A special Performa 09 discussion intended to probe questions of performance in relationship to architecture and the city, and to speculate on the future of Performa.
What is the ideal performance space for 21st century New York? This session will be dedicated to the discussion and speculation of what defines a performance space. It will examine past examples of performance spaces–whether deliberately designed or spontaneously invaded–and where they have succeeded and or failed. By utilizing the Public School platform, this session intends to bring together professionals in visual arts, performing arts and architecture to understand the complex issues involved in ensuring a successful performance.
This year Performa has a special focus on New York City itself - with commissioned projects that explore architecture, design, urban planning, typography, media, and public spaces - turning the city into an evolving platform for public engagement and inspiration.
With Performa 09, architecture has been added as a significant part of the biennial. More than twenty architecture related events have been organized, including the Performa Commission of nOffice in Berlin, for the interior design of the Performa Hub (located on the ground floor gallery of the new Cooper Union building at 41 Cooper Square), the fully functioning headquarters for the Performa 09 biennial, and the location for this event.
Moderated by Performa Director RoseLee Goldberg and curator Defne Ayas.
Participants:
Didier Faustino
Florian Idenburg
Dana Karwas
Carlos J. Gomez de Llarena
Eric Liftin
Shohei Shigematsu
Christian Wassmann
Organized by Defne Ayas as part of Performa 09 and the Public School (For Architecture) with assistance by Griffin Frazen
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
11 am
41 Cooper Square
sign up online http://nyc.thepublicschool.org/class/1589
see the Performa calendar for details http://performa-arts.org/blog/not-for-sale-ideal-performance-space/
About Performa09:
Performa 09, the third edition of the internationally acclaimed biennial of new visual art performance, will be held in New York City from November 1–22, 2009, showcasing new work by more than 150 of the world’s most exciting contemporary artists. Over its three week-run, Performa 09’s innovative program will break down the boundaries between visual art, music, dance, poetry, fashion, architecture, film, television, radio, graphic design, and the culinary arts, presenting over 110 events in collaboration with a consortium of more than 80 of the city’s leading arts institutions, 40 curators from around the world, and a network of public and private venues throughout the city.
- Date
- November 22, 2009 at 11:00am
- Location
- Performa HUB 41 Cooper Square
- Facilitator
- PERFORMA Director RoseLee Goldberg & Curator Defne Ayas
- Limit
- 30
- Fee
- FREE
Comment
Performance is not an art in space and time as dance.
Performance is an art of subject formation and an art of image making, design and composition that involves time and space.
There is not a stage but a screen. Ideal space for performance is the screen. Performance is already information, deliberately eliminating the forms of beginning middle and end of linear perception, narration and preservation. Ideas of constant negotiation and reflection on production’s condition, its political implication and the conflict of the creator and the subject being part of an image that is only information.The commodified body, the gesturing of the body - as an actor and director at the same time- on a screen. The editing as being an ongoing manipulation of the performance’s narrative by being both information available for use and a live event.
29 Sep 2009 1:08PM
I'm baffled by your comment, Georgia. You seem to be defining "performance" in a very narrow manner and you contradict yourself at times.How can you argue that performance is not an art in time and space? I'm interested to know what "performance" in particular you refer to.
As to the class proposal itself, the term "performance" should probably be defined first and also differentiated (catalogued?), from the more traditional forms (play, opera, symphony, recital, ballet, modern dance) to more contemporary forms (monologues,ambient or sound installations,digital media,video installations,participatory forms, etc.) If we agree that performance spaces usually fail some performance types and succeed with other types, perhaps the value of the course would be to highlight these differences, to talk about new emergent performance forms and to review historical and contemporary models.
As an aside, the reenactment of important naval battles by the Romans at the Colosseum or other Plazas always seized my imagination as an extreme in performance space. For a more recent example, one could look at the Olympics with their large scale opening an closing ceremonies, but this is probably beyond the scope of this course.
30 Sep 2009 10:47AM
attempting to define performance is boring.
architecture performs as well or poorly as a dance, an audio/ visual installation in gallery or museum, a project at an advertising agency, or a theater piece.
Trying to design a unique and interesting theater space that functions well is probably one of the biggest challenges for an ambitious architect. especially for an architect with set design experience.
good luck!
12 Nov 2009 7:30AM
a lot of the things we do (and must do) don't pass the boring-or-not criteria, but are no less necessary and illuminating.
20 Nov 2009 2:46PM