Descripción de la Exposición
After last year’s groundbreaking inaugural edition, A Performance Affair, the first art fair in the world entirely dedicated to performance art, is doubling its ambitions for this year. Taking place from 5 to 8 September 2019 in collaboration with Brussels Gallery Weekend, APA will transform not one but two floors of the iconic Vanderborght Building in the center of Brussels into an open, immersive performance space with a varied three-day programme.
While performance is omnipresent in today’s contemporary art landscape, few artists are able to draw sustainable revenues from this practice. Compared to their painting or sculpting counterparts, whose creations are more easily “sellable”, performance artists are at a disadvantage. In this context, A Performance Affair aims at shifting perspectives, inspiring reflection, and stimulating the acquisition of performance art while placing the artist’s needs at the core of its mission. This second edition, titled re:production, will attempt to determine the key elements necessary to perform, transcribe, document, transfer ownership and restage a performance. What is the collectable matter of a performance? How do the protocols, scenarios, recordings, or artefacts relate? How can video and other means of representation benefit the discipline?
A Performance Affair will welcome new and historical works by more than 30 artists from around the world, both emerging and established. Curated by a high-profile selection committee, the international line-up for re:production includes Bangladeshi artist Nazia Andaleeb Preema who is representing her country in this year’s Venice Biennale, and János Szirtes, one of Hungary’s most celebrated performance artists.
“A Performance Affair is an important platform that will give a big exposure to performance art and the attention it deserves.”
Marina Abramović, artist, New York
“The questions raised by APA are pertinent to the contemporary art world right now in how we create space, as well as a market, for practices that fall outside of its narrow understanding of value. How ever can we be contemporary if we do not create opportunities for ephemera and performance that speaks to the here and now? I was impressed by many of the artists who applied with thoughtful presentations as well as practical ways for their work to live on.”
Aaron Cezar, founding Director of Delfina Foundation and co-curator of the performance programme of the 58th Venice Biennale, member of the APA selection committee, London
“Humans have made and experienced art since we first started gathering in caves, yet collecting results from the artist’s practice is only a few centuries old. Performance is a self-encompassing gesture that has not yet been codified like painting, sculpture, or even video. I am thus excited to help the founders of A Performance Affair provide artists with the arena and tools to create, codify, and transmit their works, and I encourage my fellow collectors to safeguard this allengaging experience beyond any material manifestation.”
Frédéric de Goldschmidt, Collector, member of the APA selection committee, Brussels
“Performance, much criticised in my early days, is now a recognised tool to question our relationship with the public and with our bodies. It is not an ephemeral act or style but an artistic practice in its own right. It will prevail throughout time and it is there to put in perspective, to question and to eroticise the other practices. Let’s not forget that the body is political and ‘We have art in order not to die of the truth’ (Nietzsche).”
ORLAN, Artist, member of the APA selection committee, Paris
Consistent with the platform’s goal to trigger a performance art economy, the artworks are for sale. However, instead of focusing on the usual videos, props, and photo documentation, A Performance Affair places gesture and movement, and the performative act itself, at the center. Brussels-based artist Ariane Loze proposes her work in form of a box containing instructions for reenacting her performance, and the collector who acquires Antwerp-based artist Lieven Segers’ “Help“ receives not only a set of objects but also a yearly reenactment of the performance. New Zealand-born, London-based artist David Rickard will test his - as well as the public’s - endurance by inflating balloons, with only his breath, during the course of 24 hours.
Participants
Jelili Atiku presented by BOZAR*
Kelvin Atmadibrata presented by Sepersepuluh
Mira Calix, Andjeas Ejiksson, Olaf Nicolai, Gluklya Pershina, Asad Raza, Sislej Xhafa presented by BOZAR
Ofri Cnaani presented by MLF | Marie-Laure Fleisch
Lúa Coderch presented by àngels barcelona
Claudia Comte presented by Gladstone Gallery*
Alexandra Davenport
Meta Drcar presented by UN-SPACED
Kendell Geers*
Stella Geppert
Lukas Hofmann presented by SVIT
Christian Jankowski presented by Lisson Gallery*
Klára Kuchta
Antti Laitinen presented by La Patinoire Royale - Galerie Valérie Bach
Peter Liversidge presented by Ingleby Gallery*
Ariane Loze presented by Galerie Michel Rein
Anna Mancuso
Warren Neidich presented by Barbara Seiler
Dawn Nilo presented by Contemporary Monk and Balzer Projects
Maria Pask presented by Ellen de Bruijne Projects
Diogo Pimentão presented by Galería RocioSantaCruz, Irène Laub Gallery and untilthen
Juan Pablo Plazas presented by Galerie Mieke van Schaijk
Nazia Andaleeb Preema presented by Performance Art Bangladesh
Maeve Rendle
David Rickard presented by Cøpperfield*
Lieven Segers presented by Base-Alpha Gallery
Marinella Senatore*
Evann Siebens presented by Wil Aballe Art Projects | WAAP
Tobias Sternberg presented by krupic kersting || kuk
János Szirtes presented by Kisterem
Salvatore Viviano aka Lisa Jäger
Stav Yeini presented by ZSenne art lab
* Special projects. New names will be announced shortly
Selection Committee
Adam Budak, chief curator of the National Gallery (Prague, Czech Republic)
Ellen de Bruijne, gallerist (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Aaron Cezar, founding director of Delfina Foundation (London, UK)
Frédéric de Goldschmidt, collector (Brussels, Belgium)
Iordanis Kerenidis & Piergiorgio Pepe, collectors (Paris, France)
ORLAN, artist (Paris, France)
Chantal Pontbriand, art curator, critic, and art consultant (Montreal, Canada)
Background
A Performance Affair is a Brussels-based non-profit association with international outreach. Conceived and founded by Liv Vaisberg and Will Kerr, APA seeks to place key players in the same arena and at the same table, while presenting its activities LIVE on its two APA channels. Ultimately, this 72-hour event aims to empower performance artists and change perceptions of performance art by showing works that can be acquired in a dynamic and immersive arena. Events are open to the public and free of charge.
Exposición. 05 sep de 2019 - 08 sep de 2019 / Vanderborght building / Brussels, Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, Bélgica
Exposición. 20 dic de 2024 - 01 feb de 2025 / Llamazares Galería / Gijón, Asturias, España
Formación. 01 oct de 2024 - 04 abr de 2025 / PHotoEspaña / Madrid, España
