Paddle8 and Tumblr have teamed up to launch “Moving The Still ” the first ever large scale GIF festival and an open call for original animated GIFs to be curated by the Paddle8 team.
Currently online, the show will feature GIFs sent in by aspiring artists, and showcased to some of the world’s leading creators, both online and during Miami Art Week 2012.
Submissions are open and will be published on a rolling bases from October 17th through November 7th, culminating in a live exhibition during Miami Art Week 2012.
Paddle8 see the GIF as an ongoing expression of creativity, and one that should be elevated to the level of other art forms.
From Chief Council, Johnny Misheff, 2012:
The GIF is one of the most recognized and well-loved forms of digital media in use today. We’re celebrating it’s 25th birthday this year. Some of you will remember those early iterations that popped up onto the interwebs… all the clip art, like the waving American flag; those Under Construction banners in heavy use during the 90s; the dancing baby in diapers; that crazed dancing woman… Everyone currently using the internet has seen a GIF. The last few years have seen the GIF rise to a level of prominence of epic proportions. Artists have taken to the medium with an incredible fervor…The Net Generation has taken to the GIF in myriad ways, from fan art to the revolutionary meme. Perhaps more than any other medium, the GIF embraces a diversity inherent in its simple function.
When asked why they chose now to launch this project, Misheff responded:
The time for officially celebrating the GIF is long overdue and we are thrilled to celebrate it in this unique and totally groundbreaking way. When we began the process of outreach to prospective Council Members for their involvement in the project, the responses were overwhelmingly enthusiastic. Our Council and Contributors have gone above and beyond what we could have imagined, both with in advising on the show conceptually and with their own work which created the foundation for the final, larger exhibition which we will physically present via projections in Miami during this upcoming Miami Art Week 2012.
What is perhaps the most exciting element of all is the open call submission process via Tumblr’s dedicated community and beyond, for here we anticipate with great excitement contributions from some of the strongest, most prolific producers of GIFs in the world. To show these previously unseen gems from the far reaches of the internet alongside the works of some of the world’s most revered cultural ambassadors is truly a great moment.
Judges of the GIFS include musician Michael Stipe, ultra-modern artist Ryan Trecartin, design team Rodarte, James Frey, RoseLee Goldberg, painter Richard Phillips, stylist to Lady Gaga and Thierry Mugler Creative Director Nicola Formichetti, and Inez & Vinoodh.
For those hoping to catch the winner, the top animated GIFs in each category will be announced on November 26th and presented at a major exhibition event in the Wynwood District of Miami during the Art Basel Fair this coming December.
