Ed.: Circuit bending too destructive for you? Don’t let that scare you away from this year’s Bent Festival, in NYC, LA, and Minneapolis. Key pioneering circuit benders like founding artist Reed Ghazala are quick to argue that bending is a creative, not a destructive act — though some more radical benders might disagree. You say creation, she says destruction — let’s call the whole thing off: this year, handmade instruments and art of all kinds are welcome, say conference organizers, who are…
… continuing to open the Bent Festival to performers and artists that create their own electronics as well as to those who hack, bend, modify and destroy them
Full details:
The Tank is currently accepting proposals for Bent 2008: The Fifth Annual Circuit Bending Festival:
Festival Dates:
Los Angeles Bent Festival – April 17th-19th, 2008.
New York Bent Festival – April 24th-26th, 2008.
Minneapolis Bent Festival – May 1st-3rd, 2008.
Proposals:
Proposal Deadline: February 5th, 2008
Participant Notification: February 15, 2008
This call is for all three festivals.
Proposals to each festival must be submitted separately.
In keeping with the expanding interests of the community, this year we are continuing to open the Bent Festival to performers and artists that create their own electronics as well as to those who hack, bend, modify and destroy them.
We are currently seeking performers and artists to participate at each of the above locations and are specifically looking for submissions in these categories:
Performers
Installation Artists
Artwork Submissions
Workshop Instructors
Please send all proposals and questions to the appropriate email address:
Minneapolis Bent Festival – bentmpls@thetanknyc.org
New York Bent Festival – bentnyc@thetanknyc.org
Los Angeles Bent Festival – bentla@thetanknyc.org
Proposals to each festival must be submitted separately.
PERFORMERS
Bent Festival seeks bands and/or solo artists who incorporate home built or circuit bent instruments or ideas in their performance.
To have your work considered: Please email a short description of your act, along with a link to mp3s and photos if you have them. (Please do not send attachments larger than 1MB).
INSTALLATION ARTISTS
Bent Festival is looking for installation artists who can commit at least 15 hours to creating site-specific pieces of art at each of the venues during the duration of the festival.
Each of the three venues (New York, Minneapolis and LA) are quite different but our goal is to have artists creating work for each of them. Installation artists will be provided with
space, materials, electronic equipment and tools as we are able.
To have your work considered: Please submit via email a one-page proposal of your installation idea along with examples of your past work. Please be prepared to commit to spending time in the installation space during the festival and be prepared for a shared and at times hectic work environment. No white walls here!
ARTWORK SUBMISSIONS
In addition to installation artists, we would like to have featured art work that fits with the spirit of the festival from people who might not be able to join us in person or who cannot
commit to working in the space during the duration of the festival.
To have your work considered: Please submit via email digital images or links of your work and a brief description.
WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS
Bent Festival is seeking workshop instructors to present on various topics. Topics in previous years have included: General circuit bending workshops for beginners and extremely technical, hands on workshops on a particular aspect or niche of the genre.
To have your work considered: Please describe the subject you would like to lead a workshop on and provide a one-page description of that workshop, in addition include links or examples of your current and past work in the field.
COMPENSATION
Stipends for all festival performers, artists, and workshop leaders will be provided. We have a limited number of travel grants available as well. Please contact for more information.
CONTACT INFO
Each festival has its own submission email address, so please apply accordingly. To apply to multiple festivals, you must send your submission to each email address separately.
Minneapolis Bent Festival – bentmpls@thetanknyc.org
New York Bent Festival – bentnyc@thetanknyc.org
Los Angeles Bent Festival – bentla@thetanknyc.org