ABOUT
Cairotronica is a Symposium of Electronic and New Media arts in Cairo, Egypt. Planned to be held biennially. It includes a program of activities, exhibitions, talks, workshops and screenings by local, regional, and international artists as well as academics, and technology experts. Cairotronica aims to inspire, educate, and challenge students and audiences from across the region.
For two weeks, audiences will be exposed to the latest in electronic arts
installations in an interactive environment, as well as attend exhibitions, screenings and out-door performances. Audiences will be invited to attend a three-day academic conference, and to participate in one of the different workshops.
All to encourage participants to improve, re-imagine, and develop unexpected but useful ideas and collaborations, that could lead to spreading awareness and knowledge about the possibilities, challenges
and side effects that new digital technologies offer, to creating a new international hub and platform for electronic art in the Middle East.
Cairotronica will function as an incubator for exchanging ideas, concepts, products and services, will bring people together from different industries and fields, encouraging them to create solutions together and will create a bridge between different audiences and professionals to connect through art.
SYMPOSIUM THEME
“Only Connect”, the imperative that governs the development of digital art, cultural convention, and the evolution of social media, has implications for education, urban planning, and human relations that are shared across the world. In exploring these issues, whether in celebratory, ideological or aesthetic mode, we recognise that artists and thinkers must push their practice beyond the conventions of habit into unknown territories of mind and matter.
As the novelist E. M. Forster famously asserted: Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its highest.
The prosaic and the passionate define the great divide between the brute excess of corporate culture, and the collective need for beauty and meaning. In art as in life, the breadth of our connectivity defines the depth of our humanity. We reach across cultures, across disciplines, across ancient myths and modern methodologies. Above all, we each seek to connect our true self with the authentic needs and desires of others, in a field of creative endeavor that knows no boundaries and reaches beyond the limits of horizon.
Roy Ascott, February 2016
The proposed theme Connect is a reference to connecting the dots: connecting disciplines, people, artists, designers, ideas and nations.
Cairotronica will serve as a catalyst through which connections can happen. The past will connect with the future, history will connect with the present, art will connect with technology and new media, tradition will connect with modernity, and Cairo will connect with the world.
Cairotronica will bring together groundbreaking artists, pioneering engineers, ingenious designers,academics, international digital communities, students, art lovers, and more from across Egypt, Africa, the Middle East, and the world. It will offer a meeting of the minds where participants will share, discuss, learn, talk, and work. In essence, they will truly connect.
ACTIVITIES
Cairotronica will be divided into four sections; an exhibition, an international conference, film screenings and various workshops.
1- MAIN EXHIBITION
03-09 MAY 2016
art palace
2- CONFERENCE/ARTISTS TALKS
05-07 MAY 2016
falaki theater
3- WORKSHOPS
03-17 MAY 2016
4- SCREENINGS
8, 10, 13, 15 MAY, 2016
zawya cinema
5- PERFORMANCES
4, 7, 9 MAY 2016
falaki theater
6- CLOSING EVENT
17 MAY 2016
falaki theater
view detailed program
EXHIBITION
A two-week exhibitions program divided into four sections: the gallery spaces, the public spaces, the live performances and video arts and experimental film and animation screenings.
CONFERENCE
Cairotronica is hosting a three-day academic International Conference and artists’ talks on Art and Consciousness in the Post- Biological Era under The Consciousness Reframed series in cooperation with The American University in Cairo and The Planetary Collegium, Plymouth University, UK.
WORKSHOPS
Cairotronica workshop activities will be conducted by local and international artists or experts and will cover different subjects in digital media.
TEAM
Executive & Artistic Director
Haytham Nawar
Exhibition Director
Ghalia Elsrakbi
Symposium Coordinators
Ahmed Ellaithy
Dana Alawneh
Hala Gabr
Nadia Abdelsalam
CONTACT
+2 0101 0000724
contact@cairotronica.com
P.O.Box 456 Gezira, Zamalek. Postal Code: 11568 Cairo. Egypt.
PRESS
Download Press Release
CAIROTRONICA EXHIBITIONS
Cairotronica exhibitions are divided into four sections: the gallery spaces, the public spaces, live performances and Video arts and experimental film and animation screenings. The three modes of exhibiting will allow artists and students more opportunity to further explore electronic arts while discovering new ideas and tools that can help them connect with the electronic art world.
The proposed theme Connect is a reference to connecting the dots: connecting disciplines, people, artists, ideas and nations.
Cairotronica will serve as a catalyst through which connections can happen. The past will connect with the future, history will connect with the present, art will connect with technology and new media, tradition will connect with modernity, and Cairo will connect with the world.
Cairotronica will bring together groundbreaking artists, pioneering engineers, ingenious designers, academics, international digital communities, designers, students, art lovers, and more from across Egypt, Africa, the Middle East, and the world. It will offer a meeting of the minds where participants will share, discuss, learn, talk, and work. In essence, they will truly connect.
