At A Glance Author Paindreamer Contact [email protected] IAM Paindreamer When Two years ago Artist Iam:667 & Iam:Pigeon Studio ModFest Location Gothenburg/Boras Introduction
What is ModFest? How did it all began? What is that makes more and more people find their way to the event?
Together with the organizer (IAM:667) and his wife (IAM:Pigeon), who made it all possible through their dedication to body modification and the urge to share this interest with other people, we will share this two times annually event called ModFest with the readers of BME.
Philosophy
Modfest was created by a wish to meet more modded people from all around Sweden and unite them for a good time. Long we had our eyes on the network created in Canada through Shannon Larrat�s work with "Body Modification Ezine" and the community IAM. Why should they have so much fun without we are doing the same we thought, and soon the work was started by putting together an event that later on got the name "ModFest".
The idea with ModFest has never been to create a sort of convention with artists or a place where you show up, get yourself a piercing and go home and watch TV. The thing we always have strived for is the the people and the atmosphere.
The atmosphere, well there is a lot to be said about the first time I found myself standing in front of the 20 gathered people in Gothenburg for the first time and welcomed everyone. It is not like everyone with body modification is connected as one just because the shared interest. I mean "Hot-rod drivers", satanist�s, christians,"party-people", straight-edge, metalheads, skinheads, the mainstream folks and the real freaks all have more or less a shared interest in body modifications. Damn what a mess it could been.(phu).
I was kind of nervous if not to say nervous as HELL on what the evening would be like. A couple of minutes into my "opening-speach" I felt a little release in my anxiety. Everyone was exactly as I imagined. Happy, interested and very open minded. In my face for my own prejudices! The first tender evening ran into a amazing feeling for many of us attending. Then we knew what the BME expression "We are not friends, we are family" really meant.
The modifying part have never been the main thing of ModFest, well of course we have artists, and had in plans from scratch, but to socialize around mods and talk about mods have always been the foundation. Artists have always been a bonus and an opportunity to smash two flies in one setting if you anyway where going to their studio to have work done by them.
The second thought was to invite artists to give the parcitipitans an oppurtunity to talk about their mods with them in a more comfortable way then is offered in the artists studio or on a convention. Many of those who are in the modification community do their on modification in their bedrooms, and to give these people a chance to learn more about risks, hygiene and how to do thing "the right way" feels very satisfieing. The added bonus is of course the chance for artists to get together and learn from each other does not exactly make the feeling worse.
// Fredrik (IAM:667)
(Translated from the homepage www.Modfest.se (In Swedish) by:IAM:Paindreamer)
History
ModFest was born one late night when Fredrik and Egil were online, chatting about the fact that they really should get together and do some mods on Egil, a dermal punched inner conch as I recall it. It soon got out of hand when we started to think about adding some more people to the get-together to have more fun. Today, 5 ModFest�s later, we have barely realized what we started. In the beginning there where few artists, few that actually were interested in more extreme modifications and the closest thing most of us had been to body-play was the we had seen it on the net. Today we have had famous artists from all over northen Europe, suspensions, flesh sculpting, implants, CPR-courses, workshops and a lot more to offer.
Who could even imagined?
Some brief words about preivously modfest�s:
Modfest "A new modfest"
It went off in April 2003 on a club called "Sesam" in Gothenburg. Around 20 modification interested people from Stockholm in the north to Malmoe in south (and one Norweigan), was meeting in Gothenburg and we ate, performed suspensions, piercing, tattoos, branding and enjoyed ourself as kings and queens during a full night at Modfest.
Modfest V2.0 "The modfest strikes back"
It lasted during a full weekend in the beginning of September 2003. A scout house had been rented for this event in a small location called "Ravlanda" (between Gothenburg & Boras). This time there were 42 people at place including a "meat-metal" band from Boras that rocked their (and our) asses off on the Saturday eve. Since we had unlimited area outside it was body play that was the focalpoint of this event. We had suspensions (18 people in two days) also pulling and trucking was a big part in this event together with fire-walk, bed of nails and a lot of other pain filled ritual activities like the more traditional ones as piercing,tattooing,branding,cutting,skin-removal and some bead-implants and so on.
