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 artistic practices.

In the selection phase of the competition artistic works that question political, social and cultural constructs are prevalent. These works represent critical and subversive activities through avant-garde form that reacts on official ideological doctrines.

Videomedeja searches for those artist that see this hidden, alternate reality, alternate culture and art, that indicate the different possibilities by pointing out differences and questioning ethical and aesthetic values.

Our aim is the need for change of individual and social conscience, as well as the realization of the results of our alternative creators in areas of culture and art. We wish to encourage interest for critical thinking and opposing the idea that artistic works should belong to the capital, because this makes these works more distant from the artists themselves, and thus making them less art.

Video and newer technologies have a decisive role in creating new mass culture and act outside any framework or traditional culture.

Video was very quickly positioned as an alternative to television, opposing mass media which are most commonly backed by capitalists or leading parties, who impose sexism, nationalism, racism and homophobia. Video is seen as a means of introducing new narratives and questioning identities and society.

Video came up not just from institutions but from our screens. Video functions independently from institutions, because unlike film which has its institutional frame, cinema and film language. On the other hand, video is always open for a wide variety of experimentation without limits and without the need to follow rules. Video is available to all, and anyone can make video.

Video can function independently but as a part of cinema, mass media, ambience, facade, different situations or even as a part of other art forms as well. It can be projected and integrated anywhere as a means to efficiently convey a message or emotion.

Author: Ivana Sremčević Matijević

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.