Details on the Festival and the Forum
After announcing in May that MUTEK 2020 would be changing dates and be presented in a new hybrid format, and in light of recent government directives lifting the ban on festivals, we are finally ready to reveal the shape the upcoming edition will take.
A hybrid 21st edition
Every evening, from Tuesday, September 8 to Sunday, September 13, 2020, the Société des arts technologiques (SAT) and Place des Arts’ Cinquième Salle will be home to audiences taking in live audiovisual performances, which will also be broadcasted on a new virtual platform designed in collaboration with Folklore agency. While the venue will adhere to current government recommendations and limited capacity of 50 to 100 people for each performance, the online broadcast will be open to anyone, anytime, anywhere in the world.
An augmented virtual experience
Our main motivation for creating a hybrid festival is to support the local artistic communities and professionals who make cultural events possible and to renew our ties to our audiences in Montreal and around the world. Therefore, our priority was to transpose the festival experience with a personalized virtual platform that stays and feels faithful to MUTEK, and that highlights both Québec and Canada based creators and welcomes international artists—all while continuing to provide a shared experience that’s both interactive and surprising:
• three virtual stages will be home to nearly 60 audiovisual performances captured live indoors each evening in Montréal, or elsewhere in the MUTEK network and its international partners
• an interactive gallery will offer up more than 20 VR, 360°, or sound pieces
• a screening room will provide a selection of masterclasses and presentations from MUTEK Forum, hosted by artists in the fields of sound design and digital creativity
• a listening room will feature a continuous selection of live performances recorded at MUTEK over the past 20 years.
More than ever, the programming will be grounded in equality, inclusivity, and representation of Montréal’s cultural diversity, bringing together both Festival regulars and the city’s emerging talent. The very best of electronic music and international digital art will round out the lineup and broaden attendees’ horizons.
Credit: MUTEK Edition 20, Merovee at SAT - Blindsp0t, by Vivien Gaumand
Credit: MUTEK Edition 20, Merovee - Blindsp0t at SAT, by Vivien Gaumand
Increased accessibility
All the content available on the virtual platform from Tuesday, September 8 to Sunday, September 13, will be accessible free of charge with just a few clicks. Audience members will also be invited to support MUTEK through a variety of donation options, thereby helping to encourage new discoveries, support emerging artists, and expand artistic horizons.
Tickets to physical performances will go on sale on Wednesday, August 26, 2020, and will be $25 or $30, depending on the venue. In compliance with social distancing guidelines, these spaces will be redesigned to provide participants with total safety and optimized listening and viewing pleasure.
Key dates
The full Festival lineup will be unveiled on Tuesday, August 25, at noon (EDT, UTC-4) on our new website. This will be the time to discover all the local and international artists who make up this 21st edition and to dive into the schedule of performances online and at the venues. Also on Tuesday, September 8, festival goers will be able to register for the virtual platform and gain first access to the various spaces.
Tickets to the physical performances will go on sale the next day, Wednesday, August 26, at noon (EDT, UTC-4), to provide festival goers time to work out their schedules and choices, on their own or in groups. The box office will be exclusively online and available at the following address: https://montreal.mutek.org/en/box-office.
Performances, both at the venues and online, will begin on Tuesday, September 8 and end on Sunday, September 13, 2020.
A professional Forum sure to further enrich the experience
In parallel with the Festival, MUTEK Forum, the virtual market of ideas, will return for its sixth edition from Tuesday, September 8 to Friday, September 11, 2020, to inspire and gather creative and innovative minds. The Forum will address topics such as artificial intelligence and extended reality (XR), through over 30 presentations, panels and case studies led by some 60 experts from Québec, Canada, and around the world.
The list of confirmed speakers is already available on the website, as are the three types of passports at reduced prices, sure to provide everyone with a path to online exploration adapted to their needs. More details on the market, which will bring over 600 people and 200 organizations together, will be revealed next week.
Between now and the long-awaited unveiling of the lineup in two weeks, the entire MUTEK team would like to once again express their utmost gratitude to everyone for the patience and trust they’ve demonstrated during these uncertain times. We would particularly like to thank our audience, who have shown us 20 years of loyalty; the artists and creators who serve as constant sources of inspiration; our friends and colleagues from the local and international music and digital industries; as well as our cultural, institutional and governmental partners who, through their critical support year after year, have allowed the MUTEK adventure to continue on, in one form or another. We are very much looking forward to seeing you on September 8.
All partners of MUTEK Festival
Québec Government, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine du gouvernement du Québec, ministère du Tourisme du Québec, ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec, Canada Council for the Arts, Conseil des arts de Montréal, City of Montréal, FACTOR and Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters, Department of Canadian Heritage, Musicaction, British Council, Consulat général de France à Québec, MUTEK Barcelona, MUTEK Buenos Aires, MUTEK Mexico, MUTEK San Francisco, MUTEK Tokyo, Red Bull, Tourisme Montréal, ICAS, MaMA Festival & Convention, Akufen, Folklore and Time Code Lab.