FORMS OF ELECTRONIC ART
VENUES & DATES
– Exhibition at Ministry of Culture, Palace of Arts
– Screenings at Zawya Cinema
– Closing at Falaki Theater
OPENING NIGHT
03 May 2016
7PM
EXHIBITION DURATION
03-10- May 2016
Artists
Ahmed El Shaer – Egypt
Ahmed Abdelkarim – Egypt
Ahmed Mohsen Mansour – Egypt
Alejandro Quintero – Puerto Rico
Amr Ellaithy – Egypt
Betty Mü & Kray-C – Germany
Chiara Passa – Italy
Craig Dongoski – USA
Dennis Doty – USA
Federico Bonelli – Italy
Forat Sami – Egypt
Foundland – NL/South Africa
Gamal Elkheshen – Egypt
Gheith Alamine – Lebanon
Gonçalo F Cardoso – Portugal
Greg Pond – USA
Harun Farocki – Germany
Haythem Zakaria – Tunisia
Hazuki Katagai – Japan
Heba Amin – Egypt
Hossam Dirar – Egypt
ID PW – Japan
Islam Abdallah – Egypt
Islam Shabaneh – Egypt
James Bridle – UK
Josephine Turalbe – Philippines
Khaled Hafez – Egypt
Lawrence Wallen – Australia
Lotte Meret Effinger – Germany
Magdalena Kallenberger – Germany
Manjot Kaur – India
Marcus Neustetter – South Africa
Maria Papacharalambous – Cyprus
Mike Phillips – UK
Mohamed Shoukry – Egypt
Mohamed Allam – Egypt
Mohamed Hossam – Egypt
Mohamed Ismail Shawki – Egypt
Monira Al Qadiri – Kuwait
Mujin – China
Nathan Gates – South Africa
Norimichi Hirakawa – Japan
Omar Ghayatt – Egypt/Swiss
Pam Payne – USA
Pierre Depaz – France
Renate Quehenberger with Benjamin Skepper – Austria
Ruben Pater – NL
Sameh El Tawil – Egypt
Scott Townsend – USA
Seth Riskin – USA
Simon Coates – UK/UAE
Stefania Tatiana Smolkina – Russia
Tabita Rezaire – France/South Africa
Theo Eshetu – Ethiopia/UK/Germany
Tom Bogaert – Beligium
Tse Tse Middle East – Egypt
Walid Elsawi – Egypt
Yara Mekawei- Egypt
Impakt in Cairo: Soft Machines
May 08, 2016
7:30 pm
zawya cinema, downtown
Moving Pictures
May 10, 2016
7:30 pm
zawya cinema, downtown
Le Frensoy Panorama
May 13, 2016
5:00 pm
zawya cinema, downtown
B-Movie
May 15, 2016
7:30 pm
zawya cinema, downtown
Impakt in Cairo: Soft Machines
Owen Land – New Improved Institutional Quality: In The Environment Of Liquids And Nasals A Parasitic Vowel Sometimes Develops
USA 1976, 10:00 mins (16mm to video)
Feiko Beckers — Walking up and down to a woman I once had a crush on
The Netherlands 2009, 07:00 mins
Daniel Cockburn — You Are Here (excerpt: The Chinese Room)
Canada 2011, 10:00 mins (excerpt, original length 79:00 mins)
Wojciech Bąkowski — Suchy Pion (Dry Standpipe)
Poland 2012, 12:09 mins
Jon Rafman — Still Life (Betamale)
USA 2013, US, 4:56 mins
Benjamin Nuel – Last Episode (HOTEL)
France 2013, 7:00 mins
John Butler — The Ethical Governor
UK, 2010 8:00 mins
Metahaven – Interference (Music Video for Holly Herndon)
USA / The Netherlands 2015, 05:18 mins
Moving Pictures
Programme 1
Hold Your Ground
Karen Mirza & Brad Butler
2012, 7 min 47 sec
The Call of Mist – Redux
John Akomfrah
2012, 13 min 18 sec
An Exchange for Fire: Personal Responsibility
Anja Kirschner & David Panos
2013, 3 min 3 sec
Choir
Elizabeth Price
2011, 9 min 36 sec
Come to the Edge
Stephen Sutcliffe
2003, 1 min 50 sec
O come all ye faithful
Stephen Sutcliffe
2007, 56 sec
Looking So Hard at Something It Distorts or Becomes Obscured (Not Blacking Out, Just Turning the Lights Off)
James Richards
2011, 16 min 16 sec
Death Mask II: The Scent
Ed Atkins
2010, 8 min 42 sec
The Pips
Emily Wardill
2011, 3 min 37 sec
The Lion and The Unicorn
Rachel Maclean
2012, 11 min 30 sec
Programme 2
It, Heat, Hit
Laure Prouvost
2010, 7 min 22 sec
Dad’s Stick
John Smith
2012, 5 min 9 sec
The Magic Know-How
Laura Buckley
2013, 9 min 22 sec
Origin of the Species
Ben Rivers
2008, 15 min 39 sec
Edgeland Mutter
Andrew Kötting
2009, 4 min 16 sec
Sludge Manifesto
Benedict Drew
2011, 1 min 29 sec
Dark Glass
Clio Barnard
2006, 8 min 47 sec
Lester
Luke Fowler
2009, 3 min 25 sec
MiddleSea
Zineb Sedira
2008, 15 min 55 sec
Le Frensoy Panorama
Under Construction, Zhenchen LIU, 10min
Ouroboros, Thibaut ROSTAGNAT, 14min
Rituel du pantin, Thibaut ROSTAGNAT, 12min
Cantor Dust Man, Sébastien LOGHMAN, 6min
Manque de preuves, Hayoun KWON, 9min.
