CT PARK, APK - TORUN & BYDGOSZCZ

19 - 22 NOVEMBER 2009

In the era of Internet and new media the combination of sound and picture has reached a whole new dimension. It is not the first time when reality has questioned our beliefs. As it turned out, the eye and the ear are something more than one of the configurations of the senses. In fact, it is monolithic; a separate form arisen from synthesis.

The eye and the ear constitute a new 21st Century sense. Intensive work, enthusiasm and fun to play with the new invention - this is how it all began. Nevertheless, the golden days of video clips are long gone now, the music channels have changed their format and record companies have cut their promotional budgets.

The need to call for a better quality art, audiovisual culture, promotion of the avant-garde and not the imitators, has grown. Our aim is simple – picture that overwhelms, sound that can be felt on your skin. The combination of these two is the essence of fulfillment. Red-hot wires make the music waft in the air; the sound pierces the nostrils and the palate. We are aiming at good taste, the merging of the senses and a unique sensation. Plateaux Festival is a unique event on a worldwide scale and can be compared with such undertakings as German Transmediale or Austrian Ars Electronica.

The festival has a clear cut mission statement: “the picture wrapped in harmony and the sound intensified by the graphic depiction”. The experimental film forms accompany the progressive sound, and their interaction and mutual effect constitute the essence of the initiative. Plateaux Festival 2008, which took place in November 7th - 9th in Torun and Bydgoszcz, was the first event of its kind in Poland so strongly focused on all forms of audiovisual. The Polish cultural environment was lacking a platform where the newest and most influencing forms of such art could be presented, despite a strong scene of creation and appreciation. Plateaux Festival became that platform, showcasing highly acclaimed artists from all over the world, and establishing a trong cross-Atlantic connection to stage performances very rarely hosted not only in Poland, but also in Europe.

This year's festival is an event of a scale, intent and support comparable to such established projects as Transmediale or Ars Electronica. Its clearly outlined aim is in sound enhanced graphical presentation; experimental film accompanied by progressive forms of sound, their interaction and mutual influence the essence of our initiative. 2009's carefully developed program will please even the most demanding of audiences, creating an unforgettable experience for all. Each section of the festival will have a different nature, our diverse selection of artists each bringing a different personality, different style and different form of expression. Plateaux aims to become a leading proponent and reference for developments in the technology, performance and aesthetics of electronic audiovisual multimedia. With continued coverage and recognition or their achievements and passion, this will not be a difficult task to achieve.

PROGRAM

A 4-day festival presenting the world's leading groundbreaking multimedia artists, praised and prize-winning audiovisual and VJ art, experimental films, and live electronic and electroacoustic music. A fully interactive event, Plateaux will be spread across Poland's two adjacent and culturally rich cities of Torun and Bydgoszcz, combining a number of different venues to create the widest possible range of multimedia and audiovisual performances.

Line Up

Plateaux prides itself on its ability to draw the world's greatest audiovisual talent together. We are proud to announce that 2009 will see the following artists visiting Poland for the first time in their careers: Christopher Willits [US] Deaf Center [NO] + Claudio Sinatti [IT] Ezekiel Honig [US] Gabriel Coutu Dumont [CA] Glitterbug [IL] + Ronni Shendar [IL] James T. Cotton [US] Joshue Ott [US] Lusine [US] Morgan Packard [US] Nosaj Thing [US] Pillowdiver [DE] Richard Devine [US] Skoltz Kolgen [CA] Svarte Geiner [NO] snd [UK] Tilman Erhorn [DE] Twine [US]

Included in the programme are projects and installations prepared specially for the event or showing uniquely by: Akufen [CA] Atom [DE] Bodycode [US] Fennesz [AT] + Lillevan [DE] Italtek [BE] Kirk [PL] + Jeffers Egan [US] Lawrence English [AU] + Makino Takashi [JP] The Sight Below [US] 5mm (M. Lecair + G.C.Dumont) [CA]

Plus experimental cinema screenings by: RUETS [BE] UTP [US] Silent Room [CA] White Label [US] Digicult [IT] and more.

Workshops, lectures, discussions: Plateaux is committed to providing an extra depth of experience beyond simple spectatorship. For this reason, artists performing during the festival will also act as guide and teachers in workshops, lectures and discussions, addressing the theoretical, practical and technical aspects of audiovisual domain. A festival with a conference initiative, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from the best in dedicated tutorials, conducted with the most advanced professional equipment for creating and performing audiovisual arts.

http://www.plateauxfestival.pl/en_news