BAM

bio

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.

cv

Exhibitions and performances (selection)

2010

'Politics of Change' presentation with Billy Bultheel, Festival van Vlaanderen (ex Happy New Ears), Kortrijk (Belgium)
'Politics of Change' presentation, ESC, Graz (Austria)

2009

'Politics of Change' (film) in het kader van SIC (sound/image/culture) , Brigitinnen, Brussels (Belgium)
Netwerk, Aalst (Belgium)
'Politics of Change' (film), mmKamp, Dubrovnik (Croatia)
'Politics of Change' (exchange project: contemporary Arab Representations), Finnish Institute Damascus in collaboration with Crusading Sweden, Art House Damascus (Syria)
'Politics of Change', Global Eco Forum / Capsula Barcelona (one-day conference dealing with social responsability, sustainability and eco-innovation), Barcelona (Spain)
'Politics of Change', InBetween/Gynaika, Antwerp (Belgium)
'Connected Domes Workshop' (1 week workshop), Okno, Brussels (Belgium)
'Politics of Change' , ETC (eclectic Tech Carnival), Umea University (Sweden)
'Politics of Change' presentatie, Upgrade, online
Lecture 'Politics of Change', Pixelache, Kiasma (museum of modern art), Helsinki (Finland)
'Politics of Change' , Pixelache, Helsinki in 'Signals from the South' , MUU gallery (Finland)
'Politics of Change' , the Game is Up! – 10 days to change the world, Vooruit, Ghent (Belgium)

2008

'Politics of Change' project (workshop + presentation), OKNO, Brussels (Belgium)
'Upgrade!International', (Workshop Shifting Metropolis + lecture & presentation), Chain Reaction, Skopje (Macedonia)
Research for 'Politics of Change' + presentations in Delhi (Sarai) and Mumbai (Padma) (India) Workshop media ecologies (xmedk – st.erme)

2007

'PeopleDatabase Slowscan Transmission ' video speakers corner, MUHKA, Antwerpen (Belgium)
'PeopleDatabase Slowscan Transmission' (participatory online installation) OKNO, Brussel (Belgium)
'no2pho phase#2' (interactive audiovisual installation) CCNOA, Brussel (Belgium)
'Art's Birthday Party 2007 ' (live audiovisual performanc),OKNO, Brussel (Belgium)
'RTXchange' (radio towers x-change, connected performance), Riga/Parijs/Brussel
'Transnational Ecologies', (connected performance) Scotland/UK/Australia/North America/Europe

2006

'no2pho phase#1' (interactive and generative soundinstallation), Happy New Ears, Buda, Kortrijk (Belgium)
'x' (collective performance ism. Isjtar en adsr221), Altitude1000, Recyclart Brussel (Belgium)
'art is politics (streaming performance), Art's Birthday Network

2005

'Art's Birthday Party 2005' (connected performance) Praag/Brussel/Tokyo
'art is politics' (public space installation), SonicTags/Re:activism, Budapest (Hungary)
Multiplace (presentation) Bratislava
'art is politics' (streaming performance), the Air Around, Bangalore (India)
'Placard' (audioperformance), trailerparkboys31, Nantes (France)
'Machinic Soundpoetry for the expressive Masses!', (connected performance) Nadine, Brussel (Belgium)

2004

'Art's Birthdayparty 2004' (connected performance), ism. Eavesdropper en Jelle Meander, Looking Glass Brussel (Belgium)
'Essential Emptiness' (multimedia installation), Beursschouwburg Brussel (Belgium)
'20040501 projekti' (connected performance ism. code31), Matrix Art Project Brussel (Belgium)
'Looking glass project : time frames 2004' (collaboratief jaarproject) Looking Glass Brussel (Belgium)
'The Ice Cellars-project' (collaboratief project voor okno) , VUB-University Brussel (Belgium)

2002

'L'entretien infini #1 - Untitled dialogue' ( networked-computer- installation), Het Groot Beschrijf, Brussel (Belgium)
'People Database' (Internet project), Artefact, Stuk Leuven (Belgium)
'Entretien Infini #2 - voices, after Maurice Blanchot' (site specific-public space installatie) Energy, Brussel (Belgium)
'hiding #1' (site specific - public space installatie) Jonctions, Centraal Station Brussel (Belgium)

2001

'Closed Circuit #3 - the Gaze' (interactief en generatief poetry project), Looking Glass Brussel (Belgium)
'People Database Archives' (3maanden performatieve installatie), Ici et Maintenant, Thurn & Taxis Brussel (Belgium)
'salon prive' (people database poetry readings), ism. Kristin Prevallet, Brussel (Belgium)
'Corps et Espace ' (peopledatabase foto&film), Brussel (Belgium)

2000

'Closed Circuits #2' (permanente installatie) Boudewijngebouw, Brussel (Belgium)
'People Database Archives ' (installatie), Ad!dict, Brussel (Belgium)
'Pulse' (performance-lecture over het People Database-project), Columbia University, New York (Unitded States)
'People Database' (poetry readings) ism. Kristin Prevallet , Double Happiness, New York (United States)
'Trade Routes' (docufilm), Interchange-Moving Images filmfestival, Camouflage Brussel (Belgium)
'People Database Archives ' (interactieve installatie), Looking Glass, Brussel (Belgium)
'People database Archives' (film), Argos-festival 2000, Brussel (Belgium)

1999

'Closed Circuit #1 - Be your Own Dog ' (installatie) Looking Glass, Brussel (Belgium)
'People Database Archives' (installatie) , 'Mirror Mirror' -show , Matrix Art Project, New York (united States)