calendario eventi  :: 

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14/7/2004

Faxe Kondi

Futura, Prague

Performance Session and Exhibition by
Ivan Civić
Viola Yesiltać
Daniel Muller-Friedrichsen
Melati Suryodarmo
Susanne Winterling
Herma Auguste Wittstock
Iris Selke

Curated by Emanuela Nobile Mino

Ivan Civić performance will take place on the same day at the Goethe Institute in Prague
at midnight hour (admission on reservation, only 40 people).
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Project Room
Veronika Drahotovà >> ALI-EN-ANCE

From 6,30 till 9,00 p.m.
Exhibition until August 15th 2004

The project
As we live in a society always more intended to do and live everything in the name of the 'rush' and devoted to the zipping of the time, Art, and in the specific, performing art, recovers the perception of reality by the slowing down of the actions, by the amplifying of the gesture and the consequent involvement of the public in the dynamics of concentration that performance requires. Where all is conceived to recreate a different, more human temporal dimension. In this way, as it happened in the 70's when performance discipline was born, the duration of the piece become real part of the work by the fact that longer is the action, easier is to the public to get into it and to experience the time and the happenings, getting always more involved and stimulated to produce energy by its own concentration and participation.

The aim of the project is to show how, besides the differences among the individual researches, besides the employ of different media and techniques, in the work of each performer there are two important underlying common denominators that unite the different poetics. First of all the Body, as the basic means of expression, experienced by the artists in several ways, then as other important point of common research, the Time.

The body turns to be the fundamental medium for performer artists, even if, in few cases or occasions, it is not the one of the artist him/her self to be involved in the performance. Anyway it is the main source and the first territory where themes regarding personal, social, politic and reality are treated and experienced, so it is sometimes shown off, sometimes overworked, sometimes iconize, sometimes heartless, sometimes emphasized, sometimes presented as a caricature.

The artist in first person, in fact, assumes on him/her self the role of the tester of different situations (usual or unusual; dangerous or ridiculous; sad or ironic; real or surrealistic) a procedure that, the most of the times, let the audience feeling represented or reflected, in some way, in the piece. The body, the skin, the entire nervous system and muscles are engaged to let the artist concentrate as much as possible on the action and on the energy that is supposed to became the main form of exchange (as a universal value, as in a sort of barter) between the artist and his public.

The term 'living installations' often used to denominate the art works of most of the artist in a performance session, refers to performances of long duration taking place as a loop, as live and active experience for artists but also for the spectators. Some other performances looks to be very short, but intense, terribly direct and eloquent. This also talks about the important of the time, because it demonstrates that the zipping of the time results a no sense procedure when few movements, few minutes are sufficient to say what you have to say, without rush, without selections. It shows that time must be lived at the best, not faced as a struggle or abused, as it is not everlasting.

Part of the title of this project ('Faxe Condi' – which is a famous Danish drink label) represents and contains a sort of joke the artists assumed sometimes ago among them, by using this logo word as a beat inside their conversation (as 'Ok', 'take care', 'hi dude') as a sort of greeting or a stock phrase to make their rhythm of talking syncopated. This sort of exercise can make reflect, on one side, about how the development of the dialog or of the expression, in terms of no sense addition of words and way of saying, can be useless and time wasting and, on the other, how helpful some codes can be in conversation in order to create an instant relations and interaction between two persons, besides the fact that it turns out to be 'like totally' funny.

The project Faxe Condi – The Unzipped Time Diary is conceived along three different moments.

The first is the performance session of the 7 artists invited which will take place during the opening night and will involve the whole Futura space creating a path along the architectural structure. The second one is the exhibition that will last the whole summer until September and will show documentary videos on other selected performances by each artist, video works that will be on view to the public together with photographs, documents, scripts, drawings and materials of each artist, which will give the chance to analyse the project phases of the works, and will help in understanding how a performance project grows up and develops.

The third one is a blind date with midnight performance event that will take place (only the first 40 persons will be admitted) in the building of the Goethe Institute in Prague, institution which joined the project with enthusiasm.

