DENVER DIGERATI
As the concept of metaverse now has found its comfort space in daily conversations it's easier to grasp the idea of a digital animation fest as well. But, Supernova Digital Annual Festival by Denver Digerati is far older than the recent hype of technology surge that we know.
Hi, Let’s first begin with your introduction. Are you both originally from Denver, how did you first meet? Please tell us about your own experiences of digital immersive art shows and how you even had the idea of such a platform.
Sharifa is originally from Denver and I moved here in 2000 from Utah. I was immersed in the film culture in SLC through Sundance and the art house cinemas but moved to Denver to start a contemporary art gallery, it seemed like a better place to give that a try. What intrigued me most with contemporary art, at the time, were video artists, elaborate, interactive installations, as well as artists doing challenging work that was non-commercial. I feel these works were precursors to immersive art. Nothing was more “immersive” and essential to me than Peter Burr’s “Cartune Xprez'', which I was fortunate to host at my gallery in 2006 as part of an ongoing experimental performance series. Peter presented a curated reel of animations, followed by an elaborate performance, which he toured around the country. It was really imaginative and a night I’ll never forget, he’s a true pioneer. Later in my gallery life, I discovered certain artists who piqued my interest in creating breathtaking motion artworks through purely digital means, artists such as Jonathan Monaghan, Denver’s own Milton Croissant III, and others. I took on the role of Creative Director in 2009 for a new entity, the Denver Theatre District, which gave me direct access to put artwork up on large format LED screens controlled by media companies in the downtown core. A small percentage of their revenue was earmarked for public art activations through their agreements with the DTD. Within this role I was able to curate and experiment with a largely untested construct, which greatly fed my desire to create something new and potentially game-changing in the arts, namely positioning digital motion art as a new public art experience, through LED screens. It seemed to be the perfect dovetailing of technology and societal shifts in the arts. I met Sharifa in 2019 because we intersected in the art scene locally. She was a curator at another nonprofit and we realized a great professional synergy in how we looked at innovation in the arts. She took a board position with Denver Digerati, then officially joined as staff in the summer of 2020, at the height of the pandemic. We have complementary skill sets, and as a staff of two, this is crucial to the amount of work we accomplish each year.
Ivar - when and how the concept of Denver digerati came to life. Please tell us the story of your initial phase of building the community. How was the time then and what shifts have you gone through? Talk about your pivotal moment as a founder and creative director.
I had put a lot of energy into initial public screenings that were positioned within the City’s annual Create Denver Week. These were amazing events, but just once a year, we really didn’t have funding or time for more. But they seemed to unlock potential for even more expansive ideas. In 2013 I was determined to launch a regular summer program called “Friday Flash” and I wanted to leverage some of our funding towards the commission of new animations, specifically for our main public screen, which resides on an active corner by the downtown Arts Complex. I felt it was important to brand it properly, and the name Denver Digerati just materialized as a good fit. I turned specifically to digital animation rather than video art primarily to support an emerging and exciting niche, but really the works by digital artists merged best with LED because of the dynamics of the screens and their public positioning. I never get tired of seeing good digital works on public LEDs! Much of my discoveries came through exploring art online, offering great examples and access to artists across the world, most of whom were happy to participate. I think my instincts as a gallery director helped greatly to fashion something credible and well-curated, the early years were a great time for experimentation and putting the neck on the line! After three years of Friday Flash, I realized there was potential for something even more impactful that could bring attention to the medium and allow the international network to grow. The pivotal moment was achieving enough interest and funds to make the annual Supernova Digital Animation Festival a reality in 2016, and we’ve been at it ever since, finding our way into numerous collaborations across the community that include screenings, immersive installations, or any idea that could test the merits of our artist network. There’s a fairly comprehensive project history on our website that I think offers a lot for those who want to explore more. We established Denver Digerati as its own non-profit in 2019. It feels like we are just barely getting out of high school and ready to start college with the whole thing!
Ivar/Sharifa, I’d like to know a bit about your artistic direction. What is the process for you to select artists and what kind of evaluation do you keep in mind before presenting them ahead? What do you look out for in terms of its 360-degree approach?
