IBY-JOLANDE VARGA

Iby-Jolande Varga was born in Vienna, Austria in 1961.
She grew up surrounded by fine arts in her family’s ateliers and workshops (workshops of graphic artists, painters, sculptors, goldsmiths, ceramics), and acquired a wide range of artistic techniques and crafts. She worked from her early youth in the family workshop and for many exhibitions in Austria and abroad.
Her piano studies began when she was nine.
She attended the Rudolf-Steiner-Schule Vienna (Mauer), Matura (exc.) 1979.

• STATEMENT ZUR KINDHEIT (German)

DIE BUNTEN SACHEN COLOURFUL THINGS
With 2000 pictures - drawings, objects, books; animatons, games, texts from the first 20 years of Iby-Jolande Varga
Book (2023). 21x21 cm, 2350 pictures., 440 pages; animated video improvisation (1998) and CD-Rom (2001), combined on a DVD-Rom (2010).

From 1981-1985 Iby-Jolande Varga studied piano and piano teaching at the University of Music in Vienna, with the professors Manfred Wagner-Artzt and Harald Ossberger. Her further musical education was focussed on contemporary music (e.g. 1985 International Bartók Seminar Szombathely, Vienna Days of Contemporary Piano Music 1993 – focus: John Cage and 1994 focus: George Crumb, and, more recently Piano Music Notation of the 20th Century, with Carol Morgan in 2010).
She held seminars on music and studied media theory at the Music University (with the professors Gottfried Kraus, Maximilian Blumencron, 1986/87), part of this were radio shows in Ö1.

• STATEMENT ZUM MUSIKSTUDIUM (German)

EXHIBITION IN THE FORM OF A CLASSICAL SONATA
Her four large typographic paintings were exhibited at the entrance hall of the Vienna Music University. Zoom and explore.

Since 1987 she has concentrated on filmmaking. In 1987 she took part in a five-day animation workshop at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, which was held by Hubert Sielecki. She continued from there as a self-taught filmmaker. Her aim was to develop a very personal film language, which should reflect her specific background in arts and music.

Since 1987 Iby-Jolande Varga was continuously building up her own animation film studio with 16mm and digital cameras: She started with a super8-camera with the possibilities of single frame filming and of making manual adjustments. Shortly after that she worked with a wonderful Arriflex ST 16mm camera with a set of 5 objectives and a single frame generator, which was specially built for her. She has produced five animation films with this camera: NEW CRYSTALS and TOWARDS THE OCEAN 1990, LITTLE SCULPTURE GARDEN 1995, SPELLS 1997, SOAP BUBBLE OPERA 1999.

Since about 2002 it is possible to make animation films with sequences of photos, shot with a digital still image camera. They can potentially be printed on 35mm film (2K resolution). Before that the technical systems and hard discs were not really powerful enough for this workflow. The first film produced with this technology was LOOPS ∞ + 1 = ∞ 2007.

The digital format was inspiring to use those picture sequences also in multimedia-projects, specially in interactive productions. SOUND GARDENS 2013 is an interactive stop motion film, with a later short film version (2015).

Since about 2020 360° technology is added, both for filming and interactive VR tours. To be found for example in the new experimental PLASMA – Wood-Book Study III (2023) or in the VR-Version und 360° world for MUSICOSMICA (2023).

Member of ASIFA Austria, Association International du Film d’Animation
www.asifa.at

FILMOGRAPHY >>>

Since 1999 Iby-Jolande Varga has done video, web design and multimedia, working mainly for musicians. She has cooperated in large music and media projects. Her film studio has been extended with multimedia workstations and peripherals, video cameras in HD, 6K und 360° 8K.

• since 2000 design and continuous development of an own website,
• since 2002 under the address www.filmkunst.at
• practical information around web design, multimedia development, DVD authoring and video production, illustrated with many examples is to be found in the filmkunst-studio
  
• since 2000 artists' portraits from the family, Angela Varga, Ida Varga-Móricz and Keramik Varga (the family ceramics studio), Feri Varga, Peter King, Clive Sheppard. These websites are to be found since a few years at www.kunstschau.at
• since 2003 website D, G, M for the Music Adventure Factory www.musicadventurefactory.com (meanwhile archived)
• since 2006 collection and D, G, M of several domains for special projects and little web portals:
  www.musiktheorien.at (meanwhile archived)
  www.musikspiele.at (meanwhile archived)
  www.animationsfilme.at (meanwhile archived)

