LOOP VideoArt: May 21-31 (Barcelona)

17 May 2009 No Comment

After a successful six year run, the 2009 LOOP VideoArt extravaganza will take place from May 21 - 31 in Barcelona, Spain. Art enthusiasts from around the world will arrive in droves to explore the intersection between video art and other arts disciplines such as dance, music and literature.

LOOP is quickly becoming an international benchmark event that offers an active platform for the creation and management of film. A project directed by Emilio Álvarez, Carlos Durán and Llucià Homs, LOOP is structured in a three-part series: festival, fair and expert discussion panels.

LOOP Festival

This year’s festival will feature the work of over 800 artists at scattered venues in Barcelona’s city centre. You can find a detailed list events and locations at the LOOP Festival website. A few highlights include:

This Is Hong Kong: A unique visual picture of what Hong Kong is today. The video provides a fresh snapshot of the city’s development after post-colonial devolution in 1997. The selection, which comes from Para/Site Art Space, was curated by Álvaro Rodriguez Fominaya.
Lo que dura un cante: A video program that explores the relationship between the visual arts and flamenco dance. The program, which is presented in collaboration with P’alucine, the Audiovisual Flamenco Festival of Ciutat Vella, is curated by Esther Regueira.

LOOP Fair

This year’s fair will take place May 28 – 30 at the Hotel Catalonia Ramblas. Over 40 international galleries will present their most recent works to 4,000 professionals, journalists, curators and collectors. Among the bunch will be Virgil de Voldere Gallery (New York), Galerie Olaf Stüber (Berlin), La Fábrica Galería (Madrid), and Chi-Wen Gallery (Taipei). You can find the full list of participants and schedules at the LOOP Fair site.

LOOP Panels

LOOP panels bring together distinguished artists, collectors, curators and museum and festival directors to discuss the conservation, the collection and the distribution of video art. This year’s program will include presentations by Stuart Comer (Film Curator at the Tate Modern, London), Patricia Sandretto (Director of the Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo per l’Arte de Turín) and artists Aernnout Mik and Harun Farocki.

There is no doubt in my mind that the 2009 LOOP VideoArt extravaganza will be a real treat. I so wish that I could attend! If you will be in the Barcelona area, do your best to stop by one of these events. I really can’t see how you would be disappointed.