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these are some very nice photos by Olga Papakostantinou. If you use them please give her the appropriate credit for her work. Soon to come videos and more photos.
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Monotonia Press Release
‘ΜONOTONIA’
by ΜEDEA ELECTRONIQUE
11 and 12 December
Opening for the audience
«Θα γίνουν τα ίδια πράγματα, θα ξαναγίνουν πάλι- η όμοιες στιγμές μάς βρίσκουνε και μας αφίνουν.»
Κ.Καβαφης
«People without imagination are beginning to tire of the importance attached to comfort, to culture, to leisure, to all that destroys imagination…»
Raoul Vaneigem
Using as a starting point the poem Monotony of C.Cavafy and the text of R.Vaneigem The revolution of everyday life, the idea of the audiovisual sculpture- installation ‘Monotonia’ was created by the artistic collective Μedea Electrοnique. This artwork is going to be presented at the Onassis Cultural Center at Siggrou Avenue at the 11th and 12th of December and time 17.00, 18.45, 21.00
Concept:
We live in a universal ‘condition’ which forces upon us a ‘monotonous situation’. Our ‘monotonous thoughts’ are designating our everyday acts of apathy that lead us to carapace behavior. Fake illusions of material goals lead us to a circle of events that create a monotonous life-motif. A ‘monotonous situation’ that is in favor of the few, facilitating this way a system of cultural prohibitions and isolated environment. The only enantiosis against this condition are the ‘forbidden illusions’ that have their roots in the expelled dreams of our childhood. These ‘illusions’, revive through the ‘obstructions’ that lead to minor revolutions, the awakening of our inner revolutionary voice, which this way breaks our circle of repetitive events and leads us to journeys of indagation.
Artist statement:
“By deconstructing the meaning of monotony, we render it a universal message translated in lack of variety and interest, repetition and routine. Our goal is to impel the audience to connect multiple moments in a seemingly monotonous circle of events, creating their personal route in the artwork, breaking this way their own ‘monotonous situations’. Believing in productive dialogue, we set the foundations of our artwork on that. We hope to invite the audience to become a part of it as well; a dialogue that we hope to change even for a little while their approach on everyday life.”
With the wordplay –Medea thought the new Media- the artistic collective Medea Electronique was founded in 2006. Independent artists that work in different fields of art, bring together their special adeptness in the fields of research and practice, creating this way a unique style. Medea Electronique is the creative meeting-conjunction of active people that share the same love for innovation, art and novelty.
Siggrou Avenue 107-109, Αthens 11745
information: 213 0 178000, tickets: 210 900 5 800
Email: info@sgt.gr
To enter the opening of this event it is essential to have a ticket in prior. The tickets last for two hours of stay in the Cultural Center and attendance of at least one of the productions of the opening.
Greek Version
ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ
‘ΜONOTONIA’
ΑΠΟ ΤΗΝ ΜEDEA ELECTRONIQUE
11 και 12 Δεκέμβριου
ΕΓΚΑΙΝΙΑ ΚΟΙΝΟΥ
«Θα γίνουν τα ίδια πράγματα, θα ξαναγίνουν πάλι- η όμοιες στιγμές μάς βρίσκουνε και μας αφίνουν.»
Κ.Καβαφης
«People without imagination are beginning to tire of the importance attached to comfort, to culture, to leisure, to all that destroys imagination…»
Raoul Vaneigem
Με αφορμή το ποίημα Μονοτονία του Καβάφη και το κείμενο του Vaneigem The revolution of everyday life σαν ορμητήριο, δημιουργήθηκε η ιδέα του οπτικοακουστικού γλυπτού installation Μονοτονία που πρόκειται να παρουσιαστεί στην Στέγη Τεχνών και Γραμμάτων στην οδό Συγγρού και ώρα 17.00, 18.45, 21.00 από την καλλιτεχνική ομάδα Μedea Electrοnique.