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• since 2002 website D, G, M as well as print design (folders, posters), video documentations and DVD-authoring for the Vienna International Pianists www.pianists.at
• since 2002 website D, G, M and photography for the Klavier-Atelier,
  Mag. Gert Hecher www.hecherpiano.com
• 2002–2004 website D, G, M for the Stadtinitiative Wien concerts
• 2002–2011 website D, G, M for the Märchenbühne Der Apfelbaum
• 2003 website D, G, M, logo and print design Legasthenie Dyskalkulie Praxis Mag. Christine Wytrzens www.legastheniepraxis.at
• since 2008 website D, G, M for Wienführungen with Cornelia Madl www.wienfuehrungen.at

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• Die bunten Sachen, Colourful Things DVD-Rom with video 2010
  ISBN: 978-3-9502873-1-8 with 2000 pictures – drawings, objects, little books, animations, games, texts from the first 20 years if Iby-Jolande Varga
• Iby-Jolande Varga, Animation Films Video-DVD with DVD-Rom part 2010
  ISBN: 978-3-9502873-0-1 with all animation films, many specials, making-of documentations and interactive DVD-Rom part „Virtual Sound Sculptures 2000”, comes with a booklet. 2023 available with QR-Code inlay for HD-Streams
• Klanggärten Sound Gardens Video-DVD with DVD-Rom part 2013
  ISBN 978-3-9502873-2-5 with an early longer version of the film and a DVD-Rom part with the interactive animation film as the original game (produced with the support by Haus der Musik, Vienna)

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Already during her student time and regularly since 1990 she has worked at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna (Institute for Music Analysis, Phonothek), first as a member of staff then as a freelancer. At present she is responsible for web and multimedia developmen for special projectst, exhibition design and project presentations. Here are some productions in chronological order:

• 2002 Website for the Schenkerlehrgang Schenker Studies (a course on Heinrich Schenker’s
  method of music-analysis) at the Music University Vienna, now
  Analyse nach Heinrich Schenker
• 2003 Exhibition (design)
  Rebell und Visionär. Heinrich Schenker in Wien
  Rebel and Visionary, Heinrich Schenker in Vienna, in the entrance hall of the Music University
• 2006 CD-Rom (development, design and programming)
  Eybl/Fink/Varga: Heinrich Schenker: Leben – Schüler – Wirkung
  Heinrich Schenker: Life – Pupils – Influence (Böhlau, out of print)
• 2008–2011 FWF-project (XML-Markup)
  Schenker Tagebücher | Diaries 1918–1925
• 20012–2014 (XML-Markup continued), project at the University of Southampton
  Schenker Tagebücher | Diaries 1926–1930
• 2014–2017 FWF-project (XML-Markup continued)
  Schenker Tagebücher | Diaries 1930–1935 and 1912–1914
• 2019–2022 FWF-project (XML-Markup continued)
  Schenker Tagebücher | Diaries 1915–1919 with political after-war diary 1918/19
  
  All Diaries are published online at
  Schenker Documents Online (SDO)
  

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• since 2007. Logo and website development, design and maintenance,
  including the editing of photos, music and video for publishing.
  
• since 2008 print design for exil.arte events, invitations, posters, programme folders, brochures.
• 2009 BOHUSLAV MARTINU-JUBILEE – Martinu Revisited
  Programme brochure / book and posters – complete design
• 2010 exil.arte database presentation
  DVD-authoring and Flash-online-special
• 2011 GUSTAV-MAHLER-JUBILEE
  Poster and programme brochure for the Symposium at the Konzerthaus VIenna
• 2012 Re-design of the website
• 2013/2014 Video film documentation at concerts, as with Jeremy Schonfeld; since 2016 concert series at the ORF RadioCafé
• 2016 filmmusik.exilarte.at with interactive information graphics, drawn portraits of the composers, and an intro-video, with an original score composed by Stephen Ferguson as a musical style history in 6 miniatures:
  
• 2016 Jubilee brochure 10 Years of exil.arte
• 2017 Disigning the book „Music – Lost & Found“ (published by Verlag Der Apfel)
• 2016–2020 Videos from concerts, concert series „Echeso of the Unheard“ at ORF RadioCafé & at the mdw
• 2021 Logo re-design
• 2022 360° VR Tour and catalogue for the exhibition:
  „EIN LIED FÜR DICH – Marta Eggerth und Jan Kiepura zwischen zwei Welten“
• 2023 360° VR Tour and catalogue for the exhibition:
  „FRITZ KREISLER – Ein Kosmopolit im Exil. Vom Wunderkind zum ‚König der Geiger‘“
  

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• 2010 logo and website development, design and maintenance, including the editing of photos, music and video for publishing
  
