Alta Tecnología Andina

ATA/Lab

(Lima, Peru)

Alta Tecnología Andina (ATA) is putting together the ATA/Lab, a long-term project to improve the accessibility and quality of Peruvian media works. Funding from the Daniel Langlois Foundation was used to consolidate the production framework in 2002.

In addition to promoting and developing the use of analog and digital media, ATA wishes to help integrate electronic elements into local artistic practices and set up a shared space for creating and distributing experimental artworks. Establishing a place for multidisciplinary education, which is almost non-existent in Lima’s schools and universities, is a priority. Artists are now able to obtain audiovisual and multimedia training in digital support, video, CD-ROM, Internet, interactive projects, electronic music, and more, complemented by workshops, seminars and conferences. ATA has several years’ experience in organizing this kind of activity, in collaboration with the Goethe Institute of Lima, the Agencia española de cooperación internacional (AECI) and the French embassy.

A further objective of the media laboratory project is to start up ideological, technical and theoretical exchanges nationally and internationally. In addition to encouraging increased openness to the world, ATA intends to nurture projects that promote traditional Andean culture and its institutions.

José-Carlos Mariátegui, ATA’s founder and director, initiated the media laboratory project along with Carlos Letts (poet, photographer and designer), Jorge Villacorta (art critic and independent curator) and Angie Bonino (video maker). Other artists will be able to take advantage of the audiovisual and multimedia lab as it grows. Because the resulting works are made available to the Peruvian people, the Andean community as a whole (both institutions and the general public) benefits from this research.