Performa (performance festival)

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Performa is a non-profit arts organization well-known for the Performa Biennial, a festival of performance art that happens every two years in various venues and institutions in New York City. [1] Performa was founded in 2004 by art historian and curator RoseLee Goldberg. Since its inception 2005, Performa curators have included Defne Ayas, Tairone Bastien, Mark Beasley, Adrienne Edwards, Laura McLean-Ferris, Kathy Noble, Charles Aubin, Job Piston, and Lana Wilson. The organization commissions new works and tours performances premiered at the biennial. It also manages the work of choreographer and filmmaker Yvonne Rainer.

Contents

Performa Biennial

Performa 05 commissions

In 2005, Performa hosted the first Performa Biennial, a series of performance events at venues and institutions across New York City. Founding curator and director, RoseLee Goldberg is quoted as saying her objective in creating the festival was "to produce new work that I'd never seen before and have the miracle of working with artists who would make things of wonder. The second was to deal with this history." [2] Performa 05 presented new works by artists working in performance as well as first performance works by artists working in other mediums. The biennial also re-staged seminal performance works from history. [3]

Artists Jesper Just and Francis Alÿs presented new live performances specifically commissioned for Performa 05 and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum presented Marina Abramović's Seven Easy Pieces , in which Abramović re-performed several works from the canon of early performance works, including two of her own. Performances included works by Gina Pane, Vito Acconci, Valie Export, Bruce Nauman, and Joseph Beuys. [4] Other featured artists in Performa 05 included Shirin Neshat, Clifford Owens, Tamy Ben-Tor, Laurie Simmons, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Coco Fusco, and Christian Marclay. [5]

Performa 07 commissions [6]

Performa 07 was the second edition of the Performa Biennial. Building on the momentum of Performa 05, more than sixty venues and twenty curators joined in invigorating performance art in the city. This edition opened the doors to other disciplines, especially highlighting dance. Performa Commissions expanded its roster with 10 artists creating new work for the biennial including Japanther, Nathalie Djurberg, Carlos Amorales, Sanford Biggers, Isaac Julien and Russell Maliphant, Daria Martin, Kelly Nipper, Adam Pendelton, Yvonne Rainer, and Francesco Vezzoli. Each commission was chosen for an inherent theatricality and a particular use of timing that reflected the potential in working with live performance.  

Performa 09 commissions [7]

A hundred years after the Futurist manifesto was written, Performa 09 revisited its radical propositions. The third edition of the biennial covered New York City with banquets, exhibitions, street parades, noise concerts, sleep-ins, film screenings and performances. Architecture was an important addition to the biennial with the establishment of Performa Hub, the first architecture commission and a starting point to the matrix of events and discussions happening all around the city.

12 new commissions proposed an alternative view of futurism within the fast-paced world we live in. Each artist produced a work provoking the future including an opening night moving feast, a cell-phone parade, a talk show, a mysterious journey through the Lower East Side, and a musical spectacle based on high-school yearbook photos.  

Performa 11 commissions [13]

Performa 11 was the fourth edition of the Performa Biennial and covered a range of themes from language to Fluxus to the relationship between visual art and theater. 150 artists were part of the biennial including Elmgreen & Dragset, Mika Rottenberg, Frances Stark, Gerard Byrne, Tarek Atoui, Simon Fujiwara, Ming Wong, Shirin Neshat, Lauren Nakadate and James Franco, Liz Magic Laser, Iona Rozael Brown, Guy Maddin, and Ragnar Kjartansson each of whom presented a new commissioned work. Moving between disciplines and exploring the intricacies of various mediums, artists investigated vocabularies, attitudes, and histories. Russian Constructivism acted as a touchstone in considering performance and shifting between disciplines.  

Performa 13 commissions [14]

From November 1 to November 24, 2013, Performa 13 transformed New York into the performance capital of the world through live performances taking place in various venues throughout the city. Thirty-five curators and more than a hundred artists from around the world were part of realizing this biennial. Surrealism acted as the historical anchor for this edition of Performa, both in its Parisian mode and in its diasporic form. The new commissioned performances, projects, and talks investigated the concept of voice as an element missing from artists’ performance. This notion of the voice expanded into a discussion on communication across cultures and countries exploring the meaning of “citizenship”.  

