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ATRAKT ART & A4
The strong feeling of community that the experimental electronica producers in Bratislava share was fostered by the annual Next Festival whose first edition took place in 1999. Next is a brainchild of Slávo Krekovič and Oliver Rehák, both of whom run the Bratislava-based NGO Atrakt Art, which apart from organizing the Next Festival, also releases audio compilations and records, publishes a semi-periodic magazine 3/4 Revue and is also involved in organizing the Multiplace network culture festival as well as in running the A4 Zero Space – Bratislava’s only contemporary art venue. The last edition of Next Festival, the event’s tenth anniversary, took place in December 2009 boasting names such as Globe Unity Orchestra, Z’ev, Mika Vainio or Bj Nilsen. Slavo and Oliver are also part of the experimental plunderphonics project Voice Over Noise. Also worth checking is their online guide to Slovak experimental/avantgarde music Kraa.
Easterndaze

NEXT FESTIVAL
Apart from an extensive roster of high-profile experimental and improvised music projects, NEXT is also known for its warm and sometimes pretty wild athmosphere. The lobby of the NOC building becomes a meeting place of Bratislava’s experimental scene, with audience and artists mixing together during the energetic and wild afterparties.
Easterndaze web

Since this was my first time on NEXT festival, forget my being so enthusiastic. But this is really a great feat from where I come from. Althought quite extraordinary gigs are thrown here and there, NEXT is a continuous, three-day flow of “marginal” music. And you really DO get things in context. I mean you can compare various experimental approaches, see how the people do it and touch them if you want. … If you live around and are into this kind of music, you should definitely come NEXT year.
Adam Hrubý’s Blog

L’ART EN EUROPE / DOMAINE POMMERY
The fifth important show of contemporary art to be held at Domaine Pommery -coming after the 2007 exhibition “The Power of Place”: A proposal by Daniel Buren” – “Art in Europe” analyzes the state of European artistic creation today, at the time of the extension of the European Union, by presenting an overview of its trends, themes and key players. In order to convey the reality of this multi-faceted artistic scene as accurately as possible, Domaine Pommery and Beaux-Arts Magazine have invited the leading European contemporary art magazines to each select two of the finest young artists in their countries. Fifty artists and the same number of works of art that reflect the vitality of 27 national scenes will be exhibited, testifying to the exuberance and richness of art “made in Europe”.
By making art magazines and their editors in chief the main curators of this exhibition, “Art in Europe” intends not only to present artistic creation from the perspective of the actors in the field of art in each country, but also to highlight the wealth of critical thought on contemporary art. The exhibition catalogue will contain articles written by all of the curators on the situation of art today in their countries, thus providing a fully developed exploration of these theories in all their diversity.
http://www.claudinecolin.com/en/archives-29-l-art-en-europe