The DOPUST project

This project is based on a platform formation which would exchange, network and develop contemporary theoretical and practical tactics and policies by artists, groups, organisations, institutions- (and) everyone who feels the need and obligation to contribute a public prosperity trough the art medium

Performance as an art form has an important place in the media culture context. Its specific qualities have always been substantial and cultural relevance, audience and larger social community impact it creates and also technological and cultural innovation. The first Festival included performances, guest artists’ work presentations, discourses on various performance forms, round table, projections, DJ- ing, VJ- ing, performative concerts and performances based on audio- visual softwears. Many of these work had an interactive character in a way that these contexts and their documentations were sent to different locations, newspapers, television, radio, blogs, internet portals, YouTube, etc. A large part of the audience and artists were youth. These performances and their strategies, trough the new media, had a certain social and cultural impact on different social groups.

“Dopust” is a second manifestation of “extended performance” in Split with festival characteristics. First meeting of local and national experimentators, artists, performers, DJ- s, VJ- s, theoreticians, proffesors and students took place in April last year (2008) in Aquarium on Bacvice, Split, at UMAS (Art Academy), Film library “Zlatna Vrata” (“Golden Gate”) and on the streets of the city of Split. Nine- days program included live performances, live installations, actions, multi- media, motion- in- space, audio- video, ambiental, interactive, socially- engaged, destructive and auto- destructive performance, discourses, etc. The goal was to give the audience direct insight into locally and nationally known artists’ ideas, reflections and attitudes and to get a clearer view of the recent state of non- formal cultural and artistic scene. Trough offered program accent was made on cooperation and connection between the authors, the audience, students and professors, information exchange, learning, new experiences and new contacts. Festival’ s main theme was “Local ridicule”. Split is the city known for its “ridicules”, people who are often actually interesting and provocative artists and experimentators. Public interest, especially among the youth, was impressive, and the Festival also had a response in a local and national media, despite its humble resources. For these reasons we decided to gather again this year in April on the same locations national and foreign participants in a new festival.

This festival tends to enrich cultural scene of the city of Split. It would define already existing scene of publicly and culturally engaged authors, students and theoreticians. It would also mobilise a certain “critical mass” of people which completes and inspires these kind of projects.