Wat de Melkweg vindt...
Het WWVF is sinds jaren een van de belangrijke mediafestivals die her en der in de wereld plaatsvinden en staat internationaal in hoog aanzien bij kunstenaars en mediakunst instituten. Ook is het festival actief als organisator van exposities en projecten in alle delen van de wereld tot Brazilië, India en Zuid-Afrika toe. Sinds de komst naar Amsterdam in 1996 op uitnodiging van het Stedelijk Museum en de Melkweg is het festival voortdurend geëvolueerd, zowel artistiek als wat betreft de gedaante waarin en de locaties waar het zich manifesteert. Na een aantal jaren met Stedelijk Museum als hoofdlocatie voor expositie en de Melkweg voor performances, installaties, screenings en seminars, zijn alle andere media-instellingen in Amsterdam, zoals het Nederlands Instituut voor Mediakunst, de Appel, Waag Society, Baby, de Balie, the Gate Foundation en W139, betrokken geweest bij het festival.
In 2003 koos het festival voor een totaal andere setting, één centrale locatie, de Passenger Terminal Amsterdam. Met alle onderdelen – installaties, vertoning van de selectie, de viewing op aanvraag, etcetera – onder een dak, tien dagen lang, van `s ochtends vroeg tot ´s avonds laat bleek dit een aansprekend format.
Dit jaar vindt het festival plaats in het voormalige TPG gebouw bij het Amsterdams Centraal Station, omgedoopt tot Post CS, waar ook het Stedelijk Museum en W139 onderdak gevonden hebben. Een mede om die reden wellicht nog betere locatie, op een nieuwe levendige plek hoog boven de stad.
Iedereen die op welke wijze ook betrokken is bij of geïnteresseerd is in mediakunst heeft in de tweede helft van juni iets om naar uit te zien.
De toekomst?!
Toch lijkt de toekomst van dit festival er plotseling somber uit te zien als gevolg van twee negatieve adviezen, van zowel de Raad voor Cultuur als de Amsterdamse Kunstraad. Bij nalezing van de adviezen op de websites van beide instellingen lijkt vooralsnog niets aan de hand. Positieve uitspraken over het festival en de organisatie volgen elkaar op. Het advies van de Raad voor Cultuur gaat vrij plotseling de verkeerde kant op, doet een aantal volstrekt onjuiste uitspraken over het festival en concludeert eigenlijk zonder dit te onderbouwen dat een dergelijk evenement dankzij het bestaan van internet in Nederland niet meer nodig is!
Het Amsterdamse advies getuigt van een tekort aan inzicht in de context waarbinnen het WWVF opereert, maar komt wel tot en positieve conclusie, zo lijkt het althans. Inhoudelijk positief, maar op het einde gaat de Amsterdamse Kunst Raad er voor het gemak maar vast van uit, dat het advies van de Raad voor Cultuur inderdaad opgevolgd zou worden door Staatssecretaris van der Laan en dat het WWVF ook geen vervangende middelen zou kunnen vinden.
In het pre-advies wordt het huidige subsidiebedrag gecontinueerd, maar in het eindadvies wordt hetzelfde subsidiebedrag uitsluitend vanwege het negatieve advies van de Raad voor Cultuur alvast doorgestreept.
In binnen- en buitenland is veel verbazing en onbegrip over deze situatie. Kunstenaars, maar ook fondsen en sponsoren die het festival jaar in, jaar uit steunen kunnen de inhoud en conclusie van beide adviezen niet plaatsen.
World Wide Video Festival directeur Tom van Vliet en zijn bestuur zetten zich in om het Ministerie van OCenW en de Gemeente Amsterdam ervan te overtuigen dat ze deze adviezen niet moeten volgen. Daarin krijgen ze uit binnen- en buitenland veel steun. Bij deze ook van de Melkweg!
Cor Schlösser, directeur Melkweg
Lucas Evers, media programmeur Melkweg
Amsterdam
www.melkweg.nl
This message from Berlin is dedicated to all those who are in power to make
decisions about the future of the World Wide Video Festival. It is a very
simple one.
"Please do notify: The "WWVF"-Brand is in the world of culture as important
as our "VW"-Brand in the world of transport.
For all of us it is t h e international reference for your country and
your people.
It is the best means of transport for the worlds recognition of the
inter-national audio-visual cultural heritage in your country.
WWVF is not a dummy in a political stunt show, it is BCBB: the Best Cultural
Broad Brand of the Netherlands! "
Wolf SIEGERT PhD.
President of the VISION Media Group, Director of IRIS Media
& former Promotion Director of the "transmediale"-Festival
wwvf is a dutch sailboat bravely scanning unknown horizons. I am working with video since 1977 and I can assure everybody (as an artist and multi media shareholder) that a very important part of dutch culture and mentality will disappear in case of extinction. Painting has and is one of the great universally known dutch cultural inheritance and video is painting on video or cd-rom, or whatever. I get the impression that the people who want to stop wwvf have no idea whatsoever what video and video art is and means.
mique capel
amsterdam
i wanted to say
-i feel close to you in those days of financial reductions or stops about artistic projects
-your festival is one of the most interesting one in europe & i was very pleased to come there on a professionnel point of view
as a place to see good works & come in contact with artits from all over the world
-the programme with anna sanders production is very interesting
all the best to the wwvf
--
Annie Auchere Aguettaz
imagespassages
26 rue sommeiller
Annecy, France
www.imagespassages.fr.fm
Marijke van Warmerdam
Visual , Amsterdam
Natuurlijk kun je steeds meer videokunst beleven in musea. Maar het WWVF is een kennismakingsplek, een startpunt voor mijn multimediastudenten -toekomstige multimediavormgevers- ( Per lichting zo'n 80 tot 100 studenten) waar meteen duidelijk wordt wat videokunst kan inhouden. De invloeden van het getoonde werk zijn van groot belang voor de verdere ontwikkeling en verdieping van hun creativiteit, inzicht in maatschappelijke toepasbaarheid en begrip.
Als docent hecht ik dus groot belang aan het voortbestaan van het WWVF.
Groeten,
Maarten Aerts
(docent De Eindhovense School)
Eindhoven
Heel jammer, dat nu juist de nieuwe media de dupe wordt van de cultuurnota.
