AV Festival 10: Energy

5 – 14 March 2010
Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and Middlesbrough, various venues
Festival Launch: Thursday 4 March,
6-8pm
mima
Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
Centre Square, Middlesbrough, TS1 2AZ

Felix Gonzalez-Torres
« Untitled » (Lovers – Paris), 1993
Light bulbs, extension cords, porcelain light sockets
Overall dimensions vary with installation
Two parts: 41 ft. in length with 20 ft. of extra cord each
Photography: Peter Muscato
© Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation
Courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York. Felix Gonzalez-Torres

AV Festival 10 is the biennial international festival of electronic arts, presenting work across North East England.

This year the curatorial theme is energy: a universal force that connects, transforms and renews life. Energy is explored from scientific, technological, environmental and spiritual perspectives with 24 exhibitions, 20 performances, 10 screenings, 14 talks, 3 symposia and 2 artist residencies.

The Festival includes over 100 artists, including: Kenneth Anger, Cluster, Bruce Conner, Felix Gonzalez-Torres and William McKeown, Johan Grimonprez, Liliane Lijn, Christian Marclay, Alan Moore, Stephen O’Malley, Gustav Mezger, Charlemagne Palestine, Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard, Aura Satz with Aleks Kolkowski, Iain Sinclair and Susan Stenger.
Highlights include:

A certain distance, endless light
A project by Felix Gonzalez-Torres and William McKeown
A certain distance, endless light is a major new exhibition by internationally celebrated Cuban-born American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres and Irish artist William McKeown. Co-curated by AV Festival 10 and mima both artists answer the Festival’s theme of energy in different ways.
mima, Fri 5 March – Sun 4 July

Charlemagne Palestine Trilogy
Three unmissable performances by the legendary American musician and artist. Including two performances for carillon and church bells and Schlingen Blangen his immersive solo organ performance that slowly builds over six hours. Palestine full embraces the giant scale of the church organ, using all its pipes to play hundreds of tones at once, that magically vibrate and combine in the air.
Fri 5 – Sun 7 March

Power Game by Liliane Lijn
Power Game is a one-night-only performance by Liliane Lijn set in a pop-up casino, exploring the politics of identity and the power of words. At the heart of the game are the invited players, who bet their own money on the comparative power of two words, which is decided by vote.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Fri 5 March

all art is, is rhythm
As stated by the famous modern artist Kurt Schwitters in 1926, art is nothing more than rhythm. This group exhibition on the theme of sound energy includes work by Rhodri Davies, Alec Finlay, Felix Hess, Pe Lang, Liliane Lijn and Charlemagne Palestine. Objects are brought to life by electrical, mechanical, kinetic and human energy, uniting technology with the forces of nature.
Hatton Gallery, Fri 5 March – Sat 22 May

English Journey Revisited
Iain Sinclair and Alan Moore
with FM Einheit, Stephen O’Malley, Susan Stenger and Graham Dolphin
In 1933, during the Great Depression, JB Priestley travelled from London to the North East to write his legendary book English Journey. Over 75 years since its publication award-winning authors and psycho-geographers Iain Sinclair (London Orbital) and Alan Moore (Watchmen) undertake their own journeys across England re-animating spirits and energies. Underscored by a specially commissioned soundscape by musicians: FM Einheit, Stephen O’Malley and Susan Stenger.
The Sage Gateshead, Sun 14 March

Recycled Film Symposium
Kenneth Anger In Person
Leading film organisations, filmmakers, artists and archivists discuss online access to film archives and the creative use of this material in the digital age. Including: Rick Prelinger (Prelinger Archives),Craig Baldwin (artist and founder of Other Cinema), Iain Sinclair (writer and filmmaker), Rebecca Cleman (Electronic Arts Intermix), Mike Sperlinger (LUX), Poppy Simpson (BFI), Paul Gerhardt(Archives for Creativity), Jon Thomson and Alison Craighead (artists) and Annet Dekker (Virtueel Platform).

Following the symposium, the legendary filmmaker Kenneth Anger makes a special guest appearance to talk about his work and screen some of his recent films working with historic archives.
Tyneside Cinema, Thu 11 – Fri 12 March

For information about the full 10 day programme, tickets and travel see:http://www.avfestival.co.uk

AV Festival 10: Energy
c/o Tyneside Cinema
10 Pilgrim Street
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Tel: +44(0)191 227 5512
Email: info@avfestival.co.uk