CURATORS & PARTNERSHIPS
creator, curator, and organizer of Manipulated Image:
Alysse Stepanian (Los Angeles)
Manipulated Image Partnerships & Invited Co-curators:
Festival Miden (Kalamata, Greece)
Malmö konsthall (Malmö, Sweden)
Fonlad Digital Art Festival (Coimbra/Portugal)
Coagula Curatorial / Mat Gleason (downtown, Los Angeles)
Museo Ex Teresa Arte Actual (Mexico City)
VideoBabel International Festival (Cusco, Peru)
700IS Reindeerland (Reykjavík, Iceland)
art:screen (Sweden)
Kika Nicolela (Sao Paulo, Brazil)
Persbook Art & Neda Darzi (Tehran, Iran)
Sazmanab: co-curated by Morehshin Allahyari (Tehran, Iran)
VIDEOARTIST.ir (Esfahan, Iran)
VideoChannel Cologne & Wilfried Agricola de Cologne (Cologne, Germany)
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alyssestepanian.com
box1035.com
https://www.facebook.com/Box1035
https://www.facebook.com/UrbanRanchProject
https://www.facebook.com/ManipulatedImage
Alysse's suggestions for transition to vegan diet: download PDF here...
Transmedia artist, curator and "animal" rights advocate Alysse Stepanian was born in Iran and currently lives in Southern California. She is the founding curator of Manipulated Image. Her creative career began as a painter and she has been making videos since 1997. Her videos, installations, webart, paintings, photographs and performances have been presented in over 45 countries, in venues such as the Contemporary Museum (Baltimore, USA), Arad Art Museum (Romania), Anthology Film Archives and Art In General (New York city), HZ Online Journal, Islip Art Museum (New York), and Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin. An interview and article about her video, What Is My Name, Sister? (2011) was published in a special issue of STIGMART10, VIDEOFOCUS 2013, exploring the fusion of videoart and experimental cinema.
Stepanian thinks that human rights issues are closely interconnected with the way we treat other animals. In Dec 2012 her review of Ron Broglio’s book, Surface Encounters: Thinking with Animals and Art, was published in the Journal for Critical Animal Studies. In March 2012 she founded URBAN RANCH PROJECT, the recipient of a 2013 Culture & Animals Foundation Multi-media Research Grant. URP is a virtual gallery on Facebook, using the power of social media to bring awareness to the interconnectedness of hierarchical prejudices, including speciesism. URP has featured work by 62 artists from 18 countries, and presentations by 5 guest curators.
Nietzsche Was A Man is a videoart exhibition that Stepanian has co-curated with Tehran-based Neda Darzi of Persbook Art. It involves work by 19-20 Iranian women and reflects upon “the prevalent dualistic patriarchal worldview that subordinates and exploits nature and the powerless, separates men from women, and humans from animals.” In July 2013 in a lecture presentation at the Museo Ex-Teresa Arte Actual in Mexico City, Stepanian discussed interconnected oppressions within the context of this exhibition. In May 2014 she presented her lecture at Malmö Konsthall in Sweden, where this exhibition traveled for two months.
Stepanian’s paintings have investigated the alienation characteristic of hyper-capitalistic societies and the psychology of patriotism. As the BOX 1035 duo she has created multimedia installations with Philip Mantione in Berlin, Beijing, and America, with social, political and psychological references. Don’t be afraid, be ready (2006, Beijing), which brought attention to the color-coded post-911 politics of fear in the US, was listed in Beijing’s City Weekend magazine as number one of the top 5 exhibits.
Above: still from video by Alysse Stepanian: "What is My Name, Sister?"
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Manipulated Image Partnerships
& Invited Co-curators:
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Sunday Night Screenings
Partnership of Manipulated Image & Coagula Curatorial:
inaugural event with video screenings, dance and drinks:
June 30th, 7:30-9:30pm
977 Chung King Road, Los Angeles CA 90012
OFFICE: (424) 2-COAGULA
In 2012, Art Critic and Curator Mat Gleason marked the 20th anniversary of Coagula Art Journal with the launch of Coagula Curatorial Gallery. Located in historic Chinatown, the gallery has already been in three national art fairs: ARTMRKT San Francisco, Miami Project and Pulse-New York and is a leading exhibition space for Los Angeles art.