We always look for forward-thinking artists that are driven more by experimentation rather than commercial pursuits or trends. Those exhibiting a particular aesthetic direction that resonates with their own are of particular interest, as well as strong voices with something to say. Visual panache is often a plus, but animation that is grounded in perspective, strong ideas, and commitment to the medium will always draw our attention. We are also engaged in a position to support and expand communities, providing a mechanism for artists to learn and grow from. So we are often drawn to the emerging talent that we feel might be inspired by the merits of those within our core programs that really shine and might have established careers. And we like to maintain relationships with artists and support them as they develop. We carved our path initially through solid curation and outreach, but currently are finding broad interest from artists around the world through our submission portal on FilmFreeway, allowing us to discover many new artists in a structured way. We cover a wide range of territory due to the very nature of Supernova, and that can evolve each year as different curatorial threads might emerge. We try to promote an expanding bubble where all artists benefit through ongoing association and what we might offer over time.
Ivar.. can you please tell us what upgradation and innovative techniques you have kept in mind and incorporated for optimum promotions ever since you first started, describe the time then versus now. Do you miss anything in particular that initially was used or worked through?
I am a big fan of printed material, and the sort of wonderful items that make the in-person experience special, like t-shirts, posters, 3D printed emblems, you name it. We used to put a lot of effort into that alongside our promotional materials like posters, banners, and fliers. I used to search high and low for items that artists in our network created or were included in, like publications. I still do, but mostly for my own personal satisfaction. The pandemic forced a major shift towards an online presence and expanded website, two things we put a lot more energy and effort into that are important but function differently than our live events. I love the editing process and how we can use our in-house skills for social media clips and promotional trailers, but I have to admit we are constrained by time and budget. I’d prefer to hire a creative director one day that could handle all of that and do justice to the festival, but that seems a long way off.
Ivar/Sharifa Speaking of journey… Please tell us the story behind the great Supernova fest.. How did the idea come to mind first and what was the vision in relation to the way it has manifested today? Please talk about the overall planning and preparation that you undergo for the fest..
The idea for Supernova Digital Animation Festival sprang from my travels and experiences with annual, single-day new media art events like Aurora Festival in Dallas, or wonderful animation expositions like Cutout Fest in Mexico, which invited Denver Digerati to present in 2015. Both were community-driven events that offered incredible support and platforms to artists from across the globe. I felt that Denver and our unique access to public LEDs was the ideal proving ground to support digital animation as its own growing niche, one that was more than just spectacle and flashy lights but could support artworks of depth across numerous genres and disciplines. The festival started as an expansive, multi-screen, single-day festival in 2016. We’ve moved in numerous directions since through community collaborations and auxiliary events that leverage the notoriety and dynamics of our artist network. It's not always the same from year to year, outside of core programming, with a goal of mixing it up when we can and pushing in untried directions, including presenting work in other cities as auxiliary components of the festival. We often find institutions exhibiting artists after they’ve presented with us, or being elevated in more vaunted forums, like Sundance, after cutting their teeth at Supernova. Today, we offer a full month of online programming, with key live events like Silent Screen, which leverages our outdoor LED infrastructure as an all-day exhibition of digital motion art. I think that’s our singular feature. We’ve also incorporated a month-long projection component that allows us to commission artists to make works that are presented nightly onto the facade of Denver’s most iconic historic building, the Daniels and Fisher Tower. This year we are breaking up our live events, there will be one that is more social happening at the Buell Theatre, featuring live performances, immersive installations, and of course fabulous animation presented on the indoor LED. Our focal competition programs will be presented the following week at the Sie Film Center, Denver’s home for art-house cineastes, offering a first-rate, full-slate of programming, which we are greatly looking forward to. Our planning occurs year-round, with the early stage trying to secure initial funding from our regular sources while preparing our festival theme, branding, and call for entries. The Film Freeway portal opens in mid-February and extends through the end of June. We look for community partnerships and collaborations while the portal is active, do outreach for our commissioned animations, and other opportunities, like Silent Screen, and we always try to hustle as much as possible for more support from potential sponsors. Each year has its own curveballs, but overall we are pretty streamlined at this point. Throughout the year, we support a monthly online artist feature that elevates a single work of art or artist from our network, accompanied by a commissioned text. We also support a great initiative we call the “Digital Daily,” which puts a series of 30-second animations on our most distinguished public LED, in rotation throughout the day and night within advertising cycles. This allows us to keep our network engaged and growing.
