for artists. New Media Scotland produces, exhibits and tours digital artworks across Scotland, the UK and internationally. Recent projects include HOST, artstream, Desktop Icons, Frame by Frame, REMOTE, , Info Bulletin, Blind Date, level, DK City, trans-locale and others. Further details are available on http://www.mediascot.org
Iliyana Nedkova (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Presently working with New Media Scotland as a Curator-in-residence, Iliyana is a producer and researcher of old and new media art events. Since 1996 Iliyana has been an Associate Curator with the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (FACT), Liverpool and more recently a PhD candidate exploring Curatorial Theory and Practice of Digital Art at the Liverpool John Moores University. Iliyana delivers talks and publishes both in her native Bulgaria and abroad on issues of digital culture. Recent curtaorial projects and publications include Desktop Icons, Crossing Over, High Couture, Rapid Eye Movement, The Right One, Virtual Revolutions, Spacecraft, Seeing Through Flame and others.
Saturday, February 02, 2002
TRAVEL TIPS
(for British citizens)
Just for your further reference while you are planning your trip to Sofia for the MICRO-FESTIVAL:
LONDON GATWICK - SOFIA 10:30 - 15:30
SOFIA - LONDON GATWICK 8:00 - 9:15
BALKAN AIRLINES fly everyday except Tuesdays and Thursdays
TOTAL: £205.00 (including all taxes and duties)
tel: c/o BALKAN HOLIDAYS 020 7543 5555
NB: The price is pretty much fixed but reserving/booking in advance will ensure you a peace of mind
CONNECTING FLIGHTS (if relevant):
EDINBURGH - LONDON GATWICK 6:25 - 7:50
LONDON GATWICK - EDINBURGH times vary...
TOTAL: prices range from £17.50 single (including all taxes and duties)
www.easyjet.com
NB: For best prices you may need to book well in advance
For further details on trouble-free travel to Bulgaria for British citizens please visit the advice section of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)
http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/countryadvice.asp?BC
If in doubt please do not hesitate to e-mail me at
iliyana@mediascot.org
Friday, February 01, 2002
ARTISTS’ AND CURATORS’ TALKS
Anne Bevan (Edinburgh, Scotland)
After studying fine art and sculpture at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art, where she is currently a researcher, Anne went on to exhibit mixed and new media works across Scotland and internationally. She excavates the often invisible, yet mundane structures, exposing spaces, systems, routes and movements normally ignored by us, but which are fundamental to the everyday environment we inhabit.
Luchezar Boyadjiev (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Luchezar studied Art and Art History at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia. He is an established artist whose diverse media installations reflect his contextual and ironic attitude to both reality and art. Lately, he has exhibited at the Migros Museum in Zurich, Switzerland; the Tirana Biennial, Albania and as part of ‘Lautre Moitie de l’Europe’, Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume, Paris.
Gina Czarnecki (Dundee, Scotland)
Gina studied Fine Art at Wimbledon School of Art and Electronic Imaging, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, where she is now Course Director of Msc Electronic Imaging. She has shown her artistic and curatorial work internationally. Her practice covers film, digital photography, single screen and video installation. Her interest is in the human condition. A Creative Scotland Award in 2002 has enabled her to continue her collaboration with geneticists and programmers in producing and touring her work Silvers Alter.
Galina Dimitrova (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Galina is a Curator and Project Coordinator at InterSpace Media Art Centre, Sofia. A recent graduate in Theory and History of Arts from the National Academy of Arts, Sofia, she has published on issues of contemporary art in a range of Bulgarian cultural journals. Since 2000 Galina has been the Deputy Editor of CULT.BG server for art and culture. Her curatorial projects include Urban Cycles, Net User, Macrovideo, Schizoid Architecture and others.
Boyan Dobrev (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Boyan is a Senior Lecturer at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia, where in 1999 he established the Multimedia Department. As a Fulbrigtht visiting researcher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1997/98, Boyan explored issues of art theory and art education. Currently, he is working on his PhD thesis "The Grammar of Art", to be published later in 2002. Boyan’s own practice as an exhibiting digital artist has been recognised both in Bulgaria and internationally.
Arjon Dunnewind (Utrecht, the Netherlands)
Arjon is the Artistic Director of the Impakt Festival, which he established in 1988. Over the years Impakt has evolved to one of the most influential annual festivals for innovative audio and visual arts in the Netherlands. Additionally, Arjon has curated programmes for the Dutch Film Festival, Castello di Rivoli, Italy and the Museo de Bellas Artes de Buenos Aires in Argentina. He is also responsible for the sub.club series of events and the magazines on video art – KabelKunst and Vizir,
Nicky Gogan (Dublin, Ireland)
In 1993 Nicky graduated from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and later on studied electronic arts in New York. Currently, she is the Co-director (together with Susan Patterson) of the Darklight Digital Film Festival, which takes place in Dublin annually. Nicky is also a co-director of Sink Digital Media, a Dublin based new media production company. Previously she has worked at Arthouse, Dublin and ever since remained committed to fostering the innovative and creative use of digital technologies.
