FaVU VUT Brno, VMP Atelier

[abroeck@v2.nl (Andreas Broeckmann)]

Jennifer de Felice writes:

FaVU VUT Brno, VMP Atelier

The Faculty of Fine Arts at the Technical University of Brno is preparing
to present B.A. degrees to its first stream of successful candidates. The
Faculty was established four years ago in Brno -the Czech Republic's second
largest city and the capital city of Moravia- in order to provide an
alternative to the only other two accredited higher education institutions
for the study of fine arts, The Academy of Fine Arts and UMPRUM, both of
which are located in Prague.

With the Velvet Revolution, opportunities arose, choices appeared and
consequently changes occured.  These included an influx of the "Western"
liberal and democratic ideals, the availability of previously unavailable
information and the updating of various  information systems (a good
example being the upgrading of the telephone network).  A recognition and
application of alternative and innovative approaches to education also came
about, along with a major overhaul in staffing at certain institutions.

The Faculty of Fine Arts was established within the framework of the
Technical University of Brno after an unsuccessful attempt was made to
create such a faculty at The Academy of Dramatic and Musical Arts (JaMU).
It has since become autonomous and is currently operating as an independent
faculty. Since its inception student enrollment has grown from
approximately thirty to over one hundred students across  its seven
studios, Painting, Sculpture, Graphics and Drawing, Graphic Design,
Industrial Design, Conceptual Tendencies and the
Video-Multimedia-Performance Studio, all of which are located just outside
the city center.  Currently, all FaVU's students are undergraduates working
towards a four year Bachelors Degree, with the option of prolonging their
studies by two years to complete a  Masters Degree.

The Video-Multimedia-Peformance Studio has particularly benefitted from
being a part of the Technical University.  Its course of studies is
designed to develop the students' ability to integrate various mediums of
expression into a complex work of art. The VMP Studio aims to foster a
relationship between action and environment, utilizing new media i.e.
video, computers and other related communication technologies.  The
educational program it offers has been expanded to include scientific
research and artistic experimentation.
By encouraging a relationship between art and technology it has facilitated
the successful realization of some interesting collaborations which would
otherwise not have come about. The focus of the studio has shifted during
the course of the last four years from single channel video to multimedia,
interactive mediums and computer interfacing.

In 1994, the receipt of a grant enabled us to take the initial steps
towards creating a long-term program integrating modern technology and a
Multimedia laboratory built in  cooperation with Woody Vasulka, pioneer of
video and electronic art.  Developments include the aquisition of real-time
multimedia interactive equipment and links to an academic network and the
World Wide Web.  Thanks to the support and financial assistance of Silicon
Graphics, the VMP studio has been able to upgrade its equipment and
increase its number of projects including interactive works and
installations.  In addition, opportunities to collaborate with other
institutions have also been created and an academic metropolis net
involving several universities is being developed.

Works created by both students and members of the faculty have been
exhibited at various exhibitions throughout the Czech Republic (The Czech
Electronic Image, Orbis Fictus) and abroad including Germany (European
Media Art Festival), Holland (V2, Institute for the Unstable Media) and the
United States.

This year the Video-Multimedia-Performance Studio, in cooperation with
Silicon Graphics, will present its third annual High-Tech exhibition at Dym
Umlnm in Brno.  As well as installations and internet projects it will
include a Steina Vasulka retrospective.  In the past, Silicon Graphics has
made it possible for individuals and institutions to present their work at
High-Tech, work that would otherwise remain unknown to not only FaVU
students, but the Czech general public.  Such works include installations
and performances by Peter Weibel (Institute for New Media; Frankfurt)
Jeffrey Shaw ( ZKM; Karlsruhe), The Vasulka's (USA, Santa Fe), Stelarc
(Australia) and a symposium series which has included presentations by
Martin Spanjaard, Keiko Sei, Chris Hill and others.

Currently the VMP Studio is concentrating on creating a website using Alias
to render the icons and images. Tomas Ruller, Director of the VMP Studio,
in collaboration with Lubor Benda of the Virtual Reality Association, Ludik
Skohovski, Stanislav Filip along with other students and faculty members
hope to realize the website by the end of the 1996 academic year in
preparation for joint internet projects.
Be on the look out for us.

(June 1996)

The Faculty of Fine Arts, Video-Multimedia-Performance Studio,
The Technical University
Kvltna 34, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
(42-5) 43-21-14-48 tel/fax, email: jennifer@ffa.vutbr.cz


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V2_Organisatie * Andreas Broeckmann * abroeck@v2.nl
Eendrachtsstr.10 * NL-3012XL Rotterdam * t.+31.10.4046427 * fx.4128562
<www.v2.nl> <www.dds.nl/n5m> <www.v2.nl/east>

coming up:
DEAF96, the Dutch Electronic Arts Festival, 17 - 22 Sept 1996 <www.v2.nl/DEAF/>
(DEAF96 exhibition - 29 Sept)