Festival in Melbourne Celebrates Contemporary Video Art

The DVD store might be gasping for its last breaths and the VHS a dusty relic, but video art is still very much alive and kicking. In an everyday existence increasingly mediated by screens, some might say it’s even more apparent than ever. The genre is situated in an interesting place—on one hand artists like Jess Johnson and TV Moore are pushing the limits of technologies like VR, augmented reality and projection mapping, but then reversely there’s a nostalgia for pre-internet, lo-fi aesthetics with other artists taking a DIY approach (see also: VHS Cam and Juice VCR). Channels Video Art Festival explores the nuances of contemporary video practice by showcasing how different artists are using the medium across the world.

Opening this week, the festival takes place around Melbourne and also online. The 10-day program features over sixty artists and twenty events—exhibitions, screenings, talks, performances and workshops. It kicks off at Screen Space tomorrow night (Thursday September 17) with the opening of London-based artist Sam Smith’s new exhibition, Slow Fragmentation, plus a dozen video works selected from Australian and New Zealand artist run initiatives. Find out more info about the launch here.

Other program highlights include: Videophillia, a waking exhibition, where seven Australian videos artists show their work in Flinders Lane shopfronts; an augmented reality workshop with Kate Geck; the Video Visions screening at ACMI curated from 450 submissions; and a joint event called Two Party State hosted by Liquid Architecture and Channels Festival at Schoolhouse Studios.

Check out the festival trailer below:

Channels Video Art Festival runs from September 18-27. Check out the complete program here.

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