Nida's been refreshed: workshop by Ernest Truely

Published on Friday, 28 March 2014 13:37

It is difficult to define the time in Nida, we can state only one thing for sure - it flows differently here. Thus we didn't really notice as a whole week passed by after a great event that took place in Nida art colony - "Nida Refresh" cross media art workshop led by Ernest Truely, an artist from U.S. who lectures at Baltic Film and Media School in Tallinn Estonia.

Participants of the workshop were  from Vilnius Academy of Arts, Estonian Academy of Arts, Tallinn University's Baltic Film and Media School and Institute of Informatics, Nida Secondary School, and including professional film makers, media artists and academics.

The workshop presentation included such keywords as simulation, simulacra, analogy, copy, original, authenticity, appropriated materials and others. It was handy to have had read "The Language of New Media" (2001) by Lev Manovich, as well as "Simulation and Simulacra" (1981) by Jean Baudrilard, "The Society of the Spectacle" (1967) by Guy Dubord, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" (1935) by Walter Benjamin, "A Cyborg Manifesto" (1991) by Donna Haraway and "Futurist Manifesto" (1909) by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. So we were preparing for a very serious trip, and it was one. 

The intensity of the course and the overall feeling of engagement of all of the participants was extreme. We're still waiting for a detailed post-project text from its facilitator, Ernest Truely, but in the meanwhile we're enjoying a few things the project participants have shared online:

- a documentary, must see, go here
- a video about the process of the project, on youtube
- a cool flash animation game for all ya gamers
- a blog revealing leaked "White Elk" project documents (supposed to be classified!)
- one more video, this time - about the general atmosphere in the Colony during the intense workshop days :)

You'll find all of the above and way more in the Facebook page of the project (https://www.facebook.com/nidarefresh).

Ernest Truely will now stay in Nida Art Colony for two upcooming months as an artist in residency for the Techno-Ecologies project and will participate in the Inter-Format symposium in May. More on "Nida Refresh" a.k.a. "White Elk" project - soon, we'll keep you updated!