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Coming up, collaboration with VideoBabel International Festival
Video Art + Experimental Audiovisual Creation...
see here, date to be announced...
The VideoBabel Festival is a project with an international reach, founded in 2009 by Jorge Mora Fernández (Spain), and based in the city of Cusco, Peru. It is a project focused upon the democratization, dissemination and promotion of audiovisual and digital culture in Peru and other regions of the world. More than 500 audiovisual works from different countries have participated in the three annual events held since 2010. In 2012 the festival attracted the participation of 252 videos. A total of 9 cash prizes were awarded by an international jury to Peruvian and foreign film makers in different categories.
Since 2011 the organization and coordination of the festival has been entrusted to the non-profit “Charlie Quispe & Co” Cultural Association, based in Cusco. The presentations, talks and workshops are held in the facilities of the Saint Dominic Priory – Qorikancha, which is currently the leading and most active cultural center in the city of Cusco, and which has provided its unconditional support for the festival since its inception.
Beginning with the 2013 event, the festival will be focused upon innovative expressive languages and include video art and experimental audiovisual production. While the competition is open to all those who wish to take part and is oriented towards artists in Peru and Latin America, a collaboration and exchange program is being developed with events and organizations that share our objectives in different regions around the world. The main goal of this program is, on the one hand, to provide a broader international platform for the diffusion of Peruvian and Latin American audiovisual production, and, on the other hand, to showcase in Peru the latest achievements and experiments to emerge from other parts of the world.
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THE SCREENING VENUE:
Peruvian - North American Cultural Institute of Cusco is a bi-national educational and cultural center located in the historical part of the city. It houses and sponsors art exhibitions, concerts, book presentations, film and video screenings, among other cultural events. Apart from a library and an exhibition hall, it has a modern auditorium with 270 seats, sound and multimedia equipment.
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Vera Tyuleneva (Born in Russia, lives in Peru) Museum and contemporary art curator, lives and works in the town of Cusco, Peru. BA in art history, MA in anthropology, PhD in history. Since 2003 president of the "Charlie Quispe & Co" Cultural Assocition. Since 2004 curator of the Saint Dominic Priory - Qorikancha Museum. Since 2008 museum curator of the Saint Catherine Monastery of Cusco. Since 2010 museum curator of the Saint Dominic Convent of Lima. Since 2010 general coordinator of the VideoBabel Festival. Image: Vera with Señorita |
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For October of 2012, Alysse Stepanian of Manipulated Image was invited by art:screen to curate one half hour program for art:screen fest 2012 (see also art:screen (Sweden).
This compilation entitled Don't Eat the Yellow Snow, along with Stepanian's video, Roghieh is also being screened in iceland:
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow
goes to the...
700IS Reindeerland event
at the Nordic House (Feb 7-10, 2013)
Manipulated Image screenings:
Friday, Feb 8, 22:30 and Saturday, Feb 9, 18:30
700IS Reindeerland is based in Reykjavík and
was founded and is curated by artist and curator, Kristín Scheving
700IS Reindeerland International experimental film and video festival 700IS Reindeerland is an international experimental visual art festival with video art as the main focus point. It was founded by artist, curator Kristín Scheving who is now based in Reykjavík. The festival itself takes place in many different places but the main event has been based in a very remote area of East Iceland where there are only 12000 inhabitants. The festival started 8 years ago and has from one year to the next grown and has now got a very strong network - both in Iceland and also beyond. The festival travels every year to different parts of the world.
