An Arts and Technology Festival Focused on Water, Heritage and Climate Change

The Miami New Media Festival 2018 takes place in seven cities from October 2, 2018 through January 15, 2019, with the intention of exploring different perspectives of the relationship between water, cultural heritage, and climate change, through arts and tech. Starting in Aruba on October 2nd, this festival will showcase the exciting and leading-edge creative artworks of 70 artists from around the world in Miami, Aruba, Bogotá, Caracas, Rome, Santo Domingo, and Valencia.

‘Angel-Caido’ by Elsy Zavarce

Organized by Arts Connection Foundation and Concrete Space, the MNMF XIII Edition is featuring videos of Bill Viola, Nam June Paik, and Robert Wilson, from Sala Mendoza Foundation Collection. Among other guest artists, it will showcase artworks by Isaac Cordal (Spain), Xavier Cortada (United States), Nan González (Venezuela), Cheryl Maeder (United States), Milcho (El Salvador-United States), and Rolando Peña (Venezuela).

‘Before The Eyes’, by Martina Testen

This festival also organized an open call to creators worldwide to promote emerging art and fill conventional and nonconventional spaces of the cities with new technologies and interactive narratives. Twenty artists from eleven countries were selected to take part in the 2018 Edition. The Miami New Media Festival is a multimedia public art event held in Miami and other cities every October since 2006. Through the years this festival has presented video installations, 3D digital art pieces, live music and performances of more than 250 artists from 15 countries.

‘Chronoscope HD’, by Sara Bonaventura

The curatorial thesis of the 13th edition of the festival is Water, Heritage, and Climate Change. Miami holds a close relationship with water. It is a city surrounded by the ocean, beaches, navigation channels, and bridges. Therefore, the Festival curatorial committee encouraged art and tech proposals that work on a sensorial and multidimensional approach to the symbology of water, and the way it is affected by pollution and toxic waste.

‘Mojado’, by Patricio Ballesteros

With the goal of integrating educational activities, the MNMF planned video art workshops with Florida International University and Arthur and Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts High School students. This festival has the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor, and the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners.