Pixxelpoint 2023 expert jury evaluation
The Pixxelpoint Festival 2023 in Nova Gorica continued its tradition of innovation and creativity. Expanding to six exhibition venues, it offered an even more diverse and rich range of intermedia artworks. The jury, composed of Dr. Peter Purg, Peter Tomaž Dobrila and Mag. Petja Janžekovič, was faced with the challenging task of evaluating the many outstanding works presented at the festival. READ MORE
PROGRAMME
THURSDAY 16. 11.
17.30 Pre-opening (first)
Tanja Vujinović: AvantGarden Worlds
Agorè Gallery
18.30 Stop at the Carinarnica
Ana Pečar: Spell against Snake Bite; Alessandro Lupi: Border reflection
Carinarnica
19.00 Pre-opening (second)
Resonating Selves, Interface Cultures exhibition
Vahid Qaderi and Razieh Kooshki: Synesthetic, performance
Tir Gallery
20.30 Official opening of the festival LIFE ON THE GRID
Welcome address: Samo Turel, Mayor of the Municipality of Nova Gorica
The festival will be officially opened by mag. Marko Rusjan, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture.
Rotunda of the Slovenian National Theatre Nova Gorica
Opening of the exhibition
Numen / For Use: Net
Nova Gorica City Gallery
FRIDAY 17. 11.
10.00 Opening of the exhibition and breakfast
Art Rebel 9: Virtual ski jumping hill Planica; Boštjan Čadež: Line Rider; Barbara Jazbec: Eerie Me; Nika Oblak & Primož Novak: Kiss
Xcenter
12.00 Students of the Academy of Arts, University of Nova Gorica: I ∞ us (Ars Electronica 2023), exhibition opening and presentation
Academy of Arts, University of Nova Gorica
14.00 Fabrizio Lamocha: Interface Cultures presents: Resonating Selves, lecture in English
Xcenter
15.30 Kim Brian Dudek: Presentation of the multimedia festival Pochen – twin city Chemnitz, lecture in English
Xcenter
17.00 Walking tour of the festival exhibition venues with curator Nina Jeza, public guided tour
Nova Gorica City Gallery, Xcenter, Tir Gallery, Carinarnica, Agorè Gallery
20.15 Crimes of the Future
Directed by David Cronenberg (Canada, Greece, 2022, 107 min.)
A futuristic film noir, a biotechnological nightmare in which David Cronenberg returns to his body-horror roots. A parable about the progress of society and the old guard that must choose which side of history to stand on. Cronenberg draws a dichotomy between activists and the state that seeks to suppress them, and expects the protagonist to choose his or her side.
Nova Gorica Cultural Centre
Entrance fee: €5.5, €4.5
SATURDAY 18. 11.
9.00‒12.00 and 13.00‒19.00 Odyssey, mobile planetarium
Visitors will experience a whole new dimension of space exploration as educators take them on an incredible journey through the starry sky. They should get ready for a truly unique experience – watching films in a dome projection with a 540° viewing angle. This experience will give everyone the feeling of being a star among the stars.
Rotunda of the Slovenian National Theatre Nova Goric
10.00‒12.00 Filip Tomažič & Eszter Szentirmai: Freeze-Drying – Unleash Your Creativity with Food, workshop
Join us in exploring the fascinating world of freeze-drying, a technology that has been around for millennia but has witnessed a trendy resurgence in recent years. From the heights of the Andes, where indigenous people preserved food by freezing and drying it, to NASA’s adoption of freeze-drying for space food, this workshop delves into the rich history and modern applications of this culinary art.
Xcenter
14.30 Gregor Spagnolo: Security on the Net, lecture
Just as an attacker tries to exploit every vulnerability in a web application, online fraudsters fine-tune their bait and exploit human vulnerabilities. In the world of information security, it is the inherently human characteristics that make us so vulnerable. We are only aware of cyber threats when we experience a cyberattack, whether in private or at work. The lecture on network security is aimed at refreshing our knowledge and raising awareness of the key aspects of security in modern digital environments. At a time when digital connectivity is an indispensable part of our daily lives, understanding security risks and measures to protect data and networks is of paramount importance.
Xcenter
16.00‒18.00 Andrej Kobal: Pixxel Musician, electronic music workshop for children aged 12+
The workshop, led by Andrej Kobal, a Slovenian composer and sound designer, will introduce participants to various forms of electronic music using a computer, synthesizers, a mixing console, a DJ mixer, MIDI controllers, and other devices.
Maximum number of participants: 10
Registration is required by 15 November at pixxelpoint@kulturnidom-ng.si.
