GIF-ing
Curated by Liao Wenfeng
策展人：廖文峰
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In 2012, the verb “GIF” was selected as Oxford Dictionaries USA word of the year. Ever since its birth in 1987, GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was once the most popular graphics format online and a common tool for artists to produce online works. As GIF is integrated into the use of social media in recent years, it has reemerged itself as the one of the most used and prevalent graphics formats online.
The proliferation of GIF began in mid-1990s when the Internet became public, its “democratic nature” and easy-to-use functionality attracted many users. During this period of massive propagation, every new user potentially brought in elements that enabled GIF to stay fresh. Given this background, it would be very difficult for us to limit our discussion on the innovation of this medium merely within the realm of the art world.
As the online project of the 3rd Shenzhen Independent Animation Biennale, GIF-ing will examine the features of GIF as a medium and its relationship with image medium from the pre-film era (before 1895). By showing individual artist’s continued use of this medium, this project will demonstrate and explore the possibilities of this medium. It will also discuss the means of proliferation for GIF apart from the Internet as well as how GIF finds its way into our public space, everyday life and artistic context through other ways of materializations.
2012年，“GIF”作为动词入选牛津词典的“美国年度词汇”。GIF（Graphics Interchange Format, 图形交换格式）于1987年诞生后，一度成为网上最流行的图像格式与艺术家在线创作的工具。近年随着社群媒体分享功能对GIF格式的开放，GIF动图（Animated GIF）重新成为互联网上被使用和传播最广的图像格式之一。
GIF动图的广泛流行始于90年代中期互联网向公众的开放的时代，它的“民主性”以及操作的简便性，使它拥有广泛的使用群体，在迅速的传播中，每个人都潜在地加入了使其语言保持更新的元素。在这种背景下，如将其仅仅限制于艺术的领域，并对此媒介的创新使用予以考察，是艰难的。
作为第三届深圳独立动画双年展的在线项目，它将考察GIF的媒介特征与前电影时代（1895年之前）影像媒介的关系，并通过展示个体的创作者对这种媒介的持续使用，来呈现和挖掘这种媒介的可能性。项目也将讨论GIF动图的传播方式，除了网络在线传播外，它如何通过其它物质化的方式来渗透到公共空间、日常生活以及艺术语境中。
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Participating Artists 参展艺术家：
szx3iab.com 