The festival is also quite different in having the submission process very artist friendly and this year all the selection process happened via the internet. No snail-mail was included until the artist had been selected and then they were asked to send a good quality copy of the film via snail-mail, but it was also through the internet and the plan is to have it only via the internet in the future. Minimum cost for artists involved and easier for the organizers to handle all the in-send information.
The organizers of 700IS are artists themselves and from the beginning it was very important to have minimum rules. The founder and director of 700IS Kristín Scheving lived in the UK for many years and found the artist environment quite difficult at times - as she didn´t feel as she fitted into all the boxes that had been made for artists.. but not by artists? i.e. ´age restriction, postcode restriction as in an interesting opportunity was only for artists from ´x´ area!, etc.
For 700IS the artists can submit as many films as they like, with no restriction on when the film was made, how long - and the only thing the organizers asked for was that the film / video had not been shown in East Iceland before. The films are looked at first then personal details and artists statements. No CVs involved - no age restriction, education required and so on so that way we get a very mixed group of creative people sending in films.
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| By invitation, MI's Alysse Stepanian served as a juror for the following festival: VIDEOARTIST.ir 1st FESTIVAL VIDEOARTIST Nov 8 - 12, 2012 opened Nov 8th, 4PM @ Osan in Esfahan, Iran See list of jurors here... See announced winners here... See festival venue here... Main Director and Founder of the festival: Fereshteh Alamshah International Liaison, Organizer and Member of the Advisory Committee: Samira Hashemi |
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Persbook Art (Tehran, Iran)
Nietzsche Was A Man
Neda Darzi of Persbook Art (Tehran, Iran) and Alysse Stepanian of Manipulated Image (Los Angeles) have co-curated an exhibition of video art by 22 Iranian women. The show is titled "Nietzsche Was A Man". Six of the artists were chosen from Persbook Art's past competitions. See details here...Persbook Art was founded by Neda Darzi, an accomplished artist, in 2010. “My goal is to reflect the love that is in everyone’s essence: it is within our reach.” Says Neda. “I strive mightily to communicate the same concept in my own artworks and to indicate the contradiction between my inner world and the restraint of the outer world. Using art as our common ground, I wish for human beings to live in a loving and more peaceful world. Everyone around the globe, regardless of race, religion, color and gender is welcome to join Persbook Art and participate in our annual contest. Persbook Art is created for all artists, giving them the chance to express themselves.” Read more...
about the co-curator:
Neda Darzi (Tehran, Iran)
Ms. Darzi is a multimedia artist and the Founder of Persbook Art. She currently lives and works in Iran. By combining some of her original Tapestry, ceramics, and photographs, she has created conceptual video installations, which reflect Iranian culture as well as her own identity. Darzi states, “My interest in video installation is the creation of a simulated experience. The archiving of information and imagery is much like memories I have collected from my past and childhood. Despite the tactility of my tapestry sculptures, the projected moving image requires only the act of watching from the viewer. Unlike sculptures that are within the physical space of the viewer, directly interacting with them, video installations are imitations of reality. I am interested in combining these two media, in order to engage the viewer both physically and virtually.” Darzi has held 8 solo exhibitions and taken part in more than 47 group shows in Iran, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Romania, Finland and Greece. Most recent screenings of Darzi ’s videos include: CologneOFF 2011: (Video Art in Global Context Nomadic Festival Project) at Arad Art Museum in Romania, and Athens video art festival.
above left: video still from "The sky border is my homeland" by Neda Darzi
above right: Neda Darzi (Tehran/Iran)
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art:screen (Sweden)
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow
In October of 2012, Alysse Stepanian of Manipulated Image presented one half hour curated videoart program at art:screen fest 2012 in Sweden, titled "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow." This compilation subsequently went on tour in 2013.
art:screen Fest 2012
October 5 - 7, 2012
opens October 5, 12 AM @
Bio Roxy
Örebro, Sweden
art:screen Fest goes on tour....
presenting Don't Eat the Yellow Snow on
March 9 - April 21, 2013
Vetlanda Museum, Sweden
details here...
art:screen is an artist-run, non-profit initiative organised by Jonas Nilsson and Eva Olsson who are both practising professional artists with an extensive experience of curating screening programmes. Read more...
