MIXER: EXPO

Eyebeam MIXER | EXPO

Call for Participation:

MIXER, Eyebeam’s event series dedicated to showcasing leading artists in the fields of live video and audio performance, interactivity and participatory practice, will have its fifth iteration on Friday, March 6 – Saturday, March 7, 2009 when Eyebeam will play host to an exposition of party pavilions. A cluster of autonomous structures, each built according to their own unified concept or theme, will take over our rough-and-ready warehouse space for a two-night extravaganza.

MIXER: EXPO is a temporary village, a taxonomic display of speculative technologies and revisionist ideologies, and a utopian vision that in turn critiques utopian visions that are too often concocted in an exclusionary cultural vacuum. Each pod-like pavilion functions as its own intimate node as well as part of the larger network of social environments sited throughout Eyebeam’s public spaces. MIXER: EXPO encourages artists, musicians, designers, architects, engineers, hackers, and cultural anthropologists to team up and create their own pavilions, performances, and participatory projects to become part of our alternative “World’s Fair”.

Opportunities:

Eyebeam is seeking proposals for 6-8 pavilions and 4 performances or participatory projects. Proposals must convey a clear concept or theme related to notions of utopia. Our playlist includes Buckminster Fuller, Afrika Bambaataa, Derrick May, Jane Jacobs, Le Corbusier, Sun Ra, Hans Haacke, and M.I.A. What about yours?

Proposals must include the following:

1. A brief description of the theme or concept behind the project.
Be clear about how your idea relates to the overall theme of the event. Please see the online application for word count requirements (URL is listed below).

2. Project documentation
This can include sketches, images, mockups, elevations, and/or video/audio clips of the proposed work (the more specific, the better). Please see the online application for more information on file format and size.

3. Contact information for project leader and collaborators, including the roles each will play
Applicants making proposals for a pavilion are required to assemble a team of skilled collaborators that will be responsible for the following: purchasing, building, and installing all structural or architectural elements; purchasing, building, and installing all technical elements that Eyebeam is unable to provide; maintain and manage the pavilion throughout the duration of the event with some support from the Eyebeam staff. (Please see more information regarding technical support below).

4. Requested dimensions
Proposals must include information about the amount of space requested. The maximum size is 400 square feet, but the size must to be flexible/shrinkable to accommodate the needs of the overall event installation.

5. A description of audience engagement
How will an audience engage with your project – is it interactive, passive, responsive, kinetic, participatory, etc? Will guests move around the space, sit, lounge, or dance? Please note: pavilions can also have (and are in fact encouraged to have) a performance and/or participatory component as part of it.

6. A description of materials and technologies that will be used to construct your project.
Special consideration will be given to proposals that use open source tools/software; use recycled, repurposed, salvaged materials; are self-powered or use alternative energy sources to power aspects of the work; and include a plan for the materials’ post-event (re)use that doesn’t consist primarily of throwing it in the trash!

7. A production schedule and itemized budget.
Eyebeam is able to provide a $150-$1,000 stipend per project depending on needs to cover artist/designer fees and materials costs.

Technical Support:

Eyebeam will be able to provide some technical support and possibly some equipment depending on the needs of the overall event installation. This includes theatrical lighting, LCD projectors, DVD players, USB media players, small powered audio speakers or sound system, some computers, Ethernet cable, etc. Please be incredibly specific regarding your technical requirements so that we can try to accommodate as much as possible. But be prepared to provide and install all necessary technical equipment.

Production Timeline:

Monday, January 26, 11:59pm: Deadline for Proposals

Monday, February 2: Announcement of Accepted Proposals

Saturday, February 28 – Thursday, March 5 (10a – 6p): Installation

TBD: Deinstallation date & time

How to Submit a Proposal:

Proposals will only be accepted online. To create and submit an application, please visit the website:
http://eyebeam.org/production/onlineapp/

You will be able to edit the application up until the deadline (Monday, January 26, 11:59pm), so you are encouraged to start an application right away!

Any questions can be directed to Paul Amitai, Program and Events Coordinator.
EMAIL: paul AT eyebeam DOT org
PHONE: 212-937-6580 x234