ABOUT FESTIVAL
BRIEF HISTORY
Yugoslav Association for Video Art VIDEOMEDEJA (registered February 2nd 1998) and the Association of Independent projects – Apostrophe, in 1996 triggered International summit of female video – VIDEOMEDEJA, where only women authors could participate in the competition program. The program editor from that time, Balint Sombati, in 1999 introduces the male authors in the program of VIDEOMEDEJA. From 1998 to 2000, Director of the Festival and President of the Association was Vera Kopicl that voluntarily withdrew from her positions after 2000, and suggests Ivana Sremčević for President of the Association. One year later, in 2001, for the Festival Director and President of the Yugoslav Association for Video Art VIDEOMEDEJA was elected Ivana Sremčević. That same year, the concept of the Festival VIDEOMEDEJA was changed and male authors were allowed to compete for the competition part of the festival program. Since then, the festival has been open to all, regardless of gender difference that previously existed. The only limitations were, and still are, that works of art must be from the last two years in relation to the year of the entry call for VIDEOMEDEJA and selection committee will not take into consideration the works that contain abusive or offensive messages or content.
You can read a more vivid historical presentation of Videomedeja HERE.
INTERNATIONAL NEW MEDIA ART FESTIVAL VIDEOMEDEJA
is a unique event that brings together international and regional artists, with tradition and quality that is highly recognized internationally, and is a very important event for Novi Sad and Serbia.
Videomedeja is an alternative cultural manifestation, which presents a real reflection of social status and individuals in relation to governing systems and global politics through contemporary art forms of authors from around the world. It is a festival of different perceptions, different customs and primarily avant-garde social culture, shown through a variety of new alternative art forms.
The basic idea is to promote independent video art production, affirmation of video creation and innovative art forms, avant-garde art and new media. Development of critical thinking and theory of contemporary visual arts, international cooperation, development of intercultural dialogue, education of students and professors, affirmation of young artists, contribution to technological development and demystification of new media and technologies in public, improvement of digital literacy, digitalization of contemporary visual heritage and use of digital tools within all activities of the association. The development of the creative industry and the use of digital tools is the main feature of our work both within all activities of the association within the organization and in the public presentation of projects and in its implementation.
The program focuses on art projects that use new media for artistic expression and communication, and have a wide range of genres and forms that combine image and sound, advanced communication, objects, in a symbiotic or avant-garde style; from video works, documentary and short film forms, digital animations, media installations, interventions in space, interactive and robotic objects, url projects, open source applications, live audiovisual performances, electronic music, advanced technologies in art practice ...
The competition program is open to various forms of creative artistic expression and communication with electronic media. There are no fixed criteria in terms of topic and form. The selection committee will not consider only works that contain offensive or aggressive messages or content. The only condition for applying to the competition selection is that all works must be produced in the last TWO years.
The competition selection is dominated by works of art that question the political, social and cultural constructions of the system. Artistic constructions of critical and subversive activity through avant-garde forms that react to the official ideological doctrine. Videomedeja searches for artists who perceive that hidden, different reality, culture and art, points to different possibilities by showing differences and re-examines ethical and aesthetic values. The goal is to strive for a change in individual and social consciousness, as well as to achieve the results of alternative creators in the field of culture and art. Encouraging interest in critical thinking and opposing the view that works of art should belong to capital, since in this way works are further and further away from the artist himself and are less and less art. Video and new technologies have played a crucial role in creating a new mass culture and operate outside any framework and traditional culture.
This completely non-profit event is held every year for several days, and the first video festival was held in 1996 at the Novi Sad Theater in Novi Sad. We were visited by over seven hundred artists, curators, theorists, promoters and distributors from all over the world.
About 1000 works from all over the world will arrive at the competition, and up to 5% will be included in the Festival program.
The program is divided into several basic segments which, depending on the current concept, are developed into other, smaller parts. Every year, about 100 artists participate in the Videomedeja festival, mostly from Europe, but also from all continents, and about 20 associates and experts from Serbia (all biographies of participants will be published on our website and biographies of several thousand participants from previous Festivals can be found too).
