HTMlles 2010: Festival of Media Art and Digital Culture, November 13 to 20

Tonight, the 9th edition of the HTMlles Festival of Media Art and Digital Culture kicks off in Montreal. The festival is a unique gathering that showcases "women’s independent media artworks from all facets of contemporary technological creation, including but not limited to: digital storytelling, cyber art, short film and video art, audio and electronic art, installation, locative media, 3D animation, game art, virtual reality, electronic publishing, design, performance and interdisciplinary practices." Opening night events include a performance by Moe Clark, a tribute to media art pioneers Louise Poissant and Jade Raymond, and the launch of .dpi 19.

The name HTMlles is a clever merger of HTML and "elles," the French pronoun for women. The Festival was begun in 1997 by Studio XX. It is curated this year by Anne Briard, Anne Golden, Cindy Poremba, Émilie Grenier, Kat Baulu, Louise Poissant and Paulina Abarca-Cantin. All of the events take place at their location at 4001 rue Berri (near Duluth).
---

HTMlles 2010: Festival of Media Art and Digital Culture
Ninth Edition – November 13 to 20
Festival + Women + Media Art + Digital Culture

HTMlles 2010: Festival of Media Art and Digital Culture has announced the roster of artists and works to be featured in this year’s event. The ninth edition takes place from November 13 to 20 at four venues housed at The 4001 Berri Building on the Plateau Mont-Royal, with an Opening Ceremony on Saturday, November 13, featuring an electronic spoken word performance  by artist Moe Clark, Tributes to Media Art Pioneers Louise Poissant, Ph.D. and Jade Raymond (Managing Director, Ubisoft Toronto) the music of DJ Spangles.

The theme of this year’s festival is and will focus exclusively on the works of Canadian and Québec-based media artists. As we resist – or converge with – a globally interconnected future, is it relevant to define our origins and explore common values?

Initiated by Studio XX in 1997, HTMlles is the only festival in the world dedicated to the presentation of women’s independent media artworks from all facets of contemporary technological creation. Festivalgoers will view and interact with a wide range of technological  creations ranging from digital storytelling, cyber art, short film and video art, audio and electronic art to installation, locative media (iPhone apps which take advantage of the phone’s GPS capabilities), 3D animation, game art, electronic publishing, design, performance and interdisciplinary practices. In all, Montreal audiences will be treated to more than 40 digital artworks over four days.

Among the highly awaited world premieres: six projects created through First Person Digital (FPD). FPD is an innovative training and production program for women launched in 2009 exploring new approaches to storytelling in multimedia co-produced by Studio XX and The National Film Board of Canada.  Three video game projects created within Studio XX’s Digital Ludology stream over the past two years will also premiere playstations.  Senior artists Margaret Dragu (Vancouver) and Pam Hall (Newfoundland) will present Marginalia, their critically acclaimed cross-Canada artwork to Montrealers for the first time.

Renowned curator Anne Golden has selected her favourite video works from across Canada for an evening screening entitled Dwelling. Curator Annie Briard has chosen ten top first works for the Emergence Audience Competition. Artist Marie-Hélène Parant will present her internationally celebrated multimedia performance piece Extase. Sound artist Chantal Laplante will present Figures d’un territoire and highly respected native media artist Cheryl L’Hirondelle will travel from Toronto to present two of her seminal works. The Festival will close with a performance/concert by Montreal sensation Teen Sleuth + the Freed Cyborg Choir.

The works are on display from 4:00 PM to 10 PM every day from November 17 to 20 at 4001 Berri. The artists are on hand to launch their works and will present Artist Talks and interact with the public.

About Studio XX: Founded in 1996, Studio XX is the only contemporary digital art centre in Canada focusing on women + technology + society. In 2008, the Studio launched Matricules: one of the world’s largest online archives of women’s digital artworks.

http://www.htmlles.net/2010/