Berlin, Germany
Screenings@4 media facades and urban screens
16 October – 12 December 2008
Conference: 18-19 Octpber 2009
MEDIA FACADES FESTIVAL 2008 was a series of events and action research with an international conference, architectural exhibition, public discussions, workshop and screenings of art projects on media facades. The main focus was on the interplay of theoretical reflection and practical realisation, involving specialists in media, architecture, urban culture, politics and business.
MEDIA FACADES FESTIVAL 2008 builds on the successful international MEDIAARCHITECTURE CONFERENCE held in London in 2007. By engaging a wide range of stakeholders with distinctive interests in public space, the festival promoted a multi-disciplinary approach to technology, architecture and media art in contemporary cities, through a program of keynote lectures, panel sessions, curated screenings and an exhibition.
Exhibition at the German Architecture Centre (DAZ)
This exhibition explored the integration of moving images into the facade as communicative element, and its effect on Urban Space. Innovative projects showed possible connections of Architecture and Screens and detected different artistic and architectural strategies. The outcome was to give architects a deeper insight in difficulties and possibilities of utilising new media in Architecture.
Symposium at DAZ
A symposium supported the face-to-face contact and deepened the theoretical background of the issues addressed in the exhibitions. Topics such as the following was addressed:
A sustainable integration of digital moving images in the urban architectural landscape, Changing perception of architecture and public space in the digital age, Interactive design and networking with other tools for communication with citizens, Odels for a balance between commercial, communal and cultural interests.
Screenings on four Media Facades in Berlin
Media facades are a new exhibition format. International media researchers, artists and architects gained temporary use of 4 facades in Berlin and explored their cultural, political and social roles. The screenings was a demonstrative test platform, inviting a wider audience to gain hands-on experience in the special connection of content, format and site-specificity, and to take part in a new interactive infrastructure.
Expert and Artist Workshop
A 3 day workshop was held with 16 Artists from Berlin, selected through a call for interest. The aim was to produce a piece for one of the 3 selected medifacades. The first day included open introduction lectures, the second day exchange between experts and artists and the 3rd day the artists discussed their proposals.
MEDIA FACADES IN BERLIN
1. SAP media facade in the Rosenthaler Strasse
2. O2 World media facade
3. Night screen at the Gasometer Schöneberg
4. Collegium Hungaricum (CHB)
For details and description of locations see: www.mediaarchitecture.org/mediafacades2008
Workshop and screenings on 4 media facades in Berlin
Media architecture as a type of urban screens are a new exhibition and media format. Four media facades in central Berlin served as test areas for creative contents. The main focus was on exploring a new format in terms of content, form, spatiality and local relation.
Specific content for 14-day screenings on the media facades was developed in a 3-day workshop directed at Berlin’s creative scene. In cooperation with an expert team, the approximately 16 selected participants/teams of artists examined the cultural, political, social, but also commercial role and the particular character of the four different urban screens. Each participant/team used the experiences from the workshop to develop one specific project for one facade.
Jury
Kathrin Becker / Videoforum NBK (New Berlin Art Association), Tim/Jan Edler / Architects, realities united,
Eva Emenlauer-Blömers / Senate Department WTF, Project Future Berlin, Monika Fleischmann / MARS Fraunhofer Institut, eCulture Factory, Thomas Bendig / Fraunhofer Institut, Berlin, Horst Hörtner / Ars Electronica Center, Stephen Kovats / Artistic Director Transmediale, Mischa Kuball / Artist / Professor of media art, Academy of Media Arts, Cologne
Susanne Prinz / Art Forum Berlin, Joachim Sauter / Art+Com/ Professor of digital media design, Berlin UdK
Curatorial
The festival will be developed in a collaborative process.
Artistic Director: Mirjam Struppek / Interactionfield Berlin, Urban Screens Association
Executive Producer / Urban Screenings Curator: Susa Pop / Public Art Lab
Exhibition Coordinator: Gernot Tscherteu / Media Architecture Institute
Conference Coordinator: Oliver Schuerer
The project is supported by Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin / Berlin Capital Funds and the Senat for Economy, Technology and Women – Project Future Berlin
Publication: Urban Media Cultures, avedition
A detailed publication documenting the conference and the exhibition will be produced to guide the further development in the field. As best practice examples the documentation catalogue will serve the growing community to convince further potential interested parties.
