26. Međunarodni festival multimedijalne umetnosti IMAF 2024

26th International Multimedial Art Festival - IMAF 2024

31. 08. 2024. - 13. 09. 2024. Odžaci - Novi Sad

At the end of August and the beginning of September, the first post-jubilee edition of the International Multimedia Art Festival - IMAF will be held. Last year, the 25th anniversary of the IMAF festival was marked with various artistic events, which, in all likelihood, will continue in a similar spirit this year. The IMAF festival is a unique manifestation that promotes multimedia arts, giving special emphasis to performance art and live art actions. The IMAF performance art festival contains certain specificities in the organization and implementation of the festival program, and as such it exists individually very successfully in the world of performance art.
This year's 26th International Multimedia Art Festival - IMAF 2024 starts on August 31st with the children's art project "Day of the Rabbit". For the last three years, as part of the IMAF festival program, an artistic manifestation called "Day of the Rabbit " and a children's art workshop have been held. Spike Mclarity is the author of this interesting project, after extremely successful events in the past years, he decided to organize "Day of the Rabbit " for the fourth time, with the help of the IMAF festival. This children's event will be held on the plateau in front of the Odzaci Sports Center.
The project of online presentation of performance videos on the YouTube channel of the IMAF festival will be implemented from September 7th to September 13th, 2024. This artistic video program on the YouTube social network was started in 2020 during the Corona virus pandemic. Then, "thanks" to the pandemic and bans on gatherings in public places, we designed an online presentation of works/performances that took place all these years, and will be realized this year as well. This year's online performance video presentation features 35 works by over 40 artists from 27 countries around the world.
Another of the accompanying events within IMAF 2024 is the international multimedia exhibition. The photographs, digital prints and video works submitted for this year's online presentation will be exhibits for the multimedia exhibition entitled "IMAF + 35". So the participants of the online presentation are also exhibitors at the "IMAF + 35" exhibition. The exhibition will be held from September 7th to 13th in the SULUV gallery in Novi Sad.
The main program of the 26th International Festival of Multimedia Arts - IMAF 2024 is the presentation of artistic actions and live performances, which will be held on September 7th and 8th, 2024. The festival has traditionally been held for many years now in the SULUV gallery in Novi Sad. At the open competition at the beginning of the year, a large number of artists and art groups from all over the world applied. The following artists have been selected to participate live at this year's 26th edition of the IMAF festival: Alexandra Holownia (Poland-Germany), Alkistis Voulgari (Greece), Dirk Thorwarth (Germany), Frank Homeyer (Germany), Michela Montrasio (Italy), Paco Justicia (Spain), Spike Mclarrity (Great Britain), Flutura Preka (Albania-Canada), Besnik Haxhillari (Albania-Canada), Saša Denić-Špena (Serbia), Nenad Bogdanović (Serbia).

Nenad Bogdanovic

 