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Sazmanab (Tehran, Iran)
Private Negations
For July 11, 2012, Morehshin Allahyari (Dallas & Denver, USA) and Alysse Stepanian of Manipulated Image (Los Angeles) have co-curated "Private Negations", experimental short video animations by 14 artists, for a screening at Sazmanab in Tehran, Iran. The screening will be followed by Q&A with the curators via the internet.
Details here...
Sazmanab
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Screening: 7PM – 8PM Tehran’s time
Q&A with the curators via the internet: 8PM – 8:30PM
Sazmanab is an independent non-profit art space in Iran established in 2009. Sazmanab supports artistic work in a wide range of media through exhibitions and events, residencies for artists and curators, educational initiatives, talks and publications. By establishing local and international relationships, as well as diversifying both the practitioners and audiences of contemporary art, Sazmanab aims to support and expand the knowledge, appreciation and practice of contemporary arts in Iran and to promote Iranian arts and artists locally and internationally through its programming and outreach activities.
about the co-curator:
Morehshin Allahyari (Dallas & Denver, USA)
Allahyari is a new media artist and an art activist. She was born and raised in Iran and moved to the United States in 2007. Her creative and research interest encompasses 3D animation, digital filmmaking, web-art / design, performance and extensive activity as a curator and producer. The topics of her practice include the social, political and cultural issues of Iran, creative writing, art activism, media art, and collaborative art. Morehshin’s animated films and curatorial projects have received worldwide acclaim. She has been part of exhibitions, festivals, and conferences in Tehran, Denver, Dallas (Dallas Biennale + oliver Francis Gallery), Chicago, New York, Germany (The 7th Berlin International Directors Lounge (Berlin) + 25th European Media Art Festival (Osnabrück), Virginia (The Taubman Museum of Art), San Francisco, Denton (University of North Texas), Portland, Ohio, Brazil, Sweden, Romania (Arad art Museum), Netherlands, and Canada.
above left: video still from "The Romantic Self-Exiles" by Morehshin Allahyari
above right: Morehshin Allahyarii (Dallas & Denver, USA)
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Absence||Presence""Ausência || Presença
invited co-curator:
Kika Nicolela (Brazil)
http://www.dilemastudio.comFor May 2010, Stepanian invited Kika Nicolela to co-curate a compilation of videos by Braziian artists, under the title "Absence||Presence""Ausência || Presença". The screening took place @ the Center For Contemporary Arts, Cinematheque in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
Kika Nicolela is a Brazilian artist and experimental filmmaker. Her works include single-channel videos, installations, performances, experimental documentaries and photography. Graduated in Film and Video from the University of Sao Paulo, Kika Nicolela also completed film courses at UCLA. Her works have been screened and awarded in festivals of more than 30 countries, such as: Kunst Film Biennale, ACA Media Arts Festival, Videoformes New Media & Video Art Festival, International Electronic Art Festival Videobrasil and Exis Experimental Film & Video Festival. She was the recipient of several grants and has participated in about 60 solo and collective exhibitions in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, UK and the US. Since 2008 Kika Nicolela has been curating and coordinating the Exquisite Corpse Video Project, a collaborative series of videos that involves more than 60 artists from 25 countries. In 2010, she was selected to the artist-in-residence programs in Rondo Studio (Austria), Künstlerdorf Schöppingen Foundation (Germany), and Gyeonggi Creation Center (South Korea). Kika Nicolela is represented by Vtape, a video art distribution company based in Toronto, and Dconcept, an art gallery based in São Paulo.
Above: still from video by Kika Nicolela
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VideoChannel – video project environments
Manipulated Image celebrated its first year anniversary on March 12, 2010 with a show titled "For Action's Sake" co-curated by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne, Director and Chief Curator of VideoChannel, and Alysse Stepanian, Program Director and Curator of Manipulated Image.