Susanne Jaschko (Berlin, Gemany)
Currently, Susanne is a Deputy Director of transmediale, the international media art festival held annually in Berlin. She holds a PhD in Art History from Aachen University. Her curatorial practice is focussed on issues of contemporary art, including interactive art, installation and digital moving image.
Alain Kessi (Sofia, Bulgaria and Zurich, Switzerland)
Alain is a programmer, journalist, media activist and theorist. He has published numerous articles on globalization and its discontents; civil society and non-government organizations; migration and migrant politics; the wars in Yugoslavia and the economic and social transitions in East European countries. Since 1997 he has participated in a number of projects combining arts and politics such as Inner City Action Weeks, The Future State of Balkania. Communication Front 2001, All Museums Are Virtual, make-world festival, Understanding the Balkans and others.
Dimitrina Sevova (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Dimitrina studied painting at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia and emerged as a practising media artist, activist, theorist and curator who works across traditional and new media. She was one of the founders and curators of the TED Gallery for contemporary and media art and more recently the Communication Front project of media art and theory (http://www.cfront.org). She has participated in numerous projects including The Future State of Balkania, Crossing Over, Virtual Revolutions 2.0, In Someone Else’s Skin (http://xplaces.cflow.net), Never Look Back, Computer Space 2000, All Museums Are Virtual, make-world festival and Understanding the Balkans.
Zornitsa Sophia (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Zornitsa Sophia studied at the American University, Washington DC, USA and National Academy of Arts, Sofia. In her practice she employs video, installation, performance, public intervention, graphic design and painting. Her work is an inquiry into the intersection of daily life, science and art. Recent projects include This Game Has No Name, Celebrating the Reproduction, Anti Feminism/Machismo, Close to the Body, After the Prison. Further details on http://www.cult.bg/zo
LECTURES
Ventzislav Zankov (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Digital Culture:Uninstall A timely critique of the new lifestyles and standards of living advanced by the advocates of digital culture from both global and local perspective. Ventzislav will also explore the implications of desktop living through an analysis of current artistic interventions in the Bulgarian public space including the works "Uninstall" by Oleg Mavromati and "Freeze Motherfucker" by Ioan Kirilov.
A graduate of Bulgaria’s National Academy of Arts, currently Ventzislav is an Adjunct Lecturer at New Bulgarian University, Sofia. A leading figure in Bulgarian Internet art practices, he helped set up Interspace Media Art Center, Sofia. Ventzislav has established and developed various media art projects, including Zet_maG http://zetmag.org – a cross between an e-zine, audioarchive and webTV and ELEKTRIK_BG – mailing list for Bulgarian digital culture. More details at http://www.ctrl-z.org/zankov.
John Byrne (Liverpool, England)
Apocalypse Then: Blurring the Boundaries in Digital Culture A cultural analysis which will identify and question some of the current shifts taking place within artists' practice. John will look back at the classic film 'Shape of Things to Come' (1932) in terms of artists using digital media to cross and blur boundaries between the borders of previously distinct disciplines and geographical areas.
John is a Senior Lecturer at the Liverpool School of Art and Design and a writer-in-residence for the Crossing Over Micro-festival of Digital Film Culture. John has also published widely on issues of art, culture and telecommunications. He is currently writing a book on the relationship between art, technology and reproduction in the twentieth century.
PROGRAMMES OF SHORT DIGITAL FILMS
D E S K T O P I C O N S
A New Media Scotland touring programme curated by Iliyana Nedkova. Desktop Icons is an exciting collection of short digital films and videos by Scottish and international artists, exploring the cross over of popular culture, media and new creative technologies. The programme explores moving image culture authored and designed on (and sometimes for) people's desktops. In their works artists conceive new visual styles and stretch the boundaries of what was once known as cinematic reality.
Artists include Chris Cunningham (England), Kristin Lucas (USA), Michael Maziere (England), Matt Hulse (Scotland), Phil Collins (N.Ireland), Mark Wallace (Scotland), Richard Fenwick (England), Beagles+Ramsay (Scotland), Linda Wallace (Australia), Mike Stubbs (Scotland), COM&COM (Switzerland), Simon Ellis (England), Torsten Lauschmann (Scotland) and many others from South Korea, Croatia, Austria, Germany, Belgium, France, Japan and Sweden.
T I M E L I N E S
A New Media Scotland programme of specially commissioned digital video shorts produced by Chris Byrne. A stimulating collection of short digital videos by 5 Scottish artists, examining the impact of new creative technologies on our shifting notions of geography, place and identity.