Nieuwe media is bij uitstek een cultuurgoed met een toekomst en zal dat met steeds nieuwe vindingen ook blijven.
Nieuwe media heeft daarvoor wel een podium nodig om zich aan een zo breed mogelijk publiek te kunnen presenteren.
Geef ze zo'n podium!!!
Met vriendelijke groet,
Peter van der Burg
Amsterdam
I would like to express my solidarity to WWVF, that I considere the must important festival in the world for a videoartists.
Inês Cardoso
São Paulo - Brasil
The WWVF has always been the platform for showing and seeing global innovation in the electronic media arts. If we're presently witnessing a wave of admiration for the electronic media among artists and public, the WWV has certainly played a paramount role in its rising. To this day, with video and electronic media festivals popping up left and right, there are few which come even close to the caliber of the WWVF. Just taking a look at the latest program I find, again, an up to date selection of exquisite works and pertinent positions in the digital arts - really world wide.
I strongly urge the Art Council to reverse its negative advice and continue funding the WWVF. Cutting off funds would mean jeopardizing an internationally recognized event, a cultural institution, which year after year is drawing an eager audience of video, computer, internet, music, dance and theater aficionados of all ages to Amsterdam.
With best wishes for the 2004 and future editions
kind regards
Alexander Hahn
www.alexanderhahn.com
it seems that people do not understand the importance of culture and it's development as well as aknowledging the fact that it's the main tool in connecting the world...this festival is a perfect example of the cultural diversity and the extent to which the culture can stretch...i sincerely hope that the desicion of the arts council will change...WWVF is a essential part to all of us working in the field of culture and trying to affirm young emerging artists in the field of new media...belgrade is giving complete support to the festival.
nada mijatovic
belgrade, serbia & montenegro
WWVF is a well known international festival that meaningfully engages in the dissemination of media art. Unfortunately, like most media festivals, WWVF must rely heavily on state funding. In fact most cultural organizations rely on state funding to exist (eg: symphonies, ballet, opera, thaetre, film, etc.). For the state to zero-in on the lesser known fine art mediums such as media art sends out the message of ignorance: it is precisely the emerging art forms such as media art that are the most vibrant and exciting! The Netherlands is recognized as a progressive and modern country, WWVF gives evidence to that claim. Please reconsider your position - WWVF has evolved in to a major festival that has earned the respect of the international art community.
Robert Hamilton
Canada
The Little Song Films organisation has been saddened by the news of the decision by Raad voor Cultuur to withdraw funding from the World Wide Video Festival as from next year. The WWVF is without a doubt one of the most important of such festivals not only in Europe but worldwide.
The areas covered by the festival are at the forefront of artistic innovation in the world of contemporary art. Surely encouragement of the arts must be about today and tomorrow and not just about the works of artists in the past.
We will certainly be attending the 21st festival and sincerely hope that the Arts Council reconsiders its decision and allows us to also be present at the 22nd festival.
On behalf of Little Song Films
Roger Thorp
Rob Vasey
Heidi Morstang
www.littlesongfilms.com
I'm a Japanese digital artist.
I'm very sud about this news...
WWVF is a very important festival for media, digital, electro artists!!!
kaoru yamamoto
Japan
The City Council's decision to stop the founding of the WWVF is most absurd and unbelievable.
The festival has achieved a world wide staus in promoting new art forms and new visions of young artists all over the world.
As an African artist living and working in Amsterdam, I can't understand and I can't accept this situation.
MIGUEL PETCHKOVSKY
AMSTERDAM
SUPPORT THE WORLD WIDE FESTIVAL !
I am an artist from Bombay, India who received the chance to show her first
major video installation "Remembering Toba Tek Singh" , at the World Wide Video
Festival (or WWVF, as it is affectionately called among artist colleagues all
over the world) in 1998. The organisers were so supportive of my project, which
was a protest against the underground nuclear testing that had at that time
taken place in Rajasthan, that they even helped me to get financial support
for the project from the Prince Claus Fund. The work could never have taken the
form it did without the support of the WWVF. More than that they even assisted
me to show it in Bombay at the Prince of Wales Museum, where my protest could
reach the very people the nuclear testing would affect.
Artists from Asia, Africa and South America have had the opportunity to show
elaborate and socio- politically engaged work at the WWVF because of the open
and liberal attitude of Tom van Vliet, the director. It is with acute sadness
that I receive the news that this most important liberal and democratic
platform is now being forever closed to artists like us who have very few
opportunities to speak our minds through our art about the injustices taking
place in the world.
All I can say is that it is indeed a great pity that an organisation which has
pioneered some of the GREATS in the history of video art is today being shut
down for lack of state funding. It will be a big loss for the international
video artists who have benefited so much from it.
With this I wish to request that the State Secretary of Culture of The
Netherlands withdraw its decision.
Thank you.
Nalini Malani
Bombay, India
Unbelieveble this decission. Why to sponsorize things like the customs
museum, and destroy the work that during all those years you've been bringing
to us the outmost of video-art.
I'm highly disappointed.
Jorge Girod Bartual
Rotterdam
SAVE THE WWVF!!!
Dang! I just discovered this festival and how strongly I feel committed to go
there, and now they are going to close it down? I surely hope not! SAVE THE
WWVF! SAVE THE WWVF!
Geertjan van Ouwendorp
Student Digital Video Design, Hilversum
Beste Tom,
het is nogal verbijsterend dat de Nederlandse overheid zou overwegen om de
ondersteuning van het WWVF stop te zetten. Al die jaren kijken we hier vanuit
Vlaanderen met bewondering en zelfs enige afgunst naar dat prachtige videokunst
festival daar in Nederland. Het is een fetsival dat er steeds in slaagde om
actueel te blijven zonder kritiekloos mee te huppelen in de vele vluchtige
(vaak technologisch geïnspireerde) trends. Het festival slaagde erin om een
eigenzinnig, zelfs wat weerbarstig profiel te bewaren met een mengeling van
jonge, nieuwe makers en meer gevestigde waarden. Het is een festival waar
internationaal naar uitgekeken wordt. Het is elk jaar opnieuw een prettige
ontmoetingsplaats voor de meest diverse artiesten en publiek. Het zou van een
ongelooflijk hippe kortzichtigheid getuigen om dit boeiende parcours af te
sluiten.
