The International Videoarts Festival

Today I missed an extremely rare opportunity to commune with local and international artists, as well as fellow art lovers at the International Vidoearts Festival. I entered the dark auditorium and as I looked onto the screen, I saw what appeared to be, the digital etchings of a face. I watched in awe as the shape of the face began to warp and distort itself. Through the face I could see shadow figures emerging from the tangle of lines that comprised the image. A darker shadow image appeared in the upper right corner of the screen, taunting the ever somber and attentive face. The outlines of people seemed to recall a defining moment. Trauma even. Trauma that the darker figure exploited. I could see hurt in the physical expressions the face illustrated. Immediately I was in awe of this new and innovative way of story telling.

Before moving to Tampa, I knew little to nothing about multimedia art and digital code. Even now my knowledge is extremely limited, but I can appreciate these mediums for their innovations. From technology a new avenue of expression was born. During my time at the University of Tampa, I quickly learned of artist Santiago Echeverry and his prominence in the local and international artistic community. I had heard his name multiple times and I wanted to put a face, a story to the name. I wanted to know more. His project, Cabaret, was so poignant in its depiction of its subjects. The images were as objective and honest as if they had been photographs. Through this project he has refined the art of story telling while simultaneously opening a dialogue between his audience and his work. His art demands for us to truly reflect on the piece and what it means to the artist who created it, as well as to us, society. We are asked to look not with the eyes of a student or a critique, but with curiosity, emotion, and reflection.

Art and Technology has challenged me to view the world differently. To ask myself how art reflects the world I live in, but also how it has the power to shape it, too. Before this I never realized how interrelated art and technology were, or that several inventions came about because of art. Whether we realize it or not, art permeates our every day lives in surprising fun ways. As the saying goes, "Life imitates art."