[spectre] ART + COMMUNICATION 2006: WAVES. The 8th International New Media Art festival

[by way of Andreas Broeckmann]

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ART + COMMUNICATION 2006: WAVES
The 8th International New Media Art festival
August 24 - 26, 2006 in Riga, Latvia.
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The opening of the festival and exhibition - August 24, 2006.
The exhibition will be open till September 17, 2006.

http://rixc.lv/waves
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Press Release
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WAVES

Electromagnetic waves as material and medium of art

Pantha Rei - everything flows
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In 2006 The "Art + Communication" festival, organised by the RIXC in
Riga, celebrates its 10th anniversary and the 8th edition. For the
first time the festival is conceived as a large-scale exhibition --
WAVES -- that looks at electromagnetic waves as the principle material
- the medium - of media art.

The exhibition brings together about 40 international works of (media)
art, in which electromagnetic waves are seen not just as carriers of
information, but as the material and/or theme of the artwork.

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The artists of the Waves exhibition are challenging conventional
knowledge about and perception of waves. Electronic media such as
radio, TV and the internet are of defining influence on today's
societies. Subsequently the information sphere is tightly controlled
and subject to various artificially imposed political limitations. Yet
artists with their electronic and digital DIY kits are exploring
numerous ways of thinking outside the box, making their own waves,
creating alternative networks and engaging with strange scientific
phenomena -- which points at actually existing utopian potential.

The artworks on display at the Waves exhibition cover a wide range of
topics. Some of the works engage with interesting scientific phenomena
to provide unusual aesthetic experiences such as listening to the
background noise of the universe (Franz Xaver) or engaging with the
visual and aural qualities of light bulbs (Artificiel). As the human
sensory perception system gives us only limited access to
electromagnetic waves, sonification and visualisation of scientific
data are a major component of the exhibition. Other works explore
social and political implications of wave regulation (Julian Priest,
Bureau d'Etudes) and offer viable alternative communication systems
(Marko Peljhan).

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Those are just a few examples out of a large scale exhibition which
interrogates the conventions of media art exhibitions. Whereas some
works are based on screens and audio-visualisations of waves, many
works rely on physical objects (Joyce Hinterding, David Haines),
obscure or forgotten communication technologies (Paul De Marinis) and
the antenna as an art object. Bringing together experienced and well
known artists with young experimentators between art and science,
Waves makes a statement by being the first large scale international
exhibition to focus uniquely on waves as the material and medium of art.

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The exhibition features about 40 works by 70 artists from 18 different
countries, including: Anthony McCall (US), Derek Holzer (NL), Bas van
Koolwijk (NL), Jean-Pierre Aubé (CA), Luke Jerram (UK), Bureau
d'Études (FR), Franz Xaver (AT), Scanner (UK), Erich Berger (NO),
Jacob Kirkegaard (DK), Joyce Hinterding (AU), David Haines (AU),
Mr.Snow (AU), Marko Peljhan (SL), Steve Heimbecker (CA), Catherine
Richards (CA), Farmersmanuel (AT), Yunchul Kim (KO/DE), Robert Adrian
X (AT), Norbert Math (AT), Martins Ratniks (LV) Clausthome (LV),
Antanas Dombrovskij (LT), Artificiel (CA), Bulat Galejev (RU),
TAKE2030 (UK), Paul De Marinis (US), Judith Fegerl (AT), Julian Priest
(UK), Roland Jankowski (AT), Aaron Kaplan (AT), Barry Hale (UK),
Disinformation (UK), Janis Garancs (LV), Adam Hyde (NL), Lotte Meijer
(NL), Aleksandar  Erkalovic (HR), Adam Somlai-Fischer (HU/SE), Danil
Lundbäck (SE), Bengt Sjölén (SE), Mark Fischer (US), Jay Needham (US),
Atau Tanaka (FR), Cecile Babiole (FR), Laurent Dailleau (FR), Gints
Gabrans (LV), Oskars Poikans (LV), Martins Vizbulis (LV), Voldemars
Johansons (LV), and others.

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The WAVES exhibition is complemented by a festival programme
consisting of a conference a performanceprogramme, a community day and
film screenings of classic and contemporary experimental movies.

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Locations: The exhibition takes place at the Exhibition Hall ARSENALS
of the Latvian National Museum of Art (Torna iela 1, Old Town in
Riga). Conference, performances and film programmes ? at the RIXC
Media Space (11. Novembra Krastmala 35, entrance from Minsterejas iela).

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Organisers: the RIXC Center for New Media Culture
Idea: Armin Medosch
Curatorial team: Raitis Smits, Rasa Smite, Armin Medosch (UK/AT).
Curator assistants and managers: Daina Silina, Signe Pucena.
Film programme curator: Erwin van?t Hart (NL).
Streaming programme co-ordinator: Adam Hyde.
Technical director: Davis Bojars.
Exhibition architect: Rudolf Bekic (AT/LV).
Designer: Martins Ratniks.

Press coordinator: Agnese Rucina <agnese at rixc.lv>, +371-7228478,
+371-9635167 (mob.)

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Address: The RIXC, The Center for New Media Culture:
Address: 11. Novembra Krastmala 35 - 201, Riga, LV 1050, Latvia.
Tel. +371-7228478, +371-6546776 (mob.),
Fax: +371-7228477
URL: http://rixc.lv

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Support: State Culture Capital Foundation, Riga City Council, Nordic
Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia, Centre Culturel Francais de
Riga, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Riga, Nordic Culture Fund, 
British Council.

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http://rixc.lv/waves