[spectre] Sharing the Future?

[Raivo Kelomees]

European Conference for Photography and New Media Educators

TARTU ART COLLEGE
19. and 20. April 2002

"Sharing the Future?"

Synopsis:

The Conference will discuss the achievements and problems of teaching=20
photography and the new media in mostly the former East-European=20
countries. As an outcome, the conclusions will be made and made public=20
about the recent developments in art education: specially those,=20
connected with teaching the new disciplines within specific=20
socio-cultural conditions. One of the targets is to build more vital=20
connections between different institutions of the kind around Europe.

Some central questions will be addressed at the conference:

1. How has education in photography and new media developed since the=20
1990ties ?
2. What were/ are the typical difficulties in establishing a university=20
level education-providing in these fields ?
3. What is there to learn from the more experienced countries ? And can=20
any international experience in the field be adopted into a specific=20
socio-cultural context ?
4. What are the positive and negative sides of interdisciplinary or=20
separate teaching of photography and the new media ?
5. What are the potential and the immediate possibilities for=20
international cooperation both: between the East-European countries and=20
between all European institutions ? etc.

Conference:

The current conference of educators in New Media and Photography=20
proceeds from the important objectives: a university level education in=20
these fields of art teaching has started historically late - with a few=20
exeptions we can trace it back to the 1990ties - be it in Lithuania,=20
Estonia or other countries. During this late start, these new fields in=20
visual art education have had quite a fast success and gained a=20
remarkable popularity in the society - simultaneously we are facing=20
rather serious difficulties both in methodology of providing the=20
education; also with fitting the new departments and studios into the=20
framework of previously existed in classical Academic structures.

Both photography and the new media have been experiencing a certain=20
hostility and misunderstandings from the side of "classical" academic=20
circles, and might, in certain cases remain in isolation among the other=20
fields of art education. Our conference is targeted at researching these=20
cases in different institutions and different socio-cultural contexts,=20
i.e.different countries. An experience will be shared about the=20
integration photography and new media into a classical art-academic=20
structure; also the future possibilities for international co-operation=20
both within the former East-European countries; and also within Europe=20
will be discussed; one of the aims of this project, is, also to build=20
tighter connections and to establish more vital exchange of the students=20
and teachers between different countries in Europe.

All this would allow, more adequately, to recognize each institution?s=20
place and situation in the landscape of (partly) similar institutions on=20
the international scene. Also, rather simple sharing of experience,=20
academic and professional knowledge is seen as a valuable aim of the=20
conference. On of the more far aim of the event is, to make that kind of=20
conferences to a regular event which in the futurewould include=20
participants from all over Europe. Finally: the organizers hope that the=20
event will have additional benefits for the students and will facilitate=20
new discussions in the field between the representatives of the=20
traditional and the new media; both locally and internationally.


1. Day : Friday, 19.april

Beginning at 14.00.

Lectures:

14.00 Introduction: Ants Juske, rector of Tartu Art College
14.30 Peeter Linnap, Estonia. The field of "New" in the postcolonial art=20
education
15.00 Horea Murgu, Romania. " 4 x 4 "Screen language - contemporary=20
mutation in social communication
15.30 Raivo Kelomees, Estonia. "New media - old problems"
16.00-16.30 coffee break
16.30 Keiko Sei, Czech Republic/Japan. "My experience in education of=20
media art in Czech Republic"
17.00 Robin Dance, England "A critique of "academic" education:=20
reflections on teaching photography".

20.00 Vernissage of Robin Dance's (England) exhibition "Japanese=20
Landscapes" at Sebra gallery.


Day 2. Saturday, 20.april
Beginning at 14.00.

14.00 Heie Treier: presentation of the Estonian magazine for Visual=20
Culture - "Kunst.ee"

Lectures:

14.30 Boryana Dragoeva, Bulgaria. "Media, education and the critical=20
thinking."
15.00 Svetlana Ostrova, Russia. "Experiments on liquidation of visual=20
illiteracy"
15.30 coffee break
16.00 Vaclav Macek, Slovak Republic. "Slovak perspective of Photographic=20
Education"
16.30 Vaclav Macek, Slovak Republic. Presentation of "Imago" magazine
17.00 Paul Rodgers, England/Estonia. "Observations of Art Education:=20
England, Europe, Estonia"

Organizers of the Conference

Tartu Art College:
Peeter Linnap, professor of photography
Raivo Kelomees, professor of new media

The Conference has made financically possible by:
"Cultural Link" program, South-East Arts, England and Tartu Art College

Special Thanks: Anu Kivilo and the participants



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Raivo Kelomees
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GSM +372 56 235 191
e-mail: offline@online.ee
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Address:
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Tartu Art College
T=E4he 38b, 50103 TARTU
Estonia
www.art.tartu.ee
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