feature
soundOBJECTs – exhibition Valencia
La Nau
Greek videoart
Valencia
Wilfried visited Valencia on two occasions – in 2008 the media art context – “Digital Media 1.0” a show case of digital art organised by at La Nau , an exhibition complex and cultural centre belonging to the University of Valencia, and – 2012, which is a topic of a later article.
Today 10 May 2008 is the final day of the exhition at La Nau. Wilfried is really happy, that the exhibition is over. According to his own estimation and the numerous feedback, the exhibition was well received by the audience despite the fundamental problems in terms of the local organisation in Valencia, the installation of exhibition, not only Wilfried’s “soundOBJECTS” but all artists and curators contributions and the dismantling of the exhibition.
For Wilfried, the challenge was, that he received the participating objects via their documentation only and did not see one of them as physical objects before they were unpacked in Valencia.
In these terms, it was an incredible responsibility and he took an enormous risk. Fortunately, however, by agreeing, that the 3D objects were sent by the artists directly to the venue, Wilfried was out of any organisational responsibility, because sending the objects and the delivery to the venue was lying in the responsibility of the artist and at the moment of receiving through the organiser, the responsilbility way lying excvlusively in the hands of the organiser. So Wilfried’s responsibility was mainly a conceptual one in terms of the curatorial selection and their coordination, and later in Valencia supervising the exhibition installation executed by local collaborators.
Because this procedure was accepted by all involved parties, in theory the things were settled, in practice, however, the problems started as soon as the objects arrived at the headquaters of the executing local organisation, La Sala Naranja directed by Toni Calderon, who was the master brain behind Digital Media 1.0.
It became a scandal, when the invited artists – they came from Russia, South America etc, whom was promissed that the travel expenses and hotel was paid, were not refunded on request, and only after a lot of protest, the Valencia university administration, which actually was not obliged tio do that, because it was lying in the responsibility of Tony Calderon and his organisation, finally fulfilled the contracts, the same is good for the contract settled for the “soundobjects”. 
The boxes arriving from all parts on the globe were very carelessly stored at the headquaters of La Sala Naranja, so that when the boxes were opended only at La Nau for the exhibition, it became obvious that the sensitive objects hadn’t been intact, some of the objects were damaged and it was not clear whether they were damaged during the transport or on location of La Sala Naranja, they could be repaired, but one object, and the most exciting art works, at all, was so far damaged and this was obvious already during the installation, that at the end of the exhibition the technology inside of the object was completely destroyed and could not be repaired, anymore, and the question came up about the insurance. And yes, the top organisator did not insure any the sensitive objects, so a very serious issue had to be resolved by the University (it means via a new not planned budget). Such a situation is occuring often when organisations try to save money. So, already on location in Valencia Wilfried had to care for very unpleasant issues, which were escalating after the exhibition. In the end, the university administration had taken over the complete organisation from Tony Caldetron, compensated finally sometimes the damaged art works, travel and accomodation.
A very promissing project had become a desaster (at least from Wilfried’sd points of view), the siation was highly traumatizing, and Wilfried learned, that he will never organise a physical exhibition like that ever again.
Nevertheless, the art as such and also the context of the exhibition of a diversity of digital art forms and meeting the artists and get insight in the reality of the organisation of contemporary art, were actually very exciting!
