Van Gogh TV

"In the mid-eighties, Van Gogh TV decided to filter their experiences of performance art, avant-guarde music and the traditional arts into the electronic mass media. Art thus became research. Became experimental; expeditionary; adventurous. Van Gogh Radio (present at documenta 8 in 1987, for example), was followed by Van Gogh TV. The future broadcast environment was determined to be: Interactive Television."

Originally created as a mobile project, the early works of VGTV were pirate radio and pirate TV interventions and performance actions. Working under the names PONTON and Van Gogh TV, these partner projects maintained an active profile at commercial digital expos. and at international media art festivals.

The first live TV broadcasts of VGTV were supported by the Ars Electronica Festival in Linz, and broadcast on ORF2 and 3SAT.

1986: At Ars Electronica, the media simulation ContainerCity.

1987: Documenta 8, Kassel: International Radio Syndicate (pirate radio).
1987: Book Fair, Frankfurt: Mobile Radio.

1988: Osnabrück: first Van Gogh TV (pirate TV).

1989: In 1989, VGTV established its first permanent laboratory, the European Media Art Lab on Koppelstraße, in Hamburg’s Kunstatelier Werkstatt. With a permanent base, VGTV began high level experimental research into the creative use of public communication systems.
1989: Ars Electronica: European Mobile Media Art Project.

1990: Ars Electronica: Hotel Pompino (live television project).

1992: documenta IX: Piazza Virtuale


1993: Van Gogh TV begins to develop online systems for the Internet.
1994: Ars Electronica: Service Area a.i.
1996: Worlds Within, an on-line 3D multi-user communication environment for the Internet.

With these projects, VGTV developed significant contributions to the integration of digital techniques in broadcast design. Grounded in performance art aesthetics, Van Gogh TV was quick to merge digital techniques with live action. Layers of video, sound, and computer graphics, along with computer animation, often became unique digital backgrounds for TV performance works.

Ressources:

http://www.vangoghtv.org/

Related:
Communication Art
Pirate Television
PONTON
Minus Delta t

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