Concept:
Η παγκόσμια συνθήκη στην οποία ζούμε μας επιβάλλει μια ‘μονότονη κατάσταση’. Οι ‘μονότονες σκέψεις’ μας καθορίζουν της καθημερινές μας πράξεις απάθειας που οδηγούν σε αδιάφορη συμπεριφορά. Φτιαχτές ψευδαισθήσεις υλικών στόχων, οδηγούν σε έναν κύκλο γεγονότων που δημιουργούν ένα μονότονο μοτίβο ζωής. Μια ‘μονότονη κατάσταση’ που εξυπηρετεί τους λίγους, ευνοώντας ένα σύστημα κοινωνικών αποκλεισμών και απομονωμένου περιβάλλοντος. Η μόνη εναντίωση απέναντι στην ‘συνθήκη’ είναι οι απαγορευμένες ψευδαισθήσεις που ίσως να έχουν της ρίζες τους στα απωθημένα όνειρα της παιδικής μας ηλικίας. Τα ‘οράματα’ αυτά αναβιώνουν μέσω των εμποδίων που οδηγούν σε μικρές επαναστάσεις ή αλλιώς στην ενδότερη επαναστατική φωνή μας, που έτσι σπάει τον κύκλο των επαναλαμβανόμενων γεγονότων και οδηγεί σε ταξίδια αναζήτησης.
Η ομάδα δηλώνει για το έργο :
«Αποδομώντας την έννοια της μονοτονίας, την καθιστούμε ένα παγκόσμιο μήνυμα μεταφρασμένο σε έλλειψη ποικιλίας και ενδιαφέροντος, βαρετή επανάληψη και ρουτίνα. Στόχος μας είναι η παρακίνηση του κοινού να συνδέσει πολλαπλές στιγμές σε ένα φαινομενικά μονότονο κύκλο, δημιουργώντας μια ατομική διαδρομή μέσα από το έργο, σπάζοντας έτσι την προσωπική του ‘μονότονη κατάσταση’. Πιστεύουμε στον παραγωγικό διάλογο, πάνω σε αυτόν στηρίζουμε το έργο και σε αυτόν επιδιώκουμε να προσκαλέσουμε τους θεατές. Έναν διάλογο που ελπίζουμε να αλλάξει έστω και για λίγο την προσέγγιση της καθημερινότητας τους»
Με ένα υφέρπον λογοπαίγνιο στο όνομα – Medea μέσα από τα νέα Media- ιδρύθηκε το 2006 η καλλιτεχνική ομάδα Medea Electronique. Ανεξάρτητοι καλλιτέχνες που δουλεύουν σε διαφορετικούς τομείς της τέχνης, ενοποιούν της ξεχωριστές ειδικότητες τους στους τομείς της έρευνας και της εφαρμογής, ορίζοντας έτσι ένα ιδιαίτερο στυλ. Οι Medea Electronique είναι η δημιουργική συνάντηση-συνένωση δραστήριων ανθρώπων που μοιράζονται την αγάπη για το νέο, την τέχνη και την καινοτομία.
Λεωφόρος Συγγρού 107-109, Αθήνα 11745
Πληροφορίες: 213 0 178000, Εισιτήρια: 210 900 5 800
Email: info@sgt.gr
Για την είσοδο στα εγκαίνια αυτού του διημέρου, είναι απαραίτητη η κατοχή δελτίου εισόδου. Τα δελτία εισόδου αντιστοιχούν σε διάρκεια δίωρης παραμονής εντός της Στέγης και παρακολούθησης τουλάχιστον μίας παραγωγής.
Koumaria Day 6+7
Blog Day 6
With many of the projects taking shape, the residents spent today both fine-tuning projects, and exploring the surrounding countryside. A number of residents took the occasion to visit the sea, and a nearby abandoned village. The ISE ensemble worked with Marielle on her astronomically inspired graphic score, and true to the residency’s guiding principles soon this composition took on the character of the whole ensemble. Late that evening members of the ensemble were up on the roof of the house taking photos of the night sky to transform into scores. Come see the result of this undertaking this Thus evening at KNOT gallery.
