Australian artists are again at the forefront of electronic arts with their strong presence this year at the International Symposium on Electronic Arts (ISEA) 2009 in Belfast.

Consistent early adopters of new technologies and interdisciplinary art practices, Australian artists have played a highly proactive role throughout out the history of ISEA ñ one of the top electronic art symposiums in the world.

This year is no exception with 20 artists and speakers attending the symposium and an Australian presence resonating throughout the collaborative artworks, discussions and presentations.

“We have a long standing tradition of supporting artists working at the edges of creative endeavour,î said Kathy Keele, CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts. ìThrough this support of innovation, we have over the years created leaders in the field of hybrid and media arts.î

A highlight of the ISEA 2009 symposium, and part of the Catalyst Art exhibition, is Ecolated ñ Littoral Lives produced by renowned Australian sound artist, Nigel Heyler on M.A.R.I.N., a seaborne artist lab.This is the first project as part of the M.A.R.I.N expedition – a long term Finnish project.M.A.R.I.N. is home to Heyler and computer interface experimenter, Daniel Woo, and programmer, Michael Lake, for 11 weeks as they collect audio and environmental samples from the Irish Sea, track changes, and recording peopleís memories of those changes.

More on: www.sonicobjects.com/index.php/projects/more/ecolocated

“Ecolated ñ Littoral Lives is an expert locative media artwork, an exciting, specialist area of hybrid and media arts at which Australians are excelling today,” said Andrew Donovan, Director of Inter-Arts at the Australia Council for the Arts.  “Australia’s media artists take a maverick approach to experimentation and invention. The quality of their work, and the rigour our artists bring to critical and theoretical debates about this specialty, make what is happening in Australia very exciting at the moment.”

Another highlight at ISEA09 is from media artist, Nancy Mauro-Flude, who is presenting her Bag Lady 2.0, Custom Built Interfaces/Electronic Performance Tools and her highly entertaining, interactive performance streamed live as part of the Spark Exhibition.

More on: https://www.pssquared.org/Baglady.php

Other Australian artists and speakers attending ISEA 2009 are Gavin Artz, Kathy Cleland, Leon Cmielewski, Ann Finnegan, Petra Gemeinboeck, Ross Harley, Garth Paine, Josephine Starrs, Kate Richards, Sarah Last, Sarah Waterson, Cecelia Cmielewski, Gavin Sade, Sally Pryor and Ilaria Vanni Accarigi.

“ISEA this year has a strong emphasis how the arts animate society,” said Cecelia Cmielewski, Manager of Community Partnerships at the Australia Council and a presenter at ISEA Presenter.

“Each time ISEA is held, it further builds a sense of how the electronic arts make meaning within our global social, artistic and cultural communities.”

Media contact: Emma Heath +61 2 (0)413 768 588 or e.heath@creative.gov.au