Xcenter
18.00 EN Knap: Stage360, presentation and discussion with the audience
Stage360 is the creation of a new type of performing art in a virtual environment, in the form of virtualised performances and a special viewing experience with VR glasses, filmed with a 360° camera from the centre of the stage. The internationally acclaimed production company has established itself in the European space with a unique aesthetic and attracts an international network of co-producers.
Nova Gorica Cultural Centre
20.00 Simone Bosco: REbirth, performance
REbirth is an audiovisual live show in which images react to sound in real time, creating an incredibly emotional experience.
Nova Gorica Cultural Centre
SUNDAY 19. 11.
9.00‒12.00 and 13.00‒19.00 Odyssey, mobile planetarium
Rotunda of the Slovenian National Theatre Nova Gorica
MONDAY 20. 11.
10.00‒18.00 Matej Bizovičar: Capsule, light-art workshop for students
In Capsule, a multi-day light workshop taking place from 20 to 22 November 2023, participants will explore the creative power of light. Each participant will create their own unique light box – a capsule – drawing inspiration from unusual and perhaps alien life forms.
Registration is required by 15 November at pixxelpoint@kulturnidom-ng.si.
Xcenter
THURSDAY 23. 11.
19.00 Opening of the Capsule light workshop exibition
Xcenter
FRIDAY 24. 11.
16.00‒17.30 Lego Robotics for Kids, open workshop for children aged 6–15
Mandatory registration by 15 November at pixxelpoint@kulturnidom-ng.si.
France Bevk Public Library
20.15 Gran Turismo
Directed by Neill Blomkamp (USA, Japan, 2023, 134 min.)
The smell of burning tyres and petrol fumes – a stereotypical scene when one thinks of the relentless power under the bonnet of a sports car. But how does this relate to the experience of those who live high revs and dynamic driving in the virtual world? Is it possible to cross between the two worlds? The film is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, whose extraordinary abilities helped him win a series of Nissan races and become a real-life professional racing driver.
Nova Gorica Cultural Centre
Entrance fee: €5.5, €4.5
SATURDAY 25. NOVEMBER
9.00‒10.30 and 11.00‒12.30 Lego Robotics for Kids, open workshop for children aged 6 to 15
Mandatory registration by 15 November at pixxelpoint@kulturnidom-ng.si
France Bevk Public Library
10.00‒12.00 Filip Tomažič & Eszter Szentirmai: Freeze-Drying – Unleash Your Creativity with Food, workshop
Join us in exploring the fascinating world of freeze-drying, a technology that has been around for millennia but has seen a trendy resurgence in recent years. From the heights of the Andes, where indigenous people preserved food by freezing and drying it, to NASA’s adoption of freeze-drying for space food, this workshop delves into the rich history and modern applications of this culinary art.
Xcenter
10.00‒14.00 Drones Are among Us, Let’s Get to Know Them Better, open workshop on drones
Mentor: Franc Vrbančič and students of the Secondary School of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jaka Antolič, Alex Kaučevič, Jaka Janžekovič, and Žan Emeršič.
Drones have become an indispensable part of our daily lives, so it is time to get to know them up close. The open drone handling workshop provides a unique opportunity to explore the world of drones. Together we will discover how these small aircraft are changing our perspective on the world.
Xcenter
15.00 Walking tour of the festival exhibition venues with curator Nina Jeza, public guided tour
Nova Gorica City Gallery, Xcenter, Tir Gallery, Carinarnica, Agorè Gallery
20.15 The Creator
Directed by Gareth Edwards (USA, 2023, 134 min.)
Is it really a human that we are talking to or is it AI? Artificial intelligence and its potential benefits and dangers for humanity are at the heart of the film. As the film’s protagonist travels through a futuristic war zone, he begins to question what is real. As a society, we are at the very point where we are asking ourselves the same question.
Nova Gorica Cultural Centre
Entrance fee: €5.5, €4.5
THURSDAY 30. 11.
17.00 Walking tour of the festival exhibition venues with curator Nina Jeza, public guided tour
Nova Gorica City Gallery, Xcenter, Tir Gallery, Carinarnica, Agorè Gallery
WORKSHOPS FOR ORGANISED GROUPS
20 and 21 November
9.00‒10.30 and 10.45‒12.15 Create your own PIXXELPOINT portrait, 3D printing and photography workshop for children aged 8–14
Did you know you can bring your creativity into the 3D world? In this workshop, visitors will explore the wonderful and magical world of 3D printing and create their own unique PIXXELPOINT portraits. Using the latest technology, they will turn artistic ideas into reality. They will learn how to create a 3D model of a face or any other object and then use a 3D printer to turn these models into real, tangible works of art. In the workshop, participants will learn the basics of 3D modelling and 3D printing, and delve deeper into the process of creation. Join us and turn your ideas into 3D reality! Get ready for an unforgettable creative experience!