• 2010–2012 Documentation of all event-blocks with photo and HD-video:
  • Nov. 2010 pilot events (project presentation at Haus der Musik, Vienna, concert, St. Peter's Church Vienna)
  • March 2011 Workshops with focus on wind instruments, with 2 concerts (Dolná Krupa castle, Trnava, SK)
  • March 2011 Workshops with focus on keyboard instruments, with concert (Joseph Haydn Conservatory, Esterházy castle, Eisenstadt, Burgenland A)
  • April 2011 Workshops with focus on string instruments, with 2 concerts (Schloss Hof castle, Lower Austria)
  • March 2012 Music theory and peformance workshops as well as children's workshops with 2 concerts (VSMU Bratislava, SK)
  • April 2012 Symposium Vienna, Music University, concert at Altes Rathaus
• 2011 Photo documentation of the workshops and Interactive terminal (video-DVD) for the Accentus Musicalis travelling exhibition, e.g. shown at Haus der Musik Vienna, November 2011
• 2012 Video editing and DVD-authoring (published 2013)
  • 7 hours of HD-video documentation, 10 workshops and 9 concerts
  • 4 DVDs, edition with the video films, all of the pictures and information from the exhibition, around 50 screens/menues per language version (de/sk), slideshows with edited music
  • Booklet with 28 pages
• Long Trailer with 19 video miniatures from all productions
  
  

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• 2003–2013 website for the Institute for Conducting
  Institut für Musikleitung
• 2008–2014 website for the University Library at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna
  Bibliothek der Musikuniversität Wien
  
• 2009 DVD-Rom for the Haydn-Jubilee, around the Hymn
  Fink-Mennel/Rainer: HAYDNS VOLCK'S LIED (IVE klanglese Reihe)
• since 2021 Website P & C Paper & Copyists in Viennese Opera Scores 1760–1775
  

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MUSIC PRESENTATION – Projects until about 2006
RECENT MUSIC & MEDIA PROJECTS

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• Artistic projects, like ZAUBERSPRÜCHE | SPELLS and KLANGGÄRTEN | SOUND GARDENS
• Artistic, at the same time educational projects, like KARNEVAL DER TIERE | CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
• Music theory projects, like Analyses after Heinrich Schenker

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• Multimedia elemnts: Internet radio, video-webclips, zoomable autographs, scores and handwritings, slideshows, albums and photo series
• Video documentation for all together 16 Austrian contemporary composers (2000–2004 / 2010)
  • 2000 Bertl Mütter (the other composers in 2000, Thomas Heinisch, Angela Berann, Thomas Dézsy, Rupert Huber, Yuki Morimoto, Martin Siewert, Robert Wildling were the first composers on aAmplify, before the video documentations began)
  • 2001 Clemens Gadenstätter, Johannes Maria Staud, Karlheinz Essl, Wolfgang Suppan, Johanna Doderer, Alexander Stankovski
  • 2002 Olga Neuwirth, Simeon Pironkoff, Wolfgang Mitterer, Christian Utz, Elisabeth Schimana, Katharina Klement, Nancy van de Vate
• Exhibition „aAmplify – 23 Austrian Contemporary Composers” at Haus der Musik Vienna (2009-2010), about 40 panels, 2 interactive terminals (audio station and offline-website)
• aAmplify Film documentation, 60 minutes, with 15 composers' portraits, 4 min. each (2014)

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• VIRTUAL SOUND SCULPTURES 2000 – playful!
• Highly complex stop motion animation with non-linear and linear versions:
  KLANGGÄRTEN | SOUND GARDENS 2006–2013

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• First ideas 1997 as „A Little Cosmology of Music”
• 2000 Flash game around the background story
• Development of a story for an animation film, working title MUSICOSMOLOGIA, finished in 2012
• around 200 objects were created 2009–2013 partly to tell the story but also as visualisations in the context of music theory
• 2013 finalised pre-production including scoring in advance by Stephen Ferguson and test animations
• Started the animation filming and production 2014, stop motion and montage
• Finished in 2023

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• Since 2002 development of projects, mainly for the CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS after Camille Saint-Saëns, in collaboration with Iby-Jolande Varga (objects, animation, programming, design of a picture book, exhibition at Haus der Musik in 2008)

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• 2017: MAHLER, BRAHMS AND BICYCLING (Curator: Styra Avins). Mahler went by bicycle from Steinbach to Bad Ischl to visit Brahms, the exhibition was also paying hommage to the 200 year anniversary of the invention of the bicycle!
• 2018: MAHLER AND DES KNABEN WUNDERHORN (Curator: Renate Stark-Voit). Deeper insights about Mahler's Wunderhorn compositions.
  
