All the target-group-specific offerings that make up this year’s program designed to mediate visitors encounters with festival content having to do with the “Human Nature” theme focus on a concept invented by Paul Crutzen: the Anthropocene Age, a time in which we human beings exert ever-greater influence on our planet, assume what is tantamount to control over it, and thus have more and more influence on society and our natural environment. Achievements in genetic engineering and biotechnology emerge from the depths of the laboratory and are changing our everyday life as well as the entire spectrum of forms of artistic expression. Many questions remain open and some problems still haven’t been cleared up, but cloning and experimentation goes on, boldly and unabated. Plus, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Ars Electronica Festival, we’ll also be taking a few retrospective looks at comparable projects, ideas, exhibitions and personalities of the past. And doing so while we continue to peer far into the future. The key issue: What will this new human-engendered nature look like and what undreamt-of possibilities and niches exist for us human beings within it?

See all events of we guide you 2009

Sat 5.9.
8:00 PM and 10:30 PM

OK Offenes Kulturhaus Oberösterreich (Sommerkino)

A big-screen showing of the prizewinning works in the 2009 Prix Ars Electronica’s Computer Animation/ Film / VFX.

HA’Aki Iriz Pääbo (CA) / National Film Board of Canada

SKHIZEIN Jeremy Clapin, Jean-François Sarazin (FR) / DARK PRINCE

The Nest That Sailed The Sky Glenn Marshall (UK), Music by Peter Gabriel
The Dark Knight Dominique Vidal (FR) / BUF Compagnie

Dix Bif (FR) / Autour de Minuit Productions & The Mill

WALL*E Andrew Stanton (US) / Pixar Animation Studios

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King – Intro Cinematic Jeff Chamberlain, Phillip Hillenbrand (US) / Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Urs Moritz Mayerhofer (DE)

FRENCH ROAST Fabrice O. Joubert (FR) / Pumpkin Factory / Bibo Films

Boris Daniel Lundquist (AT)

CHICK Michal Socha (PL) / Platige Image

The Spine Chris Landreth (CA) / National Film Board of Canada
This Way Up Smith & Foulkes (UK) / Nexus Productions Ltd

Audi ‘Unboxed’ Russell Brooke (UK), Aaron Duffy (US) / Passion Pictures, 1^st Ave Machine

Harmonix ‘Rock Band II’ Pete Candeland (AU) / Passion Pictures

Sat 5.9.
10:00 PM – 4:00 AM

OK Offenes Kulturhaus Oberösterreich (Mediendeck)

dieb13.klingt.org / skylla.klingt.org / boris.kopeinig.net / www.dubsquare.net

dieb13 (Dieter Kovačič) (AT)
Producer, programmer and musician, does tonal research and plumbs the spectrum of sounds using his own self-developed electronic aids.

Skylla (Billy Roisz, Silvia Fässler) (AT)
Computer-generated sounds, mixed with E-Bass and turntable

Boris / Dubsquare Records (Boris Kopeinig) (AT)
A DJ set that dynamically straddles Techno and Dubstep. The Dubsquare Records label from Vienna stands for a “deep” and “dark” rhythm-focused sound strongly influenced by Detroit Techno.

Lenka Klimešová (CZ)
Prix Ars Electronica 2009, Interactive Art, Honorary Mention
The artist presents her work “Future Kiss.”

www.myspace.com/lenyss

The OK Offenes Kulturhaus Oberösterreich presents a selection of the best projects in the Prix Ars Electronica’s Interactive Art and Hybrid Art category.

