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Want to experience the new wave of new media art and surf into the new sound- and media-scapes that include profound installations and interactive art projects? The "Microwave International Media Art Festival 2002" (MIMAF), the biggest annual video art event in Hong Kong, is bringing in lots of new media art works, spanning the boundary between art and technology.
Between now and December 21, MIMAF will present at different venues a multi-facet programme that includes interactive media art installation exhibition, a new section "Net Art Exhibition", seminars and a forum on media art development, a musical as well as the recently-held screenings on international video and artist-in-residence workshops.
The event, presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), and organized by the Microwave Co. Ltd. and Videotage attracted a great number of participation last year. This year's focus, "Temporal Being", will use the concept of temporality as the point of departure to explore time-based arts, including video, web art, performance and interactive art involving time.
Bombarded by the explosion of new digital technology, how to combine art and technology becomes the hottest issue in today's art world. With an aim of promoting cultural exchange and enhance appreciation of new media art, the MIMAF brings in a lot of creative works allowing participants to immerge into the virtual space and experience the electronic occupation of art and architecture. The works will also serve to raise questions on how the internet, hypertexts and new technologies potentially change our modes of perception, representation and identification.
To bring media art into public realm, an interactive media art installation of 20 local and overseas artists has been set up at the Hong Kong City Hall Exhibition Hall (Low Block) from today (Friday) to November 30. All invited overseas artists have been presented in the prestigious Ars Electronica Festival in Austria. Exhibits include "Rain Dance" by Paul de Marinis (USA), "The Visitor: Living By Numbers" by Luc Courchesne (Canada), "Sonic Pong" by Time's Up (Austria), "Co-ex communication suite" by Yasu Santo and Francis Lam (Hong Kong), and "Frontality" by Enoch Cheung (Hong Kong), video installation "Trembling Time" by Yael Bartana (Israel), performance objects "Extended Arm", "Motion Prosthesis" and animation of "HEXAPOD" by Stelarc (Australia).
To extend the art leaders' quest of knowledge into a new genre on new art, The MIMAF has invited one of the pioneers of Net Art, Vuk Cosic, as the guest curator for the "Net art Exhibition " at Videotage Studio from November 16 to 30. His critical selection on artistic practices on the internet articulates an exciting exploration of issues that constellate around the World Wide Web and its users. The exhibition also features commissioned work of Terry Lai's "Unit" and the recommended "The Toy Shop" by Christopher Lau and Patricia Chan.
Not to be missed is the contribution exhibition programme, "Body Brush" by Young Hay, Horace Ip and Alex Tang held at the CityU Gallery of the City University of Hong Kong from now until December 29. The exhibit has won the honorary mention of interactive art in Prix Ars Electronica 2002 in September.
In addition to exhibiting his works on making the body out of syn in the robotics revolution, Stelarc from Australia will host a lecture on November 22 at the Space Museum Lecture Hall demonstrating his manifestos-that the human body is obsolete. Since 1970s, Stelarc has conducted a series of performances and installations leading the way in the exploration of the body, technology and culture.
As a cross cultural event, the Festival features a series of seminars on November 16 and 17 at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Lecture Hall and the "On Air-Forum on Media Art Development", curated by Leung Man Tao, at the Ngau Pang Sue Yuen on November 30, December 7, 14 and 21.
Another highlight is a Canton-Popsicle e-musical, "Black Dragon Club's Premier Fantasy Musical: Out of Control" performed by Indie music idols, Pancakes, Alok, together with the new born Catherine, cross media artists and singers at Videotage on December 21.
Free admission to the exhibitions, seminars and forum is on a first-come-first served basis. Information leaflet can be obtained at the LCSD venues. Enquiries can be made at 91339599 (Miss Ng), 25731869 (Videotage), 2734 2900 (LCSD) or by browsing the website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp or www.videotage.org.hk.
End/Friday, November 15, 2002
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