Pixelazo – Jinetes de la Imagen

The first Pixelazo festival took place from February 27th to March 3, 2007. This first event taking place in comuna 13, one of the marginal neighborhoods of Medellin that are similar to the Brazilian favelas focused 100% on video jockey culture. During the six days that lasted the event, three workshops were given; A basic video jockey workshop by Pata de Perro and VJ Makako from medellin, a DIY screens workshop by Pointless Creations from Glasgow and the Sound Camara Interaction workshop given by Erik Sandelin and Asa Stahl from Sweden. The results of the workshops were made public during a free event in a park of comuna 13. The new VJ’s mixed their images recorded in comuna 13 to the sound of DJ Charles Tox and DJ Krak n Dub, our special guests from the Bogotá, Bogotá festival. The interactive sound and video installation made by Erik and Asa’s students was set up for everyone to play with and the baseball court was converted into a sea of moving flag screens held by dancing children where the videos of the Pointless Creations Crew and Jaygo Bloom’s MARRAKATTAK …interactive midi maracas.

The closing day activities consisted in a series of urban actions in public parks in the center of Medellin. Erik Sandelin’s Pophorn participatory project was integrated to the other street show activities (glass walking + medicine man) of the San Alejo open air market place. In the evening, the sonorous truck hit the street equipped with power plant, turntables, sound system and video projectors, bringing live audiovisuals presentations to the youth of Medellin until 2am, impromptu.