Thank you

Many thanks for coming to AV Festival 10 and making it such a wonderful success. Over 10 days we presented 24 exhibitions, 20 performances, 10 screenings, 3 symposia and worked with over 100 artists. The Festival was the largest to date and included 15 world premieres of new work.

We can't wait to do it again in 2012.

AV Festival 10 in Middlesbrough - Quick list

A Certain Distance, Endless Light:  A project by Felix Gonzalez-Torres and William McKeown - 4 March - AV Festival 10 Festival launch event at mima 
AV Festival 10 link »

A Certain Distance, Endless Light:  A project by Felix Gonzalez-Torres and William McKeown - 5 March - 4 July 2010 - Art exhibition at mima
AV Festival 10 link »    mima link »

Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Untitled (Strange Bird), 1993 - 1 March - 14 March 2010 - Art exhibited on billboards across Middlesbrough, NewcastleGateshead and Sunderland, locations to be announced soon.
AV Festival 10 link »

Energy Shorts - Two screenings of short films on the festival theme energy, include work by: Theo Burt, Hondartza Fraga, Katerina Hadravova, Louise Harris, Max Hattler, Chris Oakley, Rimas Sakalauskas and Chris Wright. - 5 March and 10 March
AV Festival 10 link »

Silent Sound by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard with an original score by J. Spaceman (from the band Spiritualized) and an introduction on the night by Dr. Ciaran O’Keeffe from Living TV’s ‘Most Haunted’. - 7 March
AV Festival 10 link »     Win tickets »

Download: AV Festival 10: Energy Programme

AV Festival 10 Energy

AV Festival 10, the biennial international Festival of electronic arts, is taking place from 5-14 March 2010. The Festival theme is energy: a universal force that connects, transforms and renews life. Exploring energy from scientific, technological, environmental and spiritual perspectives. Taking place in Middlesbrough, NewcastleGateshead and Sunderland.

Launch Event and exhibition

The AV Festival 10 launch event is happening at mima with the exhibition A Certain Distance, Endless Light: A Project By Felix Gonzalez-Torres And William McKeown.

The exhibition, inspired by the theme of AV Festival 10, energy, brings together two extraordinary artists, Cuban born American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, and Irish artist William McKeown. Both artists’ work answer the theme of energy in different ways.

Gonzalez-Torres (1957–96) is one of the most respected artists of his generation whose work has been widely exhibited internationally. McKeown (b 1962) is one of Ireland’s most highly regarded artists best know for his luminous, near-abstract paintings.

The AV Festival 10 Launch and Private View on Thurs 4 March is open to all. 6-8pm. A FREE Festival coach departs from Newcastle Central Station at 5pm and departs Middlesbrough at 8:30pm. For details and to reserve a seat email reservations@avfestival.co.uk.

The exhibition continues through 4 July 2010.

Image at right: Felix Gonzalez-Torres “Untitled” (North), 1993, Light bulbs,extension cords, porcelain sockets. Overall dimensions vary with installation. Twelve parts: 22 1/2 ft. in length with 20 ft. of extra cord each. Installation view of “Currents 22: Felix Gonzalez-Torres” at Milwaukee Art Museum, 1993 Photography: Efraim Lev-er© Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation. Courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York.

Getting to mima

mima is located at Centre Square in Middlesbrough, Postcode: TS1 2AZ. Click here for MultiMap directions »

Felix Gonzalez-Torres Untitled (Strange Bird), 1993

Felix Gonzalez-Torres billboard projects introduce magical imagery into an urban location, at sites usually reserved for commercial advertising. He is advertising something that cannot be consumed, a public invitation to dream.

The work is presented on six billboards across Middlesbrough, NewcastleGateshead and Sunderland.

In Middlesbrough: Borough Road, TS1 2EQ; North Ormesby Road, TS1 5JP; Newport Road, TS4 2AF

In Newcastle: City Road and Melbourne Street, NE1 2HG

In Sunderland: St Mary's Way, SR1 3AH

Image at left: Felix Gonzalez-Torres 'Untitled' (Strange Bird), 1993. Billboard. Dimensions vary with installation. Installation in Los Angeles for 'Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Travelling' at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 1994. Photo: Alex Slade copyright The Felix Gonzales-Torres Foundation. Courtesy of Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York.

Energy Shorts on the Big Screen

An open-call for moving image and short film works on the theme of energy produced a fantastic number of thoughtful, humorous and creative submissions by international artists and filmmakers. Two dedicated screenings are presented on the North East’s only Big Screen, in Centre Square, Middlesbrough, and include work by: Theo Burt, Hondartza Fraga, Katerina Hadravova, Louise Harris, Max Hattler, Chris Oakley, Rimas Sakalauskas and Chris Wright.

Screenings take place: Fri 5th March from 12:30pm until 1:30pm and Wed 10th March from 6:00pm until 7:00pm

Image at right is Still from Collision, Max Hattler, 2005.

Silent Sound at Middlesbrough Town Hall

AV Festival 10 is excited to have the opportunity to present Silent Sound by Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard on Sunday 7th March 2010 at Middlesbrough Town Hall. The work features an original score by J. Spaceman (from the band Spiritualized) and an introduction on the night by Dr. Ciaran O’Keeffe from Living TV’s ‘Most Haunted’. Your chance to win tickets is here »

Silent Sound Production Still Photo by Anne Worthington

Silent Sound described

Silent Sound is conceived as an otherworldly experiment setting out to warp your perception and stage a remarkable experience. Part classical concert and part seance, drawing on the powerful psychological set-up of 19th century Spiritualist public performances and inspired by Victorian entertainers The Davenport Brothers who were famed for attempting to contact the souls of the dead using their ‘spirit cabinet’, Iain and Jane will perform inside their own specially created soundproof cabinet. From the stage inside this cabinet they will repeatedly broadcast a spoken ‘message’, this signal is fed into a custom-made Silent Sound machine, which attempts to subliminally embed the message within the music and transmits it throughout the duration of the performance.

The event will be recorded live and a CD will be given to everyone in the audience as they leave. A limited edition of the CD will also be available following the event from http://www.silentsound.info/

Places are strictly limited – book yours now.

Video of Silent Sound

Silent Sound from Iain & Jane on Vimeo.

Booking Tickets

Tickets are on sale now at £8 (£6 concessions) and limited. Available from the Box Office at 01642 729 729 or http://www.avfestival.co.uk/programme/10/events/silent-sound Please note that doors open at 6.00pm and there will be no admission after 6.30pm. The performance lasts for 1 hour.

Middlesbrough Town Hall

The Victorian Gothic Town Hall is one of Middlesbrough's most distinctive venues. It's haunted history makes it the perfect place to perform Silent Sound for the AV Festival.

Getting to Town Hall

Middlesbrough Town Hall is located on Albert Road, TS1 2QQ. Follow road signs for town centre. Click here for MultiMap directions »

Booking Tickets

In person: Box office is open Monday–Wednesday: 10am-5pm, Thursday: 10am-8pm, Friday: 10am-4.30pm, Saturday: 9am-1.30pm and on performance nights 6pm until show goes up.

By phone: 01642 729729 or 815181

Please note credit/debit card payments over the phone will incur a charge of £1 per ticket. Credit/debit card payments over the counter will incur a £1 transaction fee.

Access information for Middlesbrough

visitmiddlesbrough.com/accessibility