soundOBJECT
exhibition of sound based 3D objects – 17 Aprl-10 May 2008
soundOBJECT @ Digital Media 1.0 Valencia 2008
soundOBJECTS
is an exhibition of 15 physical soundobjects organised and curated by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne for SoundLAB – sonic art project environments , 13 of these objects formed the show at La Nau (ancient University of Valencia/Spain) – 17 April – 10 May 2008, see also following photos —>
Andrew Burrell – Martin J. Callanan – Chad Eby – Heloisa Escudero – Timo Kahlen – Jesse La Flair – Dario Lazzaretto – Matt MacKisack – Paul Magee – Dan Mikesell – Jeff Morris – Jay Needham – Sean O’Neill – Dmitry Strakovsky – tobias c. van Veen
View the complete documentation on the soundOBJECTs site
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La Nau Valencia
unpacked parcels at exhibition space
group of artists at La Nau Café
wrongly printed exhibition title
Paul Magee testing Jay Needham’s installation
object: Dmitri Strakowsky
object: tobias c.van Veen
exhibition: objects by Andrew Burrell, Chad Eby,
Timo Kahlen, Matthew Mackissak
exhibition: clip station with SoundLAB
objects by: Jesse LaFlair & Dmiti Strakovsky
object by Dario Lazzaretto
object by Sean O’Neill
object by Paul Magee
objects by Jeff Morris & Dario Lazzaretto
object by Heloisa Escudero
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soundOBJECTS video
VideoChannel – Greek videoart – 2009
Today, 10 May 2009, Wilfried released a new curatorial contribution on VideoChannel- curatorial platform for art & moving images – which will get a new function and relevance by being reconstructed after the end of NewMediaFest2020 –
Enter the Flash presentation
“Video-prints: video art from Greece”
(requires the latest Flash plugin – free download from Adobe)
“Video-prints: video art from Greece” – curated by Gioula Papadopoulou
biography
is a selection of videos by 12 Greek contemporary artists, whose work has been presented in Video Art Festival Miden in Kalamata and Athens during the past 4 years. The videos deal with issues of identity and personal perception of various aspects of human life. They observe, explore and criticize human existence through personal views on relationships, feelings, memories, gestures and behaviours and create symbolic, poetic images of the inner and surrounding world.
See also on VideoChannel
Featured artists & videos
Eileen Botsford – Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos – Nikos Giavropoulos – Leonidas Konstantinidis – Yiannis Konstantinou – Ioanna Myrka – Gioula Papadopoulou – Andreas Sitorego – Margarita Stavraki
Panayota Tzamourani – George Vaviloussakis – Konstantinos Vaviloussakis
video title:
Cycle, (UK-2005) 9.13
Video Art Database
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video title:
Abort It, (Greece-2000) 8.00
Video Art Database
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video title:
Pandora, (Greece – 2005) 5.00
Video Art Datbase
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video title:
Ants, (Greece-2005) 2.10
Video Art Database
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video title:
Real Dream[e]scape, (Greece-2004) 1.15
Video Art Database
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video title:
Weather, (Greece-2005) 1.00
Video Art Database
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video title:
Dramaticul, (Greece-2004) 3.45
Video Art Database
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video title:
Dry Soul, (Greece-2004) 3.00
Video Art Database
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video title:
Shall We Dance? Fragments of Love, (Greece-2003) 2.50
Video Art Database
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video title:
Golden Cage, (Greece-2006) 2.00
Video Art Database
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video title:
Lie, (Greece-2004) 3.00
Video Art Database
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video title:
TOO.14.29.01, (Greece-2003) 8.10
Video Art Database
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CologneOFF partner festival 2009
Festival Miden: starting from zero!
Festival Miden (miden means “zero” in Greek), the first Greek video art festival presented in open public spaces, is an annual video art & new media cultural event held in Kalamata, GR.
The festival is founded, organized and curated by a team of contemporary Greek artists, who are all linked with Kalamata since childhood. It is an independent organization, supported by Kalamata’s Historic Centre Organization, the Messinia Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Kalamata.
The main purpose of the festival is the free presentation, promotion and development of Greek and international video art and new media art, in times dominated and defined by “image” and “technology”, creating a new, alternative, peripheral meeting point for emerging and established video and media artists from Greece and all over the world. Under the motto “Start from zero!” we also invite students, young artists and creators from other backgrounds to participate dynamically in our events.
Since 2005, the year Festival Miden was presented for the first time in open spaces of Kalamata’s Historic Centre -starting literally from zero!- it has been gradually established as one of the most successful and interesting video art festivals in Greece and abroad and has been a significant point of cultural exchange for Greek, European and international video art.
During the last five years, Festival Miden has been presented annually every July in Kalamata, and also has presented screening programs, exhibitions and collaborations in Athens, Argos and Larissa in Greece, while collaborating with various art groups, art schools, artspaces, organizations and other festivals in Greece and internationally.
Our manifesto:
Festival Miden is an initiative action, taken in order to promote and develop alternative and free expression at times where visual arts and media play a more and more dominant role.
The main axes of Festival Miden is Video Art which is presented not just as a different mean of expression for many pioneer visual artists but also as an easy and effective tool for public creativity. A potential that derives mainly from the free use of modern visual media, which offer an easy access to everyone.
Through a variety of activities and events, Festival Miden hopes to become the pole and the foundation of a new artistic extroversion that will be inspired by the critical observation of everyday life focusing on the role of the individual as the centre of life itself.
