ARE YOU ALIVE OR NOT ? Looking at ART through the lens of THEATRE ~ ACT 2, MARCH 18–22, 2015 CONFERENCE-FESTIVAL at theatre De Brakke Grond. Guest curated by Claire Bishop, Claire Tancons, Joanna Warsza, David Weber-Krebs. Framework: Gabriëlle Schleijpen for Studium Generale Rietveld Academie

| tag: Amsterdam

Scroll for info on prizes and special offer for DAI- students and DAI-alumni. 

 

Through talks, readings, live performances, screenings and masterclasses, ARE YOU ALIVE OR NOT? proposes itself as a ‘modus operandi’ for generating knowledge, ideas, questions, collaborations, happenings and things. The project takes it's inspiration from a wish expressed in the introduction to Claire Bishop's book Artificial Hells, Participatory Art and the Politics of Spectatorship: "It is hoped that these chapters might give momentum to rethinking the history of twentieth-century art through the lens of theatre rather than painting or the ready-made". During the preliminary program in January and February the visual art and design students at the Rietveld Academie were offered to familiarize themselves with Artaud, Badiou, Bakhtin, Boal, Brecht, Debord and Rancière by means of theoretical infusions and a wide variety of artistic (research) projects, including their own.

Around 35 individual and collaborative student projects will now be displayed in the theatre of the Flemish Community in Amsterdam, De Brakke Grond, intersecting with a four-day symposium convened and moderated by invited curators: Claire Tancons (curator, New Orleans), David Weber-Krebs (theatre maker Brussels), Joanna Warsza (curator, Berlin) and Claire Bishop (art historian, New York). Each day will follow it's own unique trajectory.



M A R C H 1 6 & 1 7                                                                                                                                                                                

POST DANCE - BEYOND THE SOCIAL 

A masterclass by choreographer Mårten Spångberg aiming to reach all the students in the 'Basisjaar'.


M A R C H 1 8
1 9 . 0 0

VERNISSAGE ARE YOU ALIVE OR NOT? 

featuring costumes, props, installations, stage designs, scripts & performances. Devised by individual students and by departments:
Francesca Burattelli, Ida Brottmann Hansen, Simon Becks & Susan van Veen, Didi Flurina Casty, Ceramics, design LAB, DOGtime & IDUM, Nicolina Eklund, Fashion, Vitya Gluschenko & Alina Lupu, Glass, Graphic Design, Nicola Godman, Marte van Haaster & Jenela Kostova, Mayke Haringhuizen, Jenela Kostova, Milena Naef & Hannah Kindler, Image and Language, Inter-Architecture, Jewellery, Minne Kersten,Teuntje Kranenborg & Anouk Beckers, Annelotte Lammertse & Noé Cottencin, Linnea Langfjord, Maria Lepistö, Hedvig Koertz Mikkelsen, Emilio Martinez & Sophie Serber, Anja Petersen, Andreea Peterfi, PheD & Jorik Amit Galama, Photography, Olle Stjerne, TXT, VAV (Audiovisual).


M A R C H 1 9
1 3 . 0 0 – 1 9 . 0 0


PART 0:

EVERYWHERE IN THE NAME OF THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY /
STAND-UP TRAGEDY

Performance by Nicolina Eklund (student, Rietveld Academie). A discussion between the artist's inner critic and believer.

Naked but dressed, honest but sarcastic, private in public and funny in a tragic way, the artist lets the viewers dip their toes in the dark waters of her doubts.


PART 1: OPENING PERFORMANCE

CAN YOU PULL IN AN ACTOR WITH A FISHOOK OR TIE DOWN HIS TONGUE WITH A ROPE ? 

Sketch for an opera-to-be, a sound play by Lebanese artist Rana Hamadeh, followed by a reflection by Theodor Ringborg and a conversation with the artist.


PART 2:

CARNIVALS OF GRIEF AND SHRINES TO DEMOCRACY

theatre of the streets, terror, popular imagination, carnivalesque humor, debate, freedom of speech, multicultural sensibility, the edge of tolerability.

Curated and hosted by Claire Tancons

A trialogue between curator Claire Tancons, artist Florian Göttke and folklorist Jack Santino.

In an analysis of unbridled, uncensored and uncouth behaviors, and representations at the edge of tolerability, the three speakers will break down the dichotomic debate between freedom of speech and multicultural sensibility with this in-depth look at the theatre of the streets. What happens when humor is displaced on the terrain of terror and the popular imagination finds grief in carnivalesque laughter while erecting shrines to democracy? Inspired by Santino's notions of carnivals of grief in relationship to the shrines to Charlie Hebdo in the aftermath of the terror attacks, today's program will also address carnivalesque humor in carnival itself, as recently paraded in the streets of Cologne and Düsseldorf.

PART 3:

PRELUDE

Choreographer Andrea Bozic (invited by David Weber-Krebs) will be live streamed (from Kortrijk). She will explain exactly what her work is about and what will happen the next day, March 20, between 9:29 and 11:48.


