Cleotronica: a media festival set in Egypt’s second largest city

CLEOTRONICA 08
Festival for Media, Art, and Socio-Culture
Dates: January-May 2008 (program announced monthly)
Locations: Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF), 10 Hussein Hassab Street, Azarita, Alexandria & the Goethe Institute, 10 El-Batalsa Street, Azarita, Alexandria.

Cleotronica 08 is a context responsive festival for media, art, and socio-culture organized by Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF). Cleotronica runs from January-May 2008 and features a consecutive series of public art projects, workshops, lectures, performances, exhibitions and an international seminar in May. January saw the launching of Philadelphia based artist Jeremy Beaudry’s project and related workshop Place in Place of: Alexandria www.alexandria.placeinplaceof.net February’s program will include projects by Olia Lialina (RU), Dragan Espenschied (DE), and Jonathan Puckey (NL/UK).

CLEOTRONICA 08 FEBRUARY PROGRAM
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RICH USER EXPERIENCE: an Exhibition of Projects by Olia Lialina + Dragan Espenschied
Dates: 14-28 February 2008, Opening 14 February, 7 pm
Location: the Goethe Institute, 10 El-Batalsa Street, Azarita, Alexandria.
Lecture by Olia Lialina: 13 Fenbruary, 7 pm at Alexandria Contemporary Arts Form (ACAF)
Lecture by Dragan Espenschied: 15 Fenbruary, 7 pm at Alexandria Contemporary Arts Form (ACAF)

In their first exhibition in the Middle-East, Stuttgart based pioneer net artist Olia Lialina (RU) and artist/musician/programmer Dragan Espenschied (DE) present an exhibition of 6 net-based projects that reflect their research on a wide array of net culture related issues from ‘interactivity’ to ‘digital folklore’, and from the ‘vernacular web’ to ‘web 2.0′. The project will also feature two lectures/artist talks which will take place at Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF) on 13 February for Olia Lialina and 15 February for Dragan Espenschied, both start at 7 pm. The project comes as part of the Cleotronica festival organized by ACAF.

WE ARE THE POSTER MACHINE: A Workshop Project with Jonathan Puckey
Dates: Workshop: 24-27 February - Lecture/Artist Talk: 29 February 7pm
Location: Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF), 10 Hussein Hassab Street, Azarita, Alexandria.

Innovative Amsterdam based designer and artist Jonathan Puckey will be setting up an intensive 4 day workshop at ACAF focusing specifically on poster design that goes beyond advertising and enters the realm of visual and conceptual communicative experimentation. About his design process, Puckey says “I want the viewer to recognize the process, understand the problem and become aware that a human being was involved in making the product. I am not my machine; maybe my machine can become me”.
To apply send a short CV/Bio and three low-resolution Jpeg images of your design work to office@acafspace.org by 15 February 2008, please write ‘Design Workshop’ in subject box. Applicants from other cities are welcomed to apply although they will have to finance their travel and accommodation in Alexandria if accepted. Puckey will also be delivering a lecture about his practice and design tactics on 29 February, 7pm. Related links: www.jonathanpuckey.com