Jarenlang heeft het WWVF op zijn eentje heel wat Belgische videasten en
mediakunstenaars zichtbaar gemaakt en consequent ondersteund. Gewoon door ze in
perfecte omstandigheden aan een internationaal publiek te tonen. Iets waar we
hier alleen maar van konden dromen.
Tussen haakjes gezegd, toen ik het advies nalas, schrok mij een bult van hoe
weinig dat de Nederlandse staat eigenlijk gekost had tot nu toe. Het is me een
volstrekt raadsel hoe jullie dat al die tijd klaarspeelden.
Ik hoop dan ook dat de Nederlandse overheid zal willen terugkomen op deze -
voor uw zuiderburen - volstrekt onbegrijpelijke beslissing.
Peter Missotten - videoartiest en producent in de Filmfabriek
Brussel - Bierbeek - België
Dear friends,
I´ve been in the WWVF last year and it was an amazing experience, specially
because of the opportunity of seeing works from different parts of he world and
the possibility to talk and interchange experiences with the authors.
I just finished my career and it was really interesting to share experiences
with people from places so far from by born city. I think that the gathering of
artists from different parts of the world helps not only people, but the art in
its own context. It makes us open our eyes of what it´s happening in other
countries and how they see us, and in this context how we should work to be a
better place for each one.
In the other hand, this World Wide Video Festival is a window for creativity,
and gathering of different generations.
Please!!!!!!!!!!! Don´t let it die.
Thanks to all the people that make this possible each year.
Anneliese Fiedler
Lima, Peru
Yet another avant-garde festival to leave the city of Amsterdam? Are
we really sure here?
Innovation is key within the festival and interdisciplinary media-art will be
shown again this year, during for instance the RGB programme. It might be that
the Councel missed last years sublime RGB programme at the Melkweg? Maybe a
little too late at night for them to enjoy this clash between the high & low? Or
was this one of those 'too traditional perspectives', which made them stick to
their TV? And if a king is losing territory, this doesn't mean we make 21 years
go to dust, now, do we? Cause we do not prefer a president...
Sylvester Lindemulder
NoTV
Dear Tom,
Eder Santos' letter supporting the Worldwide Video Festival
just arrived. I just wanted to put in my two cents worth.
Withdrawing support of the Worldwide Video Festival is an
incredible misjudgement. There are only a small handful of video and
new media festivals that have had any real impact on the expanded
exposure of contemporary electronic artwork. The WWVF is certainly
among that group and perhaps the most prominent. The consistency and
stamina of the festival has been remarkable. And many important
artists owe much to early (and continued) support from the festival.
But it isn't just the artists--the public has been educated over the
years by the contextualizing efforts of this great program.
Withdrawing support from the Worldwide Video Festival would harm the
important work already done, rob the public of an important cultural
resource, and, ultimately, diminish the possibilities for individual
artists and the greater community of mediamakers.
Please pass this note on to whomever you see fit.
Sincerely,
Steve Seid
Video Curator
Pacific Film Archive
University of California, Berkeley
I was taken by surprise when I heard about the negative advice the National Arts Council has given the State Secretary of Culture regarding the WWVF. This festival is a reference throughout the world and is one of the most important, if not the most important, forum of debate and exhibition of electronic art.
In addition to its remarkable organization and support given to all the artists, the WWVF goes beyond its boundaries as it promotes a wide range of activities open to the public in general. The festival innovates and develops the world culture as it helps to broadcast and diffuse the different artistic expressions.
To me personally, I don't even know how to begin to thank the WWVF, since it has been crucial to my career and also to the diffusion of Brazilian arts. I have made innumerous contacts during the several festivals I took part and I think the festival made possible the approximation of two very different cultures from two particular countries: Brazil and Holland. This only helps us understand each other and it is through the arts that we can help the world be a better and more comprehensive place for us to live in. I was able to live in Amsterdam for a while and this opportunity given to me with the help of WWVF was unique and most important for my understanding of Europe and its culture as a whole.
For all that, I'm shocked with the National Arts Council and its negative approach to WWVF. I will definitely help to mobilize a number of Brazilian artists in order to make a protest. The position of the National Arts Council, that should have been a supporter of such and important initiative as the WWVF, is revolting and I just hope they realize they are committing a despicable act. Otherwise we will lose one of the best video festivals of the world and even more, we will lose an opportunity to bring together different cultures and different expressions united by the art.
edersantos
Belo Horizonte, Brasil
Waarom een festival vernietigen wat al jarenlang zijn belang bewezen heeft. Dit is nog dommer dan de wissel van Dick Advocaat!
Behoed ons van dit soort stommiteiten.
Jan Adriaans
Rotterdam
Being an artist myself I do of course see the importance of a festival like WWVF ! Video as an artistic expression is a geat contribution to the artscenenes, and I do hope the festival will get the support it needs to go on !
Ragnhild Lie
Stamsund, Norway
The World Wide Video Festival is important because it gives Amsterdam and The Netherlands what it wishes for but does not get together: a sort of biennale for the visual arts. WWVF is for video and happens every year: why not EXPAND IT to other media, instead of cutting it down!!
Saskia Bos
De Appel
Amsterdam
WWVF is a unique institution: it has a unique scope and a unusually long history. It is internationally important. When NL provides an arts institution of this high quality, the world is grateful. If NL destroys this festival, the arts community will be ashamed for NL!
THE WORLD NEEDS THE WWVF!
Kurt Ralske
(artist/programmer)
New York
Such shocking and confusing news that the Dutch Arts Council has considered ending the WWVF that occupies an important place in the hearts and imagination of the international community. Please, please reconsider what would otherwise be a grave error and do not stop this extraordinary event that becomes even more pertinent, more important as the years go by!
George Issakidis
Paris, France
wwvf is one of many scenes absolutely needed for artists worldwide
to mess, to communicate and to present their work. The national
authorities cultural responsibility goes far beyond national
borderlines. Although I´ve never participated in wwvf I can feel
solidarity with all known and anknown artists, which I hereby
express.
W Peter Menzel
Sweden/ photographer/ multimediaartist/composer
It is shameful to end all activities of the WWVF. It is a tradition that has to be continued.
Marijke Jansen
Amsterdam
support for wwvf
I am writing this letter in support of the worldwide video festival. An
organization like the wwvf is essential for contemporary art, and for
culture in general. What more democratic medium for expression than video?