Blog Day 7
This was an exciting day for the residents, and we had both a “show and tell” of all the sub-projects, and discussed how to integrate them into Thusday evening’s performance. We ran through the whole program and so saw the collective results of our artistic efforts. It became graphically clear just how much collaborative work has taken place, and we capped of the evening by taking turns leading the ISE with Mad Scientist. It is hard to accept that tomorrow is the last day.
Koumaria Day 5
Blog Day Five
The residency had some exciting developments today. During yet another beautiful morning, two dancers, two musicians and a videographer “found their way” into a semi-abandoned factory near the village, and performed an extended improvisation. Surrounded by industrial debris, agricultural effluence, and a variety of colors and qualities of light, the moment took on an exciting form and sense of drama. Much of this was due to the participation of a second dancer, Stavros Apostolatos, and so the possibilities of interactions increased both in number and complexity. The residency also greeted the arrival of Stefania Mizara, a noted photo-journalist and art photographer, who is documenting, both in stills and in video, the residency. This work will be shown as part of Electromedia Works-10 at the Knot Gallery next Thus and Fri in Athens. She is also collaborating with a number of residents on an improvised musical score to accompany an exhibit of her photos taken in Haiti, to be shown at her gallery in Athens in Feb. We have also worked on a major (as in cosmic!) graphic score by Marielle, and conducted a number of field recordings. Many have been busy editing video, and the house is fulling abuzz this evening.
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Koumaria Day 4
Blog Day four
The residents awoke, yet again, to a warm, sunny day. The olive harvest began this morning, and many of the residents spent time observing, and helping with this time consuming practice. While intensive video editing took place on the ground floor, an ever-growing ensemble of musicians worked on a number of projects. Marielle Groven led the ensemble through a number of “games” for generating musical structures via collective improvisations. We also worked on integrating a wider range of electronics into our collective improvisations, and discussed ways broaden our sounds yet further. Based on suggestion made by the residents, Stefan worked on both modifying his existing software, and developing yet new software, and interfaces, for improvising. The video artists have been working with the dancers on a project the details of which are yet to be revealed, but rumor has it involve cameras attached to dancing bodies. As evening approached new residents arrived, and there is a general “buzz” amongst the participants as many projects are starting to take shape, and the mass of electronic equipment and instruments in the main studio grows.
Koumaria Day 3
Blog Day three
Today the residents awoke to sunny skies and warm temperatures. With the surrounding mountains etched clearly against a blue sky, the residents moved outside, for both social and artistic encounters. At one point Eric Lewis was playing trumpet on the balcony, while the dancer Ioanna Kabylafka joined in. Their improvisation was soon enriched by the participation of Viviane Houle, whose vocalizations and movements were both amplified and morphed by trumpet and dancer. This encounter led to a discussion of corporality, voice and movement, and was repeated in the afternoon with the addition of the saxophonist Guido De Flaviis. Watch for the results of this collaboration next week at Knot Gallery.
Resident composer Marielle Groven worked on graphic scores based on multi-color high contrast photos of deep-sky objects. We wait to see how the collective will actualize them in sound, movement and image. She also led a group of residents in one of her improvisational games, based on the collective manipulation of a finite number of musical ideas. A number of residents continued to experiment with, both as performers and as conductors, The Mad Scientist Machine. We are very quickly becoming familiar with the potential and possibilities inherent in the system, and the resultant improvisations are growing in subtly and interactivity. Much video editing took place, and, as always, every resident was well fortified by the fine food, spirits, and spirit, everywhere apparent.
Koumaria Day 2
Blog Day 2
The residents awoke this morning to light rain, with the nearby mountains deeply engaged in an improvisational dance with the threatening clouds. As shafts of light joined in, we knew it would be an interesting day. The emerging video project took further shape, with improvised scenes concerning the nature of improvisation popped up both inside the house, and in the nearby surroundings. A number of sound artists worked with “Mad Scientist,” a live improvising conduction method, involving colored lights and custom software designed by Stefan, and as familiarity with the software grew, the music produced took on a more definite shape with clearly etched transitions and dynamics. Spirits are high, and the relaxed mood is very conductive for chance encounters with fellow residents, which may very well result in collaborative projects. While no discussions have been held concerning the performances to take place next week in Athens, there is at the same time a collective confidence that the residents will present interesting and compelling work.
