In the run-up to the international festival for computer-based art CYNETart_08, artists from 45 countries with about 280 works have applied to participate in the festival’s competition. In order to name the winner a jury of six renowned artists, art critics and theorists gathered at the media labs Dresden-Hellerau between 16th and 18th May 2008. The reviewing of the artistic works in terms of their conception and aesthetic realisation within the framework of the CYNETart competition as well as the nominations for the CYNETart award were the main topics of this gathering.

The festival is taking place for the 12th time this year. It presents projects of contemporary technology-based art – a form of art that per se is a hybrid and transitory one. In its far-reaching facets it produces and propagates technology-loving approaches as well as abstract subjects, such as futurist aesthetics in the present time. All this serves as the basis on which the festival focuses and reflects on our media-affected environment. The CYNETart exhibition will present the works that have been awarded with the CYNETart_08 award as well as the works that have been recommended for the exhibition by the CYNETart jury. Based on its collaborative conception the exhibition at the same time attempts to provide an atmospheric insight into current media art productions. In addition to the exhibition at the Kunsthaus Dresden there will be several events taking place at the Festspielhaus Hellerau, e.g. the European cooperative project »Post Me_New ID« (31st Oct.–2nd Nov.) with current performances and performance installations from the international scene; furthermore a presentation of very recent positions in media art from Romania, called »Chat Room« (30th Oct.–2nd Nov.), as well as other installations and evening events. Further festival activities that have been established and become popular over the years are the presentation of projects from the Dresden Innovation Fund for art and media technology, of projects from the nationwide multi-media competition MB21 and various performances at several physical and virtual venues.

Organisers of the CYNETart_08
Trans-Media-Akademie Hellerau e.V. and the City of Dresden, the City’s Culture Office, in cooperation with the European Centre for the Arts Hellerau, the Kunsthaus Dresden – The City’s Gallery for Contemporary Art – as well as the Medienkulturzentrum Dresden e.V.