Krajem avgusta i početkom septembra meseca održaće se prvo postjubilarno izdanje Međunarodnog festivala multimedijalne umetnosti – IMAF. Prošle godine je obeležena jubilarna 25. godina IMAF festivala sa raznim umetničkim dešavanjima, koja će se, svi su izgledi, nastaviti u sličnom duhu i ove godine. IMAF festival je jedinstvena manifestacija koja promoviše multimedijalne umetnosti, dajući poseban akcenat na umetnost performansa i akcije umetnosti uživo. Festival umetničkog performansa IMAF sadrži određene specifičnosti u organizaciji i sprovođenju programa festivala, i kao takav individualno egzistira veoma uspešno u svetu performance art-a.
Ovogodišnji 26. Međunarodni festival multimedijalne umetnosti – IMAF 2024 startuje 31. avgusta dečijim umetničkim projektom „Dan zeca“. Poslednje tri godine, u okviru programa IMAF festivala, održava se umetnička manifestacija pod nazivom “Dan zeca” i dečija likovna radionica. Spajk Meklariti (Spike Mclarrity) je autor ovog zanimljivog projekta, nakon izuzetno uspešnih dešavanja proteklih godina,  odlučio se da po četvrti put, uz pomoć festivala IMAF, organizuje “Dan zeca”. Ova dečja manifestacija će biti realizovana na platou ispred Sportskog centra Odžaci.
Projekat onlajn prezentacije video zapisa performansa na YouTube kanalu festivala IMAF će biti realizovan od 07. do 13. septembra 2024. godine. Ovaj umetnički video program na društvenoj mreži YouTube je započet 2020. godine u toku pandemije Korona virusa. Tada, “zahvaljujući” pandemiji i zabranama okupljanja na javnim mestima, osmislili smo onlajn prezentaciju radova/performansa koja se održala svih ovih godina, te će biti realizovana i ove godine takođe. Ovogodišnja onlajn prezentacija video zapisa performansa sadrži 35 radova od preko 40 umetnika iz 27 zemalja širom sveta.
Još jedna od pratećih dešavanja u okviru IMAF 2024 je i međunarodna multimedijalna izložba. Fotografije, digitalni printovi i video radovi poslatih za ovogodišnju onlajn prezentaciju, biće eksponati za   multimedijalnu izložbu pod nazivom “IMAF + 35”. Tako da su učesnici onlajn prezentacije istovremeno i izlagači na izložbi “IMAF + 35”. Izložba će biti održana od 07. do 13. septembra u galeriji SULUV u Novom Sadu.
Glavni program 26. Međunarodnog festivala multimedijalne umetnosti – IMAF 2024, su prezentacije umetničkih akcija i performansa uživo, koje će biti održane 07. i 08. septembra 2024. godine. Festival se održava duži niz godina sada već tradicionalno u galeriji SULUV u Novom Sadu.  Na otvorenom konkursu, početkom godine, se prijavio veliki broj umetnika i umetničkih grupa iz celog sveta. Za učešće uživo, na ovogodišnjem 26. izdanju festivala IMAF, su odabrani sledeći umetnici: Alexandra Holownia (Poljska-Nemačka), Alkistis Voulgari (Grčka), Dirk Thorwarth (Nemačka), Frank Homeyer (Nemačka), Michela Montrasio (Italija), Paco Justicia (Španija), Spike Mclarrity (Velika Britanija), Flutura Preka (Albanija-Kanada), Besnik Haxhillari (Albanija-Kanada), Saša Denić – Špena (Srbija), Nenad Bogdanović (Srbija).

 

Nenad Bogdanović

 

 

IMAF 2024 ONLINE PARTICIPANTS:

- Abdoul Aziz Sawadogo (Burkina Faso)
- Abdoul-Ganiou Dermani (Togo-Germany)
- Alexandra Holownia (Poland - Germany)
- Alina Tofan and Teodora Rotaru (Romania)
- Alireza Amin Mozafari (Iran)
- Anand Jaiswal (India)
- Anand Kumar (India)
- AnimaeNoctis - Silvia Marcantoni Taddel and Massimo Sannelli (Italy)
- Anita Cheng (Hong Kong)
- Anna Vienna Ho (Hong Kong)
- B.L.U.S.H. (Canada)
- Benna Gaean Maris (Italy)
- Craphone Liu (Taiwan)
- Dagmar I. Glausnitzer-Smith (Germany)
- Dora Siafla (Greece)
- Eugenia Grammenou (Greece)
- Eva Dabara (Israel)
- Evgenija Tamnavac (Serbia)
- Gina Tsitseri (Greece)
- Janusz Plota (Poland)
- Jordina Ros - Pere Estadella (Spain) and Murta Azul (Chile)
- Maja Skjøth Hegelund (Danmark)
- Masafumi Oda (Japan)
- Miray Shinan (Israel)
- Mohamed Thara (Morocco - France)
- Nada Milosevic Ash (Serbia)
- Ngagne Pouye (Senegal)
- Nicola Fornoni (Italy)
- Noel Molloy (Ireland)
- Osvaldo Cibils (Uruguay - Spain)
- S.Chandrasekaran (Singapore)
- Satadru Sovan (India)
- Sneh Lata (India)
- Ursula Maria Probst (Austria)
- Yutong Xie (China - Chech Republic)

IMAF 2024 review:

Svetlana Mladenov

26th International Multimedia Arts Festival - IMAF

The art space of Serbia cannot pride itself on the abundance of festivals that promote performance and art actions. These art forms are most often performed as a part of segments of larger events, festivals or exhibition projects, and only occasionally at their own festivals. It is for that reason that the International Multimedia Arts Festival – IMAF has a special place within the contemporary art practice of Serbia.

This 26^th edition of the festival confirms its long tradition and continuity. It has been made possible thanks to the enthusiasm and persistence of the artist Nenad Bogdanović, who is its initiator and manager. Starting from the small town of Odžaci in Vojvodina, he managed to show his performances in various parts of the world, and to establish numerous relationships with other festivals, artists and experts all of which affected the development of IMAF. This festival has featured numerous local and foreign artists who presented their own artistic strategies realized through performances and art actions performed live or presented in the form of documentary material: video works and photography.

