WHAT IS ZEROONE SANJOSE: INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ART AND TECHNOLOGY?

From August 5-12 2006, San Jose will launch the first biennial ZeroOne SanJose: International Festival of Art and Technology. To be known as "ZeroOne SanJose," this will attract artists, performers, researchers, and art enthusiasts from around the world. In 2006, this festival will be held in conjunction with the ISEA2006 Symposium.


WHAT IS THE ISEA2006 SYMPOSIUM?

The International Symposium of Electronic Art (ISEA) is an international conference on electronic art that is held every two years in different locations around the world. A consortium of San Jose-based organizations competed for and won the bid to host the ISEA in 2006. Prior host cities include Paris, Sydney, Montreal, Chicago, Manchester, and Nagoya.


WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT ZEROONE SANJOSE AND THE ISEA2006 SYMPOSIUM?

ZeroOne San Jose/ISEA2006 is a week-long celebration of creativity at the intersection of art and technology, featuring exhibitions, performances, lectures, and workshops by artists, technologists, and thought leaders around the world. A key theme is "Silicon Transvergence," which focuses on how different disciplines, cultures, and people come together to create and innovate in Silicon Valley and in digital culture more broadly.

Related activities include the Pacific Rim New Media Summit for electronic arts educators, hosted by San Jose University. Also, many local and regional arts and cultural orientations will orient their programming during August of 2006 to activities involving art and technology.


HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL ATTEND?

ZeroOne San Jose/ISEA2006 is anticipated to attract at least 40,000 attendees, including 3,000 international participants. Spending by festival attendees and organizers will generate an estimated economic impact of $12 million in San Jose.


WHY IS ZEROONE SANJOSE/ISEA2006 IMPORTANT FOR SAN JOSE?

In addition to the direct economic impact, hosting ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006 will position the San Jose area as an internationally significant artistic and creative center--not only a technology and business powerhouse. This is stradegically important at this stage of San Jose's evolution to continue to attracting top-notch talent and to raise San Jose's stature among the world's great cities.

No other community in the world is as well-poised to lead at the intersection of art and technology as San Jose/Silicon Valley. ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006 will bring international recognition to the exceptional artistic and technological talent already in the region and spark new, cutting-edge works at the intersection of art and technology.


WHO IS ORGANIZING ZEROONE SANJOSE/ISEA 2006?

Many organizations and individuals contributed to developing the concept of an Art and Technology Festival over the last three years. Seven organizations (The San Jose Seven) submitted the winning proposal to host isea2006 and comprise the executive committee to plan ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006. These are City of San Jose, San Jose State University CADRE Laboratory for New Media, San Jose Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, San Jose Museum of Art, Tech Museum of Innovation, ZeroOne: The Art and Technology Network, and Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley.


WHO IS THE FESTIVAL DIRECTOR?

Internationally renowned new media curator Steve Dietz will serve as Director of ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006. Dietz is former Curator of New Media at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, where he founded the New Media Initiatives Department in 1996. Prior to the Walker Art Center, Dietz was founding Chief of Publications and New Media Initiatives at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and editor of the scholarly journal, American Art.


WHAT IS THE BUDGET?

To host ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006, organizers will raise $2 million over a 2-year period primarily from corporate sponsorships, philanthropic contributions, and earned income.


HOW CAN COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS GET INVOLVED?

• The success of ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006 will depend on contributions of vision, talent, and resources from throughout the San Jose/Silicon Valley community.
  
• Arts and cultural organizations can program their activities in August of 2006 to align with the themes of ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006, and benefit from joint marketing efforts.
  
• Companies can support the Festival in a range of ways—commissioning works, hosting artists in residence, being a financial sponsor—and gain marketing visibility, customer insight, and positive community relations.
  
• Individuals can contribute their ideas, connections, resources, and volunteer time.

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR MORE INFORMATION?

To discuss sponsorship or community involvement, please contact Beau Takahara, Festival Coordinator, at 650-810-1057 or beau@zero1.org. To discuss the ZeroOne SanJose/ISEA2006 program, please contact Steve Dietz, Festival Director, at 952-994-4118 or stevedietz@yproductions.com.