After an entirely hybrid first edition last year with in-person activities for the Montréal public and a new virtual component for audiences everywhere, MUTEK is back in full force with an even more assertive and dense hybrid format in 2021. For the first time in its history, the Festival and its professional component MUTEK Forum will be held over more than one week, in order to increase the number of possible intersections between artists, audiences and artisans in the field.
In Montréal, the 59 performances of the Festival will take place in several venues as well as on a free outdoor stage, from Tuesday, August 24 to Sunday, August 29. An exhibition featuring 27 digital works and installations will complete this urban offer with a discovery journey through the city, from Friday, August 20 to Sunday, September 5.
In its virtual extension on the dedicated virtual.mutek.org platform, the Festival is gradually broadcasting a selection of 28 performances captured in Montréal as well as 38 recordings from its network of international partners, according to a presentation schedule running from Tuesday, August 24 to Saturday, September 4, with the possibility of reviewing the whole thing in archives until September 30. A virtual gallery featuring 24 digital works will enrich the experience offered to Internet users, available from August 24 to September 30.
The MUTEK Forum professional section, entirely virtual and on its own dedicated platform, stimulates the most fertile minds with a critical look at the latest technological and creative trends. It includes around sixty activities (conferences, panels and other case studies), involving more than 140 experts from Quebec and abroad, as well as a virtual marketplace bringing together more than a hundred companies and organizations from 38 countries, from Tuesday, August 24 to Thursday, September 2.
Now Discover all these components in more detail and join us for a festival full of emotions and surprises!
# 1 / The Festival in Montréal: In-Person Performances
From Tuesday, August 24 to Sunday, August 29, 113 artists will offer 59 electronic music and digital art performances in three venues and on an outdoor stage at Tiohtià:ke/Montréal.
4 series for a journey through all facets of electronic music:
- Play (8 programs) embodies the exploratory, visceral and playful character of contemporary artists in digital art, audiovisual creation and electronic music at the Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts
- Nocturne (3 programs) is dedicated to the most rhythmic and enchanting artistic expressions from Quebec and Canada in the form of an electronic cabaret in the MTELUS
- Satosphère (12 programs) brings together multidisciplinary and immersive performances that invite you to explore new conceptual and sensory territories under the dome of the Society for Arts and Technology
- Expérience (6 programs) promotes the plurality of electronic music in live or DJ set for a radiant and festive celebration in the open air on the Parterre du Quartier des spectacles
THE ESSENTIALS OF IN-PERSON PERFORMANCES
WHEN: Tuesday, August 24 to Sunday, August 29, 2021, at Tiohtià:ke/Montréal.
IN VENUES: Cinquième Salle of Place des Arts, MTELUS, Society for Arts and Technology
OUTDOORS: Parterre du Quartier des spectacles (Free)
# 2 / The Festival in Montréal: In-Person Exhibition
Taking place in several downtown locations from August 20 to September 5, this year's urban exhibition takes on an unprecedented scope, enriched by a selection of digital art installations presented as part of the Digital Detox special project, supported by the City of Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts. This theme of digital detoxification will be explored in a critical way and from different angles through the multiple creations of the program. In total, 27 interactive, audiovisual, mixed reality, virtual or augmented digital works by local and international artists will be presented both outdoors and indoors.
THE ESSENTIALS OF IN-PERSON EXHIBITION
WHEN: Friday, August 20 to Sunday, September 5, 2021, at Tiohtià:ke/Montréal (times vary according to location)
IN VENUES: Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme de la Place des Arts, Goethe-Institut, Le Livart, Society for Arts and Technology
OUTDOORS: Parc Lahaie, Parterre du Quartier des spectacles
# 3 / The Virtual Festival - virtual.mutek.org
For the second year in a row, MUTEK renews its online Festival offer on a dedicated virtual platform.
VIRTUAL.MUTEK.ORG has been imagined as a unique convergence point allowing Internet users to live a virtual festival experience, with a varied offer of activities and possibilities of interaction with the artists and other members of the public.
VIRTUAL.MUTEK.ORG features:
- Two virtual stages broadcasting, according to a set schedule, the 28 performances of the Play and Nocturne series recorded and presented offline, as well as 38 recordings of the MUTEK Connect series from five cities that are part of the MUTEK network (Mexico City, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, and Dubai) and six other international partners: the CTM (Germany), Insomnia (Norway), and PRECTXE (South Korea) festivals, the Amplify D.A.I project (Argentina/Brazil), the arts and meeting place Chapelle XIV (France) as well as the event platform Sundeck (Chile).
- A virtual gallery hosting the Virtual Wonders exhibition featuring 24 original digital works. Captivating videos, playful games, net.art, interactive works, virtual reality or using artificial intelligence, all these artistic proposals have been specially designed to live on the web.
- An Auditorium hosting conferences and various projects
- A Listening Room presenting continuous broadcasting of sound archives from past editions of the festival
- A Replay Room, available in September only, allowing to consult in the replay and on-demand all the performances recorded for this 2021 edition of MUTEK.Content from all other venues is available until September 30.
Note that the 2 virtual stages will be open from Tuesday, August 24 to Saturday, September 4. The 66 performances will be grouped into 31 distinct programs presented according to a specific schedule built for Montreal and the Americas. Each program is then broadcast again the following day according to the time zones of Europe and Asia to share a similar festival experience in these other regions of the world. All of these broadcasts are accompanied by a chat room where you can interact with other festival-goers - and some artists depending on the time zone!
Content from all other venues is available until September 30.
THE ESSENTIALS OF THE VIRTUAL FESTIVAL
WHEN: August 24 to September 30, 2021.
WHERE: Online on virtual.mutek.org (Free, donations encouraged on the platform)
- Virtual Schedule
- MUTEK Connect International Programming
- Virtual Wonders Exhibition Guide
- Artists
- Les artistes et les œuvres de l’exposition virtuelle
# 4 / The Forum - Edition 7
From Tuesday, August 24 to Thursday, September 2, MUTEK Forum will bring together artists and companies in digital creativity and electronic music, with the goal of exploring the latest artistic practices while stimulating reflection on the ethical and political issues related to technology and the digital world. More than 140 speakers from Quebec, Canada and abroad will discuss the following 7 themes through about 60 activities: XR, Immersive and Experiential Storytelling, New Frontiers in Digital Art and Sound, Music Matters, Fashion and Art for Our Futures, New Models for Presentation and Monetization, Digital Detox.
For a second consecutive year, the Forum will also feature a virtual market that facilitates networking by showcasing Québec, Canadian and international artists to buyers from around the world.
More than 750 participants, including over 200 distributors, representing 400 different organizations and companies from over 50 countries, will gather on the online platform to attend conferences, panels and workshops, and to develop artistic connections and business opportunities.
THE ESSENTIALS OF THE FORUM
WHEN: Tuesday, August 24 through Thursday, September 2, 2021, online, then on-demand through Thursday, September 30.
ONLINE: via Apple Store or Google Play after purchasing one of the three Forum Passports available starting at $60
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