DIY in Oklahoma City

Upgrade! New York announces Upgrade! International: DIY Oklahoma City :: Nov 30-Dec 3 :: ARTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD CONVERGE IN downtown OKLAHOMA CITY :: Traveling across the globe from cities such as Berlin, Jerusalem, Istanbul, Seoul and Salvador, artists will come together in Oklahoma City to present art and ideas to each other and the community in the second annual meeting of Upgrade! International. The Upgrade! International: DIY Oklahoma City symposium, to be held November 30 – December 3, 2006, is an opportunity for local and international artists to exchange ideas about the developing field of new-media arts.

Open to the public, the four day symposium will feature exhibitions, workshops, presentations, lectures, screenings and performances by new-media artists. Topics such as Water Testing and Art, Making Art Interactive and Social Mapping as a Medium of Self-Expression will be explored in lectures and workshops. Interactive installations will offer participants a chance to explore an abstract universe, hear experimental audio works or experience the pulse of other participants through a created environment. A variety of short film and experimental video works will be screened at the Oklahoma City Museum of ArtÂ’s Noble Theatre as well as in a Do-It-Yourself Drive-In Theatre setting. “DIY or Die,” a net art exhibition featuring 25 artists will open at IAO gallery. The exhibition celebrates the 10th anniversary of Rhizome and Turbulence, and was curated in collaboration with Upgrade! New York.

Three downtown locations will host the symposiums events and exhibitions, with participants moving between venues, giving them an opportunity to experience more of Oklahoma City. Untitled [ArtSpace] at 1 Northeast 3rd, Individual Artists of Oklahoma at 811 N. Broadway and The Oklahoma City Museum of ArtÂ’s Noble Theatre at 415 Couch Dr. will provide a diversity of spaces for the array of activities.

A global network of international artists, The Upgrade! is united by art, technology and a commitment to bridging cultural divides. The Upgrade! International: DIY Oklahoma City symposium is presented by Untitled [ArtSpace], Individual Artists of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition, The University of Oklahoma School of Art, The University of Central Oklahoma School of Art, The Oklahoma City Museum of Art Film Program, Upgrade! International Oklahoma City and with additional support from Kirkpatrick Foundation, Allied Arts and Oklahoma Arts Council.

Upgrade! is an international network of gatherings concerning art + tech + community.

About our partner: Eyebeam supports the creation, presentation and analysis of new forms of innovative cultural production. Founded in 1997, Eyebeam is dedicated to exposing broad and diverse audiences to new technologies and media arts, while simultaneously establishing and demonstrating new media as a significant genre.