An experimental laboratory project aimed at the development of a performative ensemble and individual performances in the public space.

Facilitator: Francesco Kiais

Workshops:
Tuesday March 20, Wednesday March 21, and Thursday March 22, 10.00 – 13.00

Location: The old library building at the Athens School of Fine Art (ASFA).

The potential of this initiative expresses on one hand on an pedagogical level, and on the other, as the possibility to intervene creatively in the social. The workshop will enable participants to gather and develop our intentions, through a guided exploration of the following themes:

I feel, therefore we are. (Why art is an aesthetic gesture).

Partial-body and Total-body. (Me and the other, me as “the other”)

Why Performance art, and why the public space.

During the first day the project will be described analytically, and the methodology of the approach of the facilitator Francesco Kiàis will be deepen. Thus, it will be clarified how, starting from a shared and co-acted situation of ensemble, we can move on to a situation of parallel accomplishment of different performances. During the second day, exercises related to the ensemble figures will be performed. The aim is to find a temporary common identity that will accompany us until the Syntagma Square's performance has been completed. In addition, these exercises help to achieve a common spirit and act as an organic whole, even in the moment of personal performances, where each artist expresses him/her self in parallel with the others, leading to the designing and execution of a series of parallel performative actions that will take place on Syntagma Square, on Tuesday, March 27.

The summer of 2012 was a time of escalation of public protest against the austerity program, expressed through mass movements and singular actions in the public spaces of Athens, such as the movement of the indignant in Syntagma Square. During this time there were several events that would remain in the collective memory, such as the murder of Pavlos Fyssas or the suicide of Dimitris Christoulas.

"As a visual artist, my defense "weapon" against the brutality of this unspecified invasion is my cultural identity as I understand it, and the roots of my visual language. What I wish to achieve is beyond an ephemeral expression of a political gesture at an ideological level. The poetic gesture in the public space is intended to realise an exercise of citizenship that brings the concept of "politics" closer to the root of its conceptual meaning, that is "that which concerns the polis." And the polis (the city) is much more than "politics". (F. Kiàis)

More information: http://c-a-s-athens.squarespace.com/newsroom/

Communication:

In the context of the collective project we are extending an open call for collaboration with performance artists for participation in the experimental workshop, with the intention of creating a performative ensemble and the development of individual performances in the public space.
The participants must be available on Tuesday March 20, Wednesday March 21, and Thursday March 22, 10 – 13.00, so as to participate in the workshop that will take place in ASFA, as well as on the day of the public performances, Tuesday, March 27th.

The number of participants will be limited to 10.

To respond to the open call, please contact us via email at contemporary.art.showcase@gmail.com. The email should include: a) Brief CV, b) Relevant supportive material (video / images) from previous actions, if available.
Furthermore you may contact us via phone at 0030 693 692 3004.