L’horizon des événements, Guillermo MONCAYO, 16min
Gli immacolati, Ronny TROCKER, 16min
Tehran-geles, Arash NASSIRI, 18min
total duration : 1h41min
B-Movie
Lust & Sound in West Berlin, Germany
2014/15
92 mins
Directors: Jörg A. Hoppe, Heiko Lange, Klaus Maeck, Miriam Dehne
A decade of West Berlin subculture in original footage, breathtakingly edited – telling a story of the city during the last decade before the end of the Cold War.
CAIROTRONICA CONFERENCE
Cairotronica is hosting a three-day academic International Conference and artists’ talks on Art and Consciousness in the Post- Biological Era under The Consciousness Reframed series in cooperation with The American University in Cairo and The Planetary Collegium, Plymouth University, UK.
The conference and artists’ talks will host diverse activities to accommodate an assortment of knowledge interchanging practices; artist talks, academic presentations and panel discussions. The invited guests during the Symposium will present their work to the audience and the young artists.
Here the theme of Connect will come into play, as it will be central to all topics explored in the conference pertaining to local and international research and advancement in the field of digital and new media art as well as technology innovations with an impact on the arts.
‘Connect’ refers to connecting the dots: connecting disciplines, people, artists and nations. The past will connect with the future, history will connect with the present, art will connect with technology and new media, tradition will connect with modernity, and Cairo will connect with the world.
RESEARCH AREAS
– Gaming, Tactical media, activism and hacktivism
– Artificial life, artificial intelligence
– Intelligent agents and robotics
– Databases, data visualization and mapping
– Text and narrative environments
– Code, Language, Network, Politics
– New Media and Cultural Heritage
VENUE & DATES
– Falaki Theatre, Downtown Cairo
CONFERENCE DURATION
05-7- May 2016
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Roy Ascott (UK, Director of Planetary Collegium)
SPEAKERS
Alejandro Quintero – Puerto Rico
Andrea Traldi – Italy
Arjon Dunnewind – Netherlands
Bronwyn Lace – South Africa
Craig Dongoski – USA
Dennis Doty – USA
Emmanuel Tugny – France
Farah Wael – Egypt
Fedrerico Bonelli – Italy
Foundland – Dutch
Gema Blanco Martin – Spain
Greg Pond – USA
Hadeer Omar – Egypt
Jane Grant – UK
Jepchumba – Kenya
Josephine Turalba – Philipines
Julia Heurling – Sweden
Lawrence Wallen – Australia
Marcus Neustette – South Africa
Maria Papacharalambous – Cyprus
Mike Phillips – UK
Mujin Lixin Bao – China
Nathan Gate – South Africa
Omnia Salah – Egypt
Pam Pyne – USA
Paola Lopreiato – Italy
Regina Dürig – Germany
Renate Quehenberg – Austria
Ruben Pater – Netherlands
Seth Riskin – USA
Tabita Rezaire – France
Tegan Bristow – South Africa
Theo Eshetu – Ethiopia/UK
Victoria Vesna – USA
Download the full talk schedule
WORKSHOPS
Cairotronica workshop activities will be conducted by local and international artists or experts and will cover different subjects in digital media to help young artists and students learn more about electronic arts techniques. Different workshops are offered for both adults and kids.
REGISTRATION
1- send an email with your details to workshops@cairotronica.com
2- fill the form here
VENUES
Medrar, Garden City
Art Palace, Zamalek
AUC Downtown Campus
WORKSHOPS
Dennis Doty
Projection Mapping Workshop/Demo
2-4 May
5pm-9pm
art palace, opera, zamalek
FabLab Egypt
3D Printing & Scanning for Artists
12-13-14 May
11am-5pm
AUC downtown
Andrea Traldi
Do Humans Dream of Electric Sheep
3-4 May
10am-2pm
AUC downtown
Greg Pond
An introduction to Audio and Visual processing with Pure Data
5 May & 6 May
5pm – 8pm
medrar, garden city
Craig Dongoski
A Common Task (ACT)
3 May – 6 May
4:30pm – 7:30pm
art palace, opera, zamalek
I-DAT
Quorum Sensing
6 May
10am – 5pm
medrar, garden city