The artists presented in the project UnZipped are just a part but well representative, of students and ex-students in The Class of Marina Abramović*. Strong of their own valuable works and poetics, they are imposing themselves more and more in the international artistic scene. They formed themselves in a very strict way, under the guide of the Marina Abramović which was the first performance artist who turned her artistic discipline into a specific and professional subject to be taught in the Academy. She created a method, 'Cleaning the house', that find one of its applications in the annual workshop in which all students and ex-students participate and which is based on body and mental trainings. Those trainings are meant to give a reflection on mental and physical conditioning of the artist. The participants are to submit to a strict schedule of exercises which aim is to learn how to experience the time (for instance by writing their own name in one hour), the hunger (for instance by giving up eating for 5 days), the silence (not talking for 5 days), etc..
_________

the artists

Iris Rosemarie Selke
Born 1966 in Bielefeld, Germany/ lives in Bielefeld
Performance duration: 15'– it starts at 7,30 p.m
In her works, the artist investigates the matters related to gender, identity, history and politics. Starting from her personal experience she intents to deal with art criticism and art history looking for a new adaptation of universal icons and life mechanisms. For instance, in the performance 'Narciss' the concept of the 'lie' is re-discussed by using the classical and timeless icon of the mirror connected to the mythological figure of Narciso.
'It is not my intention to show either self-destruction or torture in my performances. I intend to give a live impression of the physical and psychological traumas which are in our collective memories.
The body is my tool to express what I cannot say. In order to communicate, I use the body as an object as well as transforming the body by using other objects.'

Viola Yesiltać
Born 1975 in Hannover, Germany/ lives in Braunschweig
Performance duration: 1 hour– it starts at 6,30 p.m.
Taking problems or topics very close to the female physical and psychic sphere (by exteriorizing them, by transforming her positions in a given space and time into images or icons) the artist interrogates her body to test its capacity and to engage it in a sort of metaphorical challenge: on the physical level of gestures, conflicts and psychological inhibitions are transferred and represented. The cyclic nature of actions (such as milk bags falling continually from her arms) accentuate a sense of inadequacy, but, at the same time, confirm extreme confidence in the power of resistance, above time and human weakness. 'The performances and video concentrate on photographic images. This level of scrutiny helps me to extract the tragic insecurities and defects from daily life... I aim to let the public feel a mixture of shame and awe. I aim to make the public aware of this'.

Melati Suryodarmo
Born 1969 in Surakarta, Indonesia/ lives in Braunschweig
Performance duration: 2 hours 30' – it starts at 6,30 p.m.
'I intend to touch the fluid border between the body and its environment through my art work. In my performances, I aim to create a concentrated level of intensity without the use of any narrative structures'.Artist's performances concern with cultural, social and political aspects, the most of the times connected to her origins that turn the images she constructs into ancient symbolic fairy tales flashes full connections with contemporary behaviour and themes. She has high physically arresting with sharp confidence and sensuality to her movement. In her performances she uses specific objects, which are abstracting her conceptual thoughts but at the same time bringing the public into the daily facts. 'The Promise' piece, for instance, is inspired to the Java idiom 'eat the liver', said of an introverted person. Eating the liver means to give yourself the death. The woman, came out from dreamland, face physically her restrictions and personality transformations.

Herma Auguste Wittstock
Born 1977 in Peine, Germany/ lives in Braunschweig
Performance duration: 2 hours 30'– it starts at 6,30 p.m
The artist works with her body as the main point of interest, by testing the limits (physical and mental) given by the society, too often over structured and set up to impose a rigid grid of categories, fields of action and possibilities. 'The main topic of my works is the question where the limits of public are and where my limits can be found'. By creating new contexts, unusual and contradictory equilibriums, she plays with her body by transforming it into an ironical image, a statue, to represent new possible assets of social and public statements, as becoming a star glittered and acclaimed without being thin, high and good looking, but by assuming the typical poses, dresses and behaviour required. 'My thoughts and feelings go to the public in form of mental power. The audience and I explore new ways'.

Susanne Winterling
Born 1970 in Rehau, Germany/ lives in Berlin
Performance duration: 1 hours – it starts at 7 p.m
The artist works on the shift of usual perception of the time, of the images and of the experience. By changing, fixing or repeating some particular, usual or mechanical actions, the typical state of conscience looks to be turned up side down, converted into a new way of attention and driven trough different possibilities of time and space experience. With a minimal intervention on the real state of things, the artist captures the attention and the participation of the viewer by manipulating the way people normally experience reality. 'My work aims to find, select and put into a scene, the scenario which is usually very minimal and subtle. Then I choose the way people should experience it'.

Daniel Müller - Friedrichsen
Born 1975 in Hannover, Germany/ lives in Berlin
Performance duration: 2 hours 30'– it starts at 6,30 p.m
The artist research 'is about the difference between image and text and using words in a sculptural way'.
Interested in marking the space by creating a charismatic territory, the artist uses to involve very often the audience in actions and performances by leaving to them the task of making his work completed. So, the interaction to him becomes an exchanging of informations and an active way of testing real time reactions to some questions, very often related to everyday life.
'I use language in a way like chewing gum, with various possibilities and different meanings, which also includes an irrational potency and openness'. The writing has often an important role in his works because it implies a choice, it means taking position, it means adding or erasing something to or from reality.

