Open Call Koumaria 2009

MedeaElectronique media lab residencies
Koumaria2009 – international open call

MedeaElectronique www.medeaelectronique.com is a cooperate group of individual artists that share a predisposition for innovation in performing arts. Working in fields like music, video, design, painting, multimedia, robotics, interactive technology and media production, we allow the integration of our distinctive areas of research and practice to define a unique style in the realization of various projects – from multimedia theatrical plays to experimental audio-visual shows and from electroacoustic compositions to human-machine-computer interfaces. MedeaElectronique also co-organises Electromedia Works, an annual multimedia festival ( HYPERLINK "http://www.emw.gr" www.emw.gr).

Between the 23rd and 31st of October, 2009
MedeaElectronique organizes Koumaria fall residency offering a week’s retreat for media artists in rural Sparta, Greece.

At the foot of Mount Taigetos, a huge private olive grove will be transformed into a laboratory for contemporary art. Offering a 400 square meter residency made into a modern mixed media art studio, we aim to bring together artists of different disciplines in order to develop a collective mixed media art project.

We are interested in the process itself, as a hypothesis and as an experiment in the search for an emerging work ethic, an intense and refreshing experience that will serve as a model for future creative gatherings.

The outcomes we are looking for include:
A public performance on the 31st of October in Athens, Greece
Material and ideas for further research and processing
Recorded improvisations and other emergent pieces of work to be shared and distributed in appropriate forms between the participants
Documentation of the whole process to be analysed and elaborated on
Further inspiring and productive collaborations to be initiated

The specificity of the place hints towards thematic directions relating to the ideas of creation and growth, serenity, light and the processes of natural flow, universals, as well as the journey outward and within. Anything else that might resonate with the participants during the residency will be greatly appreciated.

There will be a fare amount of relaxed personal space, friendly communal life, conversations, common experiments and improvisation, as well as daily key group sessions for reviewing, processing and structuring of ideas and materials.

We are looking for practitioners active in such diverse fields as: Electroacoustics, sonic art, live electronics, field recording, instrumental improvisation, performance art, VJing, video art, creative computer programming, creative hardware modification, plastic arts, conceptual art, drama, philosophy and semiotics. The list is non exhaustive and we will be happy to consider any interesting proposal.

The ideal participants would have interdisciplinary interests and a strong creative drive. They would be happy to share and embrace ideas, techniques, material, time and energy. They would need good social and communication skills, as well as the ability to function in a wide range of situations. A respect to the craft and the powers of improvisation will be also greatly appreciated.

We are expecting participants to enjoy a degree of self-sufficiency concerning creative tools: e.g. laptop, soundcard, recorder, microphone(s), headphones, camera(s), instruments and so on. We will be providing basic technical support including: a Mac G5 with Logic and Final Cut, assorted plugins, a 32-channel digital mixing desk, high-end monitoring, a range of studio microphones, preamps and sound processors, digital recorders, projector, materials, internet, etc.

Organic food from the farm and transport to nearby villages will be also provided. There will be access to a telescope dome observatory on the roof of the building. MedeaElectronique offers a limited number of bursaries meant to cover travel and other expenses (depending on each case). Particular technical and other arrangements will be made with each individual after initial selection.

Please download the application form from
www.medeaelectronique.com/residencies.html

Submit not later than the 15th of June 2009, by email to HYPERLINK "mailto:stgiann@yahoo.com" stgiann@yahoo.com
Selection will be completed by 15 July 2009.

www.medeaelectronique.com for more information, or contact the project curator Stelios Giannoulakis at
stgiann@yahoo.com