Ko Video 1st Durban Video Festival

KO is the abbreviation for Knock Out, a term used in boxing, and the intention of the festival is to really put video out in the city of Durban in abundance and visually knock people out - and so it seemed an appropriate title. Naturally it also pays homage to the OK Video Festival held every two years in Indonesia - OK Video was in turn a homage to the Radio Head album OK Computer - and so in a very oblique way - the chain letter continues... The spaces each hosted 2 loops for the month of October - one per day, alternating. The works were spread out throughout Durban - and there was more than enough time for all work to be seen. Each Venue carried a list of the works and duration apart of each loop - so that visitors could also return a different day to complete perhaps what they had not managed to see. The opening event took place on September 30 at the NSA gallery - at which a selection was made of works from all the loops. The works were shown at 1. Durban Art Gallery - city centre 2. N.S.A. Gallery - Glenwood (suburb west of city centre) 3. Art Space Durban - Industrial area North of city Centre 4. Imagination Lab - Berea West - 10 km outside city centre 5. Ikhaya Media Centre - Kwas mashu - township NW of city centre Participants 1.Argentina - organised by the artists initiative TRAMA 2. Brazil - organised by the artists initiative CEIA 3.. Germany / Medienkunstpreis- organised by Bernhard Foos - 4. India (including Sri-Lanka and Pakistan) organised by the artists initiative OPEN CIRCLE 5. Indonesia - organised by the artists initiative RUANGRUPA 6. International - a loop of works from countries not apart of those mentioned 7. Japan - organised by the VIDEO CENTRE TOKYO 8. Mexico - organised by Fernanda Mejia, René Hayashi and Miguel (Mike) Rodriguez Sepulveda via artists initiative el despacho 9. South Africa - organised by PULSE 10. Netherlands - organised by the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten Danielle van Vree, Delphine Bedel, Fendry Ekel, Igor Sevcuc, Tiong Ang, Pablo Ziccarello, Saskia Janssen, Meiro Kozumi, Siree v.d. Velde, Sara Masüger, Gregg Smith, Pauline Oltheten, Sara Rajeeh, Hans op de Beeck , Koen de Decker