I was born in the south of Chile in an isolated, small town. I was
introduced to video by a professor, by chance. This video festival became a
goal for me, an ideal, from that early time, an important place to show my
work. Last year was my first opportunity to show at the festival and it was
a realization of that early goal, an important milestone in my development
as an artist. I think my story resonates with many other artists from other
countries--the festival is a platform for showing work and interchanging
ideas with other artists. It has more meaning than simply a "show" or
cultural "event" it is part of a meaningful and significant process in the
creative life of many.
Please consider continuing funding for this festival, it serves a critical
cultural function.
sincerely,
Edgar Endress
Hartelijke dank voor het Anna Sanders programma uit Frankrijk:
voor mij was het de meest indrukwekkende filmervaring van de afgelopen maanden.
Sabine Mooibroek
THE EXISTENCE OF THIS FESTIVAL IS RELEVANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
DIGITAL ARTS AND OTHER CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS.
I THINK ITS INTERRUPTION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
EVENMORE, WHEN THE STATE OF THE ART OF MEDIA ARTS IS EVERYDAY GROWING
JORGE HERNANDEZ
CHILE
I strongly support the WWVF an important international event that
features contemporary media, video and new media installation. The WWVF is at
the forefront of contemporary visual presentation. Long life to the WWVF!
Dominique Fontaine
curator
Montreal, CANADA
APOYO AL WORLD WIDE VIDEO FESTIVAL !!
Gilbertto Prado
artist and professor, Brazil
I DO SUPPORT WWVF!
I was part of it (review at: http://www.fllanos.com/txt/holanda.html) ...and really love the Festival.
In terms of video It's one of the best Festival I have ever been.
Good luck Tom!
FLLANOS
Mexico
www.fllanos.com
mexican_videoart_online
"be happy consume video"
TO THE RAAD VOOR CULTUUR
It took me many days to digest this absurd - it's hard
to say something because I don't know what should I
justify here! It seems so obvious that Holland should
be proud of this beautiful tree that Tom van Vliet and
his colleagues have been raising during 20 years that
he should be awarded instead of cutting it down!
At least in these 29 countries my videos had been
presented in, everybody knew that WWVF was one of the
best festivals and Holland was one of the best places
for media art. Who and why should be interested in
changing this opinion???
Please, PLEASE don't let the local intrigues make
this huge mistake! What is European (or world wide)
culture without tradition?
Really scary how fragile all the good things are...
Love,
Kai Kaljo
Estonian artist, in WWVF 1998,1999,2000,2001,2003
The WWVF is one of the most important and essential festival of video
and net art in the world. Appreciated all over the world.
Darya von Berner
Madrid, Spain
LaAgencia has been working for the last 7 years developing and managin
newmedia art projects. From the "heroical" times WWVF has ben a reference and
an important oportunity for the devoloping of our field.
Support it is not a significant budget from the institutions and the industry...
Come on! Do it! they have done their job.
Thank you and best luck for the next edition of the WWVF.
Vicente Matallana
LaAgencia, director.
Madrid, Spain
Dear Tom, I'm surprising about theese news .
How can a such important event do not exist anymore ?
What is more important than the future in arts, comunication , expression in
this new era.
We always see your country as a small but in the vanguard of all new medias
many times ahead of other bigger countrys. This is why we consider
Holland as a place where education is priority.
I do not understand what is more important.
Hope people will reconsider this situation
Sincerely,
Pedro Farkas
Sao Paulo, Brasil
Dear Raad voor Cultuur, State Sec't of Culture,
I have been attending and exhibiting at the WWVF since it's early days in 1984
at Den Haag (Kijkhuis, The Hague), and up to the present. The WWVF started out
being one of the most significant venues for media art, and continues to this
day to be the most important video/media festival that still exists. The
exhibition/festival is not only important in what you see there but of equal
importance is the meeting with other guests and residents, the exchange and
dialogue that increasingly goes on there, and the networks that are
subsequently developed. The discussions/discourses taking place at the WWVF are
in themselves worthy of support. The WWVF is most needed in these difficult
times of central dominant media dominance, there are less and less
places/spaces to champion creative positions. I urge you to continue your full
support of this incredible festival!
Sincerely,
Jayce Salloum,
artist/curator/writer
Vancouver, Canada
To whom it may concern,
We would like to hereby attest our full support to the continuity of
funding and existence of the World Wide Web Video Festival. This event
is far the most traditional and still one of the most important video
and electronic media festivals in the world. Its contribution to the
development of video and new media art in many parts of the world, among
them we could really see Brazil and South Africa, as well as its
contribution and legacy to the development and research of the own video
and electronic media itself is enormous and not questionable. We, as
long-time workers of this field, find outrageous to hear about the cuts
of the funds and the eventual end of the Festival. We hereby wish to
clearly express our support for its continuation.
It's time that politicians understand that because they change their
jobs or policies they should not interrupt cultural and social
activities, which have been carried on by non politicians and have also
been absolutely productive and successful to society along the years,
years in which these same politicians weren't even on duty!
Sincerely,
Mauricio Dias & Walter Riedweg
Video artists from Brazil & Switzerland
My dear Tom
I'm looking forward to the next edition of WWVF and I am very shocked and
disturbing with this news. The many times that I had the pleasure to view
the screenings of your festival I was deeply moved by the artistic quality
that you managed to gather and promote so effectively. It is always
difficult to sustain this international exchange but it is of the most vital
interest for all of us. In times of global communication networks, it is of
equally vital importance that this exchange is not confined to commercial
products and well acclaimed artistic expressions but that the most diverse
voices continue to enrich the dialogue between the various “worlds³. Looking
back at the history of media art over the last 21 years, it becomes clear
that the experimental and visionary is anticipating in manifold ways our
worlds to come.
World Wide Video Festival is one of the very few occasions to encounter an
artistic vision of our media environments all over the world. I wish you all
the success and I really hope that the festival will be given again and in
the future the political, financial, and cultural support it needs and
deserves.
With my sincerest regards and solidarity.
Solange Farkas,
director
VIDEOBRASIL Sao Paulo
A festival with that history is unique in the world. We should be proud and protective for that. Altough I was not always convinced by the exhibitions in the festival, I think its pioneering role as global platform should be recognised and apriciated . The festival is still a place where there is always a lot discover. Its history is way to short now.
