[artinfo] FWD: Electrohype throws in the towel

[Marius Watz]

(official news from Electrohype below..)

electrohype has in the last 5 years been an essential resource for 
electronic art in the Nordic region, organising 3 biennials and several 
smaller exhibitions. they have just been turned down for support from the 
munipality of Malmö (their home town), and have to close down as a result 
of lack of funding. this news comes as their hugely successful Electrohype 
2004 biennial is in its closing week at Malmö Konsthall.

please show your support by signing the guest book at:
http://www.electrohype.org/support/gastbok.php

*----------

Electrohype throws in the towel*

After five years of promoting and advocating computer based art Electrohype 
have to close down its activities. It both a sad and strange feeling to 
have to close down, especially when we are thinking of the fact that we 
right now are presenting the large exhibition in Malmo Konsthall. The 
exhibition Electrohype 2004 has been visited by more than 27000 person so 
far and the reviews have been very good, but it might also be the last 
things we are organizing. On the positive side maybe we can see it as a 
beautiful ending.

We had hoped and believed that this exhibition, together with previous 
exhibitions and other activities, should be a positive breaking point for 
the organization. But we were wrong.

A couple of weeks ago we were told by the Malmo City Art council that they 
turned down our application for funding for our activities for 2005. We had 
applied for 180 000 sek (20000 euro), to cover basic costs such as rent and 
phones etc, and a couple of smaller exhibitions. According to our plans 
additional funding could be raised for other activities from other sources 
during the year.

Electrohypes application for activities was also turned down last year, the 
period were we were heavily involved in the preparation for the ongoing 
exhibition in Malmo Konsthall. This together wit the fact that we also was 
denied project funding for the ongoing exhibition itself in Malmo Konsthall 
make us really disappointed by the attitude from the City of Malmo.

We should mention that we have been offered a consolation in the form of a 
project grant  of 110 000 SEK (12 000 EURO) for our activities for 2005. 
This amount is just below the line of what is needed to cover basic 
expenses, and unfortunately it is another project grant.

During the five years Electrohype has existed we have managed to raise 
approximately 4 million SEK ( 450 000 EURO), This has covered all expenses 
for the organization, including project costs for the three biennials. 
Roughly  200 000 Sek (or 22000 EURO) of this total is from Malmo City Art 
Council. In other words we have done many projects on very little money. We 
are able to do low cost productions but at the same time we do need a 
minimum just to exist.

After five years Electrohype has to move from project based to a more 
stabile funding situation. The best way to achieve this would be that we 
could receive funding for running the organization. It is also ( in Sweden) 
that if an organization is granted this kind of funding that it is also 
seen as an acknowledgement of the organizations activities. We did not 
receive this acknowledgement from the city of Malmo.

During the next days we will have a discussion with the organizations board 
to try to make a decision on what to do, how to close down nicely. In any 
case the organization will not totally cease to exist but  in the future 
there will be a radical change in the level of activities.
We deeply regret the situation. Not only for ourselves but also for artists 
working in the genre and for the art interested audience that has visited 
our exhibitions.

If any of you have any spontaneous reaction to this you are welcome to 
visit our website and give a comment in the guest book that we have 
established for this occasion.
http://www.electrohype.org/support

best regards
Anna and Lars
Electrohype




::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::ELECTROHYPE

Ph: +46 40 780 20
Mobil: +46 708 94 57 27

e-mail: anna.kindvall at electrohype.org
URL: http://www.electrohype.org

If you encounter problems with this mail
address please notify me at  electrohype at swipnet.se