8th Mózg Festival is a result of many years of in-depth exploration in the field of contemporary art. It aims at promoting new culture and art through international contemporary music and visual arts. It will be taking place 15-17 November 2012 in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
After four editions of 'Muzyka z Mózgu' festival it has been decided to change the name of the event to 'Mózg Festival' in order to emphasize the openness towards visual forms of modern art. The range of interest includes all genres of contemporary music, visual and performance art.
What is intended, while talking about contemporary music in the context of 8th Mózg Festival, are music forms derived from classical sources, as well as these related to jazz, ethno or rock music. The Artistic Director is interested in open music forms, merging elements of experimentation, improvisation (as the highest form of composition), as well as forms collaborating with visual disciplines of art.
This year's edition of the festival is closely related to the activity of John Cage (as a celebration of his 100th birthday anniversary). In reference to this event Stowarzyszenie Artystyczne Mózg (Mózg Artistic Association) is organising the 'John Cage Year 2012' project. The first day of the festival is entirely devoted to this composer and in this day we will be able to see performances of such artists as Krzysztof Knittel and Iwona Mironiuk, as well as of one of the greatest interpreters of John Cage's music – Szablocs Esztenyi from Hungary.
The following days of the festival are filled with performances of great artists. The audience will have the opportunity to admire Risa Takita - a Japanese butoh dancer, Nick Didkovsky – an American guitarist and a member of the legendary Fred Frith Guitar Quartet, Subtle Lip Can - a Canadian contemporary music trio. On the third and last day of the festival the guests can expect two performances from Marc Ribot, known for his cooperation with Tom Waits and the album 'Los Cubanos Postizos'. The first one will be a solo concert given by the legendary guitarist, the second one is a concert of his group Ceramic Dog.
Visual arts include performance art as well as video art, visual and audiovisual installations, painting, photography and film. It is more difficult to describe the way visual artists are chosen for the festival. What is presented at the festival has to be outstanding, personal and original. In that case the term 'contemporary visual art' can also be used, to define art which remains close to the tradition but is created now and with reference to the reality of the world of art (modern techniques or means of expression) as well as contemporary social issues.
The 8th Mózg Festival starts with the opening of a group exhibition of artists from Łódź, Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz and Berlin and the art works presented remain in close relation to John Cage's idea. Apart from the above, every day after the concerts the festival moves to Mózg club. This will be the place for the activity of electronic music producers. We will be hosting Sub Spa, Kateryna Zavoloka from Ukraine and Laetita Morais from Portugal.
In the process of creating each edition of the festival, a lot of focus is put on blurring the unnecessarily marked out borders between music and visual arts. All disciplines of art have been converging and merging for years, it is a natural process worth supporting.
Professor Bogusław Schaeffer, one of the greatest contemporary Polish composers once said: 'tradition has to be respected but we have to remember that we create tradition here and now'. With his words in mind our aim is to choose artists in a way that presents the author's original and innovative art, with respect to tradition, or rather, in respect of the most important achievements of the time that has passed.
The festival is not only a presentation of the works of artists, its programme also includes workshops, meetings and evenings of improvised music.
8th Mózg Festival is a feast, it's the essence of what the group of people has been doing for nearly 18 years while creating 'Mozg', the place that was brought to life by and for the people involved and interested in independent art, the art treated as an instrument of perception.
After four editions of 'Muzyka z Mózgu' festival it has been decided to change the name of the event to 'Mózg Festival' in order to emphasize the openness towards visual forms of modern art. The range of interest includes all genres of contemporary music, visual and performance art.
What is intended, while talking about contemporary music in the context of 8th Mózg Festival, are music forms derived from classical sources, as well as these related to jazz, ethno or rock music. The Artistic Director is interested in open music forms, merging elements of experimentation, improvisation (as the highest form of composition), as well as forms collaborating with visual disciplines of art.
This year's edition of the festival is closely related to the activity of John Cage (as a celebration of his 100th birthday anniversary). In reference to this event Stowarzyszenie Artystyczne Mózg (Mózg Artistic Association) is organising the 'John Cage Year 2012' project. The first day of the festival is entirely devoted to this composer and in this day we will be able to see performances of such artists as Krzysztof Knittel and Iwona Mironiuk, as well as of one of the greatest interpreters of John Cage's music – Szablocs Esztenyi from Hungary.
The following days of the festival are filled with performances of great artists. The audience will have the opportunity to admire Risa Takita - a Japanese butoh dancer, Nick Didkovsky – an American guitarist and a member of the legendary Fred Frith Guitar Quartet, Subtle Lip Can - a Canadian contemporary music trio. On the third and last day of the festival the guests can expect two performances from Marc Ribot, known for his cooperation with Tom Waits and the album 'Los Cubanos Postizos'. The first one will be a solo concert given by the legendary guitarist, the second one is a concert of his group Ceramic Dog.
Visual arts include performance art as well as video art, visual and audiovisual installations, painting, photography and film. It is more difficult to describe the way visual artists are chosen for the festival. What is presented at the festival has to be outstanding, personal and original. In that case the term 'contemporary visual art' can also be used, to define art which remains close to the tradition but is created now and with reference to the reality of the world of art (modern techniques or means of expression) as well as contemporary social issues.
The 8th Mózg Festival starts with the opening of a group exhibition of artists from Łódź, Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz and Berlin and the art works presented remain in close relation to John Cage's idea. Apart from the above, every day after the concerts the festival moves to Mózg club. This will be the place for the activity of electronic music producers. We will be hosting Sub Spa, Kateryna Zavoloka from Ukraine and Laetita Morais from Portugal.
In the process of creating each edition of the festival, a lot of focus is put on blurring the unnecessarily marked out borders between music and visual arts. All disciplines of art have been converging and merging for years, it is a natural process worth supporting.
Professor Bogusław Schaeffer, one of the greatest contemporary Polish composers once said: 'tradition has to be respected but we have to remember that we create tradition here and now'. With his words in mind our aim is to choose artists in a way that presents the author's original and innovative art, with respect to tradition, or rather, in respect of the most important achievements of the time that has passed.
The festival is not only a presentation of the works of artists, its programme also includes workshops, meetings and evenings of improvised music.
8th Mózg Festival is a feast, it's the essence of what the group of people has been doing for nearly 18 years while creating 'Mozg', the place that was brought to life by and for the people involved and interested in independent art, the art treated as an instrument of perception.
