[artinfo] Present continuous: International Festival of Contemporary Art

[e-Flux]

Futuro presente / Present continuous
May 23-25, 2008

THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL THAT GIVES
A VOICE TO CONTEMPORARY ART: FAENZA.

<http://www.festivalartecontemporanea.it>http://www.festivalartecontemporanea.it 


Somewhere in the world, almost every day a new contemporary art 
biennial, festival or fair is being announced. In spite of their 
diversity in terms of context, scope, themes, and financial 
resources, all these initiatives share a common goal: to exhibit 
exciting contemporary art. What is missing, however, is a moment and 
a place to pause and to reflect on where contemporary art is heading, 
devoting all energies and attention to debating in depth on such 
multi-faceted aspects as audiences, big events, museums, art schools, 
markets, curatorial trends, collecting, artists' positions, etcetera.

Faenza, a beautiful Italian town with a worldwide reputation in the 
design and manufacturing of ceramics, is willing to fill this gap, 
launching the International Festival of Contemporary Art Futuro 
Presente / Present Continuous, which will take place on May 23 - 25, 
2008. These three days will provide a global platform for curators, 
artists, scholars and professionals willing to investigate and 
understand the evolution of the contemporary art system in an epoch 
of turbulent change, burgeoning opportunities and unprecedented 
challenges.

The Festival offers a so far unique opportunity to listen to, and to 
discuss with, some of the outstanding personalities and opinion 
leaders in the field, in a situation where discussion takes the main 
stage, rather than being a side event to attend if there is spare 
time.

The scientific committee of the Festival includes Carlos Basualdo, 
curator of contemporary art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and 
professor of history of exhibitions at the IUAV University Venice, 
Pier Luigi Sacco, professor of cultural economics at IUAV University 
Venice, scientific director of goodwill and of the strategic plan for 
the cultural district of Faenza, and Angela Vettese, professor of 
history of contemporary art at IUAV University Venice, and director 
of the City Gallery of Contemporary Art of Modena.

With its innovative format, Futuro Presente / Present Continuous will 
offer an intriguing mix of non-stop meetings, seminars, 
presentations, debates and workshops, in the context of a 
magnificent, lively Italian town renowned for its hospitality and its 
excellent food, and hosting a wealth of exciting side events in a 
variety of different fields such as music, performing arts, crafts, 
and so on.

Among the many speakers and participants who already confirmed their 
presence are Alexander Alberro, Iwona Blazwick, Achille Bonito Oliva, 
Germano Celant, Eduardo Cicelyn, TJ Demos, Danilo Eccher, Alberto 
Garutti, Massimiliano Gioni, Dan Graham, Udo Kittelmann, Vasif 
Kortun, Beral Madra, Gianfranco Maraniello, Gerald Matt, Viktor 
Misiano, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Marjetica Potrc, Nancy Spector, 
Robert Storr, Francesco Vezzoli, to name but a few.

The program will also offer previews of the programs of some of the 
most important institutions and events on the forthcoming calendar of 
contemporary art. These range from the long-awaited travelling 
biennial exhibition, Manifesta, scheduled for the first time in Italy 
in 2008, to the new Whitechapel, which will open to the public in 
2009, after an important extension plan, designed by the architects 
Robbrecht en Daem.

Special attention will be paid to the increasing interaction between 
the contemporary art world and the economy, from the development of 
markets to the growing role of contemporary art as a source of 
identity, innovation, and organizational involvement, and so on. 
These issues will be discussed by a selected forum of entrepreneurs 
explaining the meaning and motivation of their involvement, and 
investment, in contemporary art today.

Also the interactions between contemporary art and cultural and 
creative industries (fashion design, food design, product design, 
architecture) will be explored with the help of Flavio Albanese, 
director of Domus, Stefano Boeri, director of Abitare, Maria Luisa 
Frisa, professor of Fashion Studies at IUAV University Venice, 
Alexander von Vegesack, director of the Vitra Design Museum, and with 
world-renowned guests such as fashion designer Antonio Marras, chef 
Massimo Bottura, and many more.

In collaboration with
Acax, Bucharest
AMACI
ANGAMC
CAIC, Vilnius
Polish Institute of Rome
Scope Art Fair, Miami, New York, London, Basel
Trans Europe Halles
University IUAV of Venice
University UIAH, Helsinki
uqbar, Berlin
Viafarini, Milan

Scientific committee
Carlos Basualdo, Pier Luigi Sacco, Angela Vettese
 
For further information:

Santa Nastro, press office
<mailto:sn at good-will.it>sn at good-will.it
+393295794324
+39051220080
<http://www.festivalartecontemporanea.it>http://www.festivalartecontemporanea.it
<http://www.good-will.it>http://www.good-will.it