Bart Rutten
Medewerker Nederlands Instituut voor mediakunst, Montevideo/TBA
Amsterdam
Wij zouden de argumenten van de commissie graag met feiten onderbouwd zien; de conclusies zijn in tegenspraak met wat het festival feitelijk jaarlijks presenteert. Bovendien is de aandacht voor de verschillende continenten een belangrijke 'niche' van het festival.
Paul van Paaschen
Hivos Cultuur Fonds, Den Haag
It is invaluable to feed the soul, spirits and minds of the public and this festival is an extremely valuable contribution to the national culture of The Netherlands.
I am an artist who collaborated with the the World Wide Video Festival in 2003 and it was clearly demonstrated what an essential position this festival occupies within a greater arts community globally.
I implore you to re-think this position and do not cut a life-line to a creative future.
With best wishes
Robin Rimbaud
Scanner
London
www.scannerdot.com
To whom it many concern,
I just wanted to say that as an artist who has worked with a cross
disciplinary approach to "art" for the past ten years, the WWVF was one of
the most interesting and inspiring festivals of international new media art
that I have taken part in. I have been lucky enough to travel all over the
world with my work and this festival is by far the most vibrant. It was an
honour to perform at the festival and as an individual that is often
associated with VJ culture, showing my work in this festivals context was
far more rewarding than in the normal club environment or other digital or
new media film festivals. I think it comes down to a cross pollination of so
many different artists from so many different cultures at the festival which
makes it such an important event.
I think it would be a great shame if the festival lost its funding and I
fully support WWVF in its continued evolution of show casing the very best
in international video art and new media in all its different forms.
Yours sincerely
Chris Allen _ Director
THE LIGHT SURGEONS
LONDON
Hi There ,
i participated WWVF / RGB Festival in 2003 from Turkey . I was very pleased
of the content and organisation of the festival. That was the reason why I
participated as an experimental and interdisciplinary working artist.
Personally I´m very sad about the decision of the Dutch Arts Council not to
support this very important festival. I would like to see the festival
developing and continuing in the future.
all the best ,
Serhat Köksal, aka 2/5 BZ
http://www.2-5bz.com
Istanbul, Turkey
A letter to Support to the World Wide Video Festival
The World Wide Video Festival has been not only an independent festival in
formal terms, but one of the fewest events that has been open to the
developments of media art in diverse parts of the world as well as in
relation to the recent developments of this everyday renewing discipline,
taking seriously its "World Wide" definition.
The World Wide Video Festival is one of the most important media art events
in the world. Is not only serious and prestigious, but has also been a real
activator, an indispensable promoter of the live and recent production in
different areas of the world, with a particular respectful view of
integrating all discussion without the western plethoric view of the big and
the small. Thanks to it founder and director, Tom van Vliet many
possibilities had opened in areas where funding production and new projects
is impossible. Discovering and activating non represented groups and zones
has been a major concern and action of the World Wide Video Festival .
Finally is important to note that the World Wide Video Festival has been one
of the most constant events and has gained the reputation of one of the most
important and influential media art events in the world.
We strongly support the World Wide Video Festival and request that the
National Arts Council takes into consideration all this points to continue
contributing to the future of this project.
José-Carlos Mariátegui
President
ATA (Alta Tecnologia Andina)
Peru
Best Worlds wide video. waardeloos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! het festival moet blijven
bestaan, is zeer inspirerend!!!!!!!!!!!!!Dus open de subsidiekraan!
sterkte
Juul Sadée
Nederland
To whom it may concern,
I have been involved with the WWVF since 1989 and I strongly support
Tom van Vliet and his teams's work in Amsterdam. The WWVF is one of the
most important centres for video and digital media in Europe and
worldwide. It's huge videoarchive is preserving video art history. Its
festival has become a must in the annual calendar of video art. Its
approach has always been challenging and innovative with support for
experimental work and new developments.
I strongly recommend to continue the funding of the WWVF, for
Amsterdam, for The Netherlands and the community of video artists
throughout the world.
Best wishes,
Holger Mohaupt
artist and lecturer at the School of Television in Dundee, Scotland
dat de beslissingen van de raad voor de cultuur iedere keer weer aanleiding geven tot veel protesten is iets waar iedereen in nederland inmiddels helaas aan gewend is. het zou allemaal wat minder erg zijn als de beslissingen van de raad van enige visie en beleid zouden getuigen. ook dat is geen nieuwe constatering.
het wwvf als 'onbelangrijk' qualificeren betekend dat leden van de raad de afgelopen jaren geen museum of gallery van binnen gezien hebben en dat de opmars van de nieuwe media volstrekt aan ze voorbij is gegaan of ze in elk geval collectief geheugenverlies hebben en zich niet meer weten te herinneren wie deze kunstvorm al 20 jaar presenteren op een manier die internationaal gezien tot de top behoort. daarover is men het in het buitenland in elk geval eens, nou de raad van de cultuur nog!
de nederlandse overheid geeft elk jaar miljoenen uit om nederlandse cultuur in het buitenland te promoten - misschien moet het wwvf dan maar eens uit dat potje betaald worden?
rene beekman (Netherlands / Bulgaria)
Het is van groot belang dat 'Het WWVF' blijft bestaan.
Zo wel voor het publiek, dat op een zeer aangename manier kennis kan maken van de nieuwste kunst uitingen op het digitale vlak dan wel voor de kunstenaars / makers van deze. Dit daar het inspirerend werkt voor een kunstenaar om zijn kunst te vertonen aan een groot publiek, het publiek wordt dan ook ter plekke uitgedaagd om een dialoog aan te gaan met het vertoonde kunstwerk en zal derhalve zijn grijze hersencellen in beweging moeten zetten.
HARRY HEYINK
Amsterdam
The World Wide Video Festival has the most precious place in the history of video art - it has not only sustained its history but also enriched it by inspiring so much talent across the world. It keeps the world abreast of what is going on in this modern art. The Netherlands should really feel proud to have such a great event. It's no mean contribution though it may not be so clearly visible. Please keep it up.
Amrit Gangar
Mumbai, India
If the role of artists in a world increasingly
influenced (indeed, controlled) by media images is not
apparent, try attending WWVF, where, each year, a
detailed and organized study of the phenomenon is
available to all who attend.
