From March 27 to 31, the UPDATE festival dedicated to moving images will take place in Liepaja and online. The festival program is intended for artists as well as anyone interested in art and technologies, film and animation techniques, as well as those who just want to try something new. All festival activities are free and in English.
UPDATE festival consists of workshops, master classes, film screenings and performance. Workshops participants will learn how to write a script and techniques for creating drama and tension, they will discover the role of video in activism, the use of AI in animation, the different approaches to green screen and special effects in film and live stream. Another workshop will focus on soundtracks and sound recording techniques for a film and animation. During the week, there will also be an extensive public evening program, with film screenings, master classes and performances.
Full festival program and registration form on the website: https://update.mplab.lv/.
Public events program:
Film screening and performative lecture
Monday, March 27 from 17:00 at the Culture House Wiktorija (Graudu street 36/38, Liepaja).
The film screening will start with a performative lecture by the Dutch artist Dani Ploeger, whose practice in recent years has been focusing on crisis-areas and the showing of his short film “The Cults”. Other films and animations in the program consist of documentaries and short films by Liepaja University students, animations by students of the Cologne Media Arts Academy and a screening of the results of the international student cooperation project “You+Me”.
Master class “3D Sculpting in VR”
Tuesday, March 28 from 17:00 to 19:00 at the Art Research Laboratory, MPLab (in the basement of Kurmajas pr. 13, Liepaja)
The participants of the master class will learn how to create 3D models, objects and characters using virtual reality (VR) tools. This technique is intuitive, even playful, participants do not need specific computer skills or previous knowledge in 3D or any other modelling.
The masterclass will start with a 30-minute introductory lecture and training on how to use VR tools and controllers. After that, the participants, with the guidance of the master class hosts, will use VR glasses and controllers to create object in a virtual space. The master class will be hosted by Rogier Jupijn and Agnese Damberga.
Master class “Basics Of AI For Creatives”
Wednesday, March 29 from 17:00 to 19:00 online (register on the website to receive the ZOOM link)
The master class will provide an insight into artificial intelligence (AI) tools and techniques in “simple and easy” language. The target audience of this master class is everyone who is interested in AI, especially young artists, and art students. The master class will be hosted by Martins Dabolins.
Master class “Creativity Through Spontaneity, Improvisation, and Play”
Thursday, March 30 from 17:00 to 19:00 online (register on the website to receive the ZOOM link)
The participants of the master class will go on a journey of self-discovery, trying to discover how to overcome the boundaries that we have created for ourselves. Participants will explore tools and techniques for stepping out of linear thought and make space for novel experiences to take form. The master class will be hosted by: Tobin Asher.
Exhibition of audio-visual performances and workshop results
Friday, March 31 at the Art Research Laboratory, MPLab (in the basement of Kurmajas pr. 13, Liepaja). Doors open at 19:00
At the end of the UPDATE festival, everyone is invited to see the exhibition of the results of the workshops that took place during the week in a pop-up exhibition.
As the final event of the festival, we offered a unique audio-visual performance “Random Encounters” that has been created just for this event. The “Random Encounters” is a new collaboration between the experimental music group “Nejausi” (Roberts Dinters, Valdis Skarevics) and the French performance group “Live Animated Orchestra” (Marie-Anne Bacquet, Stephanie Cadoret). The performance will start around 20: 00.
UPDATE is organized by ASTE, a collective of media artists based in Liepaja and Liepaja University Art Research Lab (MPLab, https://mplab.lv). UPDATE is created with the support of State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (VKKF).
Website: https://update.mplab.lv/
Get in touch: Maija Demitere (maija.demitere@gmail.com, 29948430).
