Approach to Medialab-Prado: Chris Sugrue

A description and an evaluation of your experience at Medialab-Prado.

Over the past three years I have had an ongoing and invaluable connection with Medialab-Prado. Since the very first conversations about coming to Interactivos? I have had nothing but the best experience with Medialab. Over the course of these years I have been an invited artist, a collaborator, and technical assistant in various workshops, and have had the honor of presenting my work in Medialab and related events. These experiences have provided support for my  work, connected me with amazing opportunities and introduced me to artists who became collaborators on new works as well as excellent  friends.

How do you value Medialab-Prado?

My experiences with Medialab have been and continue to be invaluable. I have to admit that it is a significant reason that I find myself (a  simple young lady from Connecticut) living and basing out of Madrid. Although there are many other reasons, as a foreigner, I found  Medialab a place to connect with other artists and become involved  with local activities. At the same time, it provides a connection to  the wider international community by hosting seminars and workshops  that bring artists and teachers from all parts of the world.

From my perspective the greatest strength I see in Medialab-Prado is the community that it fosters. Medialab lives up to its reputation of  being a public institution and opens it doors to anyone interested. In my experience, I have seen many people come without any previous connection to Medialab or anyone involved in Medialab and very quickly  get involved and feel welcome in the space. I think there are few  places that can offer this atmosphere although many try.

I also place great value on the fact that Medialab remains relatively unpolitical. For example, although I place great value on open-source and find it encouraged and supported in Medialab, I greatly appreciate that it is not a requirement and that all perspectives are welcome.

What do you think could be changed or improved? How do you think it should evolve in the future, considering its  future location at the new building (the Old Belgium Sawmill)"?

In a general sense, I hope Medialab continues to provide the same community it does now and continue to facilitate connections amongst  artists and other institutions. Having open public spaces where anyone can feel comfortable showing up and working or meeting (as we have now!)  is important in my opinion. Ideally anytime interesting media artists or researchers etc. come to Madrid, they should say, "Hey, let's meet up in Medialab" :) Philosophically, I hope that Medialab is thought of as a place of action: a place where ideas are formulated, discussions take place,  and work gets made.

More specifically, (from my narrow perspective) I have for some time  been hoping Medialab can offer artist residencies. Perhaps these would differ from other institutions, but the opportunity to have artists come for longer periods of time would be great. After my first Interactivos?, Medialab offered the possibility to apply for a residency in Hangar to continue the project. This was invaluable to me and it showed a dedication from Medialab to helping make the work have a life outside of the workshop. Many of the artists who attend  workshops in Medialab are dedicated to their works and want to continue (HelloWorld is a prime example of this), and I would like to artist/teachers-in- residence -- artists who come not only to develop work, but  with a dedication to teaching and sharing their knowledge. For local artists, finding space to work in is an ongoing challenge. Medialab potentially has the opportunity to offer artists a (perhaps temporary) workspace that is not open to the public but more in line with the Hangar's artists studios.

I think there is also an opportunity to develop more formal research  groups or labs that conduct ongoing research and produce collaborative works. For example, a "Performance and Technology Lab" would be excellent in my opinion, or a research group dedicated to open source copyright laws for artists. Of course I am not completely convinced this would succeed...

I am also curious about the possibility of attracting more local younger audiences (highschool for example) to Medialab. I imagine there are difficulties or legal issues when organizing workshops or events with minors, and I have really no idea what educational opportunities may or may not be lacking in Madrid, but I could see it as a great way to connect more with the city/local community and reach a different but very important audience.