14/05/2008 – “Festival 404” (English version)

International Festival of Electronic Art in Trieste

Promotion: Gruppo78
Artistic directors: Gina Valenti, Mariano Guzman
Coordination: Guillermo Giampietro
Curator: Maria Campitelli

Period: 29th, 30th, 31st May, 1st, 2nd June 2008

Locations: Molo IV/Sala Agorà, Miela Theatre, Trieste
Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre, Grignano (TS)
Park of the ex-psychiatric hospital in S. Giovanni, Trieste

Timetable : 29th, 30th May 14:00-23:00 hrs; inauguration 19:00 hrs Molo IV/Sala Agorà
31st May 10:00/20:00 hrs, Molo IV/Sala Agorà; 20:00-24:00 hrs Miela Theatre
1st June Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre, Grignano 10:00-20:00 hrs
2nd June, Park of S. Giovanni, 19:00-24:00 hrs

Gruppo 78, the cultural association in Trieste whose main objective is the promotion of contemporary art and especially of new arts scenes using advanced technologies, is presenting the FESTIVAL 404 in Trieste. Its purpose is that of creating a centre to look at research in progress regarding the relationship between art and technology, an ‘ideas workshop’ at a European level.
FESTIVAL 404 is an International Festival of Electronic Art organised by the Associazione Astas Romas (www.astasromas.org) from Rosario (Argentina), where it takes place every year and has now reached its fifth edition.
The Festival is directed by Gina Valenti and Mariano Guzman, it will be presented in Trieste with coordination by Guillermo Giampietro and curated by Maria Campitelli.
It is an independent project which has as its main objective the circulation of artistic productions from all over the world in the electronic arts field, generating a productive environment in which the people involved can form relationships, thus encouraging experimentation and innovation of artistic language in its relationship with new technologies.

The city of Trieste was chosen because of its particular geographical and cultural characteristics, and for its openness and innovative leap towards science, knowledge and technology. (Consider Science Park, SISSA – International School for Advanced Studies, the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, the Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre etc.).

Gruppo 78 intends giving continuity to this experience; as a result it is actively participating in the promotion of this new edition of FESTIVAL 404 (with the hope other editions will follow). Gruppo 78 also proposes to operate in a culture of exchange and participation with organisations involved in ‘social work activities’ with the Department for Mental Health, cultural associations, and individuals who attend artistic and training workshops, through debates, round tables, theoretical and informal discussions. The hope is to subsequently generate, as mentioned at the beginning, an ‘ideas workshop’, capable of producing events and multimedia productions.

The invitation to participate is extended especially to schools, in particular to art school students, who, during the course of the Festival, will be directly involved trough encounters with artists from different parts of the world who are willing to explain their work, both artistically and technically, and trough guided tours.

During the Festival there will be training seminars on the use of software in an artistic form, aimed in particular at youth groups from the educational, university and research centres of the Municipality of Trieste, which are already involved in a collaborative relationship.

Even the Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre has found a place in the project, and collaboration extends to the Conservatorio Tartini/music and technology section and the Coop. Bonawentura of the Miela Theatre.
The Festival, which will be spread around various locations – Molo IV/Sala Agorà, the Miela Theatre, Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre (Grignano) and the park of S. Giovanni (ex-psychiatric hospital) – includes various sections, as follows: video-art, video-performances, installations, concerts, multi-media and performative shows, net-art, robotics, new research between art and technology. Furthermore, there will be an educational and information section, with meetings and conferences held by Italian and foreign experts.
Of around a hundred artists invited to take part in the Festival, 40 will be present in Trieste.

INSTALLATIONS
Daniel Miller – USA, Sofian Audry, Jonathan Villleneuve, Myriam Bessette – Canada, Sung Heng – Taiwan, Leandro Ezequiel Monasterio – Argentina, Jiacong “Jay” Yan – USA, Lin Pey Chwen – Taiwan, Kligerman+Mehdaoui – France, Michele Sganghero – Italy, Chun Chi Wang –Taiwan, Jieun Kwon – Korea, Xárene Eskandar – USA, Nobuhiko Furuta – Japan, Saoirse Higgins – Ireland,  DSU – Switzerland, Elisa Zurlo – Italy, Valentina Meli  – Italia/Tilen Zbona – Slovenia

PERFORMANCES
Guillermo Giampietro & Lara Baracetti – Italy, Rafaël – Belgium, Monika Dutta – UK, Sadmb – Japan, Bill Vorn, Emma Howes, Jonathan Villeneuve – Canada, NOBUhiko Furuta – Japan, Tim Vets – Belgium.

