01 Dec 2011

PIXXELPOINT 2011

Pixxelpoint is one of the most successful and renowned festivals of new media art in Slovenia and also abroad. Its purpose is firstly, to bring the information technology and new media art closer to the general public, and secondly, to raise awareness about a different potential to use computer among the young. In previous editions the festival had a big media response and over 3000 visitors visited it every year, so this is a challenge for the organizers to further expand it and trespass the boundaries of the gallery space which has become too small for all the projects which are to be carried out. The exhibition of new media art projects, as the central event of the festival will be mounted at City Gallery Nova Gorica but will include also other locations at Nova Gorica and Gorizia (Italy).

The title for the 12th edition of Pixxelpoint 2011 is appropriately enigmatic: LETS GET READY..., merely defines a space of engagement driven forward by a generative force: 'to begin again from the beginning' for those who seek what formulates new media art in its fluent transition between the various manifestations, which can take on new meanings in multiple contextual re-configurations no matter what of their materiality or mediality. Especially when considering the articulations from the fundamental/historical register to what this could foster at the intersection of new media art's 'mission, its destiny.'

Beyond what has been stated, it can also be said that one of the characteristics of new media art is potentially generate a critical moments; an instance of that might open up the possibility of thinking the 'new.'

However, in describing the relation to the new media driven art forms, there is likewise a kernel approach as 'new technologies are nothing other than new means to an end.' Then, what does this interpretation cultivate? And, how could this space of engagement be defined within these statement, which at first appear contradictory yet are co-existing and non-separable?

The repercussions of what characterize the generative moment of reconnecting processually with what is produced, with the conditions of emergence of which reveals its transformative capacities as a space for possibilities. This highlights the political and cultural context of contemporary art production in the context of the emergence of micropolitical forces to generate.

This seeks to maintain relational entities in tracing a line through different planes of production and this is the very core of the direction of the 12th edition of Pixxelpoint 2011, linked with the eventualities of implications for the very idea of critical engagement as to create different forms of articulation in relation to new media art.


Curatorial team

Gülsen Bal - visual culture theorist and curator. She is the Director, Head of Development of Projects and Programmes at Open Space - Zentrum für Kunstprojekte in Vienna. Bal curated, published articles, participated in talks and held workshops in various places and venues in the U.K. as well as in Europe and Turkey.

BridA / Jurij Pavlica, Sendi Mango, Tom Kerševan - was created in 1996, when its members were studying at the Venice Academy of fine arts. Since then the BridA has developed a series of top-level artistic projects at an international level.


Participating Artists:
Heba Amin, Burak Arıkan, Miriam Bajtala, John Bell, Neno Belchev, Jorge Catoni, Andrea Dojmi and Lorenzo Bona, Karin Felbermayr, Alexander Gross, Marina Gržinić/Aina Šmid/Zvonka Simčič, Haciktectura.net, Wei-Ming Ho, Barbara Holub and Paul Rajakovics, Reese Inman, Sanela Jahić, Gavin Jocius, Sheridan Kelley, Kensuke Koike, monochrom, Alban Muja, Joseph Nechvatal, Alan Phelan, Irena Pivka and Brane Zorman, Arjan Pregl, Christine Schörkhuber, Santiago Sierra, Owen Smith, Abby Stiers, Christian Streinz, Sissua Tarka aka Verina Gfader, Justin Taylor, Maciej Toporowicz, Arjan Vanmeenen

Award
A judging panel will chose the award winner which will be announced during the festival.

Award jury:
Vuk Ćosić - new media artist, pioneer of net.art, Ljubljana.
Charles Esche - curator, writer and director of the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.
Ida Hiršenfelder - freelance art critic, also collaborates with Radio Študent, Dnevnik and Center for Contemporary Arts - SCCA, Ljubljana.
Tevž Logar - artistic director of Škuc gallery, Ljubljana.
Franz Thalmair - curator, writer and co-founded the collective CONT3XT.NET. currently managing curator at the Secession, Vienna.

Suported by:
Municipality of Nova Gorica
Republik of Slovenia - Ministry of Culture
Österreichisches Kulturforum Ljubljana