CYFEST in Venice

CYFEST is a nomadic, vibrant and ever-expanding artistic and cultural reality, founded by a group of independent artists in 2007. It has its roots in artistic experimentation and research, expressed through the development of relationships between different media. Languages related to New Media Art and New Technologies are merged, expanded and connected, creating new perceptual dimensions.

CYFEST 15 took place in Yerevan, Armenia and Miami, USA, and is now being hosted at CREA – One Contemporary Art Space, in Venice, until 30th August 2024.

The festival is being developed around the theme of vulnerability, explored in its deepest dimension, linked to the human being and everything that surrounds it, breaking down the boundaries of species, time and matter. This condition that inhabits our planet is developed with an emancipatory interpretation, where a range of different and complementary artistic languages are used, turning it into a testament to our most authentic experience.

The contemporary spaces at CREA host an extensive programme in various formats, featuring installations, performances and talks. Highlights include the multidisciplinary Drop Tracer project, which explores the dynamics of non-human agents and the relationship between images and the natural world, by Tuula Närhinen. Skins generated through fermentation by bacteria create a work of art by Ann Marie Maes, who explores the sculptural potential of organic materials and the interfaces between human and non-human, as well as between microscopic and macroscopic. The Where Dogs Run collective, pioneers in experimentation and artistic research related to New Media Art, analyses the concepts of Mandelbrot sets through knitting patterns developed in a live performance.

Mariateresa Sartori uses the frottage technique to highlight a suburban geology, hidden from view, investigated in its living material aspects, shedding light on the little-known story of the Rosà quarry in the Vicenza area. The multimedia installation by Elena Gubanova and Ivan Govorkov analyses and expands the concept of ‘time density’ developed by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kozyrev. The exhibition also features the rare ‘Re-Pressions’ monotypes by the acclaimed Armenian artist Samvel Baghdasaryan (1956-2017), experimental video art works by Fabrizio Plessi, inflatable fabric sculptures by Irina Korina, and architectural and urban design objects made from recycled LEDs by Alexandra Dementieva. In addition, the exhibition is enhanced by a new installation by Anna Frants and many other works of art.