The Videomedeja Festival is of a competitive nature and the awards are given by an international jury, consisting of a competitive and revival part of the program.
A three-member international jury awards prizes: the Sphinx Award for the best work in the Screenings category and the Bogdanka Poznanović Award for the best work in the Media Projects category, and the opportunity is open for Special Mention and the Audience Award.
The competition part consists of an exhibition of selected single-channel or multi-channel, interactive or hybrid forms of media projects set in virtual or physical space and screenings of selected single-channel works of art of different genres, forms and styles that combine image and sound.
Curators from European centers, galleries, museums and artists are usually invited to the revival part of the program, as well a selection of works by local authors ‘Made in Serbia’ and the Lunartis program, screenings of the best graduate student films from world prestigious film academies, are traditionally shown.
The program is mostly realized in larger spaces with several separate units. Depending on the current production and concept, part of the festival is realized through specialized internet / television programs, and sometimes the program requires additional city gallery and alternative spaces.
The festival is distributed and promoted in the form of screenings, presentations, promotional electronic and printed catalogs, through internet portals and other media in the country and abroad.
Due to respect for copyright and commitment to professionalism in the work:
- VIDEOMEDEJA is a free, independent institution, it knows no borders or restrictions, there are no religious, class, gender and racial differences within it and that is an important characteristic of the association,
- VIDEOMEDEJA is a recognizable festival on the international scene,
- VIDEOMEDEJA is primarily an international event, artists from 30-60 countries around the world, from all continents, regularly participate in the festival program,
- VIDEOMEDEJA is also a European festival, having in mind the fact that the largest number of works comes from Western European countries such as Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Finland and other European countries, as a rule, every year the program contains works from almost all European countries,
- VIDEOMEDEJA has established strong ties and long-standing friendships with artists, professional associates and institutions around the world,
- VIDEOMEDEJA due to professionalism in work and respect for copyright and diversity, has a good positioning on the world map but also faith in the future and sustainability of the association,
- VIDEOMEDEJA has continuity in work that allows us to discuss, analyze and improve the work based on many years of experience,
- VIDEOMEDEJA participates in the process of informing and educating citizens in the field of new media and creative use of information technologies,
- VIDEOMEDEJA represents our artists, the city and even the country at other international festivals, events, exhibitions, etc.
- VIDEOMEDEJA has numerous media reports and positive reviews that present our organization as professional, responsible and friendly,
- VIDEOMEDEJA was the first to start the project VAL-video art library, which is a UNIQUE, FREE, PUBLIC, INTERNATIONAL, ONLINE VIDEO ART LIBRARY,
- VIDEOMEDEJA VAL (Video Art Library), is a project due to which Videomedeja and Novi Sad are becoming the world capital of video art, alternative scenes of moving images and new media,
- VIDEOMEDEJA has an archive of over 15.000 works of art from around the world, of which about 200 works have so far been published online and are available to the public.

- Videomedeja is a renowned European festival and represents a different artistic expression, practice and culture.
- Contributes to the understanding and construction of European cultural identity.
- Better understanding and critical re-examination of one's own environment.
- Encourages the development of creative skills and talents.
- Encourages the development of creative skills through new media and technologies.
- Encourages the development of openness to the new and unknown.
- Encouragement for diversity and better self-understanding.
- Cultural animation programs (workshops, lectures, screenings, mobile applications, etc.).
- Activities of independent cultural creators, cultural organizations and groups that contribute to the creation of a recognizable, authentic and free culture of the City of Novi Sad.
- Internationalization and presence on the international scene.
- Development of cultural tourism.
- Cooperation between the cultural sector and the creative industry contributes to a better representation of Serbian culture and art in the world and to strengthening the capacity of local organizations.
- Involves citizens in the processes of creating, revitalizing and preserving cultural digital heritage.
- Work on education, primarily for school children, students and young people, but also for teachers and professors.
