MAF as an ideal stage for cultural exchange
Because of their institutional character, museums
often lend an 'aura' and 'artistic status' to everything they show.
By contrast, MAF is adaptive, artistic, free.. MAF show artworks
in contemporary social spaces, allowing local public to enjoy the
interaction of an artistic happening, thus eliminating the usual
distance between visitors and artworks. Our public is constantly
in the middle of an event: the exhibition halls are transformed
by installations and presentations which, together with artists-meetings,
the screenings and the performances, create a total experience.
The content of the festival is meant to provoke thought; in its
informal format the festival is attractive for art enthusiasts as
well as for those interested in communication, IT, cinema, design,
and music.
Thailand New Media Arts Festival
MAF is committed to the exchange, innovation and celebration
of ideas in the merger of art and technology. Three years of annual
programming in collaboration with prestigious educational institutions
and renowned artists has established the Media Arts Festival as Thailand's
crucial link to a premier international network of media artists.
As an educational tool, MAF is a network that promotes
innovation and idea exchange. Our directly propels economic growth
connecting Thai artists with multiple industries and job markets and
establishing a free global support network. MAF is a mediator between
institution with a large network linking institutions in Thailand
and international cultural support centers. MAF exhibited over six
hundred new media works in six events and three annual festivals,
and 60 workshops with over 40 visiting artists. MAF webiste gets over
50,000 visitor hits annually.
MAF05 - "INTIMACY::DIGITAL SKIN"
MAF05 presents a large array of screenings, lectures,
performances, and presentations as well as exhibitions and installations
in two separate parts. Over 200 international new media artists from
42 countries present their cutting edge work on the vital topic of
the effect of digital technology on boundaries.
The festival explore the increasing available communication
technology that is now blurring boundaries of virtual and physical
space. Topics include the new distinctions of personal privacy, cyberspace
communities and biological innovations; literally and metaphorically,
"digital skin" is a new term for cross-platform hyper-connective
interfacing.
MAF05_FEB [ 25-28th February 2005 ]
Dedicated to the victims of the tsunami, the festival will foster
global solidarity and cultural rebuilding. Alongside international
forums, there will be performances, screenings and lectures by international
visiting artists.
MAF05_FEB highlights include video works in
collaboration with 'iMage' Festival, Italy, VideoChannels2005 Germany,
Idea India, a programme of Finnish video art curated by Juhanni Koviomaeki,
a compilation of canadian video works by Lucinda Catchlove, a programe
curated by the Academy of fine arts Prague [Love-Erotica-Sex] (CZ);
performances by Thai and international artists as Jakraphun Thanateeranon
(TH), Sylvia vinkler, Stephen koperl (DE), Vijay Singh (SI); Alfred
Banze (de) in collaboration with Wannapa Prongen (TH); VJ:DJ sets
by "Studio Good Citizen" (TH), Christian Hogue (UK), Motorboy
(UK) to images by VJ Anyone, lectures and presentations with visiting
artists Oron Catts, Ionat Zurr [TC&A] (AU), [Digital Fine Art]
presentation by Ak Don Cham Pi (MA), video presentations by Jung-Chul
Hur (South Korea) and Mick Skolnick (USA).
MAF05_FEB major sponsor is Bed SupperClub Bangkok,
Halo Productions Co. Ltd and and ICECA Thailand.
MAF05_JUNE[24-28 June 2005]
The MAF05_JUNE is planned as a full scale multi-media
extravaganza in a scale never presented in Thailand before. It will
draw on the innovations of MAF recent annual new media festivals and
especially linked to the first partof MAF05 of February. MAF05_JUNE
will host a full range of lectures, presentations, exhibits, interactive
installations, and performances.
MAF05_JUNE's innovation the "Thai Commissioned New Media Art"
section - a first in the history of contemporary art in Thailand.
Financial grants awarded to young Thai artists support the creation
of original media art that will be highlighted at the festival and
abroad at partnering arts festivals.
MAF05_JUNE will also present our content partnership
with international curators of other Media Festivals as a platform
for idea exchange. MAF05 June establishes exchange links with "BananaRAM"
Festival to offer a selection of multi-user interactive network exhibits,
with "ArtBots Festival" from USA to bring a selection of
art-making-robots, and with "The IDEA" from India to present
a show of a variety of net.art, digital-imaging, interactive and sound
projects.
MAF05_JUNE will compensate and present over sixty works submitted
to MAF05 but their exhibition was postponed due to the Asian Disaster.
Those works and installations will take place at MAF05_JUNE four venues:
[MediaArtVenue] Bed SupperClub, [art@bar] British Council of Thailand,
[MAF05_screen] Alliance Francaise of Bangkok, Siam Square [CenterPoint]
open air giant screen, [Public_Attraction] at Playground! Thong Lor.
MAF05_JUNE major sponsor is AV Systems Co. Ltd.
