iMAL: center for digital cultures and technology
Created on 2012/4/6 | Update 2012/6/21 | 2564 reads
1999: the beginning: iMAL (interactive Media Art Laboratory), is a non-profit association created in Brussels in 1999. It was founded by individual artists, media producers, interactive designers, software engineers, and by NICC (a Belgian association of visual artists) with the objective to support artistic forms and creative practices using computer and network technologies as their medium.
About iMAL
2007: opening of the Center for Digital Cultures and Technology
In October 2007, iMAL opened its new venue in Brussels, a Center for Digital Cultures and Technology, a new place of about 600m2 for the meeting of artistic, scientific and industrial innovations, a place entirely dedicated to the contemporary artistic and cultural practices emerging from the fusion of computer, telecommunication, network and media.
Art Laboratory: Experimentation, Residence, Production
IMAL is a laboratory and a workplace for artists in residence, iMAL supports artists during their experimentation and research process as well as for the production and diffusion of their works (e.g. the installations “Salt Lake” by Tom Heene and Yacine Sebti, “Synapse” by Pascale Barret, “Jump!” by Yacine Sebti). IMAL is involved in interdisciplinary projects where digital expressions augment in a meaningful way danse, theater and visual arts.
Research for the Art, Art&Science, Industrial innovation
Regular meetings are organised between creative professionals, innovative technological companies and research institutions (see our website www.imal.org/rendez-vous). In 2008, iMAL will start a research activity as a partner in a French project gathering university labs, innovative companies and art institutions.
Education: Workshops
Since 2001, IMAL produces professional workshops targeted to creative people (artists, designers, developers,…) under the direction of recognised artists (e.g. Casey Reas, David Rokeby, Jasch, Julian Oliver).
Public Events
iMAL public events are designed to raise the awareness of a large audience to the creative usage and critical reviews of information technologies. They range from lectures, performances and concerts to exhibitions and festivals (e.g.. “F2F” - 2003, “Infiltrations Digitales” - 2004, “openLAB” - 2005, "Art+Game" - 2006) usually inviting both internationally recognised artists (e.g.. Jonah Brucker-Cohen, Jodi, Scott Snibbe, Toshio Iwai, Atau Tanaka, Antoine Schmitt) and local emerging ones.
Diffusion
Art works (co-)produced by iMAL are shown or performed in many festivals and art centers: CONTinENT (Helsinki, 2000), Helsinki (Kiasma, 2003), Madrid (VIDA, 2003), Los Angeles (AIM iV, 2003), Stuttgart (Filmwinter, 2004), Lisbon (Alkantara, Close Encounters III, 2006), Amsterdam (Victorian Circus at Brakke Grond, 2006), Basle (Viper, 2006), Montréal (Temps d’Images, 2007), Sao Paulo (File, 2007), Ghent (Almost Cinema at Vooruit, 2007), Shanghai (eArts/Ars Electronica, 2007), London (Sum/Some of the PARTS, 2007).
Networking
iMAL is a network institution collaborating with Belgian colleagues (e.g.. www.x-med-a.be , network of artistic laboratories www.kunstenwerkplaats.be) and other european centers (e.g. Laboral / SP, V2, Mediamatic / NL, m-cult / FI, GMEA, Cie Incidents Mémorables, Incident, Art Sensitif / FR, Hangar / SP)
Institutional Funding
iMAL is supported by the Communauté française de Belgique (sector Digital Arts and General Directorate for Culture) and the Flemish authorities (Vlaamse overheid)
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