Artists include Mandy McIntosh, Torsten Lauschmann, Chris Bowman and Trevor Avery/Nigel Mullan.
I N F O C U S: M I K E S T U B B S
Mike' s widely exhibited artistic work encompasses film, video, mixed media installations and performance. Most recent productions include Resistor, River, Donut and Zero. He has won more than a dozen major international awards including first prizes at Oberhausen and Graz (Homing 1995), Osnabruk (Gift, 1996) and Locarno (Sweatlodge, 1992) and in 1999 was invited to present a video retrospective at the Tate Gallery, London.
Trained at Cardiff Art College and the Royal College of Art, Mike is currently Senior Research Resident at Duncan of Jordonstone College of Art and Design, Dundee. Prior to this, he was the Director of Hull Time Based Arts, where he set up Time Base and developed Centre for Time Based Arts, AVIDLAB and EMARE (European Media Arts Residency Exchange). He also launched the ROOT Festival, Hull.
IN FOCUS: MIKE STUBBS highlights films from 1992 till 2001 including Zero, Sweatlodge, Homing, Youth Action and Gift.
I M P A K T H I G H L I G H T S
A touring program, curated by Arjon Dunnewind which features the highlights of Impakt Festival 2001, Utrecht, the Netherlands. It includes works of rising stars in the worlds of fine arts and film, and prize-winning artists such as Annika Larsson and Miranda July. The program combines aesthetic visualizations of the human condition, investigations in innovative narration, Freud, family life and subversions of mass media.
Artists include Salla Tykkä (Finland), Annika Larsson (Sweden), Miranda July (USA), Sebastian Diaz Morales (The Netherlands), John Davis (USA), Guillaume Graux (Belgium), Ann Course+Paul Clark (UK) and Bryan Boyce (USA).
T H E B E S T O F transmediale.02
A touring programme, curated by Susanne Jaschko, showing a wide range of topics, styles and forms of digital production. The programme features the most outstanding and innovative video contributions from the transmediale02 Festival, including Pool_2 by Harald Holba, the winner of the transmediale.02 Image Award; followed by the honorary mentions in the same category – 4vertigo by Les LeVeque and Les Doubres by Laurent Vicente+Thomas Bernardet.
Artists include Matt Hulse (Scotland), Harald Holba (Austria), Les LeVeque (USA), Laurent Vicente+Thomas Bernardet (France), Anita Sarosi (Hungary), David Leister+Guy Moss (UK), Fan Yuk Man (Hong Kong) and others.
C R O S S I N G O V E R T I M E
A New Media Scotland touring programme selected by Chris Byrne. An insightful pick and mix of experimental artists’ work, commissioned between 1996-2001 for the Annual Crossing Over Micro-festival of Digital Film Culture, co-curated by Iliyana Nedkova and Nina Czegledy. Since its inception in 1996 Crossing Over has produced and premiered over 60 new digital shorts. The post-Cold War dream of transformation and the cross-cultural metaphor of the journey are the themes recurrent in each of the Crossing Over shorts.
Artists include Mare Tralla (Estonia), Phil Collins (N. Ireland), Krassimir Terziev (Bulgaria), Antal Bodoczky (Hungary), Baza (Yugoslavia), Mary-Avril Gillan (Ireland), Tsvetelina Gancheva (Bulgaria), Levente Sipos, (Hungary), Chris Speed (England), Paul Rooney (Scotland), Boryana Dragoeva (Bulgaria), Mike Kash (USA), Lala Rascic (Croatia) and others.