Opening:
September 3rd 2009, 5.00 PM

Press conference:
September 3rd 2009, 11.30 AM

Opening hours:
During the Festival Ars Electronica 10.00 AM – 10.00 PM
September 10th – October 4th, 11.00 AM – 22.00 PM

See all projects of Cyberarts 2009

OK Offenes Kulturhaus Oberösterreich (Mediendeck)

They populate abstruse, bizarre and often ominous realms of the imagination, live through the most fantastic plots, turn the law of gravity on its head, and draw upon unlimited energy reserves. More and more of the 21^st century’s film stars aren’t flesh-and-blood creatures; the source of their vitality is bits and bytes. The content spectrum of Computer Animations —as reflected by the 500 works from all over the world submitted for prize consideration to Prix Ars Electronica 2009—is virtually unlimited. These efforts range from experimental-abstract productions, sound visualizations, short cuts and special effects all the way to classic narrative filmmaking.

The 15 programs that make up the 2009 Ars Electronica Animation Festival’s lineup once again showcase the outstanding work currently being done at artists’ ateliers, universities and film academies as well as in the production studios of the film and advertising industries.

Curated by Christine Schöpf (AT) / Jürgen Hagler (AT)
Screendesign, Trailer, Concept & Animation by Claus Helfenschneider & Alexander Piringer (AT)
Directed by Claus Helfenschneider
Project Management: Bianca Petscher

Animal Worlds
When a rookery of penguins says adios to the Arctic ice and relocates to the southern tropics, when a dispute between two rats turns into a mass brawl, when dogs bicker and cats caterwaul, then action’s afoot in the animal kingdom, which once again proves: all God’s creatures got feelings!

Blood&Fight
They fight: against society, with themselves, for survival. They stumble through existence on this mortal coil, wounded, at the mercy of fate, harried, hunted, persecuted. They struggle beyond the limits, to the point of bloodshed—their own and that of the others. If it’s goodnight stories you seek, friend, look elsewhere!

Dark Stories
Nightmares hidden behind masks awaken, twisted paths lead into the unknown, abysses yawn, apprehensions, anxieties and dark fantasies surface. Verily I say unto thee: these are no messages of good cheer. Only for strong nerves.

Animated Psycho
When ones internal equilibrium gets well out of whack and the sky is falling; when one feels deserted by all friends and gods alike; when one seeks shelter from the storm: mental states of emergency manifest themselves in these films in therapeutic dialogues and transforming bodies.

Late Night
Offbeat perspectives, subversive standpoints, spiced with trashy visuals and a dollop of sex&crime—these are the ingredients of this late-night snack. Not necessarily for diners of all ages but by all means tasty fare for a relaxed chill-out.

Motion Patterns
These films play with perspective and perception. Generative image design is the painting of the 21^st century.

Inner & Outer Spaces
Utopian landscapes like saline deserts and alien terrains, architecture and spaces in motion emerge and reformulate themselves in continuously shifting perspectives. Space and time get a bit blurred.

Narration
These are real-life stories. Or might have been. Or those that could only have happened in a dream. They tell of love, of the desire to flee, of protecting and helping, of deceptions and lies.

Position & Message
If you haven’t already stumbled across this stuff online, here it is neatly packaged: opinions, communiqués, statements and critiques. In short, what all sorts of people have to say on a wide variety of topics.

Short Cuts
Of course, it would be possible to give much more elaborate accounts of these matters, but this works too: succinct, colorful and entertaining. Just like it says, short cuts!

Sound & Vision
The interplay of image and sound already has a long tradition in computer animation. This program spotlights current examples of visual music: inseparable, sensual, lyrical …

Visual Effects
What’s real; what’s virtual? It’s increasingly difficult for observers to draw the dividing line. Considering what we encounter in films, TV shows and commercials nowadays, it seems nothing’s impossible anymore.

Japanese Animation
Visual imaginativeness and unconventional narrative forms characterize animation made in Japan. This program curated by the Japan Media Arts Festival showcases a cross-section of artistic productions from recent years.

Mexican Animation
ANIMASIVO, Contemporary animation forum, is pursuing to promote creation, production and massive diffusion of animated works as an art form and contemporary expression. This project is impulsed by the Festival of Mexico, with a triple profile: it´s a youth animation contest, an exhibition platform for consolidated artists and an animated art academic space.

Download PDF of detailed program

Filming and photographing during the screening is prohibited.