After three consecutive editions of Alpha-ville Festival, its producers announce the official start of a new strategic phase for the organisation. Although the annual festival has been cancelled this year due shortage of funding, the organisation will still be going ahead with a series of individual events that celebrate cutting-edge visual and music cultures.
In 2012, Alpha-ville was the first London organisation appointed to join ICAS, a network of independent non-profit organisations worldwide dedicated to advancing sound, music and related arts. Members of this network include FutureEverything (Manchester), CTM (Berlin), Unsound (Krakow/NY), TodaysArt (The Hague), Cimatics (Brussels), Nemo (Paris) and Mutek (Montreal). Through this network Alpha-ville participates in international debates, develop projects and commission new works.
ALPHA-VILLE LIVE
Saturday 6th October 2012 [Hackney Empire]
Alpha-ville LIVE is a carefully crafted event dedicated to exploring the relationship between electronic music, digital art and visual practices. Taking place at the iconic Hackney Empire, it will be a special evening featuring the London premiere of the collaboration between Murcof & AntiVJ, alongside an intimate live solo by The Field, a full audiovisual experience by Raster-Noton’s label co-ownerByetone.
MURCOF + SIMON GEILFUS / ANTIVJ Live AV, London premiere
The collaboration between the Mexican electronic musician Murcof and Simon Geilfus of the visual collective AntiVJ will be presented in London for the first time. Using semi-transparent and panoramic screens, their audiovisual show creates an immersive experience in which the projected microscopic particles, geometric grids and organic elements, mutate the surrounding environment.
Murcof is the internationally acclaimed project of the Mexican electronic composer Fernando Corona. He draws on minimalism, postmodernism and sometimes baroque, to create music that moves the mind and heart.
Music: soundcloud.com / youtube.com
AntiVJ is a visual label, founded by a group of Europe-based artists whose work is focused on the use of projected light and its influence on perception. Clearly stepping away from standard set-ups and techniques, AntiVJ present live performances and installations that challenge the senses.
THE FIELD (Kompakt, SE) Live Solo
Axel Willner joined the influential Cologne based Kompakt record label in 2005. For this occasion, he will present the second solo performance in 4 years featuring a selection of unreleased and rare tracks. This special show has only been played once before in Norway and will resonate with all fans of The Field’s contributions to Kompakt’s Pop Ambient series.
More info: http://www.kompakt.fm/artists/the_field.
Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94WTxjxZ1rQ
BYETONE (Raster-Noton, DE) Live AV
Olaf Bender aka Byetone is a sound and visual artist as well as co-founder of the German label Raster-Noton alongside Carsten Nicolai (Alva Noto). His work is known for its sharp sense of aesthetics creating a powerful audiovisual experience. He combines perfectly crafted electronic sounds and real-time visualisations that sit between sound art and the finest dance music.
More info: http://www.raster–noton.net/main.php?action=artists&dat=12.
Video: http://liveweb.arte.tv/de/video/Raster_Noton_Anniversary_Byetone_Gaite_Lyrique_olaf_bender/
ALPHA-VILLE SCREENING
Saturday 6th October 2012 [Hackney Picturehouse]
HackneyPicturehouse
“FUTURE OF MOVING IMAGE”: PROGRAMME & AWARD
In partnership with Little White Lies and Shooting People, the Alpha-ville Future of Moving Image Awardis dedicated to acknowledging the best talent pushing the boundaries of moving image as a tool for creative expression, innovation and forward thinking. Come and see the best shortlisted films and vote for the audience award.
This year’s outstanding judging panel includes: Blake Whitman, VP of Creative Development at Vimeo ; Nicolas Schmerkin, Founder of Autour de Minuit ; Ingrid Kopp, Editor-in-Chief/Director of Shooting People US ; Philip Ilson, Director of London Short Film Festival ; Chiara Marañón, Content Manager at MUBI
Past winners of this award included Robots of Brixton by Kibwe Tavares and Augmented 3D City by Keiichi Matsuda.
“UNFINITY” PROGRAMME
An eclectic programme of moving image works, featuring talents from different genres including animation, experimental, documentary, music video and CGI. The screening will reflect on current ideas about how the web culture influences art and society. It includes topics around augmented reality, code art, identity in the 2.0 culture, future of art, clash virtual vs real. Highlights of the programme include:
– “Rear Window Timelapse” (Jeff Desom, NL, 2012) – Remix Winner, Vimeo Awards 2012
– “Unnamed Soundsculpture” (Daniel Franke & Cedric Kiefer, DE, 2012) Honorary mention from the Prix Ars Electronica in the category Computer Animation Film VFX.Nominated for the 14th MuVi Award, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen.
– “38-39C” (Kangmin Kim, USA/South Korea, 2011) Official Selection 2012 Sundance Film Festival
– “Slow Derek” (Dan Ojari, UK, 2011) – Nominated, Conran Award, 2011. Grand Prix, Animated Encounters 2011.
– “20 HZ” (Semiconductor, UK, 2011) – 2011 Samsung Art+Prize. Premiered at Rotterdam International Film Festival 2012.
– “Forms” (Davide Quayola & Memo Atken, UK, 2012) Produced by Nexus Interactive Arts
– “Étude Op. 2” (Sougwen, US, 2012)
– “Everything is a Remix Part 4: System Failure” (Kirby Ferguson, US, 2012)