Networking flashmob “Meeting Massive” opened the cutting edge Chicago Motion Graphics Festival, running through Saturday, which has expanded mightily over the past five years to become the premiere industry event for motion and sound design, visual effects and interface technology.
A thousand attendees are expected over five days “to experience an unprecedented degree of event integration,” says graphic designer/MGFest founder Mason Dixon.
“In essence, every participant becomes an artistic collaborator,” says Dixon, who collaborates with MGFest directors Julee Wood and Troy Milstead to stage the Chicago-based event and travel it to other cities throughout the year.
Wood and Milstead lead Psymbolic, their A/V event engineering company that’s been likened to a digital/graphic Bauhaus.sessions, labs, imagination college, receptions, community pavilion, networking and press opportunities, entertainment & art parties, art
Some of fest’s highlights:
Following Wednesday’s “Meetup Massive,” with seven local user groups and collectives at Tantrum, 1023 S. State, 5:30 p.m., is a screening of selections from Stash’s DVD Magazine and Lumen Eclipse’s video art exhibits in Boston’s Harvard Square. It features artists Herzog & de Meuron, Lucas Arts, N.A.S.A. featuring Tom Waits & Kanye West, Basement Jaxx, Warp Records, NinjaTune, Royskopp, Puma.
At Columbia College’s Ferguson Center, 600 S. Michigan, 6-10 p.m.
Wednesday/Thursday: An all-day Sound Design Intensive is led by internationally recognized recording artists Benn Jordan and Richard Devine. The first half covers music licensing for TV; the second half takes place at Jordan’s three-room home studio and discusses technical strategies. $399.
Thursday night: MATCH^, a showcase of seven music groups paired with seven visual acts, who will combine motion, sound and code-based art to ignite a synesthetic performance explosion.