The continuity of the festival has been supported by the artists themselves through their activity and interest in its development.The desire of numerous international artists to be personally present at the event also contributes to the certainty of its future. However, due to the small budget available to the festival, the organizers are not always able to grant all of these wishes, and the number of artists who perform their performative forms live is reduced to an optimal number of 10-15.In future, that number could certainly grow, provided the necessary financial resources for the festival be secured and donors and sponsors get interested.

The inclination towards mobility that this festival showed in previous years has been confirmed this year as well.Its realisation, which was initially related to Odžaci exclusively, has eventually spread to Novi Sad and now takes place in these two towns in Vojvodina combined.This year, the central part of the festival: live performances and art actions have been presented only in Novi Sad at the Gallery of the Association of Visual Artists of Vojvodina - SULUV, signalling its departure from Odžaci. In order not to break this connection completely, the children’s workshop called Day of the Rabbit was held in Odžaci, which, like in the previous three years, was performed by Spike Mclarrity, an artist from Great Britain, and which has become a tradition by now.This year, this art workshop has created the link between the festival and its birthplace, the town of Odžaci, where it originated. Better working conditions and more adequate possibilities for performances provided by the Novi Sad venues influenced this decision of the organizers.  Also, the attitude of disinterest of the local governing structures in Odžaci and their failure to support this festival contributed to this decision to be reached. 

In addition to the numerous forms of multimedia expression that it fosters, this festival focuses on art performance and art actions.Their live performances form the main program of the festival. The festival also has numerous supporting programs. One of them, the Rabbit Day, an art workshop dedicated to children, has already been mentioned.For several years now, the festival has been organizing an online presentation of video works on the YouTube channel – these are the documentary recordings of performances selected in the international public competition. This year, 35 works by 40 artists from 27 countries have been selected.

The international multimedia exhibition set up in the SULUV Gallery included photographs, digital prints and video works selected from the material received in the competition for online presentation.

The most attractive part of the festival is the performance of live,in sity artistic actions and performances.This program featured 11 artists: Alexandra Holownia from Poland and Germany, Alkistis Voulgari from Greece, Dirk Thorwarth and Frank Homeyer from Germany, Michela Montrasio from Italy, Paco Justicia from Spain, Spike Mclarrity from Great Britain, Two Gullivers - Flutura Preka and Besnik Haxhillari from Canada, Saša Denić-Špena and Nenad Bogdanović from Serbia.

Performance, as one of the most communicative media of contemporary visual art, with its research in free urban, gallery and alternative spaces, achieves direct contact with the audience, both the professional, invited to the event, as well as the random, casual one.The response of the audience, whether engaged, or missing and manifested in the disinterest of passers-by, is an act that contributes to the final outcome of enacting the performative form.

The relationship between viewer and artist is very close, often interactive, and most certainly in a dialogue form, be it a dynamic or a distant one.The audience ceases to be just a passive observer of the event, but is often required to participate, hence its role becomes more active and important for the very flow of the performance as well as its epilogue. It can disrupt the entire performance process and bring about a completely unexpected end result.The moment of surprise and unpredictability brings additional dynamics and makes the performance more exciting and intriguing.

Artists are completely free to move in the expanded field of art in which they explore different media, often combining them, looking for the best dialogue between them.Experiments with different materials and new technologies, as well as their mixing, are also allowed.It is not easy to survey and contemplate the art that takes place in this inspiring, vast and dynamic field intertwined with different personal discourses and numerous parallel processes.Observing today’s art scene, you have the impression that it operates in an Art Vortex, in an atmosphere of whirlwinds and simultaneous unfolding of many different artistic concepts.

The number and variety of performances performed at this festival support this statement.The themes of the performances were conditioned by the context of this period on a global and local level.Insecurity, ever-present existential fear, alienation, and loneliness are especially fuelled by the Covid 19 pandemic, new war hotspots, environmental problems and weather changes, the threat of poverty, forced migration...Many of the performances at this year’s festival dealt with intimate themes, with a human in the focus and his/her life and feelings, as well as his/her need for community, communication and association.Some of the themes researched the problems of gender and identity, while some, tried to achieve cooperation with the audience through their interactivity and point out the need for joint action, empathy and tolerance.They can be categorized as multimedia, procedural, destructive, interactive, intimate, engaging, and neo-conceptual.This variety of ideas and procedures confirmed the versatility of the art scene and the complexity of its perception, but also its wealth of authentic artistic expressions and languages ​​presented in the form of performances and art actions.