The main objective of this initiative action is the stimulation of the community to freely develop its artistic dimension independently, away from any type of intervention.
Previous editions:
Festival Miden 2005: starting from miden(=zero)
The first Festival Miden was presented in open spaces of the Historic Centre in Kalamata, at 8, 9 and 10th of July 2005. The three-day events included a two days video art screening program at Amfeia’s square and a musical concert -featuring Messinian Jazzteat, The Freak Brothers Band and Mellotron- at Agii Apostoli, both areas of the Historic Centre of Kalamata.
The screening program included 44 art videos of various techniques and styles, created by forty video artists from all over Greece and abroad. The audience of the first year’s organization embraced the Festival not only with its lively presence but also with its support by all possible means.
In its first realization, Festival Miden was supported by Kalamata’s Historic Centre Organization, The Messinia Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Kalamata and co-operated with Athens Video Art Festival and Fournos-Centre for Digital Culture.
Festival Miden 2006: established in Greece
In its second realization, which took place in public spaces of the Historic Centre in the city of Kalamata in July 2006, Festival Miden presented 3 days of screenings and events.
The three-day program included a two days screening program at Amfeia’s square (Thursday 6 and Friday 7 of July). There were presented 71 art videos, created by 68 video artists and groups from Greece and abroad.
The third day included a special screening of “The Approaching of the Hour”, a dinsticted documentary film about the Greek English-speaking Pop/Rock music scene, directed by Gratsiella Canellou, followed by a VJ musical concert featuring “Alloiosis” group, at Agii Apostoli (Saturday, 8 of July 2006).
Festival Miden 2007: the festival becomes international
More than 500 artists, groups and video creators from all over the world submitted their works for the screening program of Festival Miden 2007, which took place in public spaces of the Historic Centre of Kalamata, from 5th to 7th of July 2007.
Festival miden 2007 focused on contemporary video art and was realized in collaboration with the Municipality of Kalamata, with the support of Kalamata’s Historic Centre Organization and the Messinia Chamber of Commerce.
The central program in Amfeia’s Square included 6 thematical screenings and tributes. A parallel screening, with 3 more theme programs, was placed in a nearby open area of the Historic Centre.
Festival Miden 2007 presented videos from more than 35 countries from all over the world: Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Iraqi, UK, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Finland, Slovenia, Croatia, Russia, Czech, Canada, USA, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and others, getting an international character.
Festival Miden 2008: upgraded and renewed
Video Art Festival Miden 2008 took place in public spaces of the historic centre of Kalamata (Amfeia’s Square), from the 4th to 6th of July 2008.
In its 4th realization, Festival Miden presented 205 works from various artists from over 40 countries, aiming to a global presentation of the most interesting contemporary video art practices and trends.
For the first time, the festival presented, along with its main video program, interactive works and internet projects.
The program included thematical screenings and tributes, interactive projects, student works and a special tribute to Manthos Santorineos, Professor in Athens School of Fine Arts and a pioneer Greek media-artist.
Festival Miden 2008 was a co-production of “Sea Level” (urban, non-profit company) and the Municipality of Kalamata and was realized with the support of Kalamata’s Historic Centre Organization and the Messinia Chamber of Commerce.
(Find all previous editions at www.festivalmiden.gr/prevfestival_eng.html)
Upcoming edition: Festival Miden 2009
For the upcoming 5th edition (which will be presented early July in Kalamata, GR), Festival Miden has announced the following special theme programs:
-a special theme program entitled “Transforming the ordinary”
-a special theme program entitled “Strange thoughts”
-a tribute to videodance
-a special theme program entitled “Urban (R)evolutions”
This year, the festival will celebrate its 5year presence in Greek and international art and culture by presenting also a selection of the best videos shown in the previous editions of the festival.
The festival has also announced the presentation of 2 screening programs curated by Agricola de Cologne (Cologne OFF and VideoChannel director) and will also present the new compilation of Globalscreen “Simulations”.
Other parallel events, seminars and lectures are also scheduled in the frame of Festival Miden 2009.
For news and announcements visit www.festivalmiden.gr
The festival team:
Art Director:
Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos
Art Curators:
Gioula Papadopoulou, Margarita Stavraki
Co-members:
Stavros Kapetis, Sibel Amet, Nikos Syrigos
Maria Bourika, Stavroula Baka, Georgia Oikonomopoulou
More info at:
www.festivalmiden.gr
info@festivalmiden.gr
