Microwave International New Media Arts Festival
Encyclopedia
Microwave International New Media Arts Festival (微波國際新媒體藝術節）is a new media
art festival based in Hong Kong
. It began in 1996 as the annual video art
festival for local video art collective Videotage.
In 2006, it became independent from Videotage and in 2007 it officially became fully independent as the government's previous "presenter" role was handed over to Microwave. The government remains the main sponsor of the Festival, although many more sponsors are sought for each year's Festival.
The annual festival generally includes a main exhibition at the Hong Kong City Hall, a smaller scale and usually more alternative exhibition in a separate venue, a keynote conference, performances, screening programmes and other special events organised each year.
In 2007, the performance by US art collective Graffiti Research Lab
that "hacked the city" with their L.A.S.E.R.T.A.G along with the participation of local graffiti artist MC Yan, they achieved a record-breaking tag 1,200 metres across Victoria Harbour
(James Powderly
and MC Yan tagging from Central ferry, with Evan Roth
and the local crew controlling the set up in front of the Cultural Centre
in Tsim Sha Tsui).
In its first extended event outside of the annual November Festival, Microwave also held the "A-Glow-Glow" Macro Interactive Media Art Exhibition in April 2008, which was funded by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and aimed for more mass appeal. Two large-scale interactive LED
artworks were placed by the Tsim Sha Tsui
waterfront, right across the harbour from the Hong Kong City Hall, where the annual festival main exhibition is held.
Microwave's festival design, by local design partner Milkxhake, also consistently wins design awards almost every year since their partnership commenced.
"A-Glow-Glow" was held by the waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui
(Kowloon Peninsula
), with two interactive LED installations by two artist groups:
New media
New media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
art festival based in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It began in 1996 as the annual video art
Video art
Video art is a type of art which relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data. . Video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s, is still widely practiced and has given rise to the widespread use of video installations...
festival for local video art collective Videotage.
In 2006, it became independent from Videotage and in 2007 it officially became fully independent as the government's previous "presenter" role was handed over to Microwave. The government remains the main sponsor of the Festival, although many more sponsors are sought for each year's Festival.
The annual festival generally includes a main exhibition at the Hong Kong City Hall, a smaller scale and usually more alternative exhibition in a separate venue, a keynote conference, performances, screening programmes and other special events organised each year.
In 2007, the performance by US art collective Graffiti Research Lab
Graffiti Research Lab
Graffiti Research Lab, founded by Evan Roth and James Powderly during their fellowships at the Eyebeam OpenLab, is an art group dedicated to outfitting graffiti writers, artists and protesters with open source technologies for urban communication. The members of the group experiment in a lab and in...
that "hacked the city" with their L.A.S.E.R.T.A.G along with the participation of local graffiti artist MC Yan, they achieved a record-breaking tag 1,200 metres across Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
(James Powderly
James Powderly
James Powderly is an artist and engineer whose work has focused on creating tools for graffiti artists and political activists, designing robots and promoting open source culture.- Biography :...
and MC Yan tagging from Central ferry, with Evan Roth
Evan Roth
Evan Roth is an artist whose work focuses on tools of empowerment, open source and popular culture. He has previously released work under the name "fi5e".-Biography:...
and the local crew controlling the set up in front of the Cultural Centre
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is a multipurpose performance facility in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong. Located at Salisbury Road, it was founded by the former Urban Council and, after 2000, is administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong Government...
in Tsim Sha Tsui).
In its first extended event outside of the annual November Festival, Microwave also held the "A-Glow-Glow" Macro Interactive Media Art Exhibition in April 2008, which was funded by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council and aimed for more mass appeal. Two large-scale interactive LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
artworks were placed by the Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
waterfront, right across the harbour from the Hong Kong City Hall, where the annual festival main exhibition is held.
Microwave's festival design, by local design partner Milkxhake, also consistently wins design awards almost every year since their partnership commenced.
Extended exhibition - April 2008
"A-Glow-Glow" Macro Interactive Media Art Exhibition"A-Glow-Glow" was held by the waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
(Kowloon Peninsula
Kowloon Peninsula
The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon....
), with two interactive LED installations by two artist groups:
- Teddy Lo (Hong Kong) — Phaeodaria (placed by the Museum of ArtHong Kong Museum of ArtThe Hong Kong Museum of Art is the main art museum of Hong Kong. The museum was established as the City Hall Museum and Art Gallery in the City Hall in Central by the Urban Council in 1962. In 1991, it was moved to the present premises at 10 Salisbury Road, near the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and...
) - United Visual Artists (United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
) — Volume (placed on Avenue of StarsAvenue of Stars, Hong KongThe Avenue of Stars , modelled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is located along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It honours celebrities of the Hong Kong film industry.-History:...
)