Apart from being based on the human body, static or in motion, the performative forms  shown at the festival, also combined other, different elements and props whose role was to support the basic idea and its realization: audio-visual effects, video, computer, joystick, camera , installation, natural elements (water, earth, fire, flowers, tree branches...), colour pigment, fabric, jewellery, wardrobe, shoes, mirror, paper with printed words, numbers and texts, paper as a base for drawing, thread, wool thread, different containers, a mask, a wooden pole, model cars, felt-pens and pencils.

Several interactive performances enhanced the dynamic and exciting atmosphere of the festival.In their interactive-processual performance Remotecontroldrawings, Variante Nr. 4 the artistic couple Two Gullivers (Flutura Preka and Besnik Haxhillari) organized joint work on a drawing done by the artists and the audience.The procedure was conditionally performed in a combination of classic and new media. The end result was a classical drawing obtained by a non-classical method.For this procedure, the artists used toy cars ‘’dressed’’ in felt-pens and pencils. By controlling the movement of the toy car on a paper base with the help of a joystick, an undefined drawing was created.It was created and produced with the participation of both the artists and the audience, and thus became a joint drawing. The performance encouraged cooperation and togetherness of people and spoke of the importance of their association, participation and support.Joint work and collectivism can contribute to the creation of new positive values, which are very important in today’s societies with disturbed value systems.

Spike Mclarrity involved the entire audience in his performance Conducting a Hybrid Nation.In a role similar to that of a conductor or director, he organized and managed the unfolding of the artistic action itself.He handed out transparent masks in the shape of a rabbit’s head to those who were present, asking them to shout certain sounds (letters) into it.According to the types and diversity of sounds, he organized smaller groups of the present audience.He, very charmingly and convincingly, managed the groups, and determined the duration and volume of the sound.In this way common sound, an unknown and new melody, was created as the result of collective effort. On the one hand, the performance talks about the importance of association and interpersonal cooperation, and on the other hand, about the possibility of manipulation of the minority over the majority, that is, the individual over the group. 

Artist Dirk Thorwarth performed his Mir Slava performance in an urban space, in the street near the SULUV Gallery. He usually does his performances in outdoor public spaces, where he communicates with random passers-by and audience that happen to be at the spot.In addition to dealing with his own artistic concepts, he is also involved in journalism and managerial work in culture. He has worked on many international projects related to performance.He directs his vision towards social and sociological performances that talk, like the one performed in Novi Sad, about human feelings: love, hate, happiness, sadness, about friendship, about disturbed relationships between people.

In his performance Caressing the Air Paco Justicia achieves contact with others with light effects (light and shadow). By inviting individuals from the audience to join him, he establishes an active relationship with those present.He talks about the importance of physical contact between people, which is increasingly being lost in the increasingly present technological virtual reality, where contact is made through a screen image.Global pandemic problems, fuelled by fear and uncertainty, have also contributed to alienation among people. Loneliness and indirect communication (internet, telephone, chat, etc.) have become imperatives of modern times. Tactility and physical touch are becoming more and more endangered, and the need for it is growing.

The multimedia performance Trees Whisper by the artist Alkistis Vulgari foregrounds the artist’s body and movement as a ritual game dedicated to human injustice and suffering that has been present both today, and throughout history.Nature (the tree) is a silent witness of these events, it symbolically sees and remembers everything. The performance relies on the verses by the Palestinian poet Rafaat Alareer, killed in Gaza, from his last poem, If I Must Die.Evil is always present, it sometimes happens in our vicinity, and our inability to prevent it causes additional frustration that leads us to question the morality of the human population.

In her performance Free You, Alexandra Holownia deals with questions of gender and identity and the influence of social stereotypes and patriarchal values ​​on the contemporary life of women.Through this performance, the artist supports women’s rights and their need for self-determination, love and tolerance. She often uses colourful fabrics and wardrobe in her performances, including this one as well. With their help, she brings about an expressive and dynamic touch to the performance.

Michela Montrasio’s performance Gestation is intimately intoned. Through a therapeutic movement, the artist deals with issues of personality and its need for constant metamorphosis and adaptation to new life conditions. The ultimate goal is healing and establishing inner personal harmony. The topic is personal but expressed in a universal performative language.

In the dance performance Fading, using body movements in the style of butoh dance, and with the help of wet fabric, dry branches and music, Frank Homeyer introduces us to the atmosphere of a utopian state. He adapts his performance to the space and creates his story depending on its architectural and memory code. Always starting from elements of intimate content and personal experience, he converts them into the universal language of art.

In a reduced static performative form, Saša Denić Špena points to the two ever-present opposites, truth and lies, and their intertwining, crossing and obfuscation in the modern media world full of information presented using words and images. Through various manipulative processes, the truth is concealed, and a lie is offered to replace it. The artist examines these two extreme antipodes and the possibility of their recognition and disclosure through past and future, through conscience and reason, nature and space, through positive and negative human states.

By considering his own life and the years he has lived through, the artist Nenad Bogdanović introduces us to the sphere of universal questions about the meaning of life, its limited duration and rapid flow. The beginning and the end of this time period are only a part of the same process.Sometimes we ourselves influence its course and contents, and sometimes it is beyond our control and depends on objective factors and other people’s decisions: social, political, ecological, existential... In the performance From 10 to 15 Minutes, which falls into the category of intimate-public contents, with a quick glance into the past, he re-examines himself as an artist and a man, his decisions, as well as his own movement through space and time.

Communicativeness, as a very important segment of contemporary visual art and the post-media field, becomes the main initiator of artistic concepts and their realization at this festival. In a direct contact with the audience and in an interactive relationship, the performative forms acquire their final appearance. Also, the encounters of the artists from different parts of the world establish new communication links between them, which can develop into more permanent cooperation and create new incentives through mutual support.

IMAF 2024 recenzija:

Svetlana Mladenov

26. Internacionalni festival multimedijalne umetnosti - IMAF

Umetnički prostor Srbije ne može da se pohvali sa brojnošću festivala na kojima se neguju performansi i umetničke akcije. Ove umetničke forme se najčešće izvode u delu koji čini segment nekih većih manifestacija, festivala ili izložbenih projekata, a tek ponekad na sopstvenom festivalu. Zato Internacionalni festival multimedijalne umetnosti- IMAF ima posebno mesto unutar savremene umetničke prakse Srbije.

Ovo 26-to izdanje festivala potvrđuje njegovu dugu tradiciju i kontinuitet. Oni su omogućeni entuzijazmom i upornošću umetnika Nenada Bogdanovića koji je njegov inicijator i rukovodilac. Polazeći iz malog vojvođanskog mesta Odžaka, uspeo je da svoje performanse izvede u različitim delovima sveta, uspostavi brojne relacije sa drugim festivalima, umetnicima i stručnjacima što je uticalo i na odvijanje IMAF-a. Kroz ovaj festival su prošli brojni domaći i strani umetnici koji su predstavili svoje umetničke strategije realizovane kroz performanse i umetničke akcije izvedene uživo, ili preko dokumentarnog materijala: video radova i fotografija.

Kontinuitet festivala podržali su i sami umetnici svojom aktivnošću i zainteresovanošću za njegovo odvijanje. Njegovoj izvesnoj perspektivi doprinosi i želja brojnih internacionalnih umetnika za ličnim prisustvom. Zbog malog budžeta kojim raspolaže festival, organizatori nisu uvek u mogućnosti da udovolje svim tim željama, te broj umetnika koji izvode svoje performativne forme uživo je sveden na optimalan broj 10-15. Naravno da bi taj broj mogao biti veći u slučaju da se u budućnosti za festival obezbede potrebna finansijska sredstva i zainteresuju donatori i sponzori.

Naklonost ka mobilnosti koju je ovaj festival pokazao i ranijih godina, potvrdila se i ove. Njegova realizacija koja je u početku bila isključivo vezana za Odžake, vremenom se proširila i na Novi Sad i odvijala se kombinovano u ova dva vojvođanska mesta. Ove godine centralni deo festivala: izvođenje performansa i umetničkih akcija uživo je predstavljen samo u Novom Sadu u Galeriji Saveza udruženja likovnih umetnika Vojvodine– SULUV-u i na taj način festival je nagovestio svoj odlazak iz Odžaka. Da se ta veza ne bi sasvim prekinula, u Odžacima je izvedena dečja radionica Dan zeca koju je kao i prethodne tri godine vodio Spike Mclarrity, umetnik iz Velike Britanije i koja je već postala tradicionalna. Ove godine ova umetnička radionica činila je sponu festival sa matičnim gradom Odžacima iz koga je potekao. Bolji uslovi rada i adekvatnije mogućnosti za izvođenja performansa koje pruža novosadska lokacija uticali su na ovu odluku organizatora.  Njoj je doprineo i nezainteresovan odnos vladajućih lokalnih struktura u Odžacima i izostavljanje njihove podrške ovom festivalu.

