[artinfo] Open call for SEAFair 2002

Misko mpandil@soros.org.mk
Thu, 10 Oct 2002 20:56:14 +0200


SEAFair 2002 - Cultural Transformation - Consciousness and New Technologies

Project investigating the transformation of culture, through the prism of=20
consciousness, and new technologies.

Duration and dates: November 29 -  December 04. 2002

Location (full address): Museum of Contemporary Art Skopje, Samoilova bb,=20
1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, phone/fax : 389 2 117.734

Organizer (organization and contact person) and basic information about it:
Contemporary Art Center Skopje
Orce Nikolov 109, 1000 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, Tel/Fax:=
 +389.2.133.541
e-mail: scca@scca.org.mk		http://www.scca.org.mk

2.	PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
SEAFair (Skopje Electronic Arts Fair), which was initiated in 1997, is the=
=20
first media art manifestation in the Balkans, bringing together=20
International multimedia artists, artists, critics, and theorists dealing=20
in Internet, bio-technology, nano-technology, as well as the interested=20
regional audience. SEAFair serves as an international and intercultural=20
meeting point for arts and technologies. SEAFair urges discussions about=20
the artistic, philosophic, educational and other aspects of the new=20
processes in culture.
The project SEAFair 2002 Cultural Transformation - Consciousness and New=20
Technologies is envisioned to bring together culture theoreticians,=20
practitioners of new media, philosophers, consciousness experts,=20
neuroscientists, artists and sociologists, in a constructive dialogue. We=20
expect the project to produce an open atmosphere for critical discourse,=20
and an on-going debate regarding the raised issues.
The idea of this sixth edition of SEAFair is to investigate the cultural=20
transformation in the beginning of the 21st century by critically examining=
=20
in an overall platform the evolution of consciousness, society, networks,=20
and new media. The study of consciousness is now considered to be one of=20
the top themes in artistic and cultural circles especially because current=
=20
research of broad fields in a cultural and a social sense may assist us in=
=20
the visualizing of our future.
We expect participants from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe,=20
England, Germany, France, and the United States. The candidates will have=20
to apply on the open call for the event, after which the Curator and the=20
Board of CAC will decide upon the participants.

Structure:
=B7
=B7	Media Campaign and Coverage The media campaign and coverage will take=20
part during the whole duration of the project, starting from the=20
announcement, following all phases until the publishing, and producing of=20
art works related to the phenomena of consciousness. The following media=20
houses (radio, TV, Internet will provide the media campaign Radio Ravel,=20
NO-MA Radio, Channel 77, Antena 5 Radio, Jazz FM, Mega Radio, Channel 103,=
=20
Radio UNO, A1 TV, TV Skopje, Channel Lisica, SKYNET.

=B7	Selection of participants 	October 25, 2002.

=B7	The On-Line Debate will feature an on-going discussion for a period of 3=
=20
weeks before the event regarding ideological, social and ethical discourses=
=20
that the issues of consciousness, new technologies and media are raising.=20
The discussion will take into account the current studies of consciousness=
=20
as well as future cultural scenarios that are appearing.

=B7	The exhibition will feature between 15-20 artworks by leading=20
contemporary international and domestic artists. The artworks are in fact a=
=20
collaboration of artists with scientists in the fields of: Culture,=20
Consciousness, and New Technologies. The artworks will be displayed in the=
=20
Skopje Museum of Contemporary Arts in the period November 29 - December 20,=
=20
2002.

=B7	The workshop will be aimed at participants from Macedonia and the Balkan=
=20
countries including some artists from Central&Eastern Europe who will take=
=20
part in it. The artists will be provided lodging and food. The workshop=20
will be divided in several venues: The CIX Gallery, The Museum of=20
Contemporary Arts, the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences. The=20
workshop will concentrate on practical work and demonstration of individual=
=20
concepts, as well as on assistance in the realization of their works and=20
bringing the artists to a level from which the artists can continue to=20
develop the projects on their own.
The goals of the workshop are:=09
=B7	To enhance the knowledge of artists in the workshop about envisioning,=
=20
preparation, and implementation of projects in the 21st century.
=B7	To enable the artists to disseminate information and experiences=
 gathered=20
in this workshop to colleagues in their own surrounding.
=B7	To produce the improved version of their projects.
=B7	To test their ideas.
=B7	To prepare their future work.

	The workshop participants will have a public presentation on the end of=20
the workshop, in the framework of the EXHIBITION.
The Contemporary Art Center will attempt to produce the initiated projects=
=20
on the workshop. The aim of the new produced conceptual
artwork is for it to be a part of major international art events and flows.

=B7	Symposium. A two-day Symposium, by leading theoreticians in the field is=
=20
planned. Around 10 international and domestic theoreticians will be invited=
=20
to participate. The Key speaker will be Professor Roy Ascott, a leading=20
expert in the theme of Consciousness. The main theme of the Symposium will=
=20
be CULTURE AND CONSCIOUSNESS. Themes sush as the influence of=20
techno-scientific change upon society, the study of consciousness, the=20
study of the mind, etc. will be examined.
The artists taking part in the exhibition and workshop will be invited to=20
participate in the Symposium.

=B7	Publishing. The main goal of publishing the proceedings in a form of a=
=20
catalogue and book is to make available to the general audience of readers,=
=20
sociologists, cultural theoreticians and practitioners, as well as=20
specialists in the field of consciousness, and new technologies. The=20
catalogue will be printed in English and Macedonian, with a possible=20
translation to other East European languages. 500 copies are planned. Part=
=20
of the catalogues will be disseminated to the audience, as well as to the=20
artists, the remaining part will be sent to our partners in Europe or=20
interested institutions or individuals. We believe that this will encourage=
=20
a spontaneous cross-border exchange of ideas.

3.	LIST OF PARTICIPANTS:
	All artists, theorists, curators, who feel that they would like to explore=
=20
the idea of connecting cultural transformation, consciousness, and new=20
technologies are invited to participate in the event. The criteria artists=
=20
have to fulfill in order to become participants in the workshop are:
	o The proposed art work, text, concept, or idea, must contain as a theme=20
the issue of cultural transformation, consciousness, and new technologies,=
=20
or contain in it issues concerning social, aesthetic, or ethic questions=20
which these themes pose on today's society or contemporary art practice.=20
All the proposals should include a short explanation about the proposed=20
project and the development they would like to make while on the workshop.
o The idea of the proposals for art works, or for the Conference must have=
=20
a content wise potential for further development in artistic way

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Melentie Pandilovski
Director
Contemporary Arts Center  - Skopje
Orce Nikolov 109, 1000 Skopje
Republic of Macedonia
Tel/Fax: +389.2.133.541
Tel/Fax: +389.2.214.495
Mobile: +389.70.217.075
http://www.scca.org.mk
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