Urban Screens Manchester 07

When: July 10, 2007

It’s about content!

Manchester Conference: 11 + 12 October 2007
Public arts + events programme: 11 – 14 October 2007
www.manchesterurbanscreens.org.uk

Urban Screens Manchester 07 is a two day international conference taking place at Manchester’s Cornerhouse, Manchester‘s international centre for contemporary visual arts and film. With a wide ranging focus, Urban Screens Manchester 07 explores the conditions for urban screens from a multitude of perspectives, making it highly relevant to media specialists, designers, artists, architects, urban planners, broadcasters and theorists. The Manchester conference is a follow-up to the first groundbreaking conference in this area, Urban Screens 2005 in Amsterdam.

The backdrop of urban screens that Ridley Scott envisioned in ‘Blade Runner’ (1981) has become a reality in some parts of the world today. The omnipresence of public displays such as LED, LCD, plasma screens, large scale projections and media facades demands a critical reflection on their impact on the city and on our perception. At the same time, they offer new possibilities for artistic and non-commercial use, for community development and play.


As broadband rates get ever faster, public screens will increasingly display more streamed content and other net based media formats making their programmes more interactive and less mono-directional. Urban Screens Manchester 07 explores the creation of content, commissioning / funding, curatorship and the architectural possibilities of urban screens in the 21st century.

The conference will feature more than 40 inspirational international experts including:
Mark Bennett senior manager, Target Corporate Media Center
Lucy Bullivant, architectural curator, critic and author
Jean-Claude Bustros, artist and associate professor, Concordia University
Uta Caspari, art historian and researcher, Humboldt University
Micz Flor, media producer, content developer and theorist
Mathias Fuchs, media artist and course leader, Salford University
Mike Gibbons, Director, BBC Live Events
Kristin Gray, director, Victory Media Network
Glenn Harding, multimedia manager, Fed Square Pty Ltd
Erkki Huhtamo, media archaeologist, UCLA
Adam Hyde, artist and tactical media planner
Michelle Kasprzak, programmes director, New Media Scotland
Sylvia Kouvalis, curator, Yama screen
David Lakin, chartered engineer and principal consultant, Arup
Jason Lewis, digital artist and technology researcher, Concordia University
Joachim Sauter, media artist/designer and artistic director, ART+COM
Guenther Selichar, artist
Jen Southern, media artist and lecturer, University of Huddersfield
Mike Stubbs, director, FACT
Alexander Stublic, artist, Mader Stublic Wiermann
Maria Stukoff, artist and researcher, MMU
Els Vermang, artist, LAb[au]

The conference is accompanied by a dynamic programme of public events that show creative content in action in city centre Manchester. The city centre will come alive to an exciting range of international art works on public screens ranging from mobile projection, VJ sets, live streaming, video and animation programmes and audiovisual performances.

Register your interest now at www.manchesterurbanscreens.org.uk

Urban Screens Manchester has been curated by Dr Susanne Jaschko (Germany) whose curatorial credits to date include transmediale (Germany), urban interface (Berlin / Oslo) and SCAPE Biennial of Art in Public Space (New Zealand).

Urban Screens Manchester has been supported by Cornerhouse and BBC.
It has been funded by Arts Council England, Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester,
With support from MDDA and Manchester Knowledge Capital.

For further information, contact:
Sue Fletcher on + 44 (0)7775 933643 or suesoulprovider@aol.com

From 25 June – 6 July, please contact Rob Allen, Press Manager, at Cornerhouse on + 44 (0)161 200 1517 and rob.allen@cornerhouse.org.uk