F L Y I N G
A touring programme of the Darklight Digital Film Festival – the annual Dublin event showcasing innovative films in various categories demonstrating the creative potential of digital technologies. Flight is a cross-section from the festival archive featuring work from Irish, English and American artists. These reflective works address the themes of flying, travelling, death, and the passing of time. The sound tracks are particularly important for most of the films which are often produced as collaborations between film-makers and musicians. Further details at http://www.darklight-filmfestival.com
Artists include Desperate Optimists, James Davis, Richard Fenwick, David Phillips+Paul Rowley, David Philips+Paul Rowley, Cormac Figgis, Romick Delimata, Alan Lambert+Eamonn Doyle+D1 Recordings, David Phillips+Paul Rowley and Amon Tobin+Ninja Tunes
DIGITAL WEEKEND PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE
All events are FREE and held at Studio 7, National Academy of Arts, Sofia
FRIDAY, 12 APRIL 2002
18:00 - 19:30
FILMS
Desktop Icons 1.0 (Bulgarian premiere)
Introduction by Iliyana Nedkova & Chris Byrne
21:00 – LATE
AUDIO EVENT
Sounds From Near and Far (world premiere)
Highlights at Radio France International 103.6FM
Private Reception Courtesy of British Council, Sofia
SATURDAY, 13 APRIL 2002
10:00 - 10:10
Welcome note by Dessislava Gavrilova & Iliyana Nedkova
10:10 - 11:00
LECTURE
Ventsislav Zankov: Digital Culture:Uninstall
11:00 - 12:00
LECTURE
John Byrne: Apocalypse Then: Blurring the Boundaries in Digital Culture
LUNCH BREAK
13:30 – 14:30
TALK
Boyan Dobrev: Interaction, Art and Education
14:30 - 15:30
FILMS
Timelines (Bulgarian premiere)
Introduction by Chris Byrne
COFFEE BREAK
16:00 – 17:00
TALKS
Zornitsa Sophia
Anne Bevan
Moderated by Chris Byrne
17:00 – 18:00
TALKS
Dimitrina Sevova & Alain Kessi
Susanne Jaschko
Moderated by Iliyana Nedkova
18:00 - 19:30
FILMS
The Best of transmediale.02 (Bulgarian premiere)
Introduction by Susanne Jaschko
DINNER BREAK
20:30 - 22:00
FILMS
Crossing Over Time (1996-2001) (world premiere)
Exclusive Launch of Crossing Over Catalogue. Introduction by Iliyana Nedkova & Chris Byrne.
SUNDAY, 14 APRIL 2002
10:00 - 10:05
Welcome note by Dessislava Gavrilova & Iliyana Nedkova
10:05 –11:00
TALKS
Luchezar Boyadjiev
Gina Czarnecki
Moderated by Chris Byrne
11:00 – 12:30
FILMS
Flying (Bulgarian premiere)
Introduction by Nicky Gogan & Susan Patterson
LUNCH BREAK
14:00 - 15:00
TALK
Interspace Unplugged
Curatorial presentation by Galina Dimitrova
15:00 - 16:30
FILMS
Impakt Highlights (Bulgarian premiere)
Introduction by Arjon Dunnewind
COFFEE BREAK
17:00 - 18:00
FILMS
In Focus: Mike Stubbs
Introduction by Mike Stubbs
DINNER BREAK
20:00 – 21:30
FILMS
Desktop Icons 2.0 (Bulgarian premiere)
Introduction by Iliyana Nedkova & Chris Byrne
gital films by international artists. Introduction by Iliyana Nedkova & Chris Byrne
AUDIO EVENT
artstream: Sounds from Near and Far (world premiere)
curated by Chris Byrne & Colin Fallows
locally: Radio France International Sofia at 103.6FM
globally: http://www.mediascot.org/artstream
Sounds from Near and Far is the first manifestation of artstream – an experimental space on the New Media Scotland web site dedicated to artists’ use of streaming media. artstream: Sounds from Near and Far is an innovative, two channel sound event which can be experienced both locally in Sofia and globally through the Internet during the DIGITAL WEEKEND. The pieces are informed by the notion of the translocal: travel, crossing borders, migration, sounds of different cultures and environments.
Channel One: Open Source
Chris has assembled a selection of recorded soundworks from an open submission to New Media Scotland, Edinburgh. Each of the pieces causes us to reflect upon cultural and geographical diversity.
Artists include Diskono, Chantal Dumas, Zoe Irvine, Alistair MacDonald, Sue Mark, Paul Rooney, Janek Schafer, Calum Stirling, Mark Vernon and others.
Channel Two: Feedback
Colin has assembled a selection of soundworks by artists associated with Liverpool School of Art and Design, Liverpool John Moores University. The pieces have been recorded in a variety of locations, with their own special spatial ambience.
Artists include John Campbell, Max Eastley, Colin Fallows, Martin e Greil, Russell Mills, Scanner, Will Sergeant, Vergil Sharkya’ and Paul Simpson.
Chris Byrne (Edinburgh, Scotland)
Chris is the Director of New Media Scotland, Edinburgh. Recently, he has produced and toured artists' commissions in new media across Scotland and internationally including works by Claude Closky, Beverley Hood, *Candy Factory, Alistair Gentry, Anne Bevan, Torsten Lauschmann, Lindsay Perth, Catriona Grant and others. Since the early 1990s Chris has engaged with digital and moving image culture as an artist, producer, arts manager and educator. More details at http://www.cryptic.demon.co.uk
Colin Fallows (Liverpool, England)
Colin is Professor of Sound and Visual Arts at Liverpool John Moores University. He has explored crossovers between sound and the visual arts as an artist, researcher, curator and lecturer. Colin has produced work for live ensemble performance, recordings, exhibition, installation, radio and the Internet. His artistic and curatorial projects have featured in numerous international festivals including Video Positive, ISEA98, Intermedia and Ars Electronica.
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