INFEST: INTERNATIONAL ARTIST RUN CULTURE

Date/Time: 24/02/2003 12:00 am

NEWS FLASH!
INFEST: INTERNATIONAL ARTIST RUN CULTURE
FEBRUARY 25 – 29, 2004
VANCOUVER, CANADA
We are pleased to announce the launch of the InFest website.
www.paarc.ca/infest
In acknowledgement of the influential role that Artist Run Centres play in the development of contemporary art, the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres is hosting InFest: International Artist Run Culture from February 25 –29, 2004. This multi-faceted event will include exhibitions and performances, discussion forums, a networking session, Artist Run Centre Presentations, public education programs, and social events. InFest will be the largest gathering in North America of representatives from international Artist Run Centres.
Canada has a thirty year history of Artist Run Centre activity and is home to more than one hundred centres from coast to coast, but the past five years have seen a boom around the world in countries as varied as Korea, Honduras, Thailand, Argentina, South Africa, and Hong Kong. With different mandates, structures and funding sources, the term Artist Run Centre eludes clear definition and will be one of the topics of discussion at InFest. Others include Funding and Artist Run Centres, Writing and Criticism in Artist Run Culture, Internationalism and International Exchange, and the Artist as Curator. Thirty speakers and presenters will be brought to Vancouver from cities such as Montréal, Toronto, London, Seoul, Stockholm, New York, San Francisco, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires and Guadalajara.
The focus of InFest will be on exchanging ideas and strategies to advance artist run culture, generating a sense of community that transcends national borders, and encouraging international collaborations. The goal of InFest is to strengthen the presence of Artist Run Centres within the cultural ecology and public imagination. Artist Run Centres have provided a foundation for many artists to develop their practice and it is time for them to receive their due attention.