Pored brojnih oblika multimedijalnog izražavanja koje neguje, ovaj festival u fokusu ima umetnički performans i umetničke akcije. Njihovo izvođenje uživo čini glavni program festivala. Festival ima i brojne prateće programe. Jedan od njih Dan zeca, umetnička radionica posvećena deci, već je pomenuta. Festival već nekoliko godina organizuje On-line prezentaciju na You Tube kanalu video radova - dokumentarnih zapisa izvođenja performansa odabranih na javnom internacionalnom konkursu. Ove godine izdvojeno je 35 radova od 40 umetnika iz 27 zemalja sveta.

Internacionalna multimedijalna izložba postavljena u  Galeriji SULUV-a obuhvatila je fotografije, digitalne printove i video radove odabrane među materijalom pristiglim na konkursu za on-line prezentaciju.

Najatraktivniji deo festivala je izvođenje umetničkih akcija i performansa uživo, na licu mesta. U ovom programu predstavilo se 11 umetnika: Alexandra Holownia iz Poljske i Nemačke, Alkistis Voulgari iz Grčke, Dirk Thorwarth i Frank Homeyer iz Nemačke, Michela Montrasio iz Italije, Paco Justicia iz Španije, Spike Mclarrity iz Velika Britanije, Two Gullivers- Flutura Preka i Besnik Haxhillari iz Kanade, Saša Denić-Špena i Nenad Bogdanović iz Srbije.

Performans kao jedan od najkomunikativnijih medija savremene vizuelne umetnosti, svojim istraživanjima u slobodnim urbanim, galerijskim i alternativnim prostorima ostvaruje direktan kontakt sa publikom, kako onom stručnom i pozvanom na događaj, tako i sa onom slučajnom i zatečenom. Reakcija publike, bilo da je aktivna ili je izostala i manifestovala se u nezainteresovanosti prolaznika čin je koji doprinosi finalnom delu izvođenja performativne forme.

Odnos gledaoca i umetnika je vrlo blizak, često u interakciji,a svakako u dijalogu bilo da je on dinamičan ili distanciran. Publika prestaje da bude samo pasivni posmatrač događaja, od nje se često zahteva učestvovanje, te njena uloga postaje aktivnija i bitna za sam tok izvođenja performansa kao i njegov epilog. Ona može da poremeti čitav proces odvijanja performansa i da donese sasvim neočekivani krajnji rezultat. Momenat iznenađenja i nepredvidljivosti unosi dodatnu dinamiku i čini izvođenje performansa uzbudljivijim i intrigantnijim.

Umetnici su potpuno slobodni da se kreću u proširenom polju umetnosti u kome istražuju u oblasti različitih medija, često ih kombinujući, tražeći najbolji dijalog među njima. Takođe dozvoljeni su eksperimenti sa različitim materijalima i novim tehnologijama kao i njihovim ukrštanjem. Nije lako sagledati i razmatrati umetnost koja se odvija u ovom inspirativnom, nepreglednom i dinamičnom polju isprepletanom različitim ličnim diskursima, i brojnim paralelnim procesima.Posmatrajući današnju umetničku scenu imate utusak da ona dejstvuje u Art Vortex-u, u atmosferi vrtloga i istovremenog odvijanja mnogobrojnih različitih umetničkih koncepata.

Brojnost i raznolikost performansa koji su izvedeni na ovom festivalu govore u prilog ovoj konstataciji. Teme performansa uslovio je kontekst vremena na globalnom i lokalnom planu. Nesigurnost, stalno prisutni egzistencijalni strah, otuđenje, usamljenost posebno su podstaknuti pandemijom Covida 19, novim ratnim žarištima, ekološkim problemima i vremenskim promenama, pretnjom siromaštvom, prisilnim migracijama… Mnogi performansi  na ovogodišnjem festivalu bavili su se intimnim temama u čijem centru je čovek, njegov život i osećanja kao i njegova potreba za zajedništvom, komunikacijom i udruživanjem. Neki od njih istraživali  su probleme rodnosti i identiteta, dok su neki svojom interaktivnošću pokušali da ostvare saradnju sa publikom i ukažu na potrebu zajedničke akcije, empatije i tolerancije. Mogu se svrstati u kategoriju multimedijalnih, procesualnih, destruktivnih, interaktivnih, intimističkih, angažovanih, neokonceptualnih. Ova raznolikost ideja i postupaka potvrdila je razuđenost umetničke scene i njenu otežanu sagledljivost ali i njeno bogatstvo autentičnih umetničkih izraza i jezika izvedenih u formi performansa i umetničkih akcija.