M A R C H 2 0
1 1 . 0 0 – 1 9 . 0 0


ON ENCLOSED SPACES AND THE GREAT OUTDOORS

materialism, alligator, cosmos, sculpture, darkness, bestiaire, speculation, object, wood, fluids, spectatorship, realism, authorship, diagram.


Curated and hosted by David Weber-Krebs


With contributions by Andrea Bozic, David Weber-Krebs, Andre Eiermann, Nikolaus Gansterer, Mettte Ingvartsen, André Lepecki, Maximilian Haas and Jeroen Peeters.

Usually people who step into a theatre are of two kinds: the spectators and the actors. The spectators watch the actors. Both usually are humans. This happens usually in the enclosed space of theatre. In its symbolism, economy, and practice, theatre is the place where the human stands central with his body and his words. But what kind of spectatorship applies when challenged by an encounter with a thing, a creature, a flow, fiction, or darkness? Is it at all possible to abandon anthropocentrism in this game? During this day we are going to focus on the non-human in theatre and outside of it, on stages, screens, and the great outdoors. Spectators will be activated in various ways by lectures, performances in and outside the theatre, and a cosmic event.


M A R C H 2 1
1 1 . 0 0 – 1 9 . 0 0


DEAR FRIENDS, OR ENEMIES PERHAPS

serate futuriste, participatory art, the discourse on the audience, the court, the mass, the contemporary take on political theatre


Curated & hosted by Joanna Warsza


Featuring Claire Bishop, Joanna Warsza, Milo Rau's Moscow Trials, Ekaterina Degot, Chto Delat's Dmitry Vilenski, a film by Artur Zmijewski, Florian Malzacher and a curtain inspired by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster.

"Dear Friends, or Enemies perhaps" - with those words Marinetti would address the spectators during the famous 'serate futuriste'. Dividing the audience into 'free' and 'slave' or 'intelligent' and 'dumb', the futurists blurred the conventional modes of spectatorship. Starting with a conversation with Claire Bishop on attitudes anticipating participatory art and the discourse on the audience, this day will unfold towards the contemporary take on political theatre and the idea of performance combining drama, the visual arts, and political militancy. The program will follow with Milo Rau's documentary theater project “Moscow Trials”, a re-enactment of the court trials against the curators of various censored exhibitions in Russia including Pussy Riot, with commentary by Ekaterina Degot; Brechtian strategies of St. Petersburg’s Chto Delat collective; notes on political performativity by Florian Malzacher; and a screening of Holy Mass by Artur Żmijewski – a re-enactement of a catholic ceremony on a theater stage in Poland.


M A R C H 2 2
1 1 . 0 0 – 1 8 . 0 0


IS EVERYONE A PERFORMER?

non-stop creation & consumption, self-image, social media, amateurism, de-skilling, conscious rejection of education, inclusive new aesthetic possibilities, the end of any competence and virtuosity whatsoever?


Curated by Claire Bishop (New York)


With Gavin Butt, Annie Dorsen, Alexandra Pirici, Jesse Darling and student interventions activated and fueled by Mårten Spångberg during the masterclass Post Dance - Beyond The Social.

Artificial Hells proposes that participatory art aspires to a utopian collapse of artist and audience, turning everyone into co-producer of the work of art. But hasn’t Web 2.0 already made this argument obsolete? The non-stop creation and consumption of self-image in social media means that today we are all photographers, models, curators, film-makers, poets and DJs. Such amateur performances arguably turn our entire lives into theatre, with no need for a mediating artist, stage or gallery. This day will focus on the intersection between such amateur performances and de-skilling. If amateurism is undertaken for love, and without any disciplinary training, then de-skilling denotes the conscious rejection of your education in favour of a simpler, rougher way of doing things. The invited speakers will all respond to the central question of whether de-skilling opens up to inclusive new aesthetic possibilities (such as punk)—or just heralds the end of any competence and virtuosity whatsoever.


*Framework:


Rietveld Uncut ~ annual presentation revealing the process of making within the academy to the outside world. Organizers: Tomas Adolfs & Tarja Szaraniec. Advisors 2015: Vaast Colson, Luuk Nouwen.

Studium Generale Rietveld Academie ~ exploratory theory program aimed at all departments, open to the public. Chief curator: Gabriëlle Schleijpen i.c.w. Jort van der Laan, Nikos Doulos, Jeroen Vermandere, Marianna Maruyama, Malthe Stigaard & student graphic design team Ozgur Karacan, Emilie Ferrat & Viktor Nyström, student stage-design team Alina Lupu & Vitya Glushchenko

Rietveld students & staff free entrance.
Day ticket € 15 with student discount € 10
Four-day ticket € 40 with student discount € 20

Students and alumni DAI pay € 10 for a four-day ticket

DAI will refund the remainder to the Rietveld Academie.

Please mention your name to Nikos Doulos, who is in charge of the reservations and the guest lists at:

 reservation-studiumgenerale@rietveldacademie.nl


For further information, detailed time-table & updates see:

http://areyoualiveornot.rietveldacademie.nl/

 

With the generous support of tutors & staff Gerrit Rietveld Academie and the staff of De Brakke Grond.


Vlaams Cultuurhuis De Brakke Grond, Nes 45 Amsterdam