Animation is at the forefront of digital innovation. It is fundamental to, and pervasive in, digital creativity and culture, and Digitalis sets out to explore, question, subvert or confound our expectations of art and the ‘digital’.
“It is the underlying equality of media that excites me about making work in the digital age. All media can be worked with simultaneously, equally, as they are essentially reduced to maths. There’s an almost spiritual quality to it, as all becomes zeroes and ones. Pure data.” Max Hattler, artist.
Sebastian Buerkner, “Digitalis,” 2011
Digitalis comprises of the exhibition of four new commissions, an Open exhibition of 11 selected works, a series of public events and a catalogue publication.
Digitalis Commissions
Four new films commissioned with the support of the Jerwood Charitable Foundation. The artists were commissioned to create work that explores and interrogates the digital as texture, material and site for artistic practice.
Artists: Adam Butcher, Lizzie Hughes, James Lowne and Matilda Tristram.
The films had their premiere at BFI Southbank, London on 14 December 2011. See the films online at animateprojects.org. Download the films and artist interviews from iTunes.
Animate OPEN: Digitalis
Our first online exhibition selected from an open call for UK artists. Works by 11 artists employing digital tools to examine ideas around digital and analogue technology, selected for their appropriateness for online engagement.
Artists: AL and AL, Tony Comley, Phil Coy, Kristian de la Riva, Joe Hardy, Max Hattler, James Lowne, Rob Munday, Noriko Okaku, Edwin Rostron, and David Theobald.
The Animate OPEN Jury Prize was awarded to James Lowne and the Audience Prize went to Max Hattler.
Digitalis Dialogue
A series of public screenings and discussion events, plus a catalogue featuring thought pieces by arts journalists and writers.
The events series was launched with the premiere screening and discussion panel at BFI Southbank. A symposium will take place at London College of Communication in 2012.
The free newspaper catalogue for the Digitalis project includes information about the works and artists, with commissioned essays about art and the digital space.
Writers: Nick Bradshaw, Ele Carpenter, Emma Geliot, Max Hattler, Rosemary Heather, Tim Shore and Gary Thomas.
The catalogue is available from animateprojects.org/shop.
Online exhibition programme 2011–2012
Presenting the work of more than 40 UK and international artists in both solo artist and thematic group exhibitions.
Recent exhibitions include: Drawn from Life: artists’ films that explore drawing, mapping and Palestine (curated by Stoffel Debusyere); Mandy McIntosh: The Animal Riot & Oompie ka Doompie; Art of Gaming: artists homage videogames; and Let Me Feel Your Finger First: Ontologically Anxious Organism (Episodes 1 & 2).
With essays by: Jonathan Burt, Angela Kingston, Stoffel Debuysere and Coline Milliard.
Forthcoming exhibitions include: Richard Fenwick (in association with AV Festival); David Blandy (in association with Phoenix Gallery); and Carolina Melis (in association with the National Trust: Ham House and Garden).
Our 2011–12 programme is supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Animate Projects
We are the only arts charity in the UK dedicated to championing experimental animation. We maintain the Animate Collection, the premier online resource of experimental animation – animateprojects.org. We produce multiplatform projects for a range of prominent partners, with internationally renowned artists including: Hiraki Sawa, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, David Shrigley and Jane & Louise Wilson.
We are interested in new partnerships that can help us to continue to champion experimental animation. If you would like to speak with us about how you might work with or sponsor us, please contact Gary and Abigail at [email protected].