For artists who work in video and new media, this
festival is the gold standard -- intelligent and
discerning in its selection of internationally
important works and artists, careful and inventive in
its presentation of work. The world's museums get
their best ideas here. It is inconceivable to me that
the importance of this festival is in question.
Jan Peacock, Video Artist
Professor, Media Arts
Nova Scotia College of Art & Design
Halifax NS CANADA
To the Raad voor Kultuur:
Please keep supporting the World Wide Video Festival.
From Sonya Rademeyer
(South Africa)
How much more does one need to do to realise that freedom of expression is what keeps humanity still going?
Please support WWVF, as all we have left in this world is to keep the balance between the good and the evil.
Thank you to WWVF for supporting my video this year, hope the festival will keep running for years to come.
Haris Epaminonda
Cyprus
Wat een leed, failliet van de kunsten??? De kaalslag woedt voort gelijk afbraak van oerbossen en regenwouden. Wat is hier nog tegen te doen als de essentie van het wwvf ook al niet meer gezien kan worden. Ik zou me zo kunnen voorstellen dat het enige dat nog helpt tegen deze afbraak van alles dat waarde heeft is de betreffende mensen volledig te boycotten van enige vorm van vormgeving en muziek, geen kabel, geen tv, radio, video, cd, dvd, toegang wijgeren tot wwvf, bioscoop, museum, galerie etc. Kijken of ze misschien....in de gaten krijgen wat ze missen.
nb. wie wint er nog iets mer 'Zorgdragen' !!!
Karin Merx en Harry Druijf
Chers amis,
C'est avec beaucoup de colère et d'indignation que nous avons pris
connaissance des menaces qui pèsent sur la pérennité de vos actions,
vos travaux et vos recherches.
Nous vivons aujourd'hui à l'heure où la video, l'image, les données
numériques, les technologies deviennent un élément déterminant de
l'avenir de notre planète, à ce moment précis de notre histoire où nous
basculons dans un monde nouveau à la fois plein de promesses de
fraternité mais aussi de la plus tragique horreur de la guerre et de
l'obscurantisme.
Nous sommes peu en Europe et dans le monde à soutenir l'exploration
artistique de ces changements et la transcription émotive de ces
mutations dont nous pressentons pourtant qu'elles portent en elles la
lecture de jours incertains.
C'est pour cela que nous vous apportons notre soutien total et sans
réserve et que nous aurons le plaisir de nous rencontrer sur les lieux
mêmes de la prochaine édition du festival.
Bon courage à tous.
Loiez Deniel
web artiste
Président de VIDEOFORMES
Fondateur de l'archipel Yves Tanguy
The WORLD WIDE VIDEO FESTIVAL is one of the most important art venues in the
world. Please continues supporting this important dialogue in new ideas.
Sincerely,
Marsia Alexander-Clarke, USA
Unimportant!?
An absolutely ridiculous assessment. I have been involved in media
arts for 25 years and, of the festivals/exhibitions I've attended over
that time none have exhilarated me as much as the WWVF. Not the NYFF.
Not the Black Maria. Not the Seattle, Portland International or NW
Film and Video Festival or the Whitney Biennial or special exhibitions
at MoMA or the Guggenheim, nor any of the events I am forgetting to
mention.
Why?
Because the WWVF feels like a living organism rather than some sort of
'finale' or highlight or Coda. Because I felt like I was part of a
community rather than merely a passive viewer. Because the ACCESS to
work at the WWVF is unparalleled, and probably only comparable to the
access found in actually running a festival. Because I went to the
Festival on a lark as I just happened to be in A'dam while it was
happening, but was surprised to find myself entering a state of near
ecstasy as I spent the entire day there. Because I extended my stay in
A'dam by two days so I could return to the festival two more times to
see more work! (hopefully the economics of that are completely
obvious)
Unimportant?
My response to that is:
ESSENTIAL!!!
WORLD CLASS!!
INCOMPARABLE!
Do not let it die.
David Bryant
Portland, Oregon
Thank you for sending me information on the WWVF 10-20 June 2004.
Without this vital link to the outside world, I would never know what
is happening out there.
My video/still photography work is based around the coastline of a
small fishing village in Northern Ireland and you can
appreciate how much I rely on electronic information!
I send you my 100% support.
Maggie Montgomery
Hugh Montgomery
OTLEY, West Yorkshire
world wide video festival is an important festival and has a
great role in the world and Netherland should be proud to
have one. Please support world wide video festival.
Kelvin Kyung Kun Park
Korea/USA
There is no other venue for the exploration of the video medium as
extensive and international as the World Wide Video Festival. I was
planning on attending next year, so hopefully this project will
continue into the future.
Larry Wang
Santa Fe, New Mexico
USA
With great dismay I've learned of the possibility of the withdrawal of
Amsterdam city funding for the World Wide Video Festival. This is an
extraordinary, on-going festival, which has become a marker in a calender
of yearly world video and media events. Coming from the US where there is
such a terrible lack of public funding for anything which is less than
mindlessly main-stream, the World Wide Festival has remained a fine example
of Dutch/European cultural enlightenment.
Sincerely,
Ken Kobland
New York
Support all art!! World wide is essential!!
rachael
Dear people of the WWVF,
I just received the news, you have to struggle to get the next editions of the festival secured. I simply hate to hear, that recently important festivals are being cut down in funding. In Vienna we recently founded a independent video/filmfestival, and received entries from 41 nations, and almost 1000 videos. We are non-founded and will be totally broke after the festival- but somehow proud, because there is nothing comparable in Vienna. The call for entries costed less than 150 Euros, so I know the video/media art scene has really become strong movement in the last 5 years.
