IBY-JOLANDE VARGA

"I was born into a family of artists and writers – painters, sculptors, poets, playwrights. When, however, I came to discover an art form for myself it was music. It became my own world. I went on to study piano at the Vienna University of Music. Nevertheless, the pictorial arts remained a natural way for me to express myself, just as if they were my mother tongue. So after my music studies, I decided to combine these two worlds using animation. Ever since then I have been making animation films.

Making animation films today is part of a whole range of multimedia disciplines I am involved in. I do web design, video films, mainly of musicians, Flash animation and -programming; I design exhibitions and do artwork for print, both for official and private commissions. Here again, I work mainly for people and organisations involved with music and the music business. I am member of several creative teams, like The Amplifyers (contemporary composers’ portraits) und Music Adventure Factory (computer games)."

Iby-Jolande Varga was born in Vienna, Austria in 1961.
She learned fine arts in her family’s ateliers and workshops, 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.

• STATEMENT ZUR KINDHEIT

DIE BUNTEN SACHEN COLOURFUL THINGS
Animated video improvisation (1998) and CD-Rom (2001) with 2000 pictures - drawings, objects, books; animatons, games, texts

From 1981-1985 Iby-Jolande Varga studied piano and piano teaching at the University of Music in Vienna. Her further musical education was focussed on contemporary music.
She held seminars on music and studied media theory at the Music University.

• STATEMENT ZUM MUSIKSTUDIUM

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

Since 1987 she has concentrated on filmmaking. In 1987 she took part in a 5-day animation workshop at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. 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 and has produced 6 animations films: NEW CRYSTALS and TOWARDS THE OCEAN 1990, LITTLE SCULPTURE GARDEN 1995, SPELLS 1997, SOAP BUBBLE OPERA 1999 and LOOPS 2007.

FILMOGRAPHY>>>

• STATEMENT ZUR BERUFSWAHL
• STATEMENT ZUM ANIMATIONSFILM
• STATEMENT ZUR TECHNIK

Since 1990 she has worked at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, first as a member of staff then as a freelancer. At present she is responsible for web and multimedia development, exhibition design and project presentations.

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.

aAmplify Austrian Art Music Productions Online. Responsible for multimedia elements: Internet radio, video web clips, zoomable scores and autographs, slideshows, album und photo series.
The DVD Edition is in progress!
www.amplify.at

WORK FOR THE UNVERSITY OF MUSIC IN VIENNA
WEBSITES e.g. for the Department of Conducting and the Course in Schenkerian Studies
EXHIBITION REBEL AND VISIONARY. HEINRICH SCHENKER
IN VIENNA. Exhibition for the music theorist at the Music University Aula
INTERACTIVE CD-ROM with a virtual version of this exhibition: Heinrich Schenker: Life – Pupils – Influence (published by Böhlau in 2006)
www.musiktheorien.at

JOURNEYS TO THE UNIVERSE OF MUSIC
a music art game, in progress BAUM HAUS KINO
VIRTUAL SOUND SCULPTURES.
Iby-Jolande Varga has been developing more complex music games with the team of MUSIC ADVENTURE FACTORY
www.musicadventurefactory.com

• STATEMENT ZU MULTIMEDIA

Member of ASIFA, Association International du Film d’Animation

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

You can find professional information concerning fields like webdesign, multimedia development, DVD-authoring or video editing along with many samples in the new online
FILMKUNST-STUDIO

PRESENT ANIMATION FILM PROJECT

ANIMATED MUSIC SCORES-
VIRTUAL SOUND SCULPTURES AND SCORE FILMS
Beginning with interactive SOUND GARDENS,

Production 1988 - 1990:

NEW CRYSTALS
Animation film in two parts, part 2: TOWARDS THE OCEAN
A 1990, 16mm, colour, 5’15” LAVA ERUPTION STARRE KRISTALLE
Animated pop-up book with painted animation sequences. With PIANO MUSIC by Stephen Ferguson.
First Austrian Youth Prize for the project, produced with a grant by the Ministry of Arts BMUK.

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.
First Austrian Youth Prize for the project, produced with a grant by the Ministry of Arts BMUK.

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.
Produced with a scholarship for filmmakers by the Ministry of Arts BMUK.

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.
Theodor Körner Prize 1994 for the project and for the film, produced with a grant by the Ministry of Arts. BMUKS

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 II acts. With music composed by Stephen Ferguson
Honorary mention at the National Film Prize ceremony of the Federal Chancellery, Austria, 2000

INTERVIEW MIT IBY-JOLANDE VARGA Anläßlich der österreichischen Erstaufführung des Filmes bei der DIAGONALE in Graz 2000, ab Flash 4

Production 1998 - 2006:

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 Austria, Arnheim, London, Oxford, Toronto, Basel, Budapest, Paris - Centre Pompidou and Chicago, at festivals, at exhibitions of objects from the films and in private shows.