Edition 2020
MUTEK Edition 21: A New Hybrid Experience
For more information on MUTEK Edition 21, please visit the following link;
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After 20 years on the scene, MUTEK continues its mutation and, for the first time in its history, presents a true hybrid festival experience from September 8 to 13, 2020: live in-venue digital art and music performances—in Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle and Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), as well as a dedicated virtual platform.
virtual.mutek.org
More than 100 artists make up this 21st edition, which will include 34 local performances—among them will be 19 world premieres captured live at the Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle and in the dome of the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT)—and 24 international performances from 8 countries: Argentina, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, and the United States. As part of a continued commitment to programming characterized by parity and inclusiveness—and in particular, thanks to the AMPLIFY D.A.I initiative carried out in collaboration with the British Council and Somerset House—33 performances will include at least one woman, which represents nearly 56% of the final selection.
A local artistic community inspiring unity
As in previous editions, the programming will be structured into a series of programs that help audiences choose from among the many facets of the festival.
From Tuesday evening to Thursday, the Play series' five double programs carve out space for experimentation inside Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle. Play highlights the exploratory, visceral and playful character of contemporary artists in digital art, audiovisual creation, and electronic music.
Alexis Langevin-Tétrault CA/QC — Hypercube (one) / Anne-F Jacques CA/QC — Quelque chose qui accroche / Ben Shemie CA/QC — A Single Point Of Light / Cy-Ens IR/QC — Lullabyte Portamenti / GGROUNDD CA/QC — LIMIT BRICK / Le désert mauve FR+CA/QC / Martin Messier CA/QC — Echo Chamber / Mimi Allard & Gabriel Lavoie Viau CA/QC — 4:3 / Pelada CA/QC — Estímulo / Tati au Miel CA/QC
The Expérience series, which is typically held outdoors on the Esplanade de la Place des Arts, includes four double programs that highlight eclecticism and meetings of musical styles, from pop to classical music, as well as Afro-Caribbean influences, and a simultaneous journey to three continents (America, Asia and Europe).
Automatisme CA/QC — Alter- / Bleue CA/QC / Chris Salter & Alexandre Saunier CA/QC — SNN#3: Forms of the Living / Guillaume Coutu-Dumont CA/QC — Les Empires / Ouri FR/QC / The Bionic Harpist US/QC / Vigliensoni CA/QC — Clastic Music / Zandoli II & The Wasafari CA/QC — Mirroring Shadows
Finally, the Nocturne series consists of three programs of four performances each devoted to forms of electronic music that are more rhythmic and captivating and will be presented inside the Satosphère's immersive 360° environment, from Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 13.
Alicia Hush & Elysha Poirier CA/QC — Wishing Well / Boogieman & Samito CA/QC+MZ/QC — Som de Kusom / BunBun CA/QC / CMD CA/QC / Desert Bloom CA/QC / Diagraf CA/QC / laced CA/QC / LLL FR/QC / Melesul3 CA/QC / Musique Nouvelle CA/QC / Myriam Boucher CA/QC / Neo Edo CA/QC — A World Within a World / Poirier CA/QC / Priori CA/QC / Racine CA/QC / Softcoresoft CA/QC / T. Gowdy CA/QC — De Bias / TiND CA/QC
International artists pushing the boundaries of imagination
Inspired by the INTER_CONNECT project carried out during Montréal's 375th anniversary in 2017, which created a link between various cultural metropolises around the world, the Festival's virtual component allows for a new type of international connection. MUTEK branches in Mexico City, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, San Francisco and Tokyo will contribute to the online programming through showcases of local content under the banner of the MUTEK_CONNECT initiative, which is set to be a part of MUTEK's future editions around the world. In addition, three other partners will be taking part in this virtual component: the Transart festival in Italy, cultural venue Chapelle XIV in France, as well as artistic centre B39 and its associated festival, PRECTXE, in South Korea. In total, 9 programs totalling 24 performances will add diversity to the Festival's online experience, which will go a long way to making up for the absence of international artists inside venues this year.
Ai.step JP / Artexte KR — Blade / Arushi Jain & Carly Lave US — GOLEM (via GHUNGHRU) / Bionautas (Jonas Kopp & Flor del Valle) AR / Bruno De Vincenti AR — Hyper Dreams / COR3A KR — Same Old Fear, Conditional Trigs, Run Run Run / Efe Ce Ele CO — Biosynthetic Borders / Flor de Fuego AR — Fractal / George Hurd US — Echolocation / Grand River & Marco C NL+IT — 0,13% / Hiroaki Umeda JP — Intensional Particle / Joana Gomila ES / Junichi Akagawa JP — Geist on the Lake / KnovCompile KR — Reconstructive / Mabe Fratti & Milena Pafundi GT+AR/MX / Maotik & Maarten Vos FR+NL — Erratic Weather / Marina Herlop ES / Molly FR / Naiborg AR / Sakura Tsuruta & asagi JP / SidiRum AR / Wasted Fates MX
The virtual exhibition: an exceptional showcase of multidisciplinary art
Highlighting the work of 25 local and international artists, MUTEK pursues the discussion about our digital futures which began during MUTEK's 20th edition with an entirely virtual exhibition. Distant Arcades is interested in how artists are convening and creating using distance and technology. It features sound works, videos, 360s, and virtual reality, echoing the tools and concepts discussed during the MUTEK Forum: technology and the city, algorithmic bias, collection of personal data, technological racism, and the links between technology, machines and human emotions. Presented in the Forum's new virtual gallery—which is free to visit from September 8 to 13—and then on the MUTEK website until September 20, the exhibition centers the agency of the artist in a forced self-isolation virtual society.
Artists confirmed for the exhibition:
Aaron Bradbury UK / Alex McLeod CA / Debby Friday CA / Depart AT Dpt. CA/QC / Erin Gee CA/QC/ Frances Adair Mckenzie CA/QC / GLOR1A UK / Heather Lander UK / Isabella Salas MX/QC / Jawa El Khash CA / Kathryn Hamilton & Deniz Tortum TR/NL/US / Kathy Hinde UK / Krzysztof Garbaczewski PL / Lila Tirando a Violeta UY / Lucas LaRochelle CA/QC / Quantum Foam UK / Raphaël Néron CA/QC / Refik Anadol TR/US / Sahar Homami IR/QC / Scott Benesiinaabandan CA/QC /Shelley Barry ZA / Sol Rezza ARTatiana Heuman AR/DE / Vicky Clarke UK
MUTEK Festival 2020 in a few figures
- 137 artists from 24 countries, including 63 women, and 61 BIPOC artists
- 56 performances including 44 premieres in 21 programs accessible free of charge (31 local, 25 international)
- 26 digital art works in the virtual gallery, including 9 open access premieres (11 local works, 15 international works)
- 10,882 people registered on the virtual.mutek.org platform from 55 countries
- 92,642 online views and 871 individual tickets sold