Performa 15 commissions [15]

Performa 15 celebrated a decade of Performa since its conception in 2005. Continuing with the traditions established through the years, the biennial once again examined art across disciplines ranging from visual arts to dance, film, radio, sound, and architecture. Instead of having the works be restricted within a specific subject matter, the spectrum of topics extended across metropolitan life. The history of the Rennaissance acted as an anchor to the research process. Performa 15 also collaborated with the Paris foundation Lafayette Anticipations, setting up headquarters in New York.  

Performa 17 commissions [16]

In Performa 17, artists dealt with a range of subject matters centering around the use of live performance as central to artistic practice in African art and culture, the intersection of architecture and performance, and the hundred-year legacy of Dada. Performa curators visited Dakar, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Tangier, Johannesburg and Cape Town as part of the research process examining these urban centers.

The commissions reflected the many different aesthetics, values, cultures, and climates, examining the role of art within them. Yto Barrada, William Kentridge, Tarik Kiswanson, Kemang Wa Lehulere, Julie Mehretu and Jason Moran, Zanele Muholi, Wangechi Mutu, Kelly Nipper, Jimmy Robert, and Tracey Rose were among those who participated in the biennial which took place November 1 to November 19, 2017. The Dada movement served as a ‘historical anchor’ for the artists.  

Performa 19 commissions [16]

The eighth edition of the Performa Biennial took place between November 1 and November 24, 2019. Performa 19 was influenced by the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus, the first art and architecture school to house a theater class. Examining the Bauhaus’ revolutionary approach to interdisciplinary experimentation, the biennial looked at the intense social and political environment that encouraged the merging of art and life.  

Exciting new works created by artists, including Korakrit Arunanondchai,Ed Atkins,Nairy Baghramian, Tarik Kiswanson, Paul Pfeiffer and Samson Young approached performance from unique perspectives. Alongside the commissioned work, the Performa Institute used this exploration to debate the question ‘what is the art school of the 21st century?’ considering how best to equip young artists with ethical and aesthetic tools.  

Performa 21 Commissions [38]

Performa 21, from October 12 to October 31, 2021, was the ninth edition of the biennial and presented performance art outdoors in response to the pandemic. New live commissions took place within the urban landscape of New York City. In previous editions, the Performa Biennial had consistently engaged with the city as a stage, making art directly accessible to the public and challenging the understanding of performance.

Commissions by Kevin Beasley, Ericka Beckman, Sara Cwynar, Danielle Dean, Madeline Hollander, Andrés Jaque (Office for Political Innovation), Tschabalala Self, and Shikeith continued this legacy. Coming together under the same program, these artists considered the changes the city goes through culturally, socially, spatially, racially, and politically. Broadcasting was also used as a medium expanding to Performa TV, Performa Radio, Performa’s online exhibition program Radical Broadcast, and Performa Telethon creating an array of audio and video content.

Performa 23 Commissions

For three weeks from November 1 to November 19, 2023, the tenth edition of the Performa Biennial presented performance art from 40 artists around the world. Performa 23 subtly underscored a sense of political urgency as artists across mediums delivered environmental, political or cultural critique through their conceptions.

Julien Creuzet, Marcel Dzama, Nikita Gale, Nora Turato, Franz Erhard Walther, and Haegue Yang were the commissioned artists displaying new work produced over the course of two years. In addition, the biennial included the Finnish Pavilion Without Walls, the Performa Hub, launch of the Performa Archives, and a new series titled Protest & Performance: A Way of Life.  

Performa Archive

The Performa Archive is a full index of all the Performa Commissions, Performa Projects, Performa Institute presentations, publications and projects produced over the past 20 years of Performa’s history as well as all the projects presented by their cultural partners that were part of the Biennial Consortium during the Performa Biennials. Through original and raw edited video and sound recordings, photographs, physical and digital ephemera, as well as artists’ drawings, writings, correspondence with curators, interviews, and research material, the archive is a rich cultural resource representing the most current ideas in contemporary art in all media.