MUSIC + AUDIOVISUAL SET
Gina Valenti + Andrés C4 – Argentina, SYNCHDUB – Belgium, Mc. Fly – Argentina, Sensorial – Argentina, Conservatorio di Musica Tartini/music and technology section, Trieste – Italy.

NET- ART
Alessandro Capozzo – Italy, Hiroshi Matoba – Japan, David Clark – Canada, Sadmb – Japan,  NOBUhiko Furuta – Japan, Jody Xellen – USA, Claudia Missina – Chile, Juliet Davis – USA, Datadreamer – USA, Jack Stokholm – Canada, Michael Takeo Magruder – UK, Carlin Man – Romania, Babel – UK, Mattheu Williamson – Canada, Jason Nelson – USA, Australia, Daniel Hanai – Brasil.

VIDEO
Daniel Miró –  Argentina, Anders Weberg – Sweden, Brit Bunkley – New Zealand,  Cooperativa Bonawentira/Miela Theater, set of own initiatives – Italy, Gen Kuang Chang – USA, DAT –Taiwan, Blake Carrington – USA, Brigitta Bodenauer – Austria, Eltjon Valle – Albania, Davide Bertocchi – Italy, Fani Zguro – Albania, Bruno Muzzolini – Italy,  Johannes Deutsch – Austria, Gerlinde Helm – Austria, Itziar Barrio – Spain, Hetain Patel – UK, Dritan Hiskia – Albania, Bekim Gllogu – Kossovo, Alban Muja – Albania/Johanna Rytel – Svezia,  Shesus Sanchez – Argentina, Guadalajaraman – Argentina, Laura Gahliesi – Argentina, Jhon Fillwalk – USA, Pei-Shih Tu – UK, Lorena Isabel Suarez – Argentina, Laura Gagliesi – Argentina.

DIGITAL IMAGES
Drosop – Mexico, Tim Portiok – USA,  Angelica Beatriz – Brasil, Brit Bunkley – New Zealand, Davida Kidd – Canada, Ignacio Ravazzoli – Argentina, Javier Bilatz – Argentina, Kasao – Japan, Lan Lan – Taiwan, Li Yi Ching – Taiwan, Luciana Paletti – Argentina, Moira G. – Argentina, Nathan Selikoff – USA.

THEORY
Susana Perez Tort – Argentina, Xárene Eskandar – USA, Gina valenti & Mariano Guzman – Argentina, Maria Campitelli – Italy, Giovanni Paronnuzzi – Italy.

Some of the work exhibited will be spectacular and amazing, such as that of the well-known Canadian artist Bill Vorn, who will build a robot two metres tall, and one-and-a-half metres in length (Miela Theatre, 31st May). Or the exhibit from the Austrian Johannes Deutsch, who, with computer elaborations carried out for years, will show well-known classical musical pieces on giant screens, such as the Second Symphony of Gustav Mahler, penetrating the expressive characteristics of the music with images in continuous transformation. Lin Pey Chwen from Taiwan will construct a virtual theatre, where the characters are the famous Great Wall of China warriors guided by the spectator, who becomes the show director through a complex interactive system, reversing the traditional theatre roles. Jiacong ‘Jay’ Yan, American artist born in Shanghai, will produce an interactive set-up called “we only come out at night”, creating urban graffiti which are only visible at night, because it does not include traditional murals, but rather luminous, moving projections which transform with the participation of the public, with people’s shadows which superimpose the images. Chun Chi Wang, another artist from Taiwan, will present a urban magazine, made from text messages sent from ordinary people to give an impression of daily life, consequently establishing an immaterial network which feeds communication, creating an inter-urban space… Daniel Miller from Chicago will blend robotics, ecology and various electronic media to give an account about a site in Illinois which has seen the first nuclear reactor… And the examples could go on…

The Festival will be held under the aegis of the Province of Trieste and with the approval of Casa dell’Arte.

Partners of the initiative
Coop. Bonawentura/Miela Theater, Conservatorio Tartini Trieste/music and technology section, Immaginario Scientifico Science Centre, Fucinemute, Faltwerksalon, DDMagazine, Dobialab, Coop. Agenzia sociale 2001, D.S.M., Coop la Collina, Club Zyp, Radio Fragola, Tetris, la Fabbrica del Cambiamento.

Info
GRUPPO 78
www.gruppo78.it
info@gruppo78.it; gruppo78trieste@gmail.com
tel/fax ++39 040 567136
cell. 339 8640784
info@404festival.com