Ivan Civić
Born 1979 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina/ lives in Berlin
Performance duration: 30' – it starts at 00,00 p.m
His performance will take place at the Goethe Institute in Prague under reservation (only 40 people admitted)
The artist works analyse family structure. He moves by highlighting the limits within which this union is effectively real and those in which it is purely structural. His mother is almost always the central point of his performances, in fact she is often the protagonist of the video installation that stays on his back and with which he interacts. The relation with the audience assumes a great importance as they are called to share artist's own intimacy, contradictions and conflicts, so that the personal history suddenly becomes collective, as the themes related to the family and to the sentimental sphere always have some kind of connection in everybody lives. 'The type of communication depends on my state of emotions and mind. It can be sexual, silent or almost non existing. I need to be respected, hated and loved by the public..... And I have to feel the same towards them, creating dependence through a total mix of emotions, so that they cannot leave the space until they all haven't exchanged their own fears, moral and personal restrictions'.
________

*The Class of Marina Abramović is the name of a group of young artists at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste of Braunschweig (Germany) formed under the guidance of Marina Abramović, famed for her body art and considered one of the most important exponents of performance art over the last thirty years. Abramović has taught at Braunschweig from 1997 until 2004. With her method of teaching she transmits her performer experience and knowledge to students through lessons, workshops, shows and debates. One of the objectives of her teaching is to support and help young students at the academy to become professional artists by creating opportunities for them to present their work in shows at galleries, museums, kunstverein and theatres.

Well appreciated in prestigious appointments, they presented at the Venice Biennial a collective performance of the show 'Recycling of Future' and subsequently on 27th June, at the Fridericianum Museum of Kassel. This year in June they have been invited to present one of their performances in New York at PS1.

The Class of Marina Abramović, 2003

EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS selection

1997
'Cleaning the house', Domaine de Kerguehennec, France
1998
'The 70's', Hbk Braunschweig
'Braunschweiger Kulturnacht', LOT Theatre Braunschweig
'Zwischenräume - Finally ', Kunstverein Hannover, Hannover
1999
'Performance Abend', Rundgang Hbk Braunschweig
'Braunschweiger Kulturnacht', LOT Theatre Braunschweig
'Unfinished Business', Gallerie Haus am Lützow Platz, Berlin
'Fresh Air', Kulturstadt Europa, E-Werk, Weimar
2000
'Performance-Abend', Rundgang Hbk Braunschweig
'Visible Differences - an event, performances and installations'
Hebbel Theater, Berlin
'Cleaning the house', Domaine de Kerguehennec, France
2001
'Get that balance', Hbk Rundgang Braunschweig
'Performances Klasse Abramovic', Kaskaden Kondensator, Basel, Switzerland
'Wer hat Angst vor Roger Whittaker?', Freunde Aktueller Kunst e.v, Zwickau
'Real Presence- Generation 2001' The Balkans Trans/Border - Open Art Project, Belgrade, Yugoslavia
'Marking the territory', Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin, Ireland
'Get that balance', National Sculpture Factory, Opera House/Half Moon Theatre, Cork, Ireland
'Festa dell'Arte ‘01-Tempo Reale/24h of performances and action for the Art Resistance', Acquario Romano, Roma
'A little bit of history repeated', Kunst Werke, Berlin
2002
"Klangspüren" Festung Franzensfeste, Brixen, Italy
'Body Power Power Play', Wüttembergische Kunstverein Stuttgart
'Cleaning the house', Santiago de Compostello, Spain
'Common Ground', Landesvertretungshaus Niedersachsen & Schleswig-Holstein, Berlin
'Prêt á Perform', Gallery Via Farini, Milano, Italy
2003
'As soon as possible – performance loop', PAC Milano, Italy
'The Class of Abramovic - Performance Symposium', Fridericianum, Kassel
'Recycling the Future', performance event at Venice Biennale, Venice
'4th International Performance Festival', Odense, Denmark
2004
'Loop Performance', PS1- Contemporary Art Center, Long Island City
'Faxe Condi – The Unzipped Time Diary', Futura Projekt, Praha (Cz)

Opening
Thursday July 15th 2004

Performances from 6,30 till 9,00 p.m.
Exhibition until September 12th 2004

FUTURA
Holeckova 49 Prague
+ 420 251 511 804

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