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References

  1. ↑ Kitamura, Katie. "Art Matters | The Second Life of Performance". T Magazine. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  2. ↑ "RoseLee Goldberg". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2016-02-27.
  3. ↑ Smith, Roberta (2005-12-25). "17 Days of Nothing You'd Ever Beheld". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  4. ↑ Smith, Roberta (2005-11-17). "Turning Back the Clock to the Days of Crotchless Pants and a Deceased Rabbit". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-02-29.
  5. ↑ Smith, Roberta (2005-11-04). "Performance Art Gets Its Biennial". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-03-23.
  6. ↑ "PERFORMA07". 07.performa-arts.org. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
  7. ↑ Kino, Carol (2009-10-29). "Art That Leaps Off the Canvas". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  8. ↑ Walleston, Aimee (2009-11-02). "Jennifer Rubell for Performa 09". ARTnews . Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  9. ↑ "Shirin Neshat and Wangechi Mutu |". Flash Art. 2015-11-09. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  10. ↑ Performa (2014-06-11). "Video: Mike Kelley at Performa, 2009". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  11. ↑ "Ara H. Merjian on Performa's Futurist film programs". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  12. ↑ Jones, Kristin M. (2009-12-15). "PERFORMA 09 in review: Part 2". Frieze. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  13. ↑ "Performa 11 · Performa Commissions". 11.performa-arts.org. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
  14. ↑ "Performa 13 · Commissions". 13.performa-arts.org. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
  15. ↑ "Performa Presents Commissions – Performa 15". Performa 15. Retrieved 2018-05-12.
  16. 1 2 Princenthal, Nancy (2017-11-09). "Performa 17: Absurd Times, Absurd Acts". The New York Times . Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  17. ↑ "Brian Belott, interviewed by Ross Simonini". artreview.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  18. ↑ "Xavier Cha discusses her performance Buffer at the Brooklyn Academy of Music". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  19. ↑ "performa 17 brings to life francois dallegret's iconic environment-bubble". designboom | architecture & design magazine. 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  20. ↑ "In Conversation with South African Artist Nicholas Hlobo on How Detached We've Become From Our Histories". OkayAfrica. 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  21. ↑ Kurchanova, Natasha. "William Kentridge: 'One needs sometimes to show the power of the irrational world as a demonstration of the limits of the rational world'". www.studiointernational.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  22. ↑ Foxley, David. "Artist Barbara Kruger and Her Iconic Skatepark Installation Are Celebrated in a New Film". Architectural Digest. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  23. ↑ "Kris Lemsalu Malone & Kyp Malone Lemsalu "Love Song Sing-Along" at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin •". Mousse Magazine (in Italian). 2020-05-05. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  24. ↑ "Performa 17 Brings Together Jason Moran and Julie Mehretu". Cultured Magazine. 2017-11-16. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  25. ↑ Whitney, William (2017-11-02). "Zanele Muholi: Visual Activism & Performa 17". The Brooklyn Rail . Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  26. ↑ Getto, Erica (2017-12-13). "Savage Logic". The Brooklyn Rail . Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  27. ↑ "Performa 17 | Frieze". Frieze. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  28. ↑ Mimi Zeiger (March 12, 2018). "Architecture Embraces Performance Art (Again)". Architect Magazine . Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  29. ↑ Shaw, Helen (2018-02-01). "Performa 17". ARTnews . Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  30. ↑ "One Take: Kemang Wa Lehulere's Performance of Self-Excavation | Frieze". Frieze. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  31. ↑ "'Engaging with the Thing': The Hard Work of Performa 19 | Frieze". Frieze. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  32. ↑ "Rachel Valinsky on the Performa 19 Biennial". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  33. ↑ AnOther (2019-12-12). "Why Michèle Lamy Performed a "Ritualistic Dance" in Archive Comme". AnOther. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  34. ↑ "Kia LaBeija: Attenuated Iconographies |". Flash Art. 2019-11-29. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  35. ↑ "IMPRESSIONS: "Sènsa" by Paul Maheke with Nkisi and Ariel Efraim Ashbel at Abrons Arts Center, Co-commissioned with the Performa 19 Biennial and Red Bull Arts New York". www.dance-enthusiast.com. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  36. ↑ Giovannini, Joseph (2019-11-14). "Gaetano Pesce Adds 'Performance Artist' to His Portfolio". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  37. ↑ Watlington, Emily (2019-11-22). "Bunny Rogers's Performa Project Mourns the Daily Tragedies of Mass Shooting". ARTnews . Retrieved 2021-02-14.
  38. ↑ Dafoe, Taylor (2021-03-17). "The Performa Biennial Will Return This Fall With an All-Outdoors Program and an Exclusive Focus on New York Artists". Artnet News. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  39. ↑ "3 Art Gallery Shows to See Right Now". The New York Times. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  40. ↑ Kourlas, Gia (2021-10-29). "Review: Choreographic Skeletons From a Lost Pandemic Time". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
  41. ↑ Mallett, Whitney (2021-10-30). "'Being Silica' Looks Hard at the Environmental Cost of Supertall Views". Curbed. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
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