Koumaria Day 1
This year’s residency is developing organically, with the members free to get to know each other, and their interests and ideas, without any predetermined structure. Helped by the fine weather, the wonderful views, and the delicious cooking, members, in assorted combinations, have spent the day exchanging ideas, equipment, stories and sounds. A couple of projects, based on improvisational acting, are beginning to take shape, with the enthusiastic support of a number of local neighbors. The sound artists have been energized by the presence of Stefan Smulovitz and Viviane Houle, both the designers and creators of the improvising software Kenaxis. The afternoon was spent familiarizing the team with the software, and integrating it into the other soundscapes the residences are familiar with. By the middle of the afternoon the whole house was emanating a wide palate of both acoustic and electronic sounds. The relaxed attitude of the residences, couples with the collective desire to learn from, and with, each other, bodes will for the week to come.
The Process
EMW Koumaria 2010 Press Release
ELECTROMEDIAWORKS_10
An Annual Meeting for the Collective Arts and Artistic Synergies
ORGANIZED BY
ΜEDEA ELECTRONIQUE
————-
15 – 24 NOVEMBER 2010
KOUMARIA_2010 residency
Selessia, Sparta,Greece
25 – 26 NOVEMBER 2010
ΚΝΟΤ GALLERY
(Michalakopoulou & Pyrrou
[entrance from Pyrrou] Athens)
Contact information:
00306940808727 , 0030 6945532887
ENTRANCE 5 € (for the concerts each day)
In the context of ElectroMediaWorks_10 the collective Medeaelectronique (www.medeaelectronique.com) will host KOUMARIA_10, an intensive 10 days Residency at the foot of Mount Taigetos. A 400 square meter residency in a huge private olive field, including a converted mixed-media art studio, will be transformed this November into a laboratory for contemporary art.
Greek and international artists, theoreticians, scientists from different disciplines and backgrounds, are invited to work together and form the Instant Synthesis Ensemble (I.S.E) in order to develop a collective arts project. The outcome of this effort will be introduced in Athens among other productions, presentations in a twoday Collective arts Meeting at KNOT gallery (http://knotarts.blogspot.com).
ElectroMediaWorks is an annual meeting for innovative media art, electronic media art, electronic music and cross-over art, aiming to revive in the future the EMW Festival (www.emw.gr). Koumaria Residency and ElectroMediaWorks embrace a wide range of themes and techniques that promote knowledge and enhance the exchange of ideas and ‘materials’ in order to highlight and reveal the processes of collective creativity within the theory, technology, philosophy and innovative contemporary art practices of mixed media arts.
ElectroMediaWorks_10 will revolve around two broad themes: Collective Arts and Artistic Synergies. The program will feature talks led by our Guests, workshops, presentations and performances later in the day. A dialogue amongst a diverse range of independent collectives, cooperating groups, spaces, institutions etc. will give us the opportunity to explore ideas, methods and practical aspects of the collective creative process, among other issues.
During the ten days residency, from 15th to 25th of November, a blog that is dedicated to KOUMARIA_10 will be updated with news, music, pictures and video from Selassia, Sparta, Greece. (www.medeaelectronique.com/category/blog/)
Stephania Mizara, a talented photographer and founder of the space M55 (www.m55projects.gr) is invited by EMW_10, to visit Koumaria residency for several days. Among other ideas she is planning to capture unique moments of coexistence and cooperation of the resident artists. Her work will be exhibited in the form of slide show video during the two days in Knot gallery.
