Chile Media Arts Biennial

After the end of Franco Chilean Festival of Video Art – a milestone in the 80′s to the dissemination and development of the discipline in our country – the will of a group of artists founded the Chilean Video Corporation in 1993 with the aim of promoting the research and creation of experimental video art practice in Chile. It was directed until its tenth version by the artist, college professor, theorist and researcher in new media, Nestor Olhagaray Llanos, founder of the Media Art Biennale in 1993. The event opened a new moment for video art in our country, also incorporating other artistic inquiries related to the new technologies.

Nestor Olhagaray

Under the rapid changes taking place in technology, and with it the art, culture and society, it has been marked by BAM updates, reorientations and name changes. Born as Santiago Video Biennial, its name changed to Video and Electronic Arts Biennial, and then to Video and New Media Biennial in the late 90s. In its ninth and tenth versions, it was called Video and Media Art Biennial, and the eleventh version took the name Media Art Biennale, representing the leading audiovisual production in Chile and worldwide.

The biennial is a systematic space that promotes these new expressions of contemporary visual arts. The meeting is a regular showcase for national and international production in this area, promoting the encounter between artists in the industry, and is concerned to address the theoretical challenges of the relationship of film, visual arts, technology and creativity.

One of its main activities since its inception is the contest Juan Downey. Currently open to video and digital arts, is a permanent tribute to this Chilean artist, considered one of the pioneers of video and electronic art in the world.