Bozar Electronic Arts Festival explores the possibilities of the digital world

Now in its fifth edition, the festival continues to embrace the worlds of visual, art, video, installation and, of course, music

Bozar Electronic Arts Festival has come a long way in a short time. Now in its fifth edition, the digital arts and music extravaganza was originally conceived as a straightforward facsimile of the seminal Detroit Electronic Music Festival. It even bore the name Brussels Electronic Music Festival.

But, while the Detroit event drifted into dishearteningly charted waters by adopting a mainstream club orientation and rechristening itself Movement, its Brussels counterpart grew ever more adventurous. It took the new name Bozar Electronic Arts Festival to reflect its expanding scope.

Every year it has embraced more visual art, video and installation. The common denominator here isn’t a danceable beat but a commitment to exploring the possibilities of the digital world.

Of course there’s music. The programme is packed with over two dozen sets by DJs and live acts from around the world. Returning champion Tim Hecker headlines. The acclaimed Canadian musician and theorist impressed audiences with an intimate set here in 2014. This year he performs in Bozar’s magnificent Henry Le Boeuf Hall with smoke and lights by German scenographer MFO.

Beyond beats, however, BEAF’s twin visual arts exhibitions bear witness to the festival’s comprehensive approach to digital media. The Starts (Science, Technology and Arts) Prize selection features 14 cutting-edge works curated by the European Commission. As the acronym suggests, this project seeks to bridge the divide between specialised knowledge and popular arts.

The other exhibition takes a magnifying glass to the local art world. Tendencies: Belgian Art in the Digital Age #1 taps six artists to survey the contemporary landscape and play with the themes of the day. One of them, Ghent-based media artist Dries Depoorter, takes current concern about internet privacy as his starting point and weaves a tapestry of transatlantic webcams called “Seattle Crime Cams” (pictured). Both exhibitions remain on show until 2 October.

Photo: Dries Depoorter/GR-DR