AVIT Kezmarok, Slovakia

Closing of my 2nd day at the AVIT:Kezmarok, License to Screen festival. As I write this I am one hour from the first of my two part modul8 workshop here. My demonstration materials are all set up and I am always a bit giddy.

We arrived after an eight hour drive from Berlin. Two cars speeding along the highways of Poland. As the sun went down we arrived in the hills just before the Tatra mountains and finally the greeting party in the woods just outside the town of Kezmarok complete with a nearby stream, cookout and camp fire.

I am very excited about this festival. The initiative began as a conversation between a group of friends in Berlin who were discussing the tensions between Hungary and Slovakia. There idea was to try to do something cultural that would bring people together. As David Szauder was one of the persons present during this conversation the cultural element lead to VJing and the AVIT network.

AVIT was one of the first large international events dedicated to the VJ medium. This became VJ Central and the AVIT network has been adopted by LPM in Rome, Visionare in Paris, Visual Berlin and now extends east with Kezmarok in Slovakia.

Actually this festival was supposed to make its debut in 2010. But the mayor of Kezmarok was eager and asked if there could be a festival already in 2009. In less than three months arrangements were made as quickly as possible to include workshops in the Kezmarok House of Culture, outdoor performances in the main square and a club party in the basement of Castle Kezmarok.

So why am I here? Besides doing a workshop I will be doing some VJing in the square with some of my peers, David Szauder (recently re-christened pixel noizz), Benjamin Jantzen, Luci Benson and others. Beyond that I feel like I am part of something much larger. As individuals we are tightening our lines of communication within the community. As a group are trying to show how this medium can smooth the rough edges of communication within the European Community. All positive acts ripple on to other positive ones.

I am looking forward to posting some photos of some of the upcoming events.