Open call for presentations
Until May 31st, 2013

ARS CONTACTUS – International Forum of Dialogical Arts
Arts > Landscapes > Communities > Sciences > Languages > Media
December, 5th – 8th, 2013
Hotel do Parque
Termas de São Pedro do Sul, Portugal

Organization: Binaural – Associação Cultural de Nodar
Scientific Partnerhip: Department of Communication and Arts -Master of Contemporary Artistic Creation at University of Aveiro

Keywords: Site-specific art, context-specific art, community-based art, public space art, litorallist art, land art, interactive art, art and science, art and literature, art and verbality, radio art, sound art, soundscape studies, sound anthropology, art and ethnography, art and anthropology, performance art, relational art.

ARS CONTACTUS is an international scientific and artistic forum dealing with dialogical arts, that is with the present proliferation of contemporary artists working in close contact with a wide range of real-life connections that go beyond strict artistic aspects, being social, anthropological, territorial, scientific or technological. The forum tries to map new strategies, concepts and techniques for smart approaches to these links between art and life, thus avoiding the common traps of social-correctness, art world elitism or political misuses of public or community-based art works.

ARS CONTACTUS is open to arts and sciences researchers, arts curators, arts critics, arts managers, local government managers and media and performance artists who have a proven theoretical/conceptual approach towards the dialogical aspects of their works.

ARS CONTACTUS is organized by Binaural/Nodar (www.binauralmedia.org), a leading sound and media arts Portuguese cultural organization working since 2006 in research and laboratory-based artistic activities in the rural context of Gralheira mountain range (S. Pedro do Sul, PT). Binaural/Nodar has since its inception hosted over 100 renowned international sound and media artists, social scientists, architects, etc. who have established strong links with dozens of local rural communities.

ARS CONTACTUS will take place in the magnificent rural spa town of Termas de S. Pedro do Sul (Portugal), a place on the banks of river Vouga founded over 2.000 years ago by romans, who introduced the hot baths uses and technologies in the Iberian Peninsula; a place where D. Afonso Henriques the first king of Portugal healed the wounds from his battles and also a place where the last king of Portugal, D. Manuel II spent some happy times during his childhood, long before being deposed following a coup d’état that marked the beginning of the republican regime in Portugal.

All papers, documents and art works to be presented at ARS CONTACTUS will be published in a proceedings catalogue to be ready by the time of the forum’s opening day.

Selection committee:

Luis Costa, PT
(Sound art practitioner, curator, educator, art editor, president at Binaural/Nodar)

Manuela Barile, IT
(Anthropological-oriented media and performance artist, director at Binaural/Nodar)

Rui Costa, PT
(Literature, social and anthropological-oriented sound artist, director at Binaural/Nodar)

Paulo Bernardino, PT
(PhD in art studies, Researcher at Communication and Arts Department – University of Aveiro, PT)

Pedro Bessa, PT
(PhD in design/cultural studies, Coordinator of Master of Contemporary Artistic Creation at University of Aveiro, PT)

Ana Saraiva, PT
(PhD student in anthropology, researcher at New University of Lisbon, writer and cultural manger at Ourém-Fátima Municipality, PT)

Duncan Whitley, UK
(MSc in fine arts, sound artist dealing almost exclusively with sacred and profane social rituals)

Forum and submitted articles language:

English

Presentation formats:

Master class, interactive lecture, audio/visual screening, performance lecture, and paper presentation.

Submission Guidelines:

The presentation proposal should be sent to info-binauralmedia.org and should include the following documents:

· Letter of motivation
· Detailed scientific and/or artistic CV
· Brief biography – max 100 words
· Signed letter from an university mentioning the research activities carried through by the applicant (if applicable)
· Title and format of presentation
· Brief overview/abstract of presentation – max 300 words
· Web links to previous publications and/or art works

All documents of a presentation proposal should be sent in one email as attachments: text documents should be sent in Word format, photo materials should be sent in JPG format (72 dpi with a minimum size of 600 x 400 pixel)

Registration fee for Presenters/Speakers:

500 EUR if payment is made before June 30th, 2013 – early reduced registration fee.
650 EUR if payment is made after June 30th,, 2013 and before to August 31st, 2013.
800 EUR if payment is made after August 31st, 2013 and before October 31st, 2013.

The fee covers the Speaker’s/Presenter’s registration fee and participation in all events of the forum programme, travels in the region, three night accommodation in single bedroom, all meals, full access to the hotel’s indoor pool and gym, one hour spa session at Termas de São Pedro do Sul Spa Centre, a copy of the forum’s proceedings book and a copy of Binaural/Nodar’s previous catalogue + double CD “Three years in Nodar: Context-specific artistic practices in rural Portugal”.

The official day of arrival is December 5th from 14:00.
The day of departure is December 8th at 16:00.

For any queries regarding this open call please contact Luís Costa: Tel. 232 723 160 | email: luis-binauralmedia.org