[spectre] Bethlehem in Argentina and Italy

[m/a/c]

Press Release
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Media/Art/Cologne - www.mediaartcologne.org
has the pleasure to open in December 2006
the media art exhibition
:/selfportrait - a show for Bethlehem - a show for Peace
http://self.engad.org
simultaneously in Argentina and Italy--->

on 10 December at
MAC - Museo de Arte Contemporaneo
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Fe/Argentina
http://self.engad.org/blog/?p=22

and
on 16 December at
Casoria Contemporary Art Museum Naples/Italy
http://www.casoriacontemporaryartmuseum.com/ita/comself.htm

The show is organised and curated by Agricola de Cologne,
and was  realized first in July 2006 at Al Kahf Art Gallery in Bethlehem/Palestine.
After an extension of the original exhibition collection,
the show includes now about 300 artists  from more than 30 countries
in the New Media media desciplines
digital print, digital video, multimedia, soundart and artists statements:

The show takes the classical theme of the artist"selfportrait"
and sets it in a new technological and conceptual context.
The basic idea was that the artists overcome symbolically
the wall which is separating Israel from Palestinian territory
by showing face and being present through their selfportraits - and -
become true messengers of peace this way.

Bethlehem -  a spiritual center of relevance in three world religions
and symbol for peace and freedom for about two thousand years also far beyond -
becomes a new symbol for peace in another dimension -
as it stands for all the virtual and physical walls anywhere around the globe
which people need to overcome in order to live a life in peace and dignity.
The show does not only transport the message of solidarity,
but also the idea of a free and independent culture without borders,
the use of New Media technology represents further
a symbol for a new era of solving conflicts via communication.

After the show could be inaugurated according this conception
on 6 July 2006 in Palestine despite of the escalating conflict in Middle East,
while most other international events were cancelled at that time,
://selfportrait - a show for Bethlehem - a show for Peace
is planned to be shown at many other places around the globe in sequence,
and now through both exhibitions in Argentina and Italy,
this message of peace is the Christmas message 2006
going from Bethlehem to the rest of the world.

For those, who are not able to visit the show in physical space,
the project site online allows all interested people
to experience the entire exhibition also online in virtual space on
http://self.engad.org, whereby the site consists of two parts -
an administrative textual low-tech part, and an artistic high-tech part which needs
broad bandwidth internet connection  for  experiencing audio and video streaming.
Its interface is also part of the physical show and gives the visitor
the possibility to surf through the project environment and
and spend more time  for certain artworks individually online, if possible, or otherwise offline.

Project information -->
in Spanish can be found on
http://self.engad.org/blog/?page_id=23
--> In Italian can be found on
http://self.engad.org/blog/?page_id=24

--------------------------------------------------------------
://selfportrait a - show for Bethlehem - a show for Peace
http://self.engad.org
 - the first media art project by Media/Art/Cologne  -
is realised in cooperation with
Bethlehem International Center/Palestine
Officya Art Space Szczecin/Poland,
Casoria Contemporary Art Museum Naples/Italy
MAC - Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Santa Fe/Argentina
MACRO - Museum de Arte Contemporaneo Rosario/Argentina

locations:
MAC - Museo de Arte Contemporaneo Santa Fe
http://www.unl.edu.ar/eje.php?ID=617
http://self.engad.org/blog/?p=22
duration: 10 December 2006 - 30 January 2007
poster-->download as PDF -->
http://downloads.nmartproject.net/santa_fe_poster.pdf


Casoria Contemporary Art Museum Naples/Italy
www.casoriacontemporaryartmuseum.com
duration: 16 Dcember 2006 - 16 January 2007
press release as PDF --->
http://downloads.nmartproject.net/casoria_museo_press_in_italiano.pdfOn 1

-------------------------------------------------
Basic project information can be downloaded as PDF
http://downloads.nmartproject.net/selfportrait_a_show_for_bethlehem_a_show_for_peace.pdf

Find all artists listed on
http://self.engad.org/blog/?page_id=8
http://www.casoriacontemporaryartmuseum.com/ita/self.htm

The list of participating artists can be downloaded as PDF
http://downloads.nmartproject.net/selfportrait_a_show_for_peace_artistspdf

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This press release is issued by
Media/Art/Cologne
the global window to media art from Cologne/Germany
http://www.mediaartcologne.org
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