Performa 11

Performa, the Performance Art Biennial, has announced its full calendar of events for the duration of the biennial, November 1-21. The projects involved vary from commissioned theatrical pieces, film series, lectures, exhibitions, walking tours, and public actions. The full calendar of events can be seen here.

The relationship between visual art performance and digital culture is rich in possibilities, which Performa allows us to survey every two years. One of the most productive characteristics of the biennial is its focus on a link with the past and the consideration of contemporary activity within this prism. Thus, the 2009 edition focused on Futurism, and the 2011 one will focus on Russian Constructivism and Fluxus, its research themes deriving from this interest to span language, translation, the politics of speech, and the animation of modern sculpture. All of these provide context for the full, long, and impressive list of events that would happen as part of the biennial, as well as a rare space to consider contemporary practices in light of art history.

Below is a list of recommended Performa events. It was compiled from the calendar, keeping in mind the biennial's focus, but highlighting the prospects of interesting intersections between performance art, architecture, and digital culture. Details such as date, location, and price can be found on Performa's website. 


 

Ed Atkins, Haroon Mirza, and James Richards, An Echo Button, 2011

MARKUS MIESSEN AND GUESTS

ON SPATIAL POLITICS

Berlin-based architect and writer Markus Miessen discusses the relationship between contemporary politics, architecture, and space. 

SERKAN OZKAYA

SPEECH ACTS AND 3D MODELING

Artist Serkan Ozkaya researches J. L. Austin's How To Do Things With Words and 3D modeling of Michelangelo's David in this talk about language and objects.

PUBLIC MOVEMENT

POSITIONS

Israeli collective Public Movement initiates a new action in Washington Square Park, focusing on the physical positions of the subject in face of political issues.

DAIDO MORIYAMA

PRINTING SHOW—TKY

A recreation of Moriyama's 1971 performance where a photocopy machine duplicates the artists photographs, including a selection of new images.

CHRISTINE SUN KIM WITH LUKAS GERONIMAS

FEEDBACK

Christine Sun Kim experiments in the way sound can be translated into a visual experience using musical equipment.

FRANCES STARK

PUT A SONG IN YOUR THING

Text, music, dance, and the process of writing compose part of this semi-autobiographical work about the process of creation.

RAPHAEL ZARKA

FREE RIDE

ARTIST LECTURE: THE GEOMETRY OF SKATEBOARDING

Paris-based artist Raphael Zarka, presents a research into the "geometry of skateboarding." In New York, the scientific nature of Zarka's work becomes an attempt to produce the world’s first cycloid skateboard ramp, based on the geometric apparatuses of Galileo, as well as a lecture presenting the artist's research.

TAREK ATOUI

VISITING TARAB

Lebanese sound artist Tarek Atoui invites artists and musicians to explore a private collection of Classical Arab music, resulting in a performance inspired by the rules of "Tarab," a term used in Arab culture to refer to the emotional effect of music.

JOHN POWERS

STAR WARS AND THE RHETORIC OF POWER

A talk about Star Wars and American modernism by the writer of the blog Star Wars Modern.

TYSON AND SCOTT REEDER

CLUB NUTZ

A conceptual comedy club with jokes by guest artists, stand-up comedians and musicians.

ED ATKINS, HAROON MIRZA, AND JAMES RICHARDS

AN ECHO BUTTON

The three artists present a site-specific set of video pieces in Times Square and an installation that functions as an echo chamber for the video works.

SIMON FUJIWARA

THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF

A three-act narrative incorporating themes from previous performances and installations by Berlin-based artist Simon Fujiwara, as well as an exploration of sexuality, family, and Abstract Expressionism.

ASLI ÇAVUŞOĞLU

WORDS DASH AGAINST THE FAÇADE

The Istanbul-based artist creates a walking tour that uses fortune-telling in order to scrutinize the facades of New York building.

SHELLY NADASHI

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS

Papier-mâché sculptures and a series of silk prints installed at the Performa Hub library will be manipulated by Brussels-based artist Shelly Nadashi in a performance incorporating choreography and the recitation of a guidebook to email etiquette.

BURAK ARIKAN

ARTIST CLASS: CREATIVE NETWORKING WORKSHOP

This workshop focuses on the design, mapping, and visualization of networking, expanding the participants' thinking of the network to become a creative medium.