Workshops Media Art

In his Natural History, Pliny, in the first century AD, dates the origin of painting as 6000 years of art invented by the Egyptians. One had traced the shadow of the human being with lines. Later, only one color was used, which was then replaced by a more elaborate painting, as it is still extant today. Still later, art became more differentiated and light and shadow were invented, with the different colors alternating. In Corinth, the potter Dibutades formed the first sculptures with the help of his daughter, who, out of love for a young man who was going abroad, drew the shadow of the face with lines on the wall by lamplight; the father filled the outline with clay pressed on it and made an image, which he baked in the fire and later exhibited.

The Edith Russ House for Media Art Oldenburg has been conducting workshops with international artists since the fall of 2000. 16 media artists are invited to participate in the first practical workshop with Werner Nekes, whom Alexander Kluge describes as "one of the most important film avant-gardists in the world". The first media art workshop at the Edith Russ House in Oldenburg will take place from November 1-10, 2000.

The workshop will focus on an examination of the history of media from the casting of shadows as the earliest media form to current artistic concepts. For the participants of the workshop, media artists in the year 2000, the task is to work together to artistically transform mythical images into film or video. The results of the workshop will be presented in a subsequent exhibition in the Edith Russ House.

In addition to this joint work, participants will have the opportunity to realize ideas as individual media art works in a medium of their choice, as long as these do not exceed the time and economic limits. The spectrum of these individual artistic concepts on the theme of "Body.Projections" can include all forms of media productions (e.g. photographic and filmic productions, media sculptures and environments, sound installations, digital media projects). The stay in Oldenburg is at the participants' own expense. A certificate will be issued for successful participation in the workshop.