·M·A·W·

MAW is Magic and Wizardry, More Art Wherever, Maybe After Work, Media At Work and Minneapolis Art on Wheels.

MAW is a vehicle for activating public spaces with large-scale projections of sound and video. MAW develops software, hardware and methodologies for participatory urban projection, and helps artists and community organizations utilize these instruments to creatively claim and transform public spaces. MAW disseminates these instruments and works with artists interested in technology to promote mobile public projection. MAW aims to connect patrons with artists and artists with communities through commissioning programs. Commissioning programs are tailored to the needs of a specific event and include performances on-demand, training of artist with a mission, and collaborative development of public performance events sought by community organizations.

Commissioning paradigms include:
-Patron commissioning MAW for live-projection performance events
-Community organization commissioning MAW for live-projection performance events
-Community organization commissioning artist interested in working with MAW's instruments
-MAW commissioning artists to create works that become part of MAW's repertoire

MAW's activities include: public performances and interventions, experimental audio-visual works, interactive mobile media experiences or novel open source software instruments or performance tools.  

For a quick tour of MAW, watch Make:TV's profile of MAW and its founder.

Current state of mobile projection backpack unit.

For Immediate Release:

Minneapolis Art on Wheels begins a cross country tour on May 28th stopping in 6 towns on their way from Minneapolis, MN to San Jose, CA to attend the Zero 1 Festival of New Media.

Minneapolis Art on Wheels (MAW) is a community art endeavor initiated by Artand IPCA Professor Ali Momeni at the University of Minnesota to implement the use of three MBUs (Mobile Broadcast Units). Each Mobile Broadcast Unit (MBU) consists of 1) a specially designed bicycle, 2) a laptop, 3) a small generator for providing power, 4) a battery powered sound system, 5) a high powered projector. These mobile units are used to project artworks in the form of video, interactive video, still images and projections, taking advantage of architecture and natural features in the environment. MBUs invite community engagement and audience participation; think traveling carnival crossed with drive in movies.

Minneapolis on Wheels will leave Minneapolis on May 28th with the MBUs packed into a truck with a group of undergrads, graduate students, artists and Professor Ali Momeni. Our stops will begin in Mitchell, SD, (5/28) home of the Corn Palace then to Interior, SD and the Badlands (5/29).
Leaving South Dakota we will head into Montana and stay in the town of Hardin, MT (5/30). From there we continue north and west to Missoula, MT (5/31). From Missoula we head south to Boise, ID (6/1) and make our last stop in Winnemucca, NV (6/2) before pushing on to San Jose on June 3rd in time to make the opening of the Zero 1 Festival (www.01sj.org).

Our projections will range from collaborative works produced on the journey to interactive performances and stunning visuals. Examples of previous projects can be found on the Minneapolis Art on Wheels website, http://minneapolisartonwheels.org

For questions and more info contact:
Ali Momeni 510 387 9977, ali@umn.edu
Peter Haakon Thompson 612 205 6710, pht@umn.edu

#############