PREVIEW: Currents International New Media Festival Opens Tonight

Today, Currents—the international new media festival—hosts 90 artists including 26 international participants, also 11 venue partners this year, which will feature off-site events in tandem with the festival. Founders Mariannah Amster and Frank Ragano will attest much has changed in the past 10 years since Parallel Studios began exhibiting video artists.

Opening tonight, June 22, at El Museo (8:30 p.m. through midnight), Currents boasts more satellite venues and off-site installations and performances as well as panel discussions. Worth mentioning is the panel discussion on social media and art with An Xiao at Zane Bennett Contemporary and the Expanded Documentary Program at the Center for Contemporary Art. (See schedule for dates and times.) The CCA will also feature video installations; Albuquerque artist Mary Tsiongas will be presented in the Waxman lobby.

In the Railyard tonight look for installations from Axle Contemporary, Santa Fe University and Meow Wolf.

Axle Contemporary, Winky Drinks' Unfinished Business

Partnering with the Capriccio Foundation, Currents aims to blur the lines between science and art this year, which will feature the “Scientific Animation Shortfest”—a festival of films with rhizomatous DNA structures that Ragano exclaims are “incredibly beautiful!”

Some exciting news online for next year includes collaboration with Santa Fe Art Institute to offer residencies for international artists involved with Currents.

Scientific Animation Shortfest

Video artists Amster and Ragano noticed a need to give exposure to new media artists in New Mexico 10 years ago. As Currents has expanded, so too has its vision. Amster exposed an underlying goal for Currents beyond exhibiting new media arts, which is to provide opportunities to young people that they might stay in New Mexico rather than moving away to city’s that support more current  trends in contemporary art. Ragano added, “Yes. Santa Fe needs to stay hip and vibrant.”

Look for reports from Currents on AdobeAirstream throughout the festival.