Ivar/Sharifa Please tell me what more distinctive you are looking forward to inducing for such a community that is constantly evolving and growing. What it is like working with the inevitable developments of technology. Please describe the content keep-ups and the chase that helps you strive.
I: What has fascinated me the most, perhaps, since the inception of Supernova, is the slow but impressive growth of individual artists producing long-form or feature-length animations. We try to keep our standards high in this regard, and some of the most pleasing moments come from putting forward features that we know would stand up well in other arenas and are deserving of a wider audience. It is inevitable that technology allows for more expansive directions, creative thought, and more complete authorial control. We relish the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of art and creativity.
S: I have been most interested in the evolution of interactive and interdisciplinary works that push the boundaries of what’s possible in the realm of viewer engagement and interactivity. However, there is a push and pull of artists that are working with what is most current contrasted with those who utilize what would otherwise be considered obsolete. I believe that the best art is about the expression of ideas, so this is where I gravitate, technology is just a tool.
Sharifa… I’d like to know what it takes to curate and direct Denver digerati. Is there anything that you think should be always kept in mind while dealing with concepts and technology in general? How do you both handle the influx of art that wants to be seen and experienced.. What makes you prioritize and segregate?
Curation for Denver Digerati requires a consistent commitment to research. It isn’t just about the current concepts in technology, but more so how they are being utilized and the theories and methods behind what each artist is doing and why. I think it is important for all contemporary artists to be able to contextualize themselves within the greater community and what has come before. Part of our mission is to elevate artists to create without restrictions, but within the context of art history, I do strongly feel that expansive thought and innovation come with an understanding of what one is adding to the conversation. We are in the business of sharing stories and perspectives, which is beyond simply what something looks like or the software used to bring it to fruition.
Sharifa - In the time of the ‘go green movement.. What initiative do you have to work through to keep all operations sustainable and environment-friendly?
I think that digital art is sustainable in myriad ways, but because the consumption of electricity is part of the conversation, it doesn’t always get positive attention. This especially came to the forefront with the increase in popularity of NFTs, or more specifically through cryptocurrencies. At this point, most people engage with computers and streaming services regularly as part of their lives, yet often there is some cherry-picking that is done to point blame regarding environmental impact. Therefore, I don’t think this conversation is one that should be limited or directed toward digital artists. Having come out of a traditional arts background, I note the inconsistencies in where attention is directed. For example, the carbon footprint that comes along with crating and shipping art is significant. Simply put, I do not feel as though it is my place to critique these systems because I feel that the arts and humanities are hugely important, but I will say that one of the things that I love about my job is the ability to showcase the work of a global network that can be shared through a file transfer and that is something to celebrate. Within the context of our nonprofit, we work from home and we are paperless, so I feel that our operations are both sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Last but not least.. The Netflix tv show - ‘Love death robots’ has gained huge popularity with various stories of extremism with technology. What do you think about the theory of AI in the Domination of Mankind?
Well, the popularity isn’t surprising! Ray Kurzweil gets a lot of airplay these days. During the height of the pandemic, I lost count of the number of conversations on the singularity and the tag of “futurist” or “transhumanist” displayed in profiles. (My education is in art history, so futurism has an entirely different connotation for me.) I also have to admit that I haven’t actually watched Love Death + Robots, so my answer may be way out of context, but it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to think that a computer could be as intelligent as a human, AND depending on which statistic of intelligence we are referring to, they probably already are. However, the notion of AI domination is a bit harder for me to grasp because it does feel like a narrative pulled straight from a science fiction novel. The most succinct way I could express my thoughts would be to say that AI comes with vast opportunities that can benefit society, along with the potential for harm. I believe that domination, oppression, and the desire for power are very human traits.
interview JAGRATI MAHAVER
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