openLAB Projects iMAL @ Nadine, Brussels, 19/11 - 4/12/2005
Projects and artists / Introduction
After the exhibitions CONTinENT in 2000 and F2F in 2003, after ‘Infiltrations Digitales’, exhibition and series of sound/images concerts in 2004, after many workshops since 2002 and summer courses in 2005, iMAL proposes in 2005 a unique experiment merging art education and digital culture public event: openLAB, a workshop and residence of 2 weeks for about 20 artists invited to produce digital art works such as interactive installations and audiovisual performances. The residences ends with a public week-end proposing an exhibition of the works and a night of performances.
The participants were immersed in a large workplace installed at nadine, working with the assistance of advisers and experts in digital arts. Proposed works were as diverse as an interactive journey on a bicycle through Brussels, a sonic environment fueled by electric fishes, a dialog with a chatbot, an impossible encounter in a tunnel, a performance with drills, ropes and webcams,...

In openLAB, as in many activities organized by iMAL, the process is as important as the result. During the two working weeks, the participants – who for the most part had never before worked on interactive creations – worked together closely, enriching their tools and artistic endeavours in an openminded and dynamic community, fueled by mutual encounters, an ongoing dialogue and reciprocal stimulation.

The public event (exhibition+performances) during the week-end of 3 and 4 december was a success with nearly 500 visitors in 2 days.

If some works are clearly works in progress, other ones will be exhibited in the next weeks: Synapse at galerie Bortier (starting on 16/12/05), dual_boot in Februart at 1sur1, Driftingfloor, Deux roues, Cellule at spring 2006 (parcours d'artistes Saint-Gilles).
slideshows (QuickTime):
making of, works and performances
videos (QuickTime):
making of, public week-end, projects and artists
Place Nadine vzw, 30 rue du Berger, 1050 Brussels
With the support of nadine vzw, la Communauté française de Belgique (service audiovisuel et des multimédias, service des arts plastiques), Multitel asbl, Boups, Apple Belgium. Thanks to the team at Nadine vzw.
Credits openLAB is a project produced by iMAL.
Concept:
Yves Bernard.
Coordination and scenography advisor: Tom Heene.
Assistants: Laure Gatelier and Jeremy Glick.
Artistic advisers and experts: Yves Bernard, Manu Lestienne, Yacine Sebti, Johannes Taelman, Bart Vandeput.
Selection comittee: Yves Bernard, Alok Nandi, Céline Pourveur, Marc Wathieu.
Translation: Eddy Deruwe, Elke, Yves Bernard.
Website: Bart Vandeput (design) and Yves Bernard (content).
Texts and video editing: Yves Bernard.
Photos: Charon RC, Daniel Raphael, Yannick Antoine, Yves Bernard.
Video cameras: Laure Gatelier, Yves Bernard and al.
Contact Yves Bernard, yb@imal.org.