Na festivalu izvedene performativne forme sem što su za osnovu imale ljudsko telo, statično ili u pokretu, kombinovale su i druge različite elemente i rekvizite koji su imali svojstvo podrške osnovnoj ideji i njenoj realizaciji: audio-vizuelni efekti, video, kompjuter, džojstik, kamera, instalacija, prirodni elementi (voda, zemlja, vatra, cveće, grane drveta…), pigment boje, tkanina, nakit, garderobu, obuću, ogledalo, hartija sa ispisanim rečima, brojevima i tekstovima, hartija kao podloga za crtež, konac, niti vunice, različite posude, maska, drvena motka, modeli automobila, flomasteri i olovke.

Nekoliko interaktivnih performansa uticali su na dinamičniju i uzbudljiviju atmosferu festivala. Umetnčki par Two Gullivers (Flutura Preka i Besnik Haxhillari) su interaktivno-procesualnim performansom Crteži na daljinskoupravljanjeorganizovali rad na zajedničkom crtežu umetnika i publike. Postupak je uslovno izveden u kombinaciji klasičnih i novih medija. Krajnji rezultat je klasični crtež dobijen neklasičnom metodom. Za ovaj postupak umetnici su koristili modele automobila obučene u flomastere i olovke. Upravljanjem uz pomoć džojstika kretanjem modela automobila po papirnoj podlozi kreirao se unapred neutvrđeni crtež. On je nastajao i  gradio se učestvovanjem sem umetnika i publike, te tako je postao zajednički crtež. Performans podstiče saradnju i zajedništvo ljudi i govori o značaju njihovog udruživanja, saučestvovanja i podrške. Zajednički rad i kolektivizam mogu doprineti stvaranju novih pozitivnih vrednosti, danas toliko važnih u društvima poremećenog sistema vrednosti.

Spike Mclarrity je svojim performansom Vođenje hibridne nacije uključio svu prisutnu publiku. U ulozi sličnoj dirigentu ili režiseru organizovao je i upravljao odvijanjem same umetničke akcije. Podelio je prisutnima providne maske u obliku glave zeca uz molbu da u nju uzvikuju određene glasove (slova). Prema vrstama i različitosti zvukova organizovao je manje grupe prisutne publike. Vrlo šarmantno i ubedljivo rukovodio je grupama, određivao vreme i jačinu zvuka. Tako se stvarao zajednički zvuk, nepoznata, a nova melodija kao odraz kolektivnog napora. Sa jedne strane performans govori o važnosti udruživanja i međuljudske saradnje, a sa druge o mogućnosti manipulacije manjine nad većinom, tj pojedinca nad grupom.

Umetnik Dirk Thorwarth je svoj performans Mir Slava izveo u urbanom prostoru, na ulici u blizini Galerije SULUV-a. Svoje performanse inače najčešće izvodi u spoljnim javnim prostorima gde ostvaruje komunikaciju sa slučajnim prolaznicima i zatečenom publikom. Pored bavljenja sopstvenim umetničkim konceptima, on se bavi još i novinarstvom i menadžerskim poslovima u kulturi. Radio je na mnogim međunarodnim projektima vezanim za performans. Svoju vizuru usmerava na društveno-sociološke performance koji govore, kao i ovaj izveden u Novom Sadu, o ljudskim osećanjima: ljubavi, mržnji, sreći, tuzi, o prijateljstvu, o poremećenim odnosima među ljudima.

Paco Justicia u performansu Milovanje vazduha svetlosnim efektima (svetlost i senka) ostvaruje kontakt sa drugima. Pozivajući pojedince iz publike da mu se pridruže, uspostavlja aktivan odnos sa prisutnima. On govori o važnosti fizičkog kontakta među ljudima koji se sve više gubi u sve više prisutnoj tehnološkoj virtuelnoj stvarnosti gde se kontakt ostvaruje preko ekranske slike. Takođe globalni pandemijski problemi, podstaknuti strahom i neizvesnošću doprineli su otuđenju među ljudima.. Usamljenost i indirektna komunikacija (internet, telefon, čet i sl) postali su imperativi savremenog vremena. Taktilnost i fizički dodir postaju sve ugroženiji, a potreba za njim sve veća.