• 2019 MAHLER, THE WANDERER (Curator: Christian Glanz
• 2021 ARTISTS' SUMMER RETREAT AT ATTERSEE (Curator: Erich Weidinger)
• 2022 NATALIE BAUER-LECHER – Musician, Author, Dialogue Partner, Companion (Curator: Martina Bick).
• 2023 MAHLER AND SPIRITUALITY (Curator: Alexander Odefey).

2019 Brochure „GUSTAV MAHLER in Steinbach am Attersee“
based on texts from the opening by Herta Blaukopf 1985 with 5 Augmented-Reality videos
2023 A new sujet for the festival

• „Absolute Music vs Programme-Music“ Based on steel etchings from the 19th century and explanational texts.
• „How the Animals buried the Hunter“ After the famous wood etching by Moritz von Schwind.
• „Der Trumpeter of Säckingen“ Based on the title illustration for Scheffel's work and its contents.
• „Peasant dance“ Based on historical wood etchings illustrations and dances.
• „Boat Scene“ With the protagonists introduced earlier in the film, and a historical boat illustration.
• „Roquairol“ inspred by reading the episode from the „Titan“ novel by Jean Paul.
• „The unbound Prometheus“ inspred by reading the verse epos by Siegfried Lipiner.
• Design of illustrations for the titles, video editing of the end sequence, and montage for DVD-Cover and a poster.

Synopsis, Trailer, Credits, DVD and (payed) streaming service of the whole film

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• 2017 Design of the folder, poster and book „Erinnerung stiften: HELENE BERG und das Erbe Alban Bergs”, edited by Daniel Ender, Martin Eybl and Melanie Unseld, published by Universal Edition – based on a series of automata photos!
• 2019 Design of the book »… eine würdige und dauernde Gedenkstätte …« 50 Jahre Alban Berg Stiftung, edited by Daniel Ender, published by Universal Edition.
• 2020 Design of the book „Zuhause bei Helene und Alban Berg. Eine Bilddokumentation“ by Daniel Ender, published by böhlau
• 2023 Design of the book „Berg im Bild“ von Daniel Ender, published by böhlau
  

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• 2008/2009 Exhibition
  Karneval der Tiere | The Carnival of the Animals
  after Camille Saint-Saëns, all objects, pictures from the picture book,
  2 interactive terminals (audio station and samples of the game and animation)
• 2009 Audio Station
  „Eine Haydn Arbeit”
  Examples of Haydn's compositions for the Jubilee (design and programming, commissioned work)
• 2009/2010 Exhibition
  aAmplify – 23 Österreichische Komponisten und Komponistinnen der Gegenwart | 
  23 Austrian Comtemporary Composers
  around 40 panels, 2 interactive terminals (audio station, offline website)
• 2011 Interactive terminal (a completely new installation in the 3rd floor)
  NAMADEUS Mozarts klingendes Buchstabenspiel KV 526f | The Name Game
  Project, commissioned, in collaboration with Univ.Prof.Dr. Christoph Reuter
• 2011 Travelling Exhibition (see Work for the Music University Vienna)
  Accentus Musicalis
  Photo documentation, interactive terminal (Video-DVD) with audio station
  and all the information around this EU-Project
• 2012 HD-Video-Documentation
  Making-Of Collage zeitperlen virto|stage
  How the new virtual interactive opera stage in the 4th floor was made (camera and editing, commissioned)
• 2013 Exhibition
  Klanggärten | Sound Gardens
  Interactive terminal with the original game (interactive animation film), background information around the project, film version as loop and the animation objects as assemblage.
• 2014 HD-Video
  Stairplay – Music step by step
  Video for the new didactic attraction around a notation teaching system,
  with dance on the stairs and Lang Lang (camera and editing, commissioned)
• 2015 Exhibition
  60 Jahre Eurovision Song Contest – Austria 1717 Points,
  Interactive terminal with all the Austrian contributions since the beginning as videos and with a voting system for the all time favorite, two large picture montages with behind-the-scenes photos (commissioned).
• 2015 Exhibition
  NOTEN:BILDER Stairplay and the History of Notation
  around the notation teaching system Stairplay. Additionally with films around graphic notation by Anestis Logothetis and the ZAUBERSPRÜCHE | SPELLS score film by Iby-Jolande Varga at a terminal with audio samples (commissioned).
• 2016 Ausstellung
  ReSound Beethoven with Trumpet Automaton
  Design of the exhibition with large sized information panels and an infoscreen (commissioned).
  

