TodaysArt will be represented in several meetings and public events hosted by ECAS, among which the jury meeting for the ECAS Open Call for Works: Ubiquitous Art and Sound (deadline for submissions: 13 May) and an ECAS Conference.

The program also includes an ECAS “speed-dating” session, an afternoon offering the opportunity for local artists (eg. visual artists, performers, musicians, sound art producers, designers, etc) to present their works to and get acquainted with ECAS festival members as well as a representative from Britain’s The Wire magazine, according to their interests. Participation is based on pre-submitting a short application form, available here.

The NextSound festival will present the latest experiments in audio and video as well as premiere performances of world-renowned artists, most of whom will play their first time in Ukraine. Among this year’s participants are Radian, Kammerflimmer Kollektief, Tape, Kangding Ray, Grischa Lichtenberger, Jan Jelinek and many others. NextSound follows the global trend in an attempt to synthesize different creative systems – namely, audio and video, to create new artistic techniques. One of the conceptual frameworks of the event is to create innovative contexts, among other things. The project aims to combine creative scene in Ukraine and inspire musicians to experiment with new, modern ways of work and give them a platform for communication and joint projects with colleagues from abroad and from Ukraine. The festival is organized by the Ukrainian avant-label Nexsound founded by Andrey Kiritchenko in 2000. For 13 years already Nexsound artists represent Ukraine on major European festivals of modern experimental music and media art. Today it lists more than 60 releases, including Muslimgauze, Kim Cascone, Francisco Lopez, I/DEX and others, and cooperative works with Staalplaat, Soleilmoon, A-Musik and Plop.

Photo: Kangding Ray @ TodaysArt 2007 – Marc Wathieu

Make sure to check the latest ECAS Open Call for Works if you are interested to submit a project to be presented at TodaysArt Festival 2013, Insomnia Festival 2013 in Tromsø and FutureEverything 2014 in Manchester. More info can be found here.

The submitted works need to relate to the theme Ubiquitous Art and Sound. This theme explores the ever-growing omnipresence of technology in everyday life through new approaches in creating art and sound for the public domain. Digital formats are everywhere. A consequence of the ever-spreading reach of media and the rise of new technologies. This phenomenon is matched by new artistic approaches to creating art and sound for the public realm.

Generally, there is increasing interest in presenting cultural activities in ‘lived spaces’ where people go about their everyday lives, instead of arts and culture being the preserve of traditional arts venues and museums. The ‘city’ is increasingly a focus, as urban spaces draw together different communities and forms of media and technology, and digital technology is changing the function of the city, and dissolving the boundaries between work and play. Traditionally, public spaces are thought of as city squares and other such physical spaces. Increasingly people come together and meet in online spaces as well as physical spaces, which are often overlaid, blurring the distinction between the physical and virtual.

Through this call, we aim to explore the means and meanings of engaging audiences in the development of site specific artworks in urban environments which respond to its specific localities and engage local communities resulting in highly visible presentation formats in public settings. Herein we look at the cultural and environmental relevance and the wider societal impact implied by this move to increasing ubiquity.

By inviting interdisciplinary practitioners to submit new projects dedicated to this theme, we aim to articulate the ways in which the public domain can be designed and used, and examine current trends and practices. Together with our audiences we would like to renew the vision on our own living environment, and to encourage the development of new tools which can be used to enhance these environments.

If you’d like to apply, or for full details, visit the ECAS website.

A quote from the article:

“Todaysart Festival seems to be more and more an event not to be missed in the European digital art scene. It is not only a remarkable qualitative artistic level, but also a great organization and an effective structure. The main theme, as stated by the organizers, this year was “the search and the loving for the undiscovered”. Multiple were not only the venues but also the aspects of the this edition’s program, presenting audiovisual productions, modern dance performances and workshops, DJ sets, concerts, installations and exhibitions.”

Agenda: 18 – 21 April – Rokolectiv Festival 2013 takes place from 18 – 21 April at MNAC Bucharest and Modern in Bucharest. The program features: Elise Morin + Clémence Eliard – Waste Landscape, Burnt Friedman + Jaki Liebezeit, Kuedo + MFO, Holy Other, Evian Christ, The Phantom, Coughy, Hipdiebattery, John Talabot, MikeQ, Sinjin Hawke, Village + more.

Updates:
- Olof van Winden’s presentation can be found here.
- Find some of the feedback on Olof van Winden’s presentation at #futr here.
- View and download the publication on the Digital Public Space by FutureEverything here.
- Notes and references from the great presentation by co-panelist Honor Harger can be found here.
- The ‘Framing Digital Art’ panel is mentioned as one of the highlights of FutureEverything in their newsletter.
- Read the report in Wired Beyond the Beyond by Bruce Sterling here.