[spectre] call for Medi@terra 2002

[Festival]

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Medi@terra 2002

4th International Art and Technology Festival

New Platforms of Spectacle, Communication and Resistance

6-15 December 2002



Call for projects



If "the medium was the message", the platform is the message of the message =
and
the weakening of the message.

"Platform" is the combination of technology, a new way of thinking about
meeting
needs, and the vision of a group of people who are preparing a "space" in wh=
ich
to invite interested persons to develop their own ideas.

If the late 20th century was characterized by McLuhan=92s maxim "the medium
is the
message", the beginning of the next one can be characterized as follows:
"We are
preparing new platforms for new messages"

With these thoughts in mind, and with all possibilities open, we are explori=
ng
and challenging new platforms by touching (or clicking on) all matters of
interest, from growing new pop art (SMS) to the entertainment field
(feature-length video art, interactive theatre) and technological developmen=
t
(smart agents).

And finally, in this new situation, given the chance to talk about the past,=
 we
pay homage to individuals or even machines that have already marked the hist=
ory
of the digital culture.

We believe that a new idea cannot exist unless it is preceded by a new platf=
orm
to host it and this is essentially what determines the way a society evolves=
=2E

There are times when evolution is characterized by the destruction of the
platform, but not the ideas; and others when even though the platforms have
been
torn down, and ideas are homeless, new platforms are nevertheless created an=
d
new ideas generated.

The period that our culture is now passing through belongs to the second
instance. Therefore, acts of renewal or resistance can be primarily
described as
the creation or testing of new platforms and not dispute of a system that is
already as empty as a discarded snake skin.

Nor is it accidental, that the word "platform" in the industrial world
describes
the space between where you are and the means of transportation (train, boat=
)
you are about to board to go elsewhere. To board a plane or boat you must fi=
rst
cross the platform=85

The new platforms then are the landing-stages for the long journey humanity =
is
embarking on... The question is who will be boarding and who will stay behin=
d
and watch the ship pull out=85

Manthos Santorineos

Artistic Director of Medi@terra Festival





=46eature Length Digital Video

Streaming Video

The advent of DV technology offers new tools to film and video makers. These
tools are making it possible to produce high quality films cheaply and
independently of the industry monoliths that currently determine what we can
see. The new lightweight cameras, streaming technology, and DV technology ha=
ve
brought a new lightness of touch to all aspects of the moving image from
production through to distribution. And a new relationship has been created
between creativity, technology and the digital industry, in the search for
a new
aesthetic and financial basis for film and video makers.

Conditions for entry

    * The work must have been produced within the past two years.

    * Works shall be in English or with English subtitles

    * Just one work per candidate can be accepted in each category

    * The works may have been presented in other festivals.

    * Each work should be accompanied by a. the entry form, b. a synopsis,=
 c. a
short CV of the artist, d. Some stills, images in TIFF or JPEG mode, submitt=
ed
in digital format, saved on a floppy, on a CD ROM, or as email attachments
(please note: texts should be in Word for Windows)

    * Pre-selection will be made by the programming committee for
Medi@terra 02.

    * No originals must be submitted, as materials will not be returned. The
works will become part of the Fournos Archive. Artists reserve all artistic =
and
commercial rights to their works, and for any future use or presentation of =
the
works, their permission is needed.

    * Fournos and Medi@terra festival reserve the right to publish the
submitted
material for the promotion needs of the festival.



Please also note the following

The feature-length digital video should

    * be a minimum of 50 min.
    * be sent in DV or DVD format. For the preliminary selection VHS tapes a=
re
also accepted.
    * not be a made-for-TV production. Co-production is accepted.

The streaming videos should be

    * a maximum of 5-10 min.
    * sent in DV or DVD format, but also the exact URL location should be
indicated.



Artificial Entities

Since the early nineties, the interdisciplinary fields of art, science and
technology have created a different platform for research, collaboration and
creation. This generates works that encourage audience participation,
continuous
change and evolution. These could be interactive artificial intelligence
environments, autonomous and advanced robotics and intelligent agents. The
features we are looking for are innovation, autonomy, interactivity, as well=
 as
the subjective adjustment and interpretation they suggest to the user/viewer
allowing him to become a user/ co-creator. The aim of creating autonomous
virtual characters that pose and realize goals, develop actions, are influen=
ced
by the changes in the environment and then adjust it, gives a new dimension =
in
the space of art.



Conditions for entry

    * Each work shall be submitted in one of the following forms:

1. video documentation (DV, VHS tape in Pal or Secam). The maximum length sh=
all
be 15 minutes and it should have an English-language description, either in
voice-over narration or accompanying text.

2. of an executable (.exe) file saved in a CD ROM, accompanied by a descript=
ion
and the instructions for use in English

3. any type of software that can be run on a "standard" PC, accompanied by a
description and the instructions for use in English.



    * Only one work per candidate is accepted in each category.

    * The works may have been presented in other festivals.

    * Each work should be accompanied by a. the entry form, b. a synopsis,=
 c. a
short CV of the artist, d. Some stills, images in TIFF or JPEG mode and e. a
technical description of the work, with a reference to all the technical
requirements that should be met by the steering committee.

    * Preselection of works will be made by the programming committee of the
festival, representing Medi@terra 02.

    * Fournos and Medi@terra festival reserve the right to publish the works
submitted for the promotion needs of the festival.



Awards

One prize of 9.000 Euros for the best Feature Length Digital Video

One prize of 4.000 Euros for the best project from the Artificial Entities

One prize of 1.500 Euros for the best Streaming Video



A call for SMS will also follow soon!



Deadline

20 October 2002



How to declare your participation

Please download and print the entry form from http://www.mediaterra.org and
send
it along with the material required for its category to



=46OURNOS

Center for the Art and the New Technologies
Mavromichali 168
114 72 Athens
Greece



    * For more information

Please contact Eleni Kouvari, In Charge of Communication by telephone on +30=
10
6460748, +3010 6420451 or via email at info@fournos-culture.gr







Medi@terrra 2002, International Art and Technology Festival is organized by
=46ournos, Center for the Art and the New Technologies and the Hellenic Mini=
stry
of Culture.





Medi@terra 2002 - Steering Committee

Dodo Santorineos, Director of Fournos & Medi@terra Festival

Manthos Santorineos, Artistic Director of Fournos & Medi@terra Festival

Maria X, Curator of Fournos

Dimos Dimitriou, Artist

John Kontos, Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the Department of
Methodology, History and Theory of Science

Maria Roussou, Head of the Virtual Reality Department, Foundation of the
Hellenic World

Maria Bouligaraki, Researcher in Information Science

Daphne Dragona, Coordinator for Fournos & Medi@terra Festival



Special Advisors

Zoe Kazazaki, Head of the International Organizations Department, Hellenic
Ministry of Culture

Maria Maragou, Director of Rethimnon Contemporary Art Center