See details here...
And here...
For April 2010, MI's Stepanian was invited to curate a video show of US artists titled “memory” and “identity” for VideoChannel.
See details here...
For CologneOFF V, Stepanian was invited to curate one minute videos from VideoChannel's online collection.
See details here...
For CologneOFF 2011 Stepanian was invited to curate videos by Iranian artists titled "Close to My Heart". This show has traveled to several countries and has been featured online, on VideoChannel Cologne's site.
See details here...
VideoChannel Cologne
in the framework of NewMediaFest'2010
and as the feature of the Month of April 2010
See here...
Selections by MI's Alysse Stepanian for international screenings @ the Global Art & Moving Images Awards directed by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne of CologneOFF 2013.
See details here...
VideoChannel is the platform in the context of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne which is acting online and in physical space focused on artforms of film & video in a global context and the aspects of “memory” and “identity”.
Founded in 2004, VideoChannel invites curators from all over the world to contribute video art from their home countries and realizes numerous thematic features during a year. In this way, VideoChannel is hosting meanwhile a most comprehensive collection of video art from all continents dealing with essential questions of human existence and art. In 2005, VideoChannel started to present its collections worldwide in the framework of festivals, biennales and media art exhibitions, and extended its activities in 2006, when CologneOFF – Cologne Online Film Festival (renamed in 2010 to Cologne International Videoart Festival) was founded, when VIP – VideoChannel Interview Project was founded in 2007 and VAD – Video Art Database was established in 2008. Together with the latest initiative "artvideoKOELN", these four instances form the Video Art Consortium (VAC) in the framework of the global network and complement each other concerning their aims and activities. VideoChannel is directed and chief curated by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne.
[NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne
VideoChannel – video project environments
CologneOFF – Cologne International Videoart Festival
VIP – VideoChannel Interview Project
VAD – Video Art Database
Above: still from video by Wilfried Agricola de Cologne
About Wilfried Agricola de Cologne
http://www.agricola-de-cologne.de
Wilfried Agricola de Cologne is a multi-disciplinary media artist, director of experimental shortfilms/videos and founder and director of [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne – the experimental platform for art and new media from Cologne/Germany. Since 2000, he has been collaborating worldwide with more than 500 media art related festivals, institutions and organizations as an artist, curator and festival director. He is the director and curator of JavaMuseum – Forum for Internet Technology in Contemporary Art, chief curator for VideoChannel, as well as founder and director of CologneOFF– Cologne International Videoart Festival – a mobile film festival online and offline simultaneously, and co-organiser and curator of several media festivals and exhibitions.
Agricola de Cologne’s work has appeared in more than 100 solo exhibitions in cooperation with more than 70 museums throughout Europe, and since 2000 he has participated in more than 250 media exhibitions and festivals around the globe. His media art works have received numerous prizes and awards.
Agricola de Cologne’s past exhibitions include: ISEA2008 Singapore, 52th Venice Biennale 2007, Documenta 12 Kassel/Germany 2007, Budapest International Shortfilm Festival 2007, Museum of 21th Century Art Rome/Italy 2006/2007, Moscow International Film Festival 2006, Canariasmediafest 2006 & 2002, Athens Videoart festival 2006 & 2007, Japan Media Art Festival 2006 & 2002, ZKM Karlsruhe/G 2005, Biennale of Video & New Media Santiago/Chile 2005, Biennale de Montreal 2004, Biennale of Electronic Art Perth/Australia 2004 , Biennale of New Media Art Merida /Mexico 2003, Venice Biennale 2003, FILE Sao Paulo 2001-2007, FILE Rio 2006- 2007-2008, Ars Electronica 2001-2006, Videoformes 2001-2008, Art on the Net 2001, 2002, Mediaterra Athens 2002, ISEA 2002 Nagoya/Japan, SENEF Seoul 2004, 2005, 2007.
Above: still from video by Agricola de Cologn
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