Modfest V3.0 "The return of the modfest"
This event was a one day meeting as the first ModFest was. Once again we find ourself at Club Sesam in Gothenburg 7 febeuary 2004, almost one year anniversary. 49 people with (un)healthy interest in body modification of all kind. Celebrity visit from Denmark in the form of Muffe (IAM:Muffe_Vulnuz) from "Copenhagen Body Extremes" that came together with Stefan and Karsten, his lojal mates at fakirshows etc. We skipped the suspensions this time (Though Stefan and Karsten could not keep off the temptations and did a Suicide each anyway) but we had a lot of pulls this time. In the modification area there where plenty for the ones with those kind of urges. Like the other times there where piercing, branding, cutting, skin-removal and tattooing.
Modfest V4.0 "The ModFest continues"
Was held during last summer 17-21 June 2004 and was located on a mansion outside Boras. People from all over Scandinavia and one lonely englishman (though he was a bit lost on the way to find the place and Overlord Fredrik (IAM:667) put his "search-and-rescue-skills" to the test to find him). Some of the best mod performers in north of europe, 17 meters suspension rigg (Thanks Shannon Larratt and BME for the sponsorship), 3 nights and plenty of good food. Who does not want to go back?
// Fredrik (IAM:667)
(Translated from the homepage www.Modfest.se (In Swedish) by:IAM:Paindreamer)
So what is it that makes people return to Modfest and in an increasing number? My personal opinion is of course the atmosphere and it feels like when I sit on IAM and when I surf on BME, I feel like I have returned home. I feel welcome and free. To meet these people with the same interest is just finding myself with a huge grin on my face. I personally think that ModFest will grow even further and gather more people from around Europe and maybe from other parts of the world as well.
There is one thing I have not given my attention in this experience that I find is worth writing about and that is about hygiene. That the artist attending have been keeping a standard in hygiene that is amazing. When I have walked around watching the different artist at work I have notice that they have really put in the time to make every effort for the same quality of hygiene if it was their own studio. On ModFest V4.0 two of the attending artists had a crosscontamination course for the one interested. I personally found this very interesting and it was very educational. I belive I am not the only one that thinks so. This was also a extra bonus I think for the whole event.
Thoughts from the participants of previous ModFest�s:
IAM: Raur on ModFest V2.0
My thought and experience of ModFest:
Me and Martin went to ModFest in -02. My expectations where so high! Damn, I wanted this to be like a modcamp with nice people and just good things and good karma. After been there that weekend in the summer of -02 ModFest where and will ever be even more then I hoped for. The people on ModFest where and are my family - forever. We all share a special band that nothing ever can break.
It was one of the best things I have ever experienced and being able to suspend from a tree, outdoors with all these wonderful people around me was really REALLY nice. In short; Modfest TOTALLY ROCKS!
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IAM: mrpumpernickel on ModFest V4.0
First of all I thought it was a wonderful event, really well set up and planned, not to mention that it was at a great location. I really enjoyed all the activities, and just the misc. socializing. Since I had my first suspension planned for the event I was, understandably, a little bit nervous, but I'm happy to say that the professionalism shown from the entire crew calmed me down as hell and everything went off without a hitch. It obviously meant a lot to know that there are more people like me out there in this elongated country of ours.
Then there was the weather of course, could we really have asked for better weather? I made a huge mistake though the day that we went out to the small island, I was out in the sun too much without any sun block and my forehead swelled up something fierce. It looked like I had done a saline injection on my forehead. So if there is one thing that I'd want to change about the whole event then it's that (i.e. me using sun block), other than that I can't have asked for a better planned event and I still smile inside when I think about it. I really hope we'll see a ModFest being arranged this summer as well, I'll be sure to attend it if that is the case.
I don't really think there's much more I can say, you could read the suspension experience I wrote shortly after coming home from ModFest:
Anything else, feel free to ask.
http://www.bmezine.com/ritual/A40729/ritholyh.html .
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IAM: Zeel
KICKASS
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IAM: MUFFE VULNUZ: I Think Modfest is cool. It is a good opportunity to meet people with similar interest. I am looking forward for the next...
MUFFE
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I want to thank the reader and the ones making the effort to take the time to write to me about their own personal experiences about ModFest.
I also want to send a big thank you to the ones I writing this for; Fredrik (IAM:667) and his wife Kina (IAM:Pigeon) for making ModFest what it is and to have the energy of making it bigger and bigger and for not quitting when things have looked really bad. It is your passion for body modification that reflects in your work and for making us, the participants, feel the great joy to attend and meet once more.
Finally I want to thank the great inspiration source that gave birth to ModFest and also for giving us the opportunity to fly high with the sponsored cranes, thank you Shannon Larrat.
//Paindreamer