Introduction
It is the first media arts platform of its kind in the Arab world, which will establish a social attitude to the new media. This platform will provide possibilities to produce, show and exhibit media art works. It will offer a free access to equipment, technology and professional assistance. The big line of the initiative is that the best way to learn film/video and all media arts production is to make them.
Through the initiative rich program, we stress collaborative film and video production trainings through a project based, hands-on, centred process that is combined with the development of the creative, conceptual, and technical skills needed to become working media art artists.
The project will be independent space for Media arts which organizes exhibitions and events. It is an experimental space for encounters, exhibitions, and artists' residencies. Its co-operative, project-specific work methods are based on the participation of artists as well as its private and institutional partners. The curatorial work of this undertaking supports artists in the international network of contemporary art. The space will also offer possibilities of work production, from digital experimentations to digital independent filmmaking. It is also a space for international exchange, through art residencies, seminars, expertise and work flow exchange.
Goals and mission:
- Create a Media art platform Laboratory as a creative physical space
- Arab Media Lab will also operate as a gallery space. Its programme will include exhibitions of local Media artists; guest artists form the Arab world.It will also give a chance to the local public to meet up with the western new media art scene
- strengthen the Media Art sector in the Arab world, contribute to the circulation of works from the Arabic and North African countries in different (international) video and film festivals, diversify the "Western perspective" on art from the Arab world and acquaint the West with Arab artists
- show the richness and complexity of reflections on the countries with an Arabic culture through video and moving images
- create an online platform, which will allow Video makers, Media artists and film makers to upload their works to be seen online, the project can also take care of the distribution of their works to festivals
Trailer
Activities
Media Production: Technical workshops
Several workshops on production of films, video and media art works will be organized. This workshop will be about many issues of the production like basic elements of preproduction, production and postproduction, screenplay development etc. The methods are usually hands on and the participants have an opportunities to work practically on specific exercises, small assignments like developing a story, preparing a storyboard, filming and editing, under supervision of many media professionals. The workshops were open for any participants who are interested in media art, film and video productions.
seminars / lectures
Invited artists will be presented. During the year (Every month), we will invite an international or local Media artist to present his / her work and his way of working. In this series we will present a set of lectures by prominent individuals exploring Digital Media art as a creative, expressive tool. This section of the activity will be an exchange (south/south) or (north/south) podium in order to introduce and connect with the other international initiatives.
Exhibitions
Arab Media Lab will also operate as a gallery space. Its program will include exhibitions of local Media artists; guest artists form the Arab world and some group media art exhibition from the western countries.
The idea is to introduce the 100% media art gallery space locally in order to bring different media at works to the local public. As well as introducing media artists from the Arab world to the local scene. It will also give a chance to the local public to meet up with the western new media art.
Online activities
New technologies have allowed people to communicate and share information in very fast. Independent filmmakers and mixed media artists are no longer ANONYMOUS, thanks to the Internet and new technologies. Thus, many sites and film windows have populated the internet networks. Unfortunately, in the Arab world there is a lack of such initiative concerning ARAB MOVING IMAGES, through independent films, and mixed media creations, although there is a lot of happenings in the Arab world at the moment: Hundreds of Artists are experimenting daily using digital film-video technologies. Because of that VIDEOKARAVAAN thought about an initiative that will let people exchange online their works and create Arab film networking online via ARAB MEDIA LAB site.
