Techno-fusion at Version: festival of art, noise, light, etc

By Joanna Mathers for www.thebigidea.co.nz

Sound and light explorers from around New Zealand and the globe converged in Auckland for the second annual Version Festival (December 4-9). A celebration of the creative out-workings of digital technology, the festival showcased the techno-fusion of art and noise with events taking place over a six-day period throughout the central city.

Image: Nao Tokui at Version 2004
Techno-fusion at Version: festival of art, noise, light, etc

By Joanna Mathers for www.thebigidea.co.nz

Sound and light explorers from around New Zealand and the globe converged in Auckland for the second annual Version Festival (December 4-9). A celebration of the creative out-workings of digital technology, the festival showcased the techno-fusion of art and noise with events taking place over a six-day period throughout the central city.

Image: Nao Tokui at Version 2004

Incorporating cinema, nightclub, auditorium and lounge bar, each event in the festival was themed to create a unique electronic experience. The festival provided a forum in which those working at the cutting edge of the electronic media could celebrate and share their art. Around 50 musicians, artists and other techno-literate types took part in the event, with over 1000 attending the festival.

Version part two delved deeper into the cross disciplinary possibilities offered by digital media. The opening night, Club Digital, featured audio-visual collaborations between musicians and visual artists; Sonic Cinema fused experimental cinema with sound and the closing event Light Space integrated a live video installation with music. The move away from a strictly audio based festival allowed those working in the area of electronic art the opportunity to share their work in the context of an entertainment event, and the mixture of music, art, design and technology offered festival goers a richer and more immersive experience.

"Version is developing its programme away from purely audio based works," says festival organiser Kitt McGregor. "What interests me is the multi-disciplinary crossover between electronic art and entertainment which creates spatial audience dynamics."

Another interesting feature of this year's festival was the development of specialised projects involving collaborations with larger numbers of artists. For example Ensemble Electronique featured four ensembles working together in an auditorium setting to create an electronic concert event and Seam (curated by Georgina Hart) at Light Space, saw nine artists working together to create a dynamic live installation. The Seam installation also encouraged audience participation, with members of the public being able to manipulate images through a computer terminal located on the dance floor.

Whilst much of the technology utilised for the festival was created by techies from multinational think tanks, some good old-fashioned kiwi ingenuity was also on display. Clinton Williams' collection of antiquated electronic devices turned into sound devices looked more like the back shed of an eccentric collector than a musical instrument, but his Omit performance at Ensemble Electronique was eerie and cinematic. Andrew Clifford's customised 60s typewriter worked just as well as a musical instrument as it had a word generating device.

Musically the festival was diverse and innovative - moving from primal organic noise to synthetic cliq-hop. Highlights included international visitor Nao Tokui's "electro glitch funk"; the organic experimentation of the Te Apiti Ensemble; James Duncan's melancholic synthesiser soundtracks and Radioqualia's live streaming and manipulation of the sounds of the universe.

So what can we expect from Version 2005?

"We are wanting to attract more international artists alongside locals, which we are hoping will draw more attention from the mainstream," says McGregor. "Also expect an exhibition of installation based projects, a CD, compilation and an international celebrity guest".