Having „video“ in their very name, the WWVF has set the the emphasis on exploring the unique aesthetics in this diverse field of moving images. Over the years it has been a source of inspiration to videoartists/filmmakers and festival curators worldwide- even if not attending the festival itself, the venues which combine work from established and upcoming artists made it interesting to find out more about names never heard of. Today, outside the art-field prejudices towards the medium video are crumbling or gone. Computers are delivered with the appropriate hard and software, and cameras have become small wonders. The DVD made it possible to overcome the problem of the different TV-systems (PAL/SECAM/NTSC). These small revolutions made doing high quality video works affordable to many artists worldwide. As always improvement of the artistic technique and new distribution strategies affect the content itself. One day celluloid will probably be banned from cinema and substituted by high resolution video devices- a development which (if understood as a opportunity) could open up the door for videoart. It is very important that the background of the WWVF is preserved by supporting upcoming editions of the festival, in order to examine the international developments on the long run. If videoart had stopped evolving, one might think of giving up traditions, which were cultivated just for the sake of it. Video/filmartists are an increasing community, which needs stable standards for the exposure and recognition they deserve. As curator of a newly founded festival in Austria, judging from the enormous international impact our call for entries had, there is at the moment a need for screening opportunities for video in general, and above all there have to be festivals, who document the scene. Five years ago there was not the same possibility of international co-operation and networking.
It is strongly recommended that funding the WWVF is kept up, in order to understand upcoming developments.
Albert G. Beckmann, Curator “Ohne Kohle” Video/Filmfestival 14th-18th of July/
Vienna, Austria
www.ohnekohle.net
We here at California Institute of the Arts are deeply concerned by the National Arts Council's urging to stop subsidizing this wondeful event. This is a grave mistake and will seriously endanger the freedom of artistic expression that is so important to all of our societies. Please reconsider this wrongful decision.
Thank you.
Aaron Auerbach
Van Nuys, CA USA
Het is toch absurd dat de raad adviseert in dit land wel tig symfonieorkesten te ondersteunen die repertoire uit de eerste helft van de 19e eeuw spelen voor luisteraars uit de eerste helft van de 20e eeuw en tegelijk besluit het enige videoartfestival in Nederland van de lijst af te voeren!!
M.R.J. Pieterson
My God, what exactly is the reasoning of the Arts Council? Did they suddenly decide they don't like video art, or are they against any particular aspects of the World Wide Video Festival?
In this day and age when video has gotten so prevalent as a form of personal expression not only for artists but for anyone, it seems that the importance of the medium of video and video art cannot be over-emphasized.
Is their decision connected with the "hype" over new-media/internet/computer art? Just because people start to make work in "newer" media, it doesn't mean video becomes less important.
Imagine cancelling major Film Festivals just because people are starting to make DVD's and web-casting their film clips. I'm so fed up with these shifts in "what is trendy" in the art world - it’s all just hype and B.S. Okay, I can see that the commercial world functions on this level, but a subsidy system shouldn't be so volatile as the "hype"-driven art market.
I think the World Wide Video Festival has been extremely effective in introducing a wide range of video works from performances to experimental documentaries to interactive works and installations, from various parts of the world, and presenting them to the Dutch/Amsterdam commmunity. It’s through their continued hard work over the last two decades that only now more conservative institutions and galleries are starting to show these types of works. I don't know other festivals in Europe where they have managed to so successfully introduce works from such diverse regions, such as China, Afria, or the Middle East. The wide range of selections from humorous/witty short videos to deep investigative/personal documentaries also offer a large variety of works for viewers with diverse interests.
I personally have participated in so many editions of the World Wide Video Festival, and have personally attended even more editions, and have found them totally inspiring during
my last 12 years. In fact, it has been almost one of the few events I've personally found rewarding during my time in Europe.
Best wishes for continued success of World Wide!
Atsushi Ogata
video artist (Japan, Netherlands, USA)
Dear Tom,
I am quite shocked to read in your website that the Arts Council considers the WWVF “unimportant”. In my personal experience, the WWVF is quite the opposite. It is simply the most important festival of electronic art anywhere in the world. I will never forget that you were the first person and institution to recognize that my video work was a form of art.
It was first recognized there than in my own country.
After the first presentation in the 1994 WWVF my work was presented and awarded in tens of art institutions around the world, including places like the NY MOMA or the ZKM in Germany. It was also exhibited in high quality TVs such as Channel 4 or ARTE. I certainly owe this to you. And I hope the festival will continue discovering young artists in developing countries all around the world, for many years to come.
My Best Wishes
Carlos Nader
Brazil
Dear WWVF
I feel very sorry for the decision of the State Secretary of
Culture to stop subsidizing you. I hope you will work it out. Good luck
Rossana Denicolai
Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea
Library and Archives
Torino, Italy
My first reaction to news that a recommendation had been made for discontinuing WWVF support by the Dutch Government, was, okay, okay another hacker got into a Website. Boring. Just proves some people have too much time on their hands.
To find out that this was true was unbelievable.
There are times when you have to tell good countries, like good friends, when they are making mistakes. In this case, I would go further and say making themselves look very foolish to the outside world.
The WWVF is too well known internationally as one of the defining situations, if not the defining situation, of Video Art in its broadest and developing sense – not only showing the territory, but also continuously defining it – for me to feel anything but embarrassment at extolling on its virtues and importance.
But maybe this is necessary, given the tendencies in art, like politics, to turn parochial at the drop of a hat, like getting out of the wrong side of your bed one morning and deciding not to go to work. In fact it seems like a lazy and hopeless decision.
So ,okay, here is an outside view.
Yes, of course, as a Festival, it is a platform for artists’ work, but after presenting RETREKS unSUNg CITY in 2001, I became aware of the WWVF as having a more important role – actually extremely rare, especially in often self-satisfied Western Institutions. The Festival seemed more like a part of the process of making work than simply hanging it on a wall or projecting it, then making a nice catalogue to prove it was there, fully approved and institutionalized.
For me, the success of the WWVF lay in its extraordinary sense of and sensitivity towards programming and context. Yes, there is an inventive gap to be worked, between works and the publics who see them. This is really the contemporary condition and negotiation of art. WWVF seems to know this instinctively and keeps reinventing these situations, as a vital extension of the creative processes of the works themselves. There is such a keen sense in the Festival of the different moods of art, as a matter to be made public. In 2001, I went between the complex fast/slow times of “new generation” work, like the Light Surgeons performing the hybrid of a DJ show where you could dance then watch a kind of documentary; to the transcendental, almost church-like atmosphere, of works like Fatmorgnana’s Ekkofisk; and so on and on, as if Amsterdam itself was remooding itself through the strategic placements/situations of video works. This trajectory of process was such an exhilarating antidote to the dull consumption practices implicit in most “post-modern” presentations of Contemporary art.
