As the 7th edition of New Media Art festival iWeek has successfully ended, Art Research Lab (MPLab, Liepaja University) and Electronic Arts and Media Centre E-LAB thanks all the participants and guests who made it a good one and offer you a bit of photo documentation of the various creative activities that took place.

This year iWeek took a new turn, got a new friend and the festival venue was the summer residency of Totaldobže Art Centre – Customs house in Liepaja. Thanks to Kaspars Lielgalvis and Liepājas Namu apsaimniekotājs for having us in this amazing building.

We started on Monday, NOV 2nd with MPLab annual conference featuring Soil Future symposium organized by RIXC in collaboration with MPLab and “Changing Weathers”, Creative Europe funded project partners and moderated by Rasa Šmite and Andrew Gryf Paterson. The speakers included Atis Egliņš Eglītis, Albert van der Kooij, Rasa Šmite, Paula Vītola, Viktorija Siaulyte, Andrew Gryf Paterson, Kaspars Lielgalvis, Kaspars Goba, Maija Demitere, Ilva Skulte, Normunds Kozlovs. Thank you all for making an inspiring start of the week!

As every year, workshops for students as well as young and emerging artists were at the core of iWeek. This years 7 workshops were hosted by 14 artists, designers and/or lecturers from Latvia, Hungary, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Finland.

SYNCHRONIZED ASYNCHRONYS hosted by Jānis Jankevics (LV), Corne de Wolf (NL)

SOIL PRESENT(S), PAST(S), AND FUTURE(S) hosted by Andrew Gryf Paterson (SCO/FI), Maija Demitere (LV)

OPEN UP FAMOUS PAINTINGS INTO 3D! hosted by Tibor Kecskés (HU)

FORM hosted by Māra Vulfa, Mārtiņš Dāboliņš (LV)

LOOPING IWEEK DOCUMENTATION WORKSHOP hosted by Gyorgyi Retfalvi, Zoltan Gayer (HU)

HUMAN < > OBJECT hosted by Clive McCarthy, Louise Lawlor (UK)

TRUE SCIENTISTS HANGOUT: the BIG and the Beautiful (LV3401) hosted by Anna Trapenciere, Kristaps Grundšteins (LV), Adri Schokker (NL)

In addition to workshops, 2 students from Latvia – Madara Kļavinska and Linda Strauta – and 2 students from United Kingdom – Philippa Revitt, Emma Heaps – continued worked together on “Connected Neighbourhoods” pilot project that they had started in the end of October during the international week at University of Lincoln, UK.

Throughout the week we also had TALK&SHOW evenings that served as a platform for creative manifestations. On Tuesday a video and short film demonstration took place. It featured works of such graduates of New Media Art programme in Liepaja as Jānis Jankevics, Pēters Riekstiņš and Roberts Vītols. The rest of the works were a student work selection made by Santa Valivahina, Raitis Šmits and Anna Trapenciere.

TALK&SHOW evening on Wednesday was hosted by Andris Vētra and the 13th Open Idea Space. The participants included Pēteris Brīniņš, Louise Lawlor, Mikus Austers, Edgars Šmiukšis, Paula Vītola, and students from Liepaja and Lincoln presenting “Connected Neighbourhoods” pilot project.

On Thursday TALK&SHOW guest was Vincent Guimas from Ars Longa (FR). He presented a digital factory, collaborative work space, workshop, participatory kitchen, library and shop – altogether called “Les Arts Codés” that recently opened it’s doors in France.

Friday evening we opened our exhibition showing the works created during workshops. The Customs house was wide awake and from empty cold rooms some became alive, filled with creativity and art. Thanks to all workshops hosts and participants from making this happen. All photos from the opening of the exhibition available here 

The night continued with performances and small concerts by participating artists – Corne de Wolf, Dejo un Locies (Māris Dejus and Gustavs Lociks), The Power of Cleaning Supplies (Ģirts Edvarts Stepiņš), Audiovisual organism “Trihars” and DJ Pauls Kūlis.

Saturday we had an open day for families and children with workshops to introduce with media art and artistic practice. These were hosted by our guests Adri Schokker with “Nou en Herkouw” project “Mutant Me”, Vincent Guimas with “Paper Plane Crossbows”, Maija Demitere with natural paint, and Pēters Riekstiņš with board games.

It was great to have lecturers and students from our Erasmus+ partner universities – Gyorgyi Retfalvi, Zoltan Gayer and Tibor Kecskés from Budapest Metropolitan University (HU), Albert van der Kooij, Adri Schokker, Corné de Wolf, Iris van der Harst, Terence Lee Spencer Amerika, Lennart Boonstra, Jornt Weersing, Anthony David Dingemanse, Berend Versteeg, Mijke Eryng Braaksma from the Academy of Popculture (Hanze University Groningen, NL), Clive McCarthy, Louise Lawlor, Philippa Revitt, Emma M Heaps, Thomas M Love, Joseph Lewiston from the School of Film and Media (University of Lincoln, UK).

Behind the scenes Laine Neimane and Pēteris Riekstiņš did a significant pre and post production work together with Santa Valivahina, Līvija Daudze, Arturs Kalvāns. Our volunteers included Gunta Dombrovska, Pauls Kūlis, Ennija Kudrēviča, Dana Rasnača, Rasma Kroģere, Ingeborga Skroderēna, Māris Dejus, Gustavs Lociks, Marta Matuzeviča, Annija Gancone and others. Thanks for all the hard work!

See you next year at the 8th iWeek in Liepaja!