[spectre] CALL FOR ARTISTS: PIXXELPOINT2008: FOR GOD'S SAKE!

[dom]

Call for Artists:

*PIXXELPOINT 2008 – International New Media Art Festival*
Nova Gorica (Slovenia), 5th – 12th December 2008

*FOR GOD'S SAKE!*

Curator: Domenico Quaranta, Italy

*Deadline for applications: November 3rd 2008*

Direct link to entry form:
http://www.pixxelpoint.org/entryform2008.pdf

More information:
W: http://www.pixxelpoint.org/
E: pixxelpoint2008 at gmail.com

You are invited to participate!

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For God's Sake!

How the media change the way we imagine / represent / honour / curse the
divinity

Whether we like it or not, spirituality has shaped the evolution of the
media, and in turn has been amply influenced by it. Two of the most
effective technological brand identities, the Big Brother symbol and the
Second Life logo, are blatantly inspired by the divine eye. “God games”
are among the most popular videogames, and our passion for high tech
gadgets is akin to idolatry. The total absorption commanded by videogame
playing, right down to the position adopted by players, is our new form
of prayer.

Search engines have come to acquire the status of modern-day oracles.
"It’s true, I read it on Google", is an everyday assertion that sounds
like an act of faith. If religion is (or was) the opium of the people,
in the 90s it was a banality to say the same of television – just as it
is today of Youtube. And satellite vision, made popular by GPS systems
and Google Earth, on the one hand imitates the divine viewpoint, while
on the other allows everyone to adopt it. Technology violates our
privacy like only God used to be able to. And while computers are not
yet powerful enough to follow in the footsteps of HAL 9000, the
overbearing superbrain of 2001 A Space Odyssey, we get the impression
that they are not far off it.

 From another perspective, churches of all levels and denominations are
themselves exploiting the potential of the media to the full. As one
Christian website reads, "God Always Uses the Latest Technology". Holy
wars are being waged in virtual worlds. We want technology to give us
proof of myths and miracles, and the Catholic backing for Mel Gibson’s
blockbuster is common knowledge.

Contemporary artistic projects have raised these issues on many
occasions, exploring technological fetishism, the oracular nature of the
internet, the fideistic attitude we have towards the media and the
evangelizing bent of those who produce them. This art often takes a
critical approach, but also looks for an authentic vehicle of
spirituality in the media. Taking this as its theme, Pixxelpoint 2008
addresses saints and heretics alike, looking for projects which explore
the relationship between media and spirituality at a key point in human
history, a time of civilization clashes and neocon upsurges, apocalyptic
nightmares and hopes for a new enlightenment.

Domenico Quaranta, curator

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Domenico Quaranta

mob. +39 340 2392478
email. qrndnc at yahoo.it
home. vicolo San Giorgio 18 - 25122 brescia (BS)
web. http://www.domenicoquaranta.net/