Multimedijalni performans Drveće šapuće umetnica Alkistis Vulgari u prvi plan stavlja umetnicino telo i pokret kao ritualnu igru posvećenu ljudskoj nepravdi i patnji koja je prisutna kako danas tako i kroz istorijski tok vremena. Priroda, (drvo) je nemi svedok tih događaja, ono simbolično sve vidi i pamti. Performans se oslanja na stihove palestinskog pesnika Rafaat Alareer ubijenog u Gazi i njegove poslednje pesme Ako moram da umrem. Zlo je stalno prisutno, ono se dešava ponekad u našoj blizini, a naša nemoć da ga sprečimo izaziva dodatnu frustraciju koja nas odvodi u preispitivanje moralnosti ljudske populacije.

Alexandra Holownia u svom performansu Oslobodi se bavi se pitanjima rodnosti i identiteta i uticajima društvenih stereotipa i patrijarhalnih vrednosti na savremeni život žene.  Kroz ovaj performans umetnica podržava prava žena i njihovu potrebu za samoopredeljenjem, ljubavlju i tolerancijom. Često u svojim performansima koristi raznobojne tkanine i garderobu pa i u ovom takođe. Uz pomoć njih unela je ekspresivnu i dinamičnu notu u izvođenje performansa.

Performans Gestacija Michela Montrasio je intimistički intoniran. Umetnica se kroz terapijski pokret bavi pitanjima ličnosti i njene potrebe za stalnom metamorfozom i prilagođavanjem novim uslovima života. Krajnji cilj je ozdravljenje i uspostavljanje unutrašnje lične harmonije. Tema je personalna ali izražena univerzalnim performativnim jezikom.

Frank Homeyer u plesnom performansu Bledeći, pokretima tela u stilu buto pleas uz pomoć vlažne tkanine, suve grane i muzike uvodi nas u atmosferu utopijskog stanja. Svoje izvođenje performansa prilagođava prostoru i u zavisnosti od njegovog arhitekturalnog i memorijskog koda gradi  svoju priču. Uvek polazeći od elemenata intimnog sadržaja i ličnog iskustva prevodi ih u univerzalni jezik umetnosti.

U svedenoj statičnoj performativnoj formi Saša Denić Špena ukazuje na dve stalno prisutne suprotnosti istinu i laž i na njihovo preplitanje, ukrštanje i zamagljivanje u savremenom medijskom svetu prepunom informacija plasiranih kroz reči i slike. Različitim manipulativnim procesima prikriva se istina, te se laž nudi za njenu zamenu. Umetnik preispituje ova dva krajnja antipoda i mogućnost njihovog prepoznavanja i razotkrivanje kroz prošlost i budućnost, kroz savest i razum, prirodu i prostor, kroz pozitivna i negativna ljudska stanja.

Razmatranjem sopstvenog života i godina kroz koje je prošao, umetnik Nenad Bogdanović nas uvodi u sferu univerzalnih pitanja smisla života, njegovog ograničenog trajanja i brzog proticanja. Početak i kraj ovog vremenskog perioda samo su deo istovetnog procesa. Ponekad sami utičemo na njegov tok i sadržaje, a ponekad je to van naše moći i zavisi od objektivnih faktora i tuđih odluka: društvenih, političkih, socijalnih, ekoloških, egzistencijalnih… U performansu Od 10 do 15 minuta koji zalazi u kategoriju intimno-javnih sadržaja,brzim pogledom u prošlost, preispituje sebe kao umetnika i čoveka, svoje odluke kao i sopstveno kretanje kroz prostor i vreme.

Komunikativnost kao veoma važan segment savremene vizuelne umetnosti i postmedijskog polja, na ovom festivalu postaje glavni inicijator umetničkih koncepata i njihove realizacije. U direktnom kontaktu sa publikom i u interakcijskom odnosu performativne forme dobijaju finalni izgled. Takođe susret umetnika iz različitih krajeva sveta, uspostavlja među njima, nove komunikacijske veze koje mogu prerasti u trajniju saradnju i doneti nove podsticaje kroz uzajamnu podršku.