Additionally, professor of Philosophy and improviser Eric Lewis from Canada, will work for the second year in a row on a documentary about this year’s Koumaria residency, while his documentary on Koumaria_09, entitled ‘From Both Sides Now’ will be screened during the two-day gathering
The daily program will start early in the evenings with talks, presentations, workshops, screenings (free entrance) to be followed by concerts and short acts, including mixed media performances (entrance fee 5€). A detailed program can be found at (www.medeaelectronique.com) (www.knotarts.blogspot.gr)
Talks – Presentations
The discussion panels for each day are entitled “EXPLORING COLLECTIVITY” and “SHOWCASING SYNERGIES” respectively.
*talks will be led in Greek language except otherwise indicated.
- KOUMARIA_10 with ΙNSTANT SYNTHESIS ENSEMBLE (I.S.E)
presentation-performance-open discussion
(www.medeaelectronique.com/residency/)
(www.medeaelectronique.com/ise/)
Eric Lewis(US /CA), Stefan Smulovitz (CA), Viviane Houle (CA), Alexandros Drimonitis (GR), Marielle Andrée Groven (CA), Tim Ward (UK), Paris Erotokritou (GR), Anastasis Grivas (GR), Stavros Apostolatos (GR), Μagnus Klahr (SW), Elli-Anna Peristeraki (GR), Panagiwtis Goubouros (GR) plus Medeaelectronique [Manolis Manousakis, Michael Larsson, LoKey (Yannis Lolis & Cleopatra Korae), Ioanna Kabilafka, Charis Germanidis,Christos Laskaris, Thodwris Zioutos, Guido De Flaviis, Anastasia_X.]
- “IMPROVISATION ACROSS THE ARTS: CHALLENGES AND POTENTIALS”
open discussion-talk
Εric Lewis (McGill University, Canada)
Danae Stefanou (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki)
*the talk will be held in English.
Eric Lewis, Professor of Philosophy of Improvisation and co-founder of the international research project Improvisation, Community and Social Practice (http://www.improvcommunity.ca/), and Danae Stefanou, Lecturer in Historical Musicology at the Department of Music Studies, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki will lead a discussion on the local and cross-cultural prospects of collective improvisation, investigating the challenges and promises of improvisational approaches across and between different artforms, in institutional and non-institutional contexts.
- FREE IMPROVISATION MUSIC WORKSHOP
presentation-performance
(http://knotarts.blogspot.com/2009/12/blog-post_29.html)
Presentation-live performance with the participants of the weekly music improvisation workshop coordinated by Acte Vide (Yannis Kotsonis, Danae Stefanou).
- SPIDER : International Artistic Project
presentation
With Antigone Gyra (www.kinitiras.com)
The Spider project »emerged« as an idea of the three dancers and choreographers: Matej Kejžar (Slovenia), Michael Pomero (France), who met in Brussels (at Rosas) and Antigone Gyra (Greece). The Spider festival supports transnational mobility of cultural workers and artistic works through various activities. It has a special net, a unique inherent structure, which can be recognized as a model for future connections, marketing communication, international culture production, co-operation and participation.
Presentations of other cooperating groups, independent institutions and centers:
- HELLENIC ELECTROACOUSTIC MUSIC COMPOSERS ASSOCIATION [H.E.L.M.C.A] (www.essim.gr)
- CENTER OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC RESEARCH [C.M.R.C] (www.ksyme.gr)
- BEFORE LIGHT www.beforelight.com
- FTOUXELEFTERIA http://omadaftouxelefteria.blogspot.com/
- M55 PROJECTS (www.m55projects.gr/ )
- OPER(O) (www.myspace.com/operoteam )
- ODC ENSEMBLE (www.myspace.com/odcensemble1)
Workshops
- Stefan Smulovitz – Kenaxis (http://www.kenaxis.com)
*the workshop (1h) will be held in English.
The composer Stefan Smulovitz will lead a workshop concerning improvisation and electronic music using Kenaxis as a model . Kenaxis is a software that transforms the laptop into a powerful and highly adaptable musical instrument. A great tool for live performance, live electronics and sound transformation.
