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Sonic Acts XI - The Anthology of Computer Art

February 17, 2006

The eleventh edition of the Sonic Acts Festival will be held from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th February 2006 in Paradiso and De Balie in Amsterdam. Entitled Sonic Acts XI – The Anthology of Computer Art the festival will include a three-day international conference three evenings and nights of live performances an extensive film programme and an exhibition. A DVD and a book on the festival theme will also be published to coincide with it.

The three-day conference will provide a multifaceted and penetrating overview of computer art. International speakers from computer arts film the fine arts music the academic world literature and art history will from the perspective of their own background discuss the historical developments present the current position of computer art and consider its future. Jasia Reichardt (UK) opens the festival at February 23 2006 with a Keynote lecture.

Reichardt is writer and curator and made history in 1968 with the exhibit Cybernetic Serendipity. Speakers at the conference include Lillian Schwartz (US) pioneer in the field of computer-generated art and computer films Curtis Roads (US) composer and author of the influential Computer Music Tutorial Stephen Wilson (US) professor of conceptual design at the SFSU and author of the authoritative Information Arts Intersections of Art Science and Technology Joost Rekveld (NL) artist produces abstract films and kinetic installations since 1991 Ben Fry (USA) artist who’s current research involves the visualization of genetic data. With Casey Reas he is developing the open source programming environment Processing Manfred Mohr (US) computer artist since 1968 and considered as one of the pioneers Frieder Nake (DE) professor interactive computer-graphics in Bremen and one of the three artists in the first computer art exhibitions (1965 Stuttgart). A key-person in the field of computer art and information aesthetics since then Andreas Broeckmann (DE) artistic director of the international media art festival Transmediale in Berlin. In texts and lectures he deals with post-medial practices and the possibilities for a ‘machinic’ aesthetics of media art Matthias Weiss (DE) studied art history and philosophy and is considered an authority in the field of net-art John Oswald (CA) composer and sound-artist. Became famous in 1990 with his Plunderphonics Rob Young (UK) editor for the music magazine The Wire Golan Levin (US) artist composer performer and engineer develops new forms of interaction with audiovisual systems Joan Leandre (ES) also known as Retroyou artist working with modified games Wolf Lieser (DE) curator and founder of the Digital Art Museum Erik van Blokland (NL) designer and co-founder of Letterror. Arjen Mulder (NL) Casey Reas (US) and Rutger Wolfson (NL) will moderate during the conference.

The festival will start with performances by Granular Synthesis (AT) and Curtis Roads &amp Brian O’Reilly (US). Granular Synthesis renowned for its monumental and impressive audio-visual performances and installations will perform Areal. Curtis Roads &amp Brian O’Reilly will perform their international acclaimed octaphonic audiovisual piece Point Line Cloud.

The Friday programme is being compiled in collaboration with Jace Clayton (a.k.a. DJ/rupture) founder of Negrophonic and Soot Records and will include: The Bug feat. Ras B (Rephlex UK) Beans (Warp US) Ghislain Poirier (Chocolate Industries CA) Vex’d (Rephlex UK) DJ /rupture &amp No Lay &amp G-Kid (Unorthodox UK) Team Shadetek presents: Heavy Meckle feat. Matt Shadetek Sheen Jammer Chronik &amp Ears (Warp / Jah Mek the the World UK/US) Hrvatski (Planet Mu US) Aaron Spectre (Death$ucker US) Ove-Naxx (Adaadat JP) Scotch Egg (Wrong Music JP) Doddodo (Adaadat JP) Drop the Lime (Tigerbeat6 US) Filastine (Soot US) Nettle (theAgriculture ES) 2/5 BZ (Gözel TU) Gustav (Mosz AT) Planning to Rock (Twisted Nerve DE) Toktek &amp MNK (NL).

On Saturday Performances by: Matthew Dear (Spectral Sound US) Reinhard Voigt (Kompakt DE) Ada (Areal records DE) TBA (Max Ernst DE) AGF &amp SUE.C (Orthlorng Musork DE/US) Portable (Scape ZA) Fe-mail (NO) NotTheSameColor (AT) SKIF &amp Bas van Koolwijk (US/NL) Moha! (NO) OfficeR(6) (NL/US/NO) Jason Forrest (Cock Rock Disco US) TinyLittleElements (AT/DE) Anne Laplantine (FR) Boris &amp Brecht Debackere (BE) Nancy Fortune (Viewlexx FR).

The film programme will look at purely digital film art with a number of historical overviews documentaries and contemporary computer films. Work will also be shown from the archive of the Institut National Audiovisuel Groupe de Recherches des Images. In two programme series work will be shown from filmmakers such as: Raymond Hains Jacques Brissot Nicolas Schöffer Caroline Laure Marie Claire Petris Peter Foldes Robert Lapoujade and Piotr Kamler. Much of this material has never been seen before in the Netherlands: it offers a wealth of historical material related to abstract film and musique concrête. There are two filmmaker in focus programmes: Lillian Schwartz and John Whitney there is one programme with very early computer films by filmmakers like Michael A. Noll Chuck Csuri and Stan Vanderbeek there is a programme with early computer aided design’works and there is a programme with works from SIGGRAPH.

The exhibition will include a number of key-works from the pioneers of computer-art including works by Ben Laposky Manfred Mohr Edward Zajec Frieder Nake Tony Longson and Vera Molnar. Also works will be shown from the Sonic Acts 2006 DVD by artists such as: Bart Vegter Semiconductor Effekt Telcosystems &amp Jason Haas Martijn van Boven C.E.B. Reas Meta Driessens &amp Verstappen Karl Kliem Chris Musgrave Peter Luining reMI Scott Pagano &amp Keepadding Kurt Ralske George Issakidis and Daniel Perlin &amp Dj /rupture.

Sonic Acts XI
Thursday February 23 – Sunday February 26 2006
Paradiso Weteringschans 6 – 8 Amsterdam +31206264521
De Balie Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10 Amsterdam +31205535100

Conference passepartout: € 45 0 (Thursday February 23 doors 20:00 start 20:30 location: Paradiso Friday February 24 Saturday February 25 &amp Sunday February 26 doors 12:30 start 13:00 location: De Balie) – The passepartout is also valid for the performance programme &amp the Keynote lecture on Thursday February 23.

Live Performances: € 12 50 incl. (Thursday February 23 doors: 20:00 start 20:30 Friday February 24 &amp Saturday February 25 doors: 20:00 start 21:00 location: Paradiso)

Films: € 6.25 (Thursday February 23 19:30 &amp 21:00 Friday February 24 19:30 &amp 21:00 Saturday 25 16:00 19:30 &amp 21:00)

Conference tickets are available from January 7 2006 via De Balie (+31205535100 between 14.000 and 17.300 during weekdays) AUB and online via: http://www.amsterdamsuitburo.nl/dsp_productie.cfm?prodid=90F7423E-AAC1-924F-FF8B049630F4DE16

Live Performance tickets are available from January 7 2006 via AUB and online via:
http://www.ticketmaster.nl/html/searchResult.htmI?keyword=sonic+acts&amp l=EN&amp x=0&amp y=0

Film tickets are available from January 14 2006 via De Balie (+31205535100 between 14.000 and 17.300 during weekdays)

For more information: www.sonicacts.com