FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 26, 2009

Inquiries: Kari Hensley, Communications Director
media ::at:: confluxfestival.org

Glowlab announces the 6th Annual Conflux Festival in partnership with New York University.

Conflux, the art and technology festival for the creative exploration of urban public space, is pleased to announce the 6th annual Conflux Festival will take place from September 17-20, 2009.

The festival will be headquartered in Manhattan with our partner and host, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. As in past years, Conflux events will take place throughout New York’s five boroughs.

The future of the festival was uncertain after the initial five-year run ended last year. In the midst of the econocalypse, however, artistic and critical attention to the complexities of urban space has taken on a heightened significance. It thus seemed imperative for the festival to continue with a special emphasis placed on resource-sharing, academic analysis, and hands-on and collaborative approaches to the creative examination of the urban environment.

The structure of the festival continues to evolve with this year’s presenters curated by invitation from within the existing Conflux community. In keeping with its commitment to openness, the festival will also include a special open-format daylong event called ConfluxCity that will allow for a diverse range of new participants and projects.

ConfluxCity 2009

In keeping with its commitment to urban artistic exploration, community participation, shared knowledge, and critical civic engagement, Conflux will organize a user-generated open format event on Sunday September 18th, 2009 from 10am-6pm.

Through an open submissions process, ConfluxCity will provide a platform for artists, urban geographers, technologists and others to organize and produce innovative activities dedicated to the examination, celebration and (re)construction of everyday urban life.

Drawing inspiration from Burning Man’s creed of radical self-reliance and BarCamp’s philosophy of openness and participation, ConfluxCity will adopt an open-space approach in which participants will be expected to organize, promote, and host their own activities and events. To facilitate this format, the Conflux Festival headquarters and website will serve as a central communications hub directing festival attendees outward to individual event websites and locations.

ConfluxCity participants must submit their proposal by July 20th ($10 administrative fee). All proposals will be judged based on artistic merit, originality, and feasibility.

The 2009 Conflux Festival schedule and other details will be announced soon. Stay tuned.