digifest 08: Water's Edge: catastrophe, trauma, possibility

March 30, 2008

 digifest is a biennial International Festival of Design and Media Culture presented by the Design Exchange in partnership with Harbourfront Centre and the Ontario Science Centre. The Festival takes place all day in the Weston Family Innovation Centre on Level D.

It is the first festival of its kind in Canada and gives Canadians access to artistic experiences in the realm of digital media as well as the opportunity to meet artists/designers through presentations, question and answer periods, workshops and informal communication.  

• Take part in the Toronto Catastrophe Slam

 Hosted by Atkinson Faculty of Liberal and Professional Studies, York University, this event brings together professionals in the field and members of the public to exchange knowledge and ideas on catastrophe, disaster and emergency.  Informative keynotes and participatory challenges will examine Toronto-specific natural disaster, health and security crisis scenarios.

Sunday, March 30, 10:00 a.m., Weston Family Innovation Centre, Level D

• Enjoy a media art event  

Oversized projections will create a surround-vision of catastrophe, ranging from the perspective of personal trauma to that of global urgency as seen through the eyes of artists Ingo Gunther, Melissa Shiff, Cathy Gordon, Henk Hofstra and others and accompanied by experimental noise by DJ Martin Tetrault, a leading innovator on the Montreal arts scene. 

• 72 hours: is your family prepared?  

In the event of a disaster, are you and your family prepared to take care of yourselves for 72 hours?  Public Safety Canada staff will talk to visitors and hand out emergency preparedness guides

• Join a cultural jam 

Discuss the haunting account of Hurricane Katrina's devastating power as seen in the IMAX® film, Hurricane on the Bayou or exchange ideas in the Toronto Catastrophe Slam with artists, designers and disaster and emergency management stakeholders and academics.

• Accept a challenge

Join a one hour rapid prototyping session offered by OSC staff and make shelters, alternative water collecting devices and more.

• De-construct digifest 08 

Bloggers Kevin Couch, Shannon Bell and others re-interpret digifest events in order to
solicit public response.

More information

Of related interest: 
Body Mapping ~ Women Navigating the Positive Experience