New Media Art Centers Open in Spain and V2 Celebrates 25 Years

In March 2007, Laboral, a new media art center, opened in Gijon, Spain, under the direction of former Arco director Rosina Gómez-Baeza. Housed in a 15,000-square-meter wing of a 1950s university building, the publicly funded institution aims to bridge art, design, culture, science, industry, and economic development. Its inaugural exhibitions included Feedback, curated by Christiane Paul and Jemima Rellie, featuring works by Moholy-Nagy, Duchamp, Tinguely, and others; Gameworld, curated by Carl Goodman; LABcyberspace, with projects like Christophe Bruno's Logo Hallucination; and Extensions – Anchors, curated by Francisco Crabiffosse, showcasing Asturian artists. Meanwhile, V2, the Institute for Unstable Media in Rotterdam, celebrated its 25th anniversary with the DEAF festival. V2, founded by artists, has maintained a flexible, alternative approach, collaborating with artists, scientists, activists, hackers, and corporate labs like Philips. The anniversary exhibition featured installations by Thomas McIntosh, Antoine Schmitt, and Code31. A notable event was The Evening of the Long March, a mock trial conceived by artist-curator Lu Jie, which critiqued his Long March project. V2 faces transitions as some projects end and Steve Kovats departs for Transmediale.