The digiArts fest 2020 is now LIVE with the selected 5 artists’ beautiful work. If you want to support the work, or you just need something cultural to do while we all create away inside, check it out.
The artists in order of appearance are: Diana Rogagels (video still featured in image above), Aurelie Crisetig, Daniel Bryden. Robert Jarvis and Thomas Valianatos. Each, a different medium to the last, with varying themes, and you are encouraged to take some thinking time over the exhibitions on “for what they were made“.
There were so many wonderful entries, and I’m not being disingenuous in saying that every single one of them struck a chord with me on both a personal level and curatorial level. Amongst the 3 judges, who reviewed each and every submission, there was a lot of positive impressions and emotional responses. We only chose 5 for the exhibition in the idea that we want to give the artists full audience attention, make people think and read around them, occupy minds and not overwhelm. In truth, it was painful to not be able to put more on display. I’ll be sending each individual not selected an email attaching some of the positivity, and we’ll be featuring the longlist separately over the month on Instagram. In addition, there are some very special mentions from the shortlist (the artists who did fabulous work in line with the festival theme, but didn’t fit in the selection) that I’d like to share with you on near future blog posts and instagram.
In the spirit of all that is art, go enjoy the exhibition, follow the artists, and follow this space for more over the coming weeks. Continue reading for an indulgent article the first steps into quarantine curation, or just go off and give the real artists some love.
Step 1. Ask and you will fall in love
It’s easy to fall in love with artists. We are creatures who thrive in calculated introversion and acts of violent creativity. To speak without speaking, embracing conflict and controversy, providing artful nuisance, defying definitions of social deficiency. In curating a cyber festival celebrating art, digital culture and our rights on the internet, that’s been my biggest sensation; one of falling in love, over and over again, with artists.
With an overwhelming response to the open call, during a worldwide crisis and red light at the crossing of an important philosophical conundrum for humanity, myself and 2 other artist judges couldn’t believe our minds at the unstoppable creativity of our being. There were artists creating in quarantine, exhibiting in quarantine, moving, spinning, turning, flourishing. It brought me plainly back to Earth, without any dry sobering sensation but only in awe, that we all create beautifully and equally – and that an artist rarely outshines another but for opportunity. It is a cruelty that not everything we make is seen. It is a triumph that we continue to make that which would not be seen.
Step 2. Using Cyberspace for what it’s meant for
The only reason you really need to curate an online festival is the existence of an online space, that’s yours to weave. Demented Squirrel has always been that space for me, and for the community to which it attributes itself – this cyber sounding chamber of freedom of expression and unapologetic noise. Here it began, one thought away from reality, and here it begins, an exhibition to add to the noise, unapologetically.
We are dealing with a deeper issue in digital rights, touched on in the last (slightly tongue-on-cheek) blog, because, after a narrow COVID-related miss at a desirable job at a digital rights organisation, I always feel the need to turn to entrepreneurial pursuits to fill a void of potential energy. I use “entrepreneurial” loosely, as I’ve launched a festival with two companions without funding and with no attempt at profit acquisition. For this, you know it’s about digital rights – it’s about saying no to censorship of online voices – it’s about solving the problem around unfair distribution of personal information – it’s about not allowing governments complete autonomy over surveillance practices – it’s about transparency in advertising models. The main problem we face in treating these issues in the coming months, and as a whole, is the prevalence of a disinformation age, where everything you see is actually not seeing something else. So just be encouraged to think, think on this space, think on art, ask your questions loudly.
Now, for the web designers and developers amongst you, the code is the thing. You’ve got a space to manipulate. Hop to it. After so many more entries than expected, post-judging, I had 2 days to program a vanilla-coded site, optimised for Mac/PC, but viewable on mobile. (Why did I choose instagram again?). I actually uncovered some semi-interesting revelations about responsive coding in this epoch, so instead of boring the populous, I’ll shoot them into an upcoming blog on responsive design, for if you’re of the web persuasion. Take a look at the finished exhibition website and know I bled for it.
Step 3. The new definition of face-to-face
Making artistic connections and finding people who will support non-commercial festivals is hard, but not impossible, especially as an independent journal with no specific art gallery connection. Applying a fair procedure here and not undercutting or asking for work for free from anyone is respectful – we all know that cliché too well – but generating human connection shouldn’t be too much to ask. ArtConnect and ISendYouThis were strong allies through this. It comes useful in the final phase, to publicise our little exhibition and give the artists’ an audience they deserve. I hope you’re sold enough by now to be throwing it an eye yourself. If you’re reading this in press capacity, you’re an indie blogger/journalist, art network, or fellow demented squirrel, feel free to get in contact at sophiec-n@protonmail.com – I’m happy to write/prepare something or just happy for a plug.
The artists who submitted did so to complete the artist’s life cycle. We must think, we must create, and we must share. The power of art is voice and these are some powerful artists. As an indie online fest, digiArts fest 2020 just wanted to provide a space and an audience for that voice. I like that it has come to publication through nothing but love and hope to spread some in the process. As a result to this unrequested innocence, Demented Squirrel will be announcing some small prizes for 2 of the selected artists, criteria to be revealed – it’s the best we can do in the current situation, but we nonetheless hope they are well-received and thanks to you, an artist by any other name, for reading.
(Top img cred: Diana Rogagels @anatomyforloveoflife)