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• So far awarded to John Barry (2009), Howard Shore (2010), Alan Silvestri (2011), Lalo Schifrin (2012),
  James Horner (2013), Randy Newman (2014), James Newton Howard (2015), Alexandre Desplat (2016), Danny Elfman (2017), Hans Zimmer (2018), Gabriel Yared (2019)

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You can find news, like festival participations, project presentations and film screenings at the
FILMKUNST-ONLINE-PINBOARD
and more detailed information directly in the
MAIN CHAPTERS
of this website.

Documentation of ongoing artistic work and exhibitions:
ONLINE-PRODUCTION DIARIES

NEUE KRISTALLE | NEW CRYSTALS
Animation film in two parts, part 2: TOWARDS THE OCEAN
A 1990, 16mm, colour, 5’15” LAVA ERUPTION RIGIDITY CRYSTALS
Animated pop-up book with painted animation sequences.
With PIANO MUSIC by Stephen Ferguson.

HIN ZUM OZEAN | TOWARDS THE OCEAN
Animation film in two parts, part 1: NEW CRYSTALS
A 1990, 16mm, colour, 6’35”
QUELLE BACH STAU FALL GISCHT SEE STROM OZEAN
40 animated puzzles. With PIANO MUSIC by Stephen Ferguson.

KLEINER SKULPTUREN GARTEN | LITTLE SCULPTURE GARDEN
A 1995, 16mm, colour, 10’15”
The garden is made up of 10 three-dimensional animated sculptures.
With music composed by Stephen Ferguson.

ZAUBERSPRÜCHE | SPELLS
A 1997, 16mm, colour, 10’30”
Animation film, part of the PROJECT SCORE FILM, developed for composers. The film SPELLS is based on the a capella choir composition by Heinz Kratochwil and on his autographs. I MERSEBURGER, II FAIRY TALES, III WASHING POWDER ADVERTISING SLOGANS. Sounddesign by Stephen Ferguson.

Production 1996 - 2000:

SOAP BUBBLE OPERA
A 1999, 16mm, colour, 23’
Animation film, created out of a huge collection of junk mail and advertising flyers, price tags, objects from consumer culture, self-made objects and 180 drawings. In III acts. With music composed by Stephen Ferguson

INTERVIEW WITH IBY-JOLANDE VARGA At the occasion of the premiere
of the film at the DIAGONALE in Graz 2000 (German)

LOOPS
∞ + 1 = ∞
A 2007, HighRes(2K) digital, colour, 10’
Animation film, 5 kinetic triptychs reflecting on life at the turn of the millennium: BIG BANG – RECYCLING CITY – WINDOW SHOPPING – VIRTUAL PETS – CHANNEL HOPPING. Music composed and performed by Stephen Ferguson.
Produced with a grant of the City of Vienna Cultural Office

Iby-Jolande Varga’s films have been shown in Vienna and all over the world, at festivals, at exhibitions with of objects from the films and in private shows.

KLANGGÄRTEN | SOUND GARDENS
Interactive animation film for MAC | PC
film version HD 4'35"
based on the musical mobile 7x7 by Karlheinz Essl
from the Project Score Film

NAMADEUS Mozarts klingendes Buchstabenspiel KV 516f | Name Game
Interactive terminal with animation (playing with the letters of Mozart's many names). ca. 2 min (loop)
Project commissioned by Haus der Musik Vienna
From the Project Score Film

MUSICOSMICA – Reise ins musikalische Universum
A 2023, 2K, Farbe, 26’10"
VR 360° 8K version in 5 parts
A fairy tale “for children of all ages”
Multimedia and animation film project, based on about 200 objects, visualising musical and music theoretical contexts. With the five journeys CHAOS, ORDER, RHYTHMS, SOUNDS, MELODY.
Music composed and orchestrated by: Stephen Ferguson

KARNEVAL DER TIERE | THE CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
After Camille Saint-Saëns. Project with objects, picture book, interactive didactic concept (together with Music Adventure Factory) and animation film
The length of the animation film will presumably be 30–40 min
Music: Camille Saint-Saëns
Status: The pre-production of objects, picture book, conception and script are finished.

CYCLES
A series of wood book studies:

HOT SPOTS Holzbuch Studie I
A 2021, Farbe, fullHD 1:33
With music composed by Stephen Ferguson

SEEDS Holzbuch Studie II
A 2021, Farbe, fullHD 1:54
With music composed by Stephen Ferguson

PLASMA Holzbuch Studie III
A 2023, Farbe, 2K 2:40
With music composed by Stephen Ferguson

2 more are in progress:
CUBE CLOUD | CYBERSCAPE