The 2010 International Experimental Media Congress coincides with the closing days of the 23rd Images Festival. The first Congress since the storied 1989 Toronto Experimental Film Congress, this gathering will promote ongoing international conversations and provide platforms for creative discussions about the burning issues related to experimental media production, exhibition, dissemination, criticism, pedagogy and reception.
The Congress includes dialogues about experimental media as a critical and material practice and its politics, myths and institutions; discussions about media arts’ place on the screen, on the web, in the gallery and in the archive; field reports from the burgeoning experimental scenes of Korea and India; and a showcase of recent practices.
It brings together over 50 invited film, video and new media artists, curators, theorists and archivists from around the world for an intense four days of discussions and debate.
Keynote talk: Yvonne Rainer in conversation with John Greyson. Wednesday 7 April 2010, 7 PM at the Ontario College of Art & Design.
Confirmed Congress guests include: Ainsley Walton, Ali Kazimi, Andréa Picard, Anne Balsamo, Ayisha Abraham, Barbara Hammer, Bart Testa, Benj Gerdes, Chamber of Public Secrets, Cheryl L’Hirondelle, Christopher Eamon, Daïchi Saïto, David Rokeby, David Teh, Donghyun Park, Dont Rhine (Ultra-red), Dot Tuer, Ed Halter, Hangjun Lee, Henriette Huldisch, Hito Steyerl, Irina Leimbacher, James Holcombe, Jean Gagnon, John Greyson, Jorge La Ferla, Kathy High, Kevin Jerome Everson, Khaled Ramadan, Konrad Becker, Michael Snow, Ming-Yuen S. Ma, Nicky Hamlyn, Nicole Gingras, Ou Ning, Paige Sarlin, Peggy Gale, Pelle Snickars, Peter Ride, Pip Chodorov, Ross Lipman, Shai Heredia, Sobhi Al-Zobaidi, Stefanie Schulte Strathaus, Steve Anker, Steve Loft, Susan Oxtoby, Tamar Guimaraes, Tom Sherman, Ursula Biemann, Vera Frenkel, Wafaa Bilal, Wendelien van Oldenborgh and Yvonne Rainer.
Established in 1987, Toronto’s Images Festival is the largest festival in North America for experimental and independent moving image culture, showcasing the innovative edge of international contemporary media art both on and off the screen. Alongside film and video screenings, the festival presents groundbreaking live performances, media art installations in local galleries and new media projects by many renowned Canadian and international artists in our three exhibition platforms: Images On Screen (Film/Video screenings), Images Off Screen (installation exhibitions, online projects) and Live Images (multidisciplinary performance).
The 2010 Images Festival showcases over 140 artworks in film, video, gallery installation, live performance and online projects in addition to artist talks, parties and free walking tours.
Located in 25 venues across the city, this integrated media arts festival presents 32 exhibitions in 15 art galleries across Toronto by Sobhi al-Zobaidi, Khadim Ali, Daniel Barrow, Matthew Biederman, Ursula Biemann, Wang Bing, Shary Boyle, Peter Campus, Andrea Cooper, Franziska Cordes, Tacita Dean, Leah Decter, Brenda Goldstein, Sarah Jane Gorlitz + Wojciech Olejnik, Tamar Guimarães, Emma Hart + Benedict Drew, Joachim Koester, Sharon Lockhart, Jayce Salloum, Michael Snow, Ryan Trecartin, Wendelien van Oldenborgh, Emily Wardill and Anna Wignell.
The Images Festival crosses international boundaries again this year with artworks representing 25 countries, including spotlight programs on contemporary Mexican films, spotlight on North Africa and the Middle East courtesy Chamber of Public Secrets and a special restoration program of films by Tom Chomont.
The Images Festival presents a wide range of work and disciplines – from formal experiments to innovative documentary, from film with live performance to works which address a range of political, feminist and a multitude of social and cultural issues including works this year by Kamal Aljafari, Cecilia Araneda, Johanna Billing, Joshua Bonnetta, Shary Boyle, Thirza Cuthand, Keren Cytter, Manon de Boer, Barry Doupé, Franci Duran, Kőken Ergun, Kevin Jerome Everson, Christine Fellows, Robert Fenz, Benj Gerdes, John Greyson, Oliver Husain, Luo Li, Annie MacDonnell, Babette Mangolte, Ross McLaren, Barbara Meter, Shirin Neshat, Mary Margaret O’Hara, Andrew James Paterson, Nicolás Pereda, Jenny Perlin, John Porter, Yvonne Rainer, Steve Reinke, Ben Rivers, robbinschilds, Emily Roysdon, Jon Sasaki, Ichiro Sueoka, Benjamin Tong, Naomi Uman, Emily Wardill and Lulu Wei.