Students present festival of interarts and technology

The annual Festival of Interarts and Technology will showcase a wide range of visual and performing works by emerging student artists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on Saturday, May 5, 6-10 p.m. in Lathrop Hall, 1050 University Ave.

Interarts and Technology students in the Dance Program produce the free public event.

Guests may browse festival galleries and view student installations including computer-generated artwork and video showings from 6-8 p.m. Ryan Smith will perform live electronic music as part of his forest/spider web installation environment; Melissa Strzelinski will perform a duet with a projection of IATECH alum Nora Stephens, and Daniel Feiler will show a video piece.

Other live performances along with multimedia works will be presented at 8 p.m. in the Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space. Included are:

• “The Media Kittens,” a new work created as a spin-off of Charlie’s Angels.
• A performance choreographed by Alison Rootberg.
• “52 Splinters” performing Hopscotch, a collage of sounds derived from a typewriter, matches, water and glass bottles.
• Videos by Rya Beilke and Daniel Feiler, along with an animation by Craig Burk and a sound design performance by Melissa Fronberry.

Alison Rootberg, Dance Program major and student director of FIAT this year, worked with art major Jen Ahlstrom and IATECH student Erin Dunkelberger.

“Traditionally, FIAT has been sponsored by the Dance Program’s Interarts and Technology division,” Rootberg says. “But this year we were fortunate to receive additional support from both the Wisconsin Union Directorate and the Associated Students of Madison. And student participation expanded also to include a class taught by guest artist-in-residence Pauline Oliveros.

“It’s been a great collaborative effort,” she says, “and I think people will enjoy seeing the interesting, innovative works — things that don’t fit into the traditional framework of dance concerts, gallery exhibitions or film festivals — presented in this year’s event.”

For more information, call (608) 262-1691.