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Protos Media Arts and Protos Festival are proud to present Part 1 of Ode, the debut multimedia exhibit by Andria Benet + special guest DJs Dave Q & Loefah on Thursday, September 28th 2017

Ode is an homage to Andria Benet’s personal and professional experiences in and around electronic music over the past fifteen years while traveling, living and working around North America before and after a near death experience. The exhibit showcases 35mm analog photography, video and writing; exploring themes of travel through time and space, evolution and the human spirit. It explores topics of legacy, lineage, love, life, family, the sphere of human thought, the science of sound, inheritance among tribes and across time, and interconnectivity amidst cities and online connections from San Francisco to New York, LA to London, Boston to Brooklyn, Miami to Montreal and more. Live musical performances will be provided by electronic music pioneers Dave Q [NY] & Loefah [UK]

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ANDRIA BENET [Austin / Protos]

Chief nerd and founder of pioneering electronic arts nonprofit Protos, Andria’s work lives at the intersection of art, technology, psychology and entrepreneurship. With an MA in psychology, doctoral level training with an emphasis in forensics and self-training as a multimedia artist, curator, photographer, filmmaker, writer and poet, Andria’s work has spanned the gamut of these respective fields for over 20 years. She received early training in classical music, theatre, acting, design, innovation and digital media in the 80s and 90s. Andria works with artists, entrepreneurs and cities around the world to elevate the role of art and creativity in society; uniting otherwise divided groups through diverse electronic, interactive and immersive creative experiences. In 2013 Andria launched Protos Festival (now Protos Media Arts) the first nonprofit and woman-founded/woman-run electronic music and arts project of its kind in Austin. Its first year, Protos won critics hearts and was dubbed a new kind of independent festival with “soul”, some describing it as what SXSW “should be” and the Austin Chronicle Critics Table awarding it Best Inaugural Festival. She has since scaled back and began building Protos into a new organization ready to serve and support diverse communities in Austin, online and beyond / Andria on the web: andriabenet.com

Dave Q [NY / Dub War, Twisup]

In June 2005 in New York City, Dave founded Dub War, the first dubstep night in America. It has been at the forefront of forward-thinking bass music ever since. DJ’s and producers as diverse as Digital Mystikz, Kode 9, Loefah, Skream, Ramadanman, Oneman, Brackles and Shackleton have all had their debut North American shows at Dub War. Residents Dave Q, Joe Nice, Juakali and Incyde have also had a big impact on underground music in NYC and beyond. Aside from Dub War, Dave is an interactive art director by trade with cross-disciplinary experience building meaningful and memorable interactive experiences. His portfolio demonstrates the ability to build brands that resonate with a range of demographic groups and are sensitive to nurturing communities digitally and on the ground. He has deep experience with digital technologies and understands how the intersection of design, user experience, and technology is where the magic happens in creating powerful, resonant digital experiences. Dave is the designer for Protos Festival’s 2017 branding and the Interim Design Chair for Protos Media Arts as it grows into a full-fledged nonprofit organization / Dave Q on the web: dqxt.org/dubwar

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