Led by Matej Vidmar
Xcenter
23, 24, and 30 November
9.00–10.30 and 10.45–12.15 Lego robotics for kids, workshop for children aged 6 to 15
Children will learn the basics of robotics and programming with the ever-popular Lego bricks. They will use computers and LEGO WeDo 1.0 educational kits. The workshops are aimed at those with no prior knowledge and those who have already taken part and have acquired some knowledge of robotics and programming.
Led by Mali Ustvarjalci
France Bevk Public Library
Nina Jeza
Nina Jeza is an art historian and curator who works in visual and intermedia art. She studied art history at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, where she graduated under the mentorship of Dr Lev Menaše, having written her thesis Censorship in Contemporary Polish Art at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, under the mentorship of Dr Pawel Leskowicz. She gained diverse work experience during her student years.
Since 2012 she has been a freelance cultural worker, curator, and teacher. For two years (2013/2014) she was the in-house curator at the Media Nox Gallery, which is a part of the Maribor Youth Cultural Centre, where she conceived the web gallery project WEB NOX. She was the artistic director of the International Festival of Computer Arts (MFRU) for three years, between 2013 and 2015, the year she also started actively collaborating with the KIBLA Multimedia Centre in Maribor, where she was the in-house curator and organiser of various exhibitions, projects, and events.
Nina Jeza has participated in international exchanges, projects, exhibitions, and art colonies, and authored many successfully realised events and publications in electronic and print media, including on television and radio. She is the originator and organiser of the art fair art-MUS 2015-2022 (https://art-mus.si).
LIFE ON THE GRID
The dichotomy of present-day life, interwoven as it is with electricity, is becoming increasingly entangled in its own energy loop amidst the constant quest for the “green breakthrough”. The unbearable lightness of green being is sinking ever deeper into the quicksand of its own perdition, for it is becoming obvious that green – “how we want it green” – is at its core unable (as yet) to come up with an appropriate answer to what should truly worry us: what to do with all the electricity storage devices going to waste, the car batteries and lithium-ion batteries, once their useful life – which is naturally not infinite – ends.
From connected devices, social networks and global communication platforms, to online communities and virtual reality, networks and grids have become an inevitable part of our everyday lives. All of this has an impact on our identities, relationships, artistic creation, and social interaction.
This year's Pixxelpoint explores the ways in which life on the grid is reflected in intermedia art. Through diverse artistic expressions, we seek to reveal how networks and grids shape our perception of the world, how social dynamics evolve, and how artists express themselves in the digital environment.
We can no longer imagine life without electricity. We may dream about the populist “life off the grid”, but reality teaches us that very few chosen ones can in fact return deep into the forests of the natural state of things. This is because so much depends on power that we cannot just wave it away, whereas increasing consumption demands a reflection on how electricity is produced and, even more importantly, stored. Being and non-being are thus dichotomously melded into an overlapping whole to the extent that we no longer know when the former starts and the latter ends; but we do know all too well when one of them is missing. Being drives non-being so that non-being may reciprocally power being with fresh energy, but only to the degree where it must be replaced with new, even cleaner and greener energy so that in the end self-generated black spots in the form of the massive carbon footprint of spent battery products may end up as far away as in space. With a little imagination, the Space-X programme can be transformed into a “Space-Off” race; does Musk’s “freeing of the Bird” – the mega purchase of Twitter – not imply a direction where launch into orbit will be offered as a solution for the growing mass of e-waste? Do we believe that the giants are not interested in using the enormous vastness of space as a futuristic mega-dumpsite? If we have learned anything from history, it is that humankind does not stop where it should, it does not stop until there is no longer a way back. Altruism has always and will always defeat empathy.
Join us on a journey through Life on the Grid, through artistic visions that want to encourage us to think about our role in this digital ecosystem, and also about the ways in which we can create connections through art that transcend the digital world. For as we try to look towards a future where electricity and grids are inextricably linked and at the same time limit our lives, we need to ask ourselves how – and if at all – we will help shape a greener, more sustainable future together.
Pixxelpoint 2023 thus explores this very dichotomy, this connection between being and non-being, and asks how art and technology can contribute to understanding and addressing these challenges, and how being and non-being interact in “everyday life”, in order to raise awareness of the immense impact of new technologies and the potential implications of a future that is even more connected, sustainable, and inspiring.
