Annemie Maes

Artist:

multimedia artist and activist, holds a masters degree in fine arts and cultural studies. She is founder of [so-on], a group of artists working with image, sound and technology. In their artprojects they research the transversal field of installations, performances and audio-visual compositions. Most of the projects are linked to the problematization of new art in the publicspace, from a socio-cultural background. The focus is to identify innovation and change while developing artistic projects, and research  new aesthetical presentation techniques.Annemie Maes is co-founder of OKNO, an artist-run organisation working with art & technology, and is responsible for okno's day-to-day management.

Art works include sound installations, interactive installations and internet based projects. Topics are 'The Behavior of Language' in its many appearances: textual, sonic and visual, as well as gestural or body language. How do these disparate elements relate to each other and how do they organize within a system, which includes human and computer as a sender and a receiver [and vice versa]? 

Her visual anthropology projects are presented as documentaries with a focus on grassroots activism, eco-technology and networks of women. This research is presented as the ongoing project 'Politics of Change' - studying the sustainable relationships between people, their environment and technology. This research is about a bottom up approach for designing human environments that have the stability and diversity of natural ecosystems. Integration of renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, food/gardening systems, natural building, rainwater harvesting and urban planning along with the economic, political and social policies that make sustainable living possible and practical. How can these ecosystems be generated, controlled, enhanced or imagined in artworks? Is our environment programmable? How does the fusion of natural and artificial matter produce new organisms, new environments, new natures? How does technology animate nature and space, and how do users and programs animate matter?

Annemie Maes participated in numerous events, conferences and festivals, as an artist, a lecturer or an organizer. Recent (2009) participations are: Happy New Ears and The Game is Up! (media festivals in Belgium), Pixelache festival Helsinki, ETC/genderchangers festival Umeo/Sweden, Finnish cultural Institute in Damascus/Syria, MmKampt, Dubrovnik/Croatia.

Curator, programming and production:

In 1986 she co-founds the experimental filmproduction company Pix & Motion, which she manages during 15 years, working as well with young, emerging Belgian filmdirectors, as with internationally renowed directors.

In 1997 she starts Looking Glass, a window-gallery and artistic meeting space in the center of Brussels. Looking Glass positions itself as an interdisciplinary media organisation, as well as a production and presentation unit focussing on art and new media. The aim is to identify innovation and change in new aesthetical presentation techniques. All projects are linked to the problematization of new art in the public space, from a socio-cultural background. New technology are predominantly present in the exhibitions and installations. 

In 2004 she co-founds with Guy Van Belle the artist run center for media and technology: OKNO vzw. Okno supports the research, development, creation and presentation of new forms of innovative cultural production, and is dedicated to exposing broad and diverse audiences to new technologies and media arts through a programme of concerts, interactive installations, performances, workshops and lectures. Okno positions itself as a junction in an international research-and presentation network for new media art. With national and international partners it works towards the presentation of international projects through live streaming and other electro-digital media techniques.