A Look Behind The Creators Project
The Creators Project, held this past weekend at Fort Mason, was an amazing gathering of music, food, art, film and technology. Spectrum took a look at some of the unique exhibits and creations that were on display. But what does the future hold for the global arts and technology initiative?
Hosi Simon, General Manager of VICE, which partnered with Intel to launch the initiative in 2010, said this is just the beginning of things to come. “The Creators Project events are only a part of the entire cultural initiative; it really is a global celebration of art and technology. When we started, we wanted to find a way to support and celebrate visionary artists across multiple disciplines, which are using technology to push the boundaries of their creative expression,” Simon said. “The Creators Project is an on-going, multi-year project across the globe. In just 3 years it’s already worked with over 200 artists so far and the list keeps growing – and our overall scope is expanding dramatically as we continue.”
Simon said that coming to San Francisco for the first time in 2012 was just a natural fit. “We really think of this area as the epicenter where technology and art come together. We also feel that the area has never had something on the scope of The Creators Project before, and we knew that people would love it,” he said. “In addition, it is in Intel’s backyard. And to be honest, we love the food here, and it’s one of the most beautiful corners of the world.”
Along with a number of unique art exhibits, there was an all-day mix of eclectic music performances, from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to a James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem fame) DJ set and Squarepusher. Simon said that the goal is to create a truly all-encompassing artistic performance at each location they visit. “Yes, we always create a massive cultural festival across all disciplines, wherever we go. We always create a festival line-up of music, all day film and panel programming, workshops, and of course a huge array of groundbreaking artworks. Our music selection is a great way to illustrate what we consider the intersection of technology and creativity, far beyond the rather trite approach of thinking of this as simply DJs or electronic musicians. We really look for innovation through production techniques, creative distribution methods, inventive music videos, or mind-bending live performance set-ups.”
Photo Credit: Bryan Derballa
Creators Project will continue on to Paris, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Beijing and New York this year. Here’s hoping it makes a return to San Francisco in 2013.