And then things and people depart – whether it is into eternity or into damnation depends on the beholder. Because it is not our choice, it is their choice. All we want is to “use green”, and space is black anyway. Let’s pollute it so that it is clean “down here”.
Nina Jeza, Artists&Poor’s
Pixxelpoint festival award
This year's Pixxelpoint festival of contemporary artistic practices features an award that will be conferred on the best intermedia work/artist for an innovative approach to contemporary forms of transdisciplinary artistic projects at the nexus of science, art and technology. The award will give the artist or group the chance to put on a solo exhibition at the Nova Gorica City Gallery, complete with an exhibition catalogue and exhibition fee. The idea behind the award is to promote intermedia production in Slovenia and facilitate the presentation of novel artistic directions outside conventional frameworks to the Slovenian public.
The exhibited works will be judged by a jury comprising Peter Tomaž Dobrila (KID Kibla, producer and intermedia artist), Dr Peter Purg (associate professor, dean at the Faculty of Humanities, University of Nova Gorica and intermedia artist) and Petja Janžekovič, MA (Artists&Poor's, philosopher and intermedia producer). The award will be announced during the festival.
Pixxelpoint 2023 expert jury evaluation
The Pixxelpoint Festival 2023 in Nova Gorica continued its tradition of innovation and creativity. Expanding to six exhibition venues, it offered an even more diverse and rich range of intermedia artworks. The jury, composed of Dr. Peter Purg, Peter Tomaž Dobrila and Mag. Petja Janžekovič, was faced with the challenging task of evaluating the many outstanding works presented at the festival.
This year's Pixxelpoint once again brought together different artistic practices and approaches, with each of the six exhibition venues offering a unique insight into the contemporary intermedia art scene. The jury paid particular attention to how each work and installation communicated with the festival's theme, how it utilised the space of the exhibition venues and how it connected with the audience. In assessing the festival as a whole and the individual artists, the jury took into account the complexity, innovation and social relevance of the works presented. The organisers' efforts to further extend the reach of the festival with six exhibition venues further underlined the importance of Pixxelpoint as one of the most recognisable festivals in the field of intermedia art in the country.
With its impressive roster of artists, Pixxelpoint 2023 has reaffirmed its role as one of the key hubs of intermedia art. Among the participants were the renowned Numen/For Use collective (Sven Jonke, Christoph Katzler and Nikola Radeljković), who created a "Network" that effectively explores the boundaries between art, design and architecture, providing Pixxelpoint 2023 visitors with an unforgettable experience. This installation not only evokes a sense of existence in a networked world, but also encourages reflection on our own web of relationships and the impact we have on each other in shared spaces, which is why the jury felt it deserved a special mention.
Furthermore, the participants include Slovenian artists Tanja Vujinović, Matej Bizovičar, Boštjan Čadež and Barbara Jazbec, Nika Oblak & Primož Novak, Ana Pečar and the Art Rebel 9 collective.
From the international scene, the festival was enriched by Italian artists Simone Bosco and Alessandro Lupi, the Interface Culture Linz group Danielius Marius Šermukšnis from Lithuania, the duo MAalex (Alex Fallica and Martina Pizzigoni) from Italy, Ahmed Jamal and Simon Weckert from Egypt and Germany, Linaá Pulido Barragán from Colombia, Volkan Dinçer from Turkey, and the Iranians Vahid Qaderi and Razieh Kooshki.
The Academy of Arts of the University of Nova Gorica contributed works by students Luka Carlevaris, Anastasija Kojić, Ana Logar, Tamara Taskova, Tamara Kostrevc, Lazar Mihajlović and Miha Godec, which shows the importance of the festival also for the upcoming generations of artists, while at the same time Pixxelpoint 2023 (once again) set high standards for intermedia art and offered a space for diverse artistic expressions reflecting current trends and future directions in art.
In the framework of the festival, which raises questions about 'Life in the (o)net', Barbara Jazbec's work 'EERIE ME', exhibited at Xcenter Nova Gorica, presents a contemporary and notable contribution not only in the field of intermedia art, but also in the context of a broader artistic future. Created in Linz and Ogaki between 2021 and 2022, this series of interactive sculptures is in fact a pioneering example of the innovative use of mixed media that transcends the traditional boundaries between art, technology and human experience.
