[spectre] RRF2005 spotlights VideoChannel

[{e-art}]

[R][R][F]2005--->XP
http://rrf2005.newmediafest.org
global networking project
is proud to present new contributions to VideoChannel online & offline
on occasion of a suit of physical events during October and November 2005
(more info see further ahead)

1. curated contribution by Vince Briffa (Malta)
2. curated contribution by Agricola de Cologne
    a) selection on the theme "memory & indentity"
    b) selection of 20 videos on theme "selfportrait"
3. the featured video on [R][R][F]2005--->XP start page
    "All Qiet on the Western Front"
    by Jamil Yamani (Australia)
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1. videos on theme "memory and indentity"
by artists from MALTA curated by Vince Briffa
featuring Mark Mangion, Austin Camilleri, Pierre Portelli and
Vince Briffa.
(see also http://netex.nmartproject.net/index.php?blog=3 )

curatorial statement by Vince Briffa

The works of Vince Briffa, Austin Camilleri, Pierre Portelli and Mark Mangion.

 In parallel with video art practices, especially over the European continent and specifically in the United Kingdom*, in Malta, during the mid 1990’s there was no clearly identifiable independent video (and to a lesser extent film) culture. It is in the last half of the 1990’s that the first video art pieces were shown in the local art spaces. Ironically, video works by a handful of Maltese artists were many times given their first showing in exhibitions abroad and later ‘re-imported’ back to Malta’s shores.

The works of Briffa, Camilleri, Portelli and Mangion amongst others are such examples. Having completed their studies abroad they returned to a culture where installation and even more video art practice and exhibitions were a rarity. This phenomenon was mainly due to two factors – cultural and practical – a strong artistic presence of the more traditional media which translated into an initial compelling resistance towards video art practice by the general public and also the scarcity of professional video production equipment in the mid 1990’s mainly due to its prohibitive cost. With the advent of digitality and the explosion of desktop video more recently, the video medium has become more accessible and through such artists’ sustained practice it has steadily gained the recognition it deserves within the Maltese art scene. As manifest by their CV’s, these artists are also very active in their own right internationally, especially in the European scene.

All four artists are also founding members of START – a group of Maltese contemporary artists working in a variety of disciplines (www.startmalta.com).

 * John Wyver , introduction to the third ICA biennial of Independent Film and Video, ‘What you see is what you get’, London, ICA, 1995.

Details on VideoChannel htpp.//videochannel.newmediafest.org
and after the launch of the new [R][R][F]2005--->XP - version on 5 October, also via
http://rrf2005.newmediafest.org
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2.
videos on the theme "memory and identity"
curated by Agricola de Cologne
(see also http://netex.nmartproject.net/index.php?blog=3 )

a) featuring these artists
Silvio de Gracia (Argentina), Carlo Sansolo (Brazil
Antoni Karwowski (Poland), Mireille Astore (Australia),
Anatol Kraczyna (Italy), Jamil Yamani (Australia)

b) selection on the theme "selfportrait" featuring
--->
*André Austvoll (Norway), Clare Ultimo (USA)
*Reuben James Preston (UK), Vinxce Briffa (Malta)
*Agricola de Cologne (Germany), *Lee Welch (Ireland)
*Giovanni Antignano (Italy), *Michael Szpakowski (UK)
*Oliver Griem (South Korea),*Sinasi Gunes (Turkey)
Nita Mocanu (Romania), *Eileen Bonner (UK)
*Jack Messenger & Chirstinn Whyte (UK)
*Jen Ross (UK), *Cynthia Whelan (UK)
*Donal Bousted (UK), *Svetlana & Andi Wallwhore (USA)
Christina McPhee (USA),  Alice Arnold (USA)

3.  the featured video on [R][R][F]2005--->XP start page
    "All Qiet on the Western Front"
    by Jamil Yamani (Australia)
(see also http://netex.nmartproject.net )

Artist statement
This  work explores the changing face of identity when one is exposed to a greater cultural hegemony, it is illustrated through the simplistic device of eating food. In the work on the left/east side I can be seen eating a traditional indian meal, salt is taken at the beginning of the meal and I begin to eat with only my right hand (my family are muslims), no drink is taken until the meal is finished. On the right/western side a napkin is laid on my lap and I commence my meal by swallowing a large amount of beer, halfway through the meal I burp quite loudly and once again near the end. On the table on the eastern side is placed a jar of olive oil, its counterpart on the west is a jar of salted preserved lemons, how can these two elements come together to harmoniously communicate? Can they ever? For most of the duration of the film, both myselves studiously ignore each other but every now and then their eyes meet or when one is engaged in their food, the other observes himself. I make no commentary or observations within this text, I merely present multiple facets of complex problems.

About the artist
JAMIL YAMANI – video/installation artist
His work has been exhibited at ARTSPACE, Centre for Contemporary Art, Sydney, Perth Institute of Contemporary Art, Perth, Performance Space, Sydney, Customs House, Circular Quay, Sydney, Space 3, Sydney, COFA Exhibition and Performance Space, UNSW, Sydney.
His collaborative work has been exhibited in Taipei, Taiwan, Broken Hill, NSW, Gallery 4A, Sydney and Electrofringe, Newcastle. His screen-based work has been shown in Sydney and internationally, and he has given occasional guest lectures most notably at the Sydney arm of Boston University, USA. He has also collaborated with Professor David Malin to create the first new media visual component to accompany the work of a major Australian Composer (Ross Edwards) and presented in pre-eminent concert venues including the Adelaide Town Hall and the Sydney Opera House.
 Jamil works in IT support at the College of Fine Arts, UNSW where he also lectures in Computing.
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As a part of [R][R][F]2005--->XP - global networking project,
VideoChannel is presented online in the framework of
IMPACT'SA 05 - event series project http://impact.newmediafest.org,
but also on 10 DVD video volumes
during the interactive  [R][R][F]2005--->XP installation in the exhibition
"Groundworks" -
Environmental Collaboration in Contemporary Art
14 October - 11 December 2005
at Regina Gouger Miller Gallery at Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburg/USA
and Biennale of Video & New Media in Santiago/Chile
www.bienaldevideo.cl
18-28 November
.
"Selfportrait" video collection will be also presented in a gallery installation
in the framework of Videoligia Festival Volgograd/Russia in November.
.
Further will be a special selection of videos, entitled "Rhythms of Memory"
presented in the framework of PI-Five Short Video Festival Szczecin/Poland
http://pi-five.piranho.com/
7-17 October 2005
.
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VideoChannel
is a joint venture between Le Musee di-visioniste
(http://www.le-musee-divisionste.org )
and [R][R][F]2005--->XP - global networking project
http://rrf2005.newmediafest.org
and
is corporate part of
[NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne
www.nmartproject.net
the experimental platform for art and New Media
operating from Cologne/Germany
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These info are also issued on NetEX - networked experience
http://netex.nmartproject.net
and
http://netex.nmartproject.net/index.php?blog=3
.
contact and info
info (at) nmartproject.net