Chilling out in ‘Salon Moskau’

The minimal upstairs space of the Salon Moskau was dedicated to kicking back and relaxing, and a number of video projectors were set up for ‘jamming’, where anyone with a laptop and some graphics could contribute their own visuals. During the day, a number of forums allowed established VJs to present their concepts and discuss the nature of live visuals and the future possibilities of the medium.

The centre courtyard

VJ culture has come along way since its beginnings in early 90s club culture. The image of crude 3d doughnuts spinning in outer space, or tripped-out day-glo patterns, is firmly imprinted on everyone’s retinas from that era, and now would be a good time for visual artists to push the medium further, making use of advances in computer technology and accessible software interfaces. There seemed to be a distinct lack of more conceptually oriented work which extended beyond the ‘moving wallpaper’ effect and addressed political and theoretical concerns. And, in the instances where it was evident that the VJs and DJs had collaborated together, the results were definately more engaging as a live audiovisual experience.

The fact that VJing is now being seen as a medium in its own right, and not just a supplement to a DJ or live music act, is a result of events like Contact Europe, which help raise the profile of artists and encourage new creative exchanges. The future is certainly bright…

Contact Europe 2004
Date: July 1st – 3rd, 2004
Place: Cafe Moskau
https://www.projekttor.org