Trailer for Transient Bodies: A series of conferences and a performance by VestAndPage. Film by Kayhan Kaygusuz. Copyright Open Dialogue Istanbul and Open Space Istanbul. Courtesy of the curators Francesco Kiais and Burçak Konukman and the artists VestAndPage.
A SERIES OF CONFERENCES AROUND PERFORMANCE ART AND A PERFORMANCE BY VESTANDPAGE
A series of Conferences: Transient Bodies
Performance by: VestAndPage
Dates: 22 – 24 April 2016
Project By: Open Dialogue Istanbul & Open Space Istanbul
Curators: Francesco Kiais (Curator & Concept writer), Burçak Konukman (Co-curator)
Moderators: Francesco Kiais & Burçak Konukman
Lecturers: VestAndPage (Andrea Pagnes & Verena Stenke), Angeliki Avgitidou,
Artists: VestAndPage (Andrea Pagnes & Verena Stenke)
Open Dialogue Istanbul and Open Space Istanbul are excited to be presenting “Transient Bodies: A series of conferences” along with a live performance by VestAndPage in collaboration with Francesco Kiais and Burçak Konukman taking place in Istanbul between the dates 22nd -24th April 2016.
The project will be realised in collaboration with The Art Department & LUX (artists’ moving image), Hosted by SALT and with in-kind support of Alt. The aim of the programme is to focus on performance and Live Art, with a strong educational purpose and a propositive re flection on the reasons of making art today.
A series of conferences and a Performance by VestAndPage. Photo credit: Kayhan Kaygusuz. (CO) ODI, OSI, the artists and curators
CONCEPT
In times of radical change such as ours, every discipline of the human knowledge and activity is put in front of the possibility to remain isolated in itself or, conversely, to intervene into reality, becoming actively part of a historical process. Geographically positioned between Asia and Europe, Istanbul is a swarming city home to some 17 million inhabitants, with migration owing through it constantly. Istanbul, which was founded around 660 BC as Byzantium, developed to become one of the most signi cant cities in history, consisting of an amalgamation of cultures and histories. The reason to why Istanbul is the focus of the project is because it is a representative of more than one culture. In a City of historical signi cance, and which is playing one more time a central role between east and west, north and south, we would like to start involving people who have di erent roles in the landscape of Performance and Live Art, with the ambition of touching di erent regions (not only geographical, but also of thought and action) for to compose a mosaic of poetic, philosophical, critical and artistic approaches.
With the movements such as; isolation, contested borders, and multiple diasporas, the meaning of a place, home and belonging have recently become more and more ambiguous.
This lecture series is inspired by the concept of alienation, search of identity for the individual in a system of politics, religion, social of political that is constantly changing.
The performance and live art is now globally a widespread phenomenon, with in nite facets, impossible to de ne within absolute boundaries, and that is o ering in nitive possibilities for interpretation.
The concept ‘Transient Bodies’ aims to o er a way of reading this form of art, based on the ephemeral and on overcoming the barriers between disciplines, cultures and people, providing a view of international scope. Through a careful selection of artists, curators and academicians from the global cultural scene, The ‘Transient Bodies’ project aims to o er a rich variety of events, ranging from aesthetics to the social, from the ethics to the poetics, touching di erent areas of today’s interests.
PROGRAMME
This project event focuses on a screening of a series memorable performances to give the viewer an idea about the birth and development, in short the history of performance art followed by the curator’s talk, the artists’ presentation of their art and practice and a nal discussion by academicians specializing in performance art. There will be a series of artist talks and discussions and one performance art by VestAndPage.
“Transient Bodies” 22 April Friday, at Salt, · 17:00-18:30
Screening of video documentation of performances from di erent periods, to give an idea about how it evolved between the second half of the 20th Century to our days.
Following the screening, a presentation by the curator Francesco Kiais on Performance Art history will be made. ·
19:00-20:30 Artist talk with VestAndPage, led by the curators. It will follow a dialogue with the public, on their work as artists and curators, and on their relation to the project concept ‘Transient Bodies’.
