No Shape Stays Innocent: Two Film Projects by Carlo Zanni :: December 25, 2007 :: Alexandria Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF), 10 Hussein Hassab Street, Flat 6, Azarita, Alexandria, Egypt - curated by Bassam El Baroni :: Talk by Hans Ulrich Obrist on December 26.

Ever since the late nineties - and after a long period of experimentation - art based on a strong connection with computer interface technology has been gaining viability on the international art arena. For many reasons, net based art projects are currently almost non-existent in North Africa and the Middle East, except for some projects which use the internet as an archival space. One of the main aims of this project is to shed new light on the position of so called internet art and its relationship with its direct socio-political context. What if the context of a net-based project shifted from the European or American contexts to one that was directly linked to North Africa and the Middle East?

In late 2007, Milan/New York based artist Carlo Zanni will reside in Alexandria for a period of 4 – 6 weeks. The residency (part of the MultiPistes project) will allow Zanni to work and collaborate with Egyptian scriptwriters, actors and film professionals to produce the first interactive net-based film in the Arabic speaking world. The project will be comprised of a number of interrelated elements and platforms including the actual film uploaded and functioning on its specially designed website, two related exhibitions in Alexandria and the Netherlands, a series of launch campaigns, a publication documenting the project and finally various presentations by the artist.

The second project is My Temporary Visiting Position From The Sunset Terrace Bar.