Screenings
- KOUMARIA 09 Documentary by Eric Lewis
‘From Both Sides Now’ is a video documentary concerning the Medeaelectronique 2009 Koumaria residency. It focuses on the interpersonal and artistic challenges faced by a group of improvisers, working across numerous art-forms, largely unknown to each other, who had ten days to create a collaborative trans-art performance piece. We see how often social issues presented themselves as artistic issues, and vice versa. The documentary traces the participant’s community building efforts, and the success of the residency, in spite of major obstacles concerning lack of a common first language, diverse experiences as improvisers, divergent art-discourses and varied expectations. Improvisation emerges as a method for simultaneously asserting the self, while integrating it into a larger community. The artistic success of the residency can be seen as a product of its social success, and the willingness of the participants to respond to contingencies in perhaps unexpected ways.
- MAKING OFF ΚΟΥΜΑΡΙΑ_10
- SLIDE SHOW by Stephania Mizara [photographer and owner of the independent space Μ55 www.m55projects.gr)]
Concerts- performances
- MAD SCIENTIST MACHINE ORCHESTRA (http://www.kenaxis.com/mad-scientist-machine/)
- Κ.S.Υ.Μ.Ε ENSEMBLE (http://www.ksyme.gr)
- INSTANT SYNTHESIS ENSEMBLE (I.S.E) (KOYMARIA_10)
- IOANNIS KALANTZIS (http://ikalantzis.free.fr/) [H.E.L.M.C.A]
- STUDIO 19 (www.studio19st.com)
- 4+1 (www.myspace.com/tesseraena)
- HOULE_SMULOVITZ DUO (www.vivianehoule.ca)
- OPER(O) (www.myspace.com/operoteam)
Koumaria 2010
The residents of Koumaria 2010 will update this post from the 15th to the 25th of November with news music and video from Selassia, Sparta, Greece.
2010 KOUMARIA RESIDENTS
2010 KOUMARIA RESIDENTS
Eric Lewis(US /CA), Stefan Smulovitz (CA), Viviane Houle (CA), Alexandros Drymonitis (GR), Marielle Andrée Groven (CA), Tim Ward (UK), Paris Erotokritou (GR), Anastasis Grivas (GR), Stavros Apostolatos (GR), Μagnus Klahr (SW), Elli-Anna Peristeraki (GR), Petros Lolis (GR), Panagiwtis Goubouros (GR) plus Medeaelectronique [Manolis Manousakis, Michael Larsson, LoKey (Yannis Lolis & Cleopatra Korae), Ioanna Kabilafka, Haris Germanidis,Christos Laskaris, Thodwris Zioutos, Guido De Flaviis, Anastasia_X.]
EMW / KOUMARIA 10
Medea Electronique
Hosts
ElectroMediaWorks 10
An Annual Meeting of the Collective Arts and Artistic Synergies
From the 15tth to 26th of Nov 2010 Medea Electronique Hosts an intensive 10 day Residency and two day Collective arts Meeting for innovative media art, electronic media art, electronic music and cross-over art, featuring international artists and productions, reflective of a variety of arts and lifestyles, such as musicians, video artists, performers and sonic artists.
Koumaria Residency and ElectroMediaWorks is open to anyone interested in the theory, technology, philosophy and practices of mixed media arts.
At the foot of Mount Taigetos, a huge private olive garden 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.
The final outcomes will be presented at KNOT Gallery during an annual meeting concerning arts collectives and artistic synergies aiming to revive in the future EMW Festival (www.emw.gr)
The 2 day gathering will offer a wide variety of thematics and feature seminars lead by our Guests.
.
The talks will be led by improviser and scholar Eric Lewis who will discuss the history of multi-arts collectives, and methods for trans-art production.
Additional seminars will be lead by
Stefan Smulovitz concerning improvisation and electronic music using Kenaxis as a model. He will discuss how Xenakis influenced the creation of Kenaxis and improvisation ideas. The presence of the hand as in his UPIC system, stochastic creation of music, granular synthesis, and glissando and other process over time to create structure. He will also touch on the Mad Scientist Machine as another form of combining technology and improvisation. For more info on the Mad Scientist Machine look at this video – http://www.kenaxis.com/new-mad-scientist-machine-video/