UM – International Festival for Experimental and Mixed Media, one of Portugal’s first mixed media arts festivals. UM brings together international artists and practitioners interested in creating media works, which mix disciplinary techniques and different forms of technologies, to create interactive, playful and participatory media works. The 2008 programme focus is on gesture and movement.

UM will take place across central Lisbon – Bairro Alto, Chiado and Santos – in new spaces, artist lead independent venues, cultural meeting places and outside in public squares and on the street. Um includes one exhibition, concerts and performances, workshops, seminars.

Exhibition: June 19 – July 3, 2008 :: Conscious Space, Sonia Cillari, NL – Tape Loop, Andre Goncalves, PT; Crackle Canvas, Tom Verbruggen, NL; Patchery, Laetitia Morais, PT; Come and See the View, Kathy Hinde, UK; Delicate Boundaries, Chris Sugrue, US.

Concerts and Performances – June 20 – 21 :: Andy Moor, NL; A Cable Plays, Chris Surgue, US and Damian Stewart, NZ/PT; N.I.P. collective, UK/NL/PT; BOP, UK; Goodiepal, FO/UK; Rudolfo Quintas, PT
Turntable Reconstructions, DJ Sniff, US/NL; TokTek, NL.

Seminars – June 20 – 21

Panel 1: Gesture and Movement Based Interfaces – Speakers: Ivan Franco, Creative Director of Y-Dreams and artist, PT; Frank Balde, STEIM, designer, NL; Adriana Sa, artist and musician, PT; Chair: Takuro Lippit, musician and Artistic Advisor/STEIM, NL.

Panel 2: Landscape, Environment and Movement – Speakers: Pedro Appleton, PT – architect, Promontorio Architecture; Goncalo Velho, PT – researcher and anthropologist, Instituto Politecnico de Tomar & The Oporto Faculty of Arts; John Klima, US/PT – artist and game designer (tbc); Chair: Rui Trindade, CADA, PT.

Panel 3: People, Place and Distributed Communities – Speakers: Teresa Dillon, IRE/UK – artist – researcher-director, Polar Produce/N.I.P./UM; Luis Silva, PT – curator, Upgrade! Lisboa and Rhizome; Takuro Lippit, NL – musician and Artistic Advisor, STEIM; Paulo Raposo, PT – musician and director of Sirr records; Chair: Luisa Ribas, FBAUL, PT.

Panel 4: Extended Bodies within Mixed Reality Spaces and Places: Speakers – Paul Sermon, UK and Sonia Cillari, NL.

Workshops

– Wearin’ it – DIY wearable workshop, Andre Goncalves, PT
– Wii Undressed, Frank Balde/STEIM, NL
– Build your own electronic noise machine, Tom Bugs, UK
– Mort Aux Vaches Ekstra Extra, Goodiepal, (FO/UK)

Initiation/Direction: Polar Produce :: Co-Production: CADA + NIP :: Funders: DGARtes, MInisterio Cultura, PRS Foundation.