The artist's work interrogates the relationship between the creation and its creator through a series of creatures that embody both human and non-human (robotic) imagery. This approach opens up new avenues in the understanding of art and/or technology, which is why it goes beyond the purely functional aspect and reaches deeper philosophical dimensions. Barbara's distinctive approach to "hacking" and modifying toys to make them more or less human explores ideas of identity, artificial intelligence and human-technology interactions. The work is complex and multipolar in terms of the use of different tools and techniques, and the involvement of different elements and structures, the incorporation of media, and the extrapolation of individual 'beings' into a juxtaposition of the singularity of the physical and the media help to create a unique, interdependent and composite entity. This approach allows for the easy use of technology and interfaces, while encouraging complex thinking.
The artist's work questions the relationship between creation and its creator through a series of creatures that embody both human and non-human (robotic) images. This approach opens up new ways of understanding art and/or technology, going beyond the purely functional to reach deeper philosophical dimensions. Barbara's distinctive approach to 'hacking' and modifying toys to make them more or less human explores ideas of identity, artificial intelligence and human-technology interaction. The work is complex and multipolar in terms of the use of different tools and techniques, the inclusion of different elements and structures, the incorporation of media and the extrapolation of individual 'beings' into a juxtaposition of the singularity of the physical and the media, helping to create a unique, interdependent and composite entity. This approach allows for the easy use of technology and interfaces while encouraging complex thinking.
"EERIE ME, with its creatures that "live" by interacting with the viewer, highlights the importance of participatory art in the digital age. The artist not only places the viewer at the centre of the artistic process, but also explores how technology can be used as a means to create deeper and more personal artistic experiences. In this way, the project is also an important commentary on the future of technology and the human obsession with immortality. Jazbec explores the ways in which digital technologies may promise us a new kind of immortality, in which our consciousness could be preserved 'forever' and transferred into new, innovative, and perhaps for that very reason, introverted forms. This concept is not only relevant in the context of contemporary technological artistic research, but also opens the door to ethical and philosophical debates about the future of humanity.
In the Slovenian context, the work represents an important milestone in the development of intermedia art, as it represents a deliberate shift from traditional artistic practices to more experimental and technologically integrated approaches, bringing additional freshness and innovation to the Slovenian intermedia art scene, and at the same time perfectly positioning Slovenia in the international field of contemporary intermedia art.
"EERIE ME" is more than just a work of art; it is a manifesto about the future of humanity in harmony with technology. With its artistic robo-sculptures and innovative use of intermedia techniques, it not only broadens the foundations for the further development of intermedia art in Slovenia, but also opens up new possibilities for understanding and exploring the increasingly complex relationship between man and new technologies, and represents a creative, original contribution to artistic expression and the debate about the future of humanity as such.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Numen/For Use (Sven Jonke (DE), Christoph Katzler (AUS) & Nikola Radeljković (HR)),
Tanja Vujinović (SI),
Matej Bizovičar (SI),
Boštjan Čadež (SI),
Barbara Jazbec (SI),
Nika Oblak & Primož Novak (SI),
Simone Bosco (IT),
Alessandro Lupi (IT),
Ana Pečar (SI),
Interface culture Linz: Danielius Marius Šermukšnis (LT), MAalex – Alex Fallica (IT) & Martina Pizzigoni (IT),
Ahmed Jamal (EGY) & Simon Weckert (DE),
Linaá Pulido Barragán (CO),
Volkan Dinçer (TR),
Vahid Qaderi, Razieh Kooshki (IR),
Art Rebel 9 (SI),
Akademija umetnosti Univerze v Novi Gorici (School of Arts, University of Nova Gorica): Luka Carlevaris (SI), Anastasija Kojić (SRB), Ana Logar (SI), Tamara Taskova (NMK/SI), Tamara Kostrevc (SRB), Lazar Mihajlović (SRB) in Miha Godec (SI)
OTHER PARTICIPANTS
Kim Brian Dudek (DE),
Andrej Kobal (SI),
Fabrizio Lamocha (E),
Gregor Spagnolo (SI),
Filip Tomažič & Eszter Szentirmai (SI),
ŠC Ptuj – Elektro in računalniška šola: Franc Vrbančič in dijaki Jaka Antolič, Alex Kaučevič, Jaka Janžekovič in Žan Emeršič (SI),
Mali ustvarjalci (SI),
Matej Vidmar (SI)
Contact
Kulturni dom Nova Gorica, Bevkov trg 4, 5000 Nova Gorica
Project manager: Pavla Jarc
Tel.: +386 5 33 540 11
direktor@kulturnidom-ng.si
Project coordinator: Mateja Poljšak Furlan
Tel.: +386 5 33 540 15
mestnagalerija@kulturnidom-ng.si
Technical director: Tadej Hrovat
Tel.: +386 5 33 540 17
mgng@siol.net
Design: BridA
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