23 April Saturday, at Alt, ·
20:30-22:00 Performance by VestAndPage entitled “AEGIS II |Dreaming Matter” 24 April Sunday at Salt
· 13:30-15:00 Closing lecture of Dr. Angeliki Avgitidou, on Performance Art and public space. The curators will introduce the debate to follow with the Q & A.
Note: The conferences will be held in English. There will be no translation.
PURPOSE
To provide a cultural and educational background about what performance art is, how it originated, how it evolved, what it represents. Through the selection of these artists the curator intends to underline some specfi c aspects of Performance art which were intimately interwoven with European and Mediterranean cultural aspects. The try of these artists was to recreate a local cultural identity of international value, destroyed due to the World War I and II, facing at the same time the overwhelming power of the new cultural models coming from over the ocean, namely Consumerism and Pop. Today, we want to underline the role of the Mediterranean roots of this form of art, but just and only to enrich the debate about Performance art.
ABOUT OPEN SPACE ISTANBUL & OPEN DIALOGUE ISTANBUL
Founded by Huma Kabakci and Billur Tansel, Open Space Istanbul and Open Dialogue Istanbul are collaborative contemporary art projects that look into promoting cross-cultural dialogue between artists, curators and art practitioners internationally. While the rst exhibition took place in London, the rst launch of the two projects was realised in Istanbul. These particular moving projects aim to create recognition, present artists and curators coming from diverse cultural backgrounds, experiences and artistic practices. By calling themselves ‘open,’ Open Space Istanbul & Open Dialogue Istanbul aim to explore various art media through talks, performances, moving images, screenings and dialogues. One of their key objectives is to further the curatorial and artistic discourse and open up to other exhibitions and symposiums. SALT
(C) of Open Space Istanbul & Open Dialogue Istanbul
ABOUT THE ART DEPARTMENT
The Art Department is an organization dedicated to providing resources for the production of inspiring art projects, organizing educational programs in order to reach broad audiences and expand awareness through contemporary art. For information about our current projects, Casa dell’Arte International Art Residency Program, The Büyükkusoglu Collection and Turkey’s rst art hotel Casa dell’Arte where a part of the collection is displayed please visit our website www.cda-art.com.
ABOUT SALT
Salt explores critical and timely issues in visual and material culture, and cultivates innovative programs for research and experimental thinking. Assuming an open attitude and establishing itself as a site of learning and debate SALT aims to challenge, excite and provoke its visitors by encourag- ing them to o er critique and response.SALT Research sources diverse elds of knowledge and provides outlets for thought within the ssures and crossovers of di erent disciplines. The institution’s research projects expand beyond linear chronologies, medium-based questions, and the tradition- al separation of elds of study. SALT assembles archives of recent art, architecture, design, urbanism, and social and economic histories to make them available for research and public use. These resources will be interpreted in the form of exhibitions and discussed in all other areas of programming.
ABOUT ALT
Alt art space presents visual arts, performance and public programs, collaborating across disciplines and cultures. Alt embraces and shares new forms of artistic expression that respond both to global concerns and changing conditions on the ground. Located at the center of bomontiada, a historic beer factory re-purposed as a public social space, Alt aims to allow multiple authors to invest in and shape its future dynamics.
ABOUT LUX
LUX is an international arts agency for the support and promotion of artists’ moving image practice and the ideas that surround it. LUX exists to provide access to, and develop audiences for, artists’ moving image work; to provide professional development support for artists working with the moving image; and to contribute to and develop discourse around practice.Founded in 2002 as a charity and not-for-pro t limited company, it builds on a lineage of predecessor organisations (The London Filmmakers Co-operative, London Video Arts and The Lux Centre), which stretches back to the 1960s. LUX is the only organisation of its kind in the UK, it represents the country’s only signi cant collection of artists’ lm and video and is the largest distributor of such work in Europe (representing 4500 works by approximately 1500 artists from 1920s to the present day). LUX works with a large number of major institutions including museums, galleries, festivals and educational establishments, as well as directly with the public and artists. LUX receives regular revenue funding from Arts Council England. The particular focus of LUX is visual arts-based moving image work, a de nition which includes experimental lm, video art, installation art, performance art, personal documentary, essay lms and animation and is inclusive both in terms of context and critical discourse.
More information. Please refer to the following PDF documents for full details
