media art exhibition initiated and curated by Agricola de Cologne at

Al Kahf Gallery Bethlehem/Palestine

City of Cologne/Germany

Casoria Contemporary Art Museum Naples/Italy

Media/Art/Cologne – a project environment for media art from Cologne

Initiated and directed by Agricola de Cologne

://selfportrait - a show for Bethlehem

is the first project by Media/Art/Cologne

initiated and curated by Agricola de Cologne, independent curator and director of

[NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:||cologne.

This media art exhibition is organised on occasion and in the framework of

Bethlehem/Palestine to be shown first in Bethlehem at Al Kahf Gallery at Bethlehem

International Center - 06-30 July 2006 and later in October also at Cologne.

Media/Art/Cologne is proud to announce further the collaboration with Casoria Contemporary

Art Museum Naples/Italy and the show to be inaugurated on 16 December 2006 as a message

of peace to the world on occasion of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem.

Through its relevance in three world religions,

Bethlehem was during more than 2000 years a symbol for peace also beyond,

but since some time Bethlehem and the entire Holy Land on the Westbank

is vanishing behind a huge wall as the result of a conflict in Middle East

which is threatening world peace since many years.

By being present personally and showing face through their selfportraits, the participating

artists in the show overcome symbolically this wall and the conflict between Israel and

Palestine, and become messengers of peace this way.

The show does not only transport the message of solidarity under the complicated political

conditions currently, but also the idea of a free and independent culture without borders, the

use of New Media technology represents further a symbol for a new era for solving conflicts

via communication.

://selfportrait – a show for Bethlehem

encompasses about 200 artists, 100 via the artworks & 100 via artistic statements.

The show includes following aspects of New Media presented in physical space – digital

prints to be installed in space or on walls, digital video via projections and installations, multimedia

based on different technologies and sonic art via display on computer installation, and

not to be forgotten, the artists statements via projection and display on monitors which give an

idea about the visions of contemporary artists.

Further venues are

MAC - Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Fe/Argentina, MACRO - Museum of

Contemporary Art Rosario/Argentina, Officyna Art Space Szczecin/Poland & Museum of

Swinoujcie (Poland)

media art exhibition initiated and curated by Agricola de Cologne at

Al Kahf Gallery Bethlehem/Palestine

City of Cologne/Germany

Casoria Contemporary Art Museum Naples/Italy

Media/Art/Cologne – a project environment for media art from Cologne

Initiated and directed by Agricola de Cologne

The initiator and curator of the show, Agricola de Cologne is a multidisciplinary media art

activist artist, curator, programmer and multi-media developer, who is not only responsible

for the organisation and curating, but he programmed, designed and created also the

online/offline interface for the exhibition.

Media/Art/Cologne represents another project environment he initiated

for [NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:|| cologne, the experimental platform for art and New

Media, in order to feature media art in and from Cologne in a global context.

In 2000, Agricola de Cologne started his New Media art activities and developed until these

days a complex physical and virtual network consisting of a variety of project environments,

professionals in art and culture, institutions and organisations. His projects and individual

works realized in this context have been shown successfully worldwide on more than 200

festivals, biennales and media art exhibitions since 2000, just to mention Biennale of New

Media Art Merida/Mexico 2003, Biennale of Montreal 2004, Biennale of Electronic Art

Perth/Australia 2004, Biennale of Video & New Media Santiago (Chile) 2005, ZKM

Karlsruhe/Germany 2005, Ars Electronica 2001-2005, FILE – Electronic Language Festival

Sao Paulo (Brazil) 2001-2006, Videoformes Clermont Ferrand (F) 2001-2006, Japan Media

Art Festival Tokyo (Japan) 2002, 2006, and many more. His works received numerous prizes

and awards.

Media/Art/Cologne

http://www.mediaartcologne.org

://selfportrait – a show for Bethlehem

http://self.engad.org

[NewMediaArtProjectNetwork]:|| cologne

http://www.nmartproject.net

http://netex.nmartproject.net/index.php?blog=3&cat=75

NetEX – networked experience

http://netex.nmartproject.net

Bethlehem International Center – Al Kahf Gallery

http://www.annadwa.org

Casoria Contemporary Art Museum Naples Italy

http://www.casorialcontemporaryartmuseum.com