Art’s Birthday was founded in 1963 by the artist Robert Filliou who claimed that Art was born in the very moment, when someone dropped a dry sponge into a bucket of water. Ever since Filliou made this assumpation, artists worldwide celebrate Art’s Birthday. An important part of the festivities is the network: whilst the internet is today the most common means for this, some artists simply get on the phone – for example Tetsuo Kogawa. The Japanese artist and media theoretician runs “Radio Kinesonus”, which directly refers to Art’s Birthday.

In 2008, “Radio Kinesonus” staged a virtual party at the Goethe Institute in Tokyo, with contributions from India, Germany, Belgium and the USA. Tetsuo Kogawa talked with various artists about their work.

Tetsuo Kogawa on the Phone with Jan Brueggemeier im Leipzig

Jan Hendrik Brueggemeier's "My loneliness is killing me"

Jan Hendrik Brueggemeier’s piece „My loneliness is killing me“ is a Collage of two projects: one deals with love songs, and the other is a radio sauna, that was installed in the Norwegian town Bergen.

Goran Svira Urupu Uze

LjubaS Duvau Rg Spreda Krupno

In Belgrade, too, this year’s Art’s Birthday was celebrated in a steam bath – in line with the theme „Forever Young“. The artist Arsenije Jovanovic invited a gypsy band and other artists to join the party in a Turkish bath house.

RTS - Public Broadcasting Service of Serbia, Radio Belgrade, Drama department, Sound Workshop: Forever Young - Gypsy party in a Turkish bath

Links:
http://www.kunstradio.at/PROJECTS/AB2008/
http://www.ebu.ch/en/radio/euroradio_classics/arsacustica/index.php
http://www.artsbirthday.net
http://anarchy.translocal.jp/kinesonus/20080117/index.html