Captive Portal KIOSK Open Call
x ÆTER
What is x ÆTER?
Æter (aether, aither, ether) has been described as the invisible substance filling the void between us—an unseen matter, once thought to carry light and to bind the universe together. In Aristotle’s cosmology, it was the fifth element, surrounding and permeating the terrestrial. In our thinking, ÆTER is both presence and absence: the immaterial flesh that envelops our lives, a phenomenological reality and materiality of the digital that makes connections possible. It is also the notion of the inexplicable need for collaborations in late stage capitalism.
The X. The multiplier, the undecided integer, the recognizability of an obscure value proposition brewed in tandem between two brands. Brands are in flux with X as a mechanism intended to lure the consumer to consume more and feel more special about it. It permeates and as an aether in itself, it dowses objects, times and events in superfluous fluid of mattering more, and being more important by being together as a new form; as new matter.
In x ÆTER we wish to sell you collaborative art which you cannot have, free of charge. Because these stories and visions simply do matter. We invite artist duos and groups to challenge the negative powers of the X through collective work.
x Audio & Video. We are looking for submissions of video- and/or audio-based works that explore the intersections of matter, memory, and the aetheric in our digital age. We are interested in how the immaterial is woven into the material: how affects, engrained memories might inhabit objects. How thoughts and traumas can be communicated through images or inhabit digital artifacts, or through soundscapes/orchestral arrangements/white noise etc. How can these mediums become more physical in their representation in a world that seems aetheric in its digitality, which in its actuality consists of cable superstructures, non-ethically sourced minerals and watercooled server farms that generate monetary blockchains to be used in the world of hyper-consumerism?
x Materiality & Digitality. Rather than asking for answers, we ask for artistic gestures that give form to the intangible of the digital and of the fleshly reality. Works might engage with the materiality of digital media, with objects as vessels of memory or trauma, with the resonance of sound and moving images as carriers of affect and as storied objects in and of themselves. We want to feel the immaterial become material through our ocular nerves and eardrums. To feel the digital aether become physical. Bind the aether.
x You. The call is open to video and audio based practices. But we are especially interested in works that have been conceived as collaborative efforts. We are interested in the meeting between artists in the aether of life that forges visions through co-creation. But we equally encourage solo works in the open call for x ÆTER.
x KIOSK. Become of the Kiosk at Fredericiagade 12B. As per the tradition of the Kiosk the length of the works are limited to 7 minutes in total. The scientific and tested length it takes to smoke a cigarette and a staple for the Captive Portal Kiosk format. The kiosk as a socioeconomic site is usually the format for short-lived and short term interactions and transactions. As we wish to explore the deeper meanings of the objects of the digital and aetheric, by being presented in the Kiosk format it is also a deconstruction of how we adhere to the value of quickly bought objects. It is now instead a site of the curated meditation, of mattering, of new assemblages amongst the trash on the street, the glimpses of the curious passer-bys and the viewers interpretations of the connections of objects and meanings on the screen. At the site comfortable seating is provided and a pair of headphones for 2 people.
x Open Call & Submissions. The Open Call will run till the 22nd of October. You/your group will be contacted shortly after thorough reviews of your submission when the period ends. More info can be found on cp.oerum.org or on Facebook/Instagram/Threads.
Send submissions to captivecurators@gmail.com. Format your submission as “artistname_title_year_xAETER”
x Non-Profit & Limitations. Due to the non-profit nature of the KIOSK we don’t have the allotted time to view a larger number of submitted works from individual artists or groups. Please keep submissions to a maximum of 2 works per artist/group unless they form a larger continuous series that still live up to the 7 minute limit. Thank you for your understanding.
x Formats. We accept mp4, mp3, waw., and video files that correspond to the H.264 format. Must be viewable on a 1920 x 1080 formatted screen. Please refrain from sending 4k resolution versions of your works.
x Disclaimer. Due to the exhibit's public nature, we have the right to deny works that contain the following: sexually explicit visuals and/or audio, gore, hate speech and extreme political imagery or speeches.
The exhibition takes form in the outdoor video kiosk mounted on Captive Portal's door, freely available 24/7 as a reclaimed 1080p display with stereo headphones, outdoor seating (weather permitting), and simple button controls. x ÆTER is part of KIOSK -- the 'offline, 'standby' or 'AFK' programming of Captive Portal. Please note that visibility and comfort may vary with weather conditions.
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