DIGITAL ART INTERNATIONAL
A
new platform dedicated to digital arts? MCD could not possibly remain
indifferent towards such an initiative! That’s why we are involved in
the Digitalarti.com project… This website, a community and
international portal is intended to promote, broadcast and give value
to the actors of this digital, protean and creative culture. A mission
that is pursued beyond the Internet, with the setting up of an
investment fund and a magazine in English, in digital or paper format
“on demand”. Interview with Malo Girod de l'Ain, from Editions M21,
co-founder of this network.
In what circumstances was Digitalarti launched?
The starting point was the publication in September 2008 of Arts
Numériques, the first reference book about the field with the editorial
contributions of lots of specialists, about a hundred artists presented
with visuals on their works, the festivals, places… From the launch of
the book we’ve wanted to open in parallel an online international
community. It took a bit longer than what we expected because the
website was launch in May 2009.
In concrete terms, how does the website work?
This website is open to the digital art community in a large sense. It
works just like a video blog platform, a social network specialized in
digital art. Everyone can participate. Today, the contributors are
journalists, artists, festival organizers, or gallery owners. The
website offers some tools and services of which basis remain the
creation of free accounts, with publication tools for texts, images,
sounds and video. Online directories with already more than 300
festivals in the world, places, and more than a hundred artists can
also be found. All this is used to create a network with friends, and
to be able to follow their publications. So lots of services, includin
a monthly newsletter. And besides those free offers, there are also
payable services (dedicated spaces creation, advertising…).
What services and/or devices will be offered in the future?
The website is still a beta version. There will be more and more
improvement in terms of ergonomics and looks, and new functionalities,
like a gallery of artworks, dedicated spaces, a festival back-office to
manage the propositions…
Outside the website, what happens with this investment funds?
In April 2009 we created – and announced in May at Elektra in Montreal
and then at the Bains Numériques at Enghien-les-Bains — the launch of
this acquisition and promotion company: Digital Art Promotion. Between
May and September 2009 we concentrated on the organization, the choice
of the selection comity and the arrival of the first private investors.
The official launch and the opening to all the investors has just
occured in October, successively in Beijing on the 11th with the DAC
(China Digital Art Association <www.dacorg.cn>) and in Paris on
the 23rd, during the FIAC, at La Cantine… The launch of the
acquisitions will take place in 2010.
On which modalities will it work?
First of all pieces of art, unlike in a gallery, will be kept and
promoted on the long term, during 5 to 8 years. Following the
suggestions of the selection comity, the company will buy digital art
pieces of art that will be presented on Digitalarti.com. We are lucky
we were joined by a group of people internationally acknowledge: Dooeun
Choi (artistic director of eh NABI art centre in Seoul in South Korea),
Kathleen Forde, curator, Time-Based Arts at EMPAC, Troy, New York
State, Alain Thibault (founder and director of Elektra in Montreal),
Philippe Franck (founder and director of Transumériques at Mons in
Belgium). In France we will have Dominique Roland (director of the arts
centre and of the Bains Numériques in Enghien-les-Bains), Jean-Luc
Soret (artistic director of La Mep and @rt-Outsiders in Paris) and
finally Nils Aziosmanoff (president of ART 3000 and of Le Cube at Issy
les Moulineaux). One other exhibition commissioner (South America) will
complete this comity between now and the end of the year.
To conclude, could you tell us a few words about this magazine project, its editorial line and its « on demand » concept?
Digitalarti Mag is a quarterly magazine in English. For the time being
the paper version can be received in the USA, in Canada and in the
United Kingdom. We use an on demand printing system that allows us to
adapt to our needs. For the rest of the world, it will be a PDF
version; free at the beginning and then payable with an access to the
archives. This magazine will be concentrated on contents published by
the community, and there will also be reportages, artists and festivals
presentations, innovations… Number zero is currently available for free
on the website Digitalarti.com. This issue includes the coverage of the
biennial in Venice, an agenda of international festivals, links…
Interview by Laurent Diouf
Website: www.digitalarti.com
version Fr 
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