Our sponsor and partner, ikon TV, has created a 4 minute “virtual Slow Art Day” video that they are showing as part of their Slow Art Day programming in Germany and the Middle East.

Watch their “Virtual Slow Art Day” video here (note: there is *no* sound intentionally)

And here’s Ikono TV’s description of their video and their commitment to Slow Art Day:

“Let’s take a closer look – like all art, we can understand it better when we look more closely.” This love for detail and contemplative, decelerated experience of art is something we – ikono – stand for. Just like the Slow Art Day initiative, ikono invites people to experience art as a pure visual experience at home thanks to its two TV channels broadcasting now in 25 countries, spreading therefore the Slow Art Day mission to the largest possible audience – even outside of art institutions.

On the occasion of this year’s Slow Art Day on April 28th, ikono presents two themed programs: Miniature and Calligraphy in art. Both represent two classical forms or artistic practice in the Menasa region – the region ikono was launched in a few years ago. Both miniature and calligraphy require the viewer to slow down in order to discover details and to decipher.

The word “miniature” comes from the Latin word “miniare”, which means to color with red lead and was used for the capital letters. Miniatures were first used as decoration of hand-written books. We show a range of the traditional miniature paintings from the Ottoman, Persian, Asian and European heritage.

In addition, we present also the “conceptual idea of much-smaller-than-usual sizes” in painting, photography, sculpture, installation works and other forms of contemporary art.

A number of cultures throughout the world draw upon calligraphy as a prominent source of artistic practice from ancient times to most recent contemporary styles and movements. Calligraphy has also arguably become the most venerated form of Islamic art. Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Turkish calligraphy is associated with abstract arabesque motives on the walls and ceilings of mosques as well as on the page. Contemporary artists in the Islamic world draw on the heritage of calligraphy to use calligraphic inscriptions or abstractions in their work. The calligraphy special presents traditional and contemporary works of different artistic backgrounds.

ikonoTV is a new platform proposing an alternative to museums and galleries – as it goes beyond the limitations of space and time frames. In Berlin, a team consisting of artists, art historians, filmmakers, art critics and curators from over a dozen different nationalities, is working together to find new ways of showcasing visual arts.

In late 2010, ikono launched its art channel ikonoMenasa: the first TV channel solely devoted to art. ikonoMenasa runs 24 hours every day with no commercial breaks, no added sound or narrative in 24 countries throughout the Menasa region – the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

In December 2011, ikonoTV was launched in Germany as a second channel – bringing this unique, contemplative way of experiencing art to the German public.

For more information, please visit us at www.ikono.org