- Continuous cooperation between citizens' associations and tourist, educational, cultural institutions, creative industry, science and other branches.
- Great availability of information on world trends in video art and new media that are marginalized and hidden from the public, through the festival and through our site.
- Imposes knowledge, art and culture on every ordinary citizen, raises the level of technological awareness and develops interest in progress.
- Integration of marginalized visual art, contemporary alternative forms and the world scene primarily into our society but also beyond.
- Introduction to domestic and world alternative heritage through visual, digital forms.
- Digitalization and preservation of alternative visual heritage, art video, animation and experimental short film.
- Spreading the importance of digitalization as the basis of modern society.
- Video Media VAL (Video Art Library) is a UNIQUE, FREE, PUBLIC, INTERNATIONAL, ONLINE VIDEO ART LIBRARY that preserves alternative heritage, avant-garde and experimental visual art and makes it finally visible. 25 years of recognition and respect for our Association are the fundamental basis from which we start and we now have the privilege of being able to do something extraordinary like this, which no one in Europe has.
- With the Videomedeja VAL project (Video Art Library), Novi Sad has become the world capital of video art, alternative scenes of moving images and new media.
- In terms of values, and also in the context of the European Capital of Culture and European values, Videomedeja promotes the principles of democracy, equality, tolerance and respect for human and minority rights through artistic video works.
- Videomedeja presents a creative challenge to the dominant artistic practices and culture and contributes to improving the diversity of the city's cultural programs.
- Videomedeja presents the latest art forms and expressions that are not sufficiently visible and presented through official institutions and communication channels.
- Videomedeja is an alternative cultural manifestation, which presents a real reflection of social status and individuals in relation to governing systems and global politics through contemporary art forms of authors from around the world. It is a festival of different perceptions, different customs and primarily avant-garde social culture, shown through a variety of new alternative art forms.
- Videomedeja searches for artists who perceive that hidden, different reality, culture and art, points to different possibilities by showing differences and re-examines ethical and aesthetic values.
- The goal is to strive for a change in individual and social consciousness, as well as to achieve the results of alternative and avant-garde artists in the field of culture and art.
- It is still insufficient knowledge about video art and new media, or they are not given adequate socio-cultural significance. Videomedeja creates a field for detailed acquaintance, study and re-examination of the theory, protection and distribution of video art and new media.

THE TARGET GROUP
Artists, theorists, art historians, students, youth, educators, journalists, cultural workers, media activists, IT sector, citizens ....

- Presentation of the latest video works and new media.
- Promotion of innovative art forms.
- Further development of the theory of contemporary visual arts.
- International cooperation, development of intercultural dialogue.
- Education of students and professors.
- Affirmation of young artists.
- Contribution to the technological development of the environment.
- Promotion of new strategies in relations with cultural institutions.
- Demystification of new media and technologies in public.
- Better understanding and critical re-examination of contemporary art.
- Improving digital literacy and building skills around creating and spending these resources that are the future.
- Digitalization of contemporary visual heritage.
- Use of digital tools within all activities of the association within the organization as well as in the public presentation of projects and in its implementation.
- Development of the creative industry and the use of digital tools.
- Education of pupils, students, professors, professionals in order to further spread digitalization through the use of the latest technologies.
- Encouraging artistic creation primarily in digital form.
Nam June Paik, John Cage, Bill Viola, Vitto Acconci, Marina Abramović, Mike Stubbs, Jan Schuijren, Chris Byrne, Piotr Krajewski, Kathrin Becker, Slobodan Šijan, Želimir Žilnik, Dejan Sretenović, Miloš Vojtečevski, Balint Szombaty, Robert Arnold, Anouk de Clercq, Johan Grimonprez, Lutz Dammbeck, Sanja Iveković, Sofa Surfers, Nina Czegledy, Ema Kugler, Breda Beban, Zoran Naskovski, Phill Niblock, Kathy Rae Huffman, Manuel Saiz, Dalibor Barić...