October 01, 2007 17:25 ET

ZER01: The Art and Technology Network Announces the 2008 01SJ Global Festival of Art on the Edge at San Jose City Hall Light Projection Premiere

International New Media Art Festival to Be Presented June 4-8, 2008

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - October 1, 2007) - ZER01: The Art and Technology Network formally announced its second international biennial 01SJ Global Festival of Art on the Edge at the world premiere of Camille Utterback's "Abundance" -- a major projection artwork on the Richard Meier-designed San Jose City Hall Rotunda. The event offered a sneak preview of the next 01SJ festival, coming June 4-8, 2008 and to be held throughout Downtown San Jose, Calif.

01SJ will consist of ground-breaking installations, interactive performances and new cinema. 01SJ is presented by ZER01: The Art and Technology Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring culture on the edge of art and technology.

"01SJ illustrates the innovation and creativity that is a trademark of San Jose," said San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed. "We are excited that 01SJ is back and that we can again present the world an international arts festival that demonstrates San Jose's originality, culture and diversity."

In addition to the City of San Jose, other key programming and production partners for 01SJ include San Jose State University CADRE Laboratory for New Media, the San Jose Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the San Jose Museum of Art, the Tech Museum of Innovation and Montalvo Arts Center.

San Jose-based Adobe Systems Incorporated, one of the first sponsors of the inaugural 01SJ festival in 2006 -- along with Cisco Systems and the City of San Jose -- has again stepped forward as a Visionary Sponsor. Other sponsors for 01SJ in 2008 include The Andy Warhol Foundation, Comerica Bank, DLA Piper, DMNA, Fry's Electronics, Hotel Montgomery, The James Irvine Foundation, The Liquid Agency, McKenzie Event Management, The Morgan Family Foundation, Nancy Mueller and Robert Fox, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and Salas O'Brien Engineers.

This week, Connie Martinez, the new 1st ACT Silicon Valley managing director, announced a $100,000 investment in ZER01: The Art and Technology Network.

At the inaugural 01SJ in 2006, San Jose became a significant player in this ecosystem and now represents the United States as a leader in the art and technology movement. At this time, San Jose hosts the only major US-based international festival to explore and celebrate the transformative potential of art and technology.

"San Jose is the home of world-changing technology and creativity. This city is the logical venue in America for a gathering such as 01SJ. It is growing to take its place alongside the other major worldwide art and technology festivals and gives the United States a noteworthy presence in this genre," said Steve Dietz, 01SJ artistic director. "In June 2008, 01SJ will present the most significant selection of artists working in the world of technology," said Dietz.

Dietz is an internationally acclaimed new media art curator, theorist and former director of new media initiatives at the Smithsonian and the Walker Art Center in Minnesota.

More than 20,000 individuals made more than 80,000 visits to the 250 art installations and more than 25 performances and public talks by almost 500 artists from more than 40 countries at dozens of exhibitions at San Jose institutions and throughout the city during the week-long Festival in 2006.

"The assembly of artists for 01SJ will again be the largest ever to appear in North America at one time," Dietz said.

ABOUT ZER01: THE ART AND TECHNOLOGY NETWORK

ZER01: The Art and Technology Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring culture on the edge of art and technology. The organization convenes artists and technologists, showcases their collaborative efforts, sponsors artistic initiatives and presents the resulting work to the public. The core initiative of ZER01 is 01SJ, a global festival of art on the edge that consists of ground-breaking installations, interactive performances and new cinema.

01SJ Global Festival of Art on the Edge is produced by ZER01: The Art and Technology Network and is affiliated with the following organizations: the City of San Jose, Montalvo Arts Center, the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau, the San Jose Museum of Art, the CADRE New Media Laboratory at San Jose State University and the Tech Museum of Innovation. For more information on the Festival please visit www.01sj.org or contact Kersti Bronk at 408.670.2673 or kersti@zero1.org.