[artinfo] mobilefest 2007 - call for papers and projects

Sun Apr 8 00:46:24 CEST 2007

*MOBILEFEST 2007 SEMINAR  CALL FOR PAPERS AND PROJETCS*

International Seminar: 21st, 22nd and 23rd November, 2007
Sesc Paulista, São Paulo, Brazil

International Exhibition: 21st-23rd November, 2007
Sesc Paulista Gallery, São Paulo, Brazil

Mobilefest  International Festival of Mobile 
Arts and Creativity is an event that aims to 
question and discuss the advent of the new mobile 
technologies in their relationships with the 
various segments of society, being the first 
International Festival of the kind.

The main objective is to provide and multifaceted 
and heterogenic environment of discussions, 
actions and creations that seek for intelligent 
solutions, through the virtualities of the new 
mobile technologies, to solve or even discuss the 
issues that trouble contemporary societies.

The effort of the event about the new 
communication technologies is based on the 
perception of its potential growth  there are 
nearly 3 billion active mobiles in the 
nowadays[1] - and the increase of its use not 
only for communication between people but, also 
in activities of education, social inclusion, 
varied artistic productions, entertainment, 
security, content production and distribution, 
sociability nets configuration, activism actions, 
health, commerce, advertising, etc.

*History*

The I Mobilefest was launched in November 2006, 
with an international seminar that took place in 
São Paulo, at Sesc Paulista, with live and free transmission via the Internet.

In its first edition, it broached the social, 
cultural and aesthetic implications that the 
mobile ands mobile technologies have been 
promoting in global scale. The festival discussed 
the main outlining of the relationships between 
mobile technologies (like mobile, handhelds, 
etc.) and the many segments of the society listed 
above. Besides the discussion, the event is made 
of technical and cultural activities and also 
includes expositive exhibition and the launch of 
recognition award of the best mobile jobs and 
applications, the I Mobilefest Awards. The 
seminar gathered 14 foreign artists and 
researchers and Brazilian 20 artists and specialists.

*Objectives*

Popularise the mobile technology as to contribute 
to social inclusion though the generalisation of 
knowledge, its use and possibilities of 
interaction promoted by these new communication media.
Offer the audience the first awarding specialised 
in recognising works that use mobile technology.
Promote cultural interchange among national and 
international researchers and producers of this area.
Incentive the creative thought and production 
about the new technologies aiming to expand the 
possible hardware e software functions in the technology mobile sector.

Stimulate the production of content in the mobile 
technology segment in Brazil in terms of 
production in the industrial segment as well as 
from the point of view of the independent 
creator, thus intending to seek for balanced ways 
of relationships between these two players which will not mean mutual negation.
Enable the participation of all interested in 
producing and distributing content through the mobile communication networks.

*II Mobilefest - International Festival of Mobile Arts and Creativity / 2007*

The use of the mobile phone, the main development 
feature of mobile technology, starts in Brazil in 
1990, when we had around 667 units. Since then, 
and added to all changes linked to globalisation, 
opening of market shares, more and more 
accelerated development of new technologies, all 
that already announced since the 80s in the core 
countries, the amount of mobiles has increased 
exponentially reaching 6700 no in the following 
year, 30 thousand in 1992, nearly 50 millions in 
2004 and, nowadays according to Anatel, Brazil 
has already almost 100 million active mobile 
units (what means 53 mobile/ 100 inhabitants)[2].

It was also during the 1990s that the 
environmental issue started being present in the 
daily guidelines not only of the mass 
communication media but, as well in the civil 
associations as a rather relevant topic of the 
main social movements all over the world, and as 
core subject in several universities and 
specialised research institutes. Among the 
numerous points and dimensions involved in the 
planets environmental problem, the climate issue 
directed everyones attention due to uncountable 
environmental disasters caused by weather alterations.

While the technological development takes wide 
steps, considering the a mobile technology as one 
of the main protagonists of lately, environmental 
issue also grow disputing the news with the high-tech market good news.
Many times it seems like a battle in fact, since 
the productive and technological development is 
takne as one of the main causes of environmental 
problems. Specially about mobiles, one of the 
shocking points between technological development 
and environmental issue regards the garbage 
generated by disused units and discarded 
batteries that grows as fast as the new technological developments.

However , if less than 150 years ago we only had 
a telegraphic signal to generate an S.O.S, now we 
have the latest generation networks mobile phones 
with photo and video cameras, GPS and LBS, linked 
to wireless, viral and instant internet that 
challenging us to find new technological 
solutions and collective actions in favour of the environment.

How can Mobile Technology contribute to 
democracy, culture, art, ECOLOGY, peace, education, health and third-sector?

Considering that, II Mobilefest 2007 intends to 
dedicate part of its activities and reflections upon environmental issue.

*Festival Mobilefest 2007 Theme*

In 2007, besides the more general proposal which 
leads to the question - How can Mobile Technology 
contribute to democracy, culture, art, ecology, 
peace, education, health and third- sector? 
Mobilefest has in view special emphasis in 
ecology, with the theme Environment, trying to 
explore the potentialities of the mobile 
technologies through the proposal Protecting the 
environment using mobile technologies. The 
choice of the theme Environment intends to 
mobilise the civil society before numerous 
environmental tragedies already under course and, 
because we see this as a very rich 
experimentation space through the use of mobile technologies.

[1] According to forecast by research company 
Informa Telecoms an Media (cf. < 
http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/bbc/ult272u59649.shtml >).

[2] According to Anatel: 
http://www.atarde.com.br/especiais/telefoniamovel/mat_histbrasil.php

++

*MOBILEFEST 2007  CALL FOR PAPERS*

II MOBILEFEST 2007 is open to receive project and 
paper proposals to be selected to participate in 
the II Mobilefest International Seminar and 
Exhibition that will take place in the second 
semester 2007, in São Paulo, Brazil.
It is intended that papers and projects presented 
reflect upon Mobilefest theme:
How can Mobile Technology contribute to 
democracy, culture, art, ecology, peace, education, health and third- sector?

REGISTRATION PROCEDURE:
Registrations are open until 31st July 2007 via email
sent to 2007(at)mobilefest.com.br with the following information:

Full name:
Age:
Country:
City:
Land line:
Mobile:
University (not compulsory):
Graduation level (not compulsory):

Category:

( ) democracy
( ) culture
( ) arts
( ) ECOLOGY
( ) peace
( ) education
( ) health
( ) third-sector

Presentations sent should last no longer than 30 minutes.

Projects sent will be selected by categories, marked in the registration form.

Registration should include a brief description 
of the presentation proposed (up to 200 words), 
technical information and participants involved, in .rtf, doc or pdf.

Send your work to:
2007(at)mobilefest.com.br

All selected presentations will be broadcasted 
live via internet and will be available on podcast soon after.

DEADLINES  IMPORTANT DATES:
Project sending: 31st July 2007
Notification: 1st September 2007

In case of doubt, please write to

2007(at)mobilefest.com.br