[spectre] FWD: Electrohype throws in the towel

[Marius Watz]

(official news from Electrohype below..)

electrohype has in the last 5 years been an essential resource for 
electronic art in the Nordic region, organising 3 biennials and several 
smaller exhibitions. they have just been turned down for support from 
the munipality of Malmö (their home town), and have to close down as a 
result of lack of funding. this news comes as their hugely successful 
Electrohype 2004 biennial is in its closing week at Malmö Konsthall.

please show your support by signing the guest book at:
http://www.electrohype.org/support/gastbok.php

*----------

Electrohype throws in the towel*

After five years of promoting and advocating computer based art 
Electrohype have to close down its activities. It both a sad and strange 
feeling to have to close down, especially when we are thinking of the 
fact that we right now are presenting the large exhibition in Malmo 
Konsthall. The exhibition Electrohype 2004 has been visited by more than 
27000 person so far and the reviews have been very good, but it might 
also be the last things we are organizing. On the positive side maybe we 
can see it as a beautiful ending.

We had hoped and believed that this exhibition, together with previous 
exhibitions and other activities, should be a positive breaking point 
for the organization. But we were wrong.

A couple of weeks ago we were told by the Malmo City Art council that 
they turned down our application for funding for our activities for 
2005. We had applied for 180 000 sek (20000 euro), to cover basic costs 
such as rent and phones etc, and a couple of smaller exhibitions. 
According to our plans additional funding could be raised for other 
activities from other sources during the year.

Electrohypes application for activities was also turned down last year, 
the period were we were heavily involved in the preparation for the 
ongoing exhibition in Malmo Konsthall. This together wit the fact that 
we also was denied project funding for the ongoing exhibition itself in 
Malmo Konsthall make us really disappointed by the attitude from the 
City of Malmo.

We should mention that we have been offered a consolation in the form of 
a project grant  of 110 000 SEK (12 000 EURO) for our activities for 
2005. This amount is just below the line of what is needed to cover 
basic expenses, and unfortunately it is another project grant.

During the five years Electrohype has existed we have managed to raise 
approximately 4 million SEK ( 450 000 EURO), This has covered all 
expenses for the organization, including project costs for the three 
biennials. Roughly  200 000 Sek (or 22000 EURO) of this total is from 
Malmo City Art Council. In other words we have done many projects on 
very little money. We are able to do low cost productions but at the 
same time we do need a minimum just to exist.

After five years Electrohype has to move from project based to a more 
stabile funding situation. The best way to achieve this would be that we 
could receive funding for running the organization. It is also ( in 
Sweden) that if an organization is granted this kind of funding that it 
is also seen as an acknowledgement of the organizations activities. We 
did not receive this acknowledgement from the city of Malmo.

During the next days we will have a discussion with the organizations 
board to try to make a decision on what to do, how to close down nicely. 
In any case the organization will not totally cease to exist but  in the 
future there will be a radical change in the level of activities.
We deeply regret the situation. Not only for ourselves but also for 
artists working in the genre and for the art interested audience that 
has visited our exhibitions.

If any of you have any spontaneous reaction to this you are welcome to 
visit our website and give a comment in the guest book that we have 
established for this occasion.
http://www.electrohype.org/support

best regards
Anna and Lars
Electrohype




::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::ELECTROHYPE

Ph: +46 40 780 20
Mobil: +46 708 94 57 27

e-mail: anna.kindvall at electrohype.org
URL: http://www.electrohype.org

If you encounter problems with this mail
address please notify me at  electrohype at swipnet.se