Lucky people of Amsterdam, I told people when I went back to Johannesburg and elsewhere, to have this continuing experiment and invention to do with art happening on their doorstep.
Sure, there is always has to be a kind of genius – to be envied??? - behind this kind of instinct for works and (urban) programming, as there has to be in the making of (good) art itself, but, like (good) art, that genius, to be successful, gets reconstituted in the work itself. In the case of WWVF this genius has displaced itself into the structure of on-going and substantial (international) expectation. I think so often in making work, since 2001, about situations in Amsterdam via WWVF, as something of a laboratory to be engaged with, thought about. It is like a living theory and one of the very few situations where, as an artist, one cannot allow oneself to think that work is finished while “presenting”. It promotes energy.
From the perspective of an artist working in the developing world, I should also add that it is one of the rare situations in the West that does not have a hint of patronage or condescension, but, then again, this is because of WWVF’s extraordinary sensitivity to and knowledge of context in contemporary art.
So what I have to say is, sorry Holland, you can’t end this Festival. Even though you fund it, or have funded it, it now belongs to the world, not only to you. It is organic and alive and we all know that you are not permitted to kill such things. It is against artistic law. Think again, please, a little more globally.
RODNEY PLACE
Warsaw and Johannesburg
This festival is unique. It's important to keep it alive!
Government should not let die a serious work like this, but finance it!
Danusa de Carvalho Castro
The decision of the Art Council of stopping subsidizing the World Wide
Video Festival is certainly a sign of short-sightedness. The WWVF is one
of the most important and oldest festivals of media art in Europe. Really
few festivals had lasted so many years! The WWVF has been carrying on a
very special research in the last ten-fifteen years, research whose original
results are essential for the sector of video art. The curators of the festival
have discovered, supported and brought to Europe for the first time many
artists from all around the world, which became famous afterwards, like
Michal Rovner, Minnette Vari and many others.
While most media art festivals are focused on technologies, software and
technical research, the WWVF is the only one focusing on the social, political
and cultural consequences of new technologies.
Stopping subsidizing the World Wide Video Festival would mean to deprive
the specialists and the public of the possibility of getting up to date
and of the 'marvelous' experience of video art.
Isabella Galli and Marina Turco
Art-U (Italian association for contemporary art)
Art-U ONLUS
Milano, Italy
The state of the arts in Holland: muddy waters and traffic of influences....
The staff of the WWVF was suddenly shaken by the decision of the arts counsel to
advice the ministry of culture to stop subsidizing this 20 years old cultural
event.
The WWVF is unquestionably an internationally prestigious and most wonderful
festival, that has been standing firm in its high quality selection of works,
all along more than two decades of existence, not only presenting a very high
amount of good works, all through the years, but also keeping an extreme
awareness of new talents, while surfing on the top of the wave in what concerns
to media art.
This, my friends, is absolutely true... but had this any real influence upon the
bizarre decision of the arts council?? Well, my friends, I'm sure you must
know, as well as I do, that quality has had nothing to do with it... absolutely
nothing... and that's why I wasn't even a bit surprised by the apparent
stupidity of the decision.
Let's talk, instead, about traffic of influences and lets ask ourselves how
is it possible that the president of the arts council is himself the director
of a media art foundation, who points out those who aren't good enough to get
support with his right hand, while he is collecting the money for his own
organization with his left hand... or, lets ask ourselves how it it possible
that another member of the so-called-arts-council is recommending the ministry
of culture to put a lot of money (and it is the money of your taxes that I am
talking about, my friends...) in a foundation with direct links to a recently
bankrupted organization where (by mere coincidence) he had been involved, in a most obvious conflict of interest... Let's ask ourselves how
are we supposed to call this complete lack of transparency. Well, if you want
to know my opinion, there's only a word for it: corruption, at it's most
pure republic-of-bananas-kind-of-style.
For Tom, Renée, Pim, Remko and for all the other WWVF staff members, with all
my love and admiration for your good work: big hug, big kiss, good luck.
Guida
Het WWVF moet blijven, want:
Is het niet het enige video & mediakunst festival wat Nederland rijk is ?
Het festival heeft toch bewezen vernieuwend te zijn en een vinger aan de pols te hebben op mediakunst gebied zowel in binnen als buitenland?
Bellissima
I really don't understand why this amazing festival isn't receiving any funding. I travel every year to Amsterdam to view it.
Maybe, just an advice, you could merge or co-operate with the Impact Video Festival.
But then again, WWV FESTIVAL, will loose its identity. But better then nothing.
Also another feed-back, I'm brainstorming, you could (there it is worldwide) cooperate with other festivals, like the Festival des Arts in Brussels and so going over the frontier.
Anyhow, WWV Festival should stay. This festival creates new barriers in the medium and is so very important for video art and other media...
Otherwise, it will be closed circuit where all the talented videoartists drop out.
Geert Wachtelaer
Videoartist, Aalst, Belgium
Dear friend,
This is a curator from China. My name is Shulin Zhao.
I can not believe this message while I look.WORLD WIDE VIDEO FESTIVAL is important too to our curator, critic, artist and young people. If it can't continue, in the whole world, whole a heavy loss of art circles. We sincerely propose: In order to join the past and present's honor, accept the hope in the future, please persevere!!!
Best wishes.
Shulin Zhao
China
As a festival director , I feel strongly concerned with what is
happening to wwvf!
I will personnally comme and attend the festival in june to express my
concern and support for this internationnaly famous and appraised
festival.
Gabriel Soucheyre
director
VIDEOFORMES 2005
XX° Manifestation Internationale d'Art Vidéo et Médias
XX° International Video and Media Art Event
Hi
I'm an italian artist, please don't stop founding to eletronic arts, these are our future !
ciao
luigi Rizzo
het zou jammer zijn als het wwvf zou verdwijnen. in het advies wordt het
accent gelegd op nieuwe technologische ontwikkelingen waardoor een
internationaal presentatie-podium voor videokunst in nederland zou
verdwijnen. video kunst alleen te reduceren tot technologische
ontwikkelingen getuigt van een zeer beperkte visie.
daarnaast is het een kapitaal vernietiging wat expertise en internationale contacten betreft.
wwvf geeft het nederlandse publiek de gelegenheid om kennis te nemen van
internationale ontwikkelingen op het gebied van videokunst.
Alite Thijsen
Amsterdam
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