[Nettime-nl] call for proposals EXP-O-LAB / Meneer de Wit

[wim <wim@villalogica.nl>]

...EXP-O-LAB...      reminder : call for proposals

Meneer de Wit (creative factory/artproject space in Amsterdam  
(www.meneerdewit.com) will expand their grounds and activities from  
september 07 on.

Now still being renovated, there will be 3 projectspaces available of  
total appr.
260 m², partially underground and including a bar.

...EXP-O-LAB... will be the first in a series of short, intensive  
exposition/events that will take place in the new spaces.

The idea of ...EXP-O-LAB... is to show media artworks (in progress)  
that use aspects of the medium itself and/or works that reflect on  
the relation between the public and the rapid evolving technical  
context of audiovisual arts and design.

you are invited to propose a work BEFORE 31st of MAY 2007


Some thoughts to consider (or ignore):

The fact that since mid fities last century more people watch  
television than go to church signifies a major cultural shift caused  
by technological innovation. This fenomena has been extensively  
described by mediacritic Marshall McLuhan in the sixties that is  
still actual, albeit that his warning ‘We become what we behold’  
doesn’t sound that alarming anymore, certainly not to the general  
public. This warning implicates the fear of loss of spiritual values  
through the democratization of media. (‘So what? There are enough  
screens/channels to choose from to distract myself’).

The question nowadays is more like this: should we still worry about  
the dangers of democratization of media and firmely focus on content  
for that media that lifts our spirit? Or should we let go of these  
fears and fully embrace the gallopping technology to expand the  
possiblities of aesthetic representation and disregard the message  
concerning the medium itself?

Artists have been engaged in both working with the – not all so new  
anymore - media  to artistically reflect their themes, presented in  
the artworld. Others just embrace and (ab)use technology as a medium  
to seek new forms of representation in other (more public) environments.

Some artists/designers today reach back to outdated technologies  
(maybe for nostalgic reasons, as if it possesses more ‘spirit’) to  
spread the word. Others are experimenting with state-of-the-art  
audiovisual media to get a grip on their communicative or new  
aesthetic qualities.

What ofcourse is connecting them these days is that everyone is  
seeking for a public that asks for a shifting disposition of the  
reception of the works that use audiovisual media – either for for  
entertainment or for reflection. The border between the two however  
seems not so clear anymore.

...EXP-O-LAB... is a series of expositions/events from artists and  
designers who have different approaches (dis)regarding the  
democratization of audiovisual media. ...EXP-O-LAB... presents these  
works together to highlite the possible differences in the process of  
working with the available media.

The primairy goal of ...EXP-O-LAB... is not to offer theory but to  
show work and to let the makers talk about their way of working in a  
salon-like setting.
By presenting selective works (or ways of working) together ...EXP-O- 
LAB... will show where the different approaches to audiovisual  
representation are actually merging or clashing.

SUMMARIZING:

The ...EXP-O-LAB...series are not topic or thematically related (any  
theme will do) but it all is about HOW and WHY you work like you  
work, WHERE/for WHAT public you usually present your work and WHY you  
do this. Maximum expo-time is  7 days with possibly multiple public  
moments: working on location is highly appreciated!

...EXP-O-LAB... opposes different approaches to media art  
representation. It wil be informational and inspirational because it  
presents the works ‘out of the box’, experimentally together, in a  
critical yet safe and independent environment.

Please propose a work as follows:

1.     A plan for a work in max. 2 A4 (shorter=better) and/or  
documentation of a work (work in progress is preferred),

keeping in mind the oral or visual presentation of the HOW, WHERE,  
WHAT and WHY of your work.

2.     List of needed equipment for presentation

3.     A budget (materials and travelling costs)

4.     Some indication of your availablity for the period sept2007 / 
june 2008


We offer: the space, housing and publicity anyway. Other costs  
(standard fee, materials, travelling) are in progress to cover (we  
are still looking for subsidies and sponsors).

10 monthly events are scheduled from november 2007 - till june 2008  
in the project space for contemporay art and dialogue ‘Meneer de Wit’.

For more info, photo’s or viewing of the space: wim@villalogica.nl

Deadline proposals: 31 th may 2007
Selection notification before 15th of june 2007

·       PROPOSALS can be emailed to:                         
galerie@meneerdewit.com

·       documentation preferably online (URL/download)

·       or any other format by regular mail to:

Meneer de Wit ...EXP-O-LAB...

Att: Wim Jongedijk/Talitha Ringers

Witte de Withstraat 10

1057 XV AMSTERDAM

NETHERLANDS


CURATED BY:
Initiator and curator of the series is Wim Jongedijk, filmmaker,  
artist and organiser of art events (www.villalogica.nl). The works  
for the series will be selected in corporation with Arjen Bangma,  
producer from Beyond Expression (www.beyondexpression.nl).
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