English
The body as a center of expression, speech and action. Questions about current performances, the scene above rigorous aesthetic issues, how the viewer gets involved during the performance, which is the boundary between performer and audience, all these issues will be treated during the LP11. Rather than a festival for pure entertainment, LP11 offers a comprehensive dialogue from different corners of the performance through various actions at the CCCB (Contemporary Culture Centre of Barcelona), La Porta and the Mercat de les Flors.
Among what is truly Tony Orricowork´s work, who with his piece Pennwald Part 2: 8 circles, explores concepts of movement and drawing, using his body as a measure of a series of circles and geometric shapes on the stage, referring to processes of physical and mechanical writing: the pictures are written by a body during the action itself, on stage. Beautiful!
Another author you can’t miss is the brilliant Antoni Karkowski. He will be giving a talk in addition to the performance Horizon 2. This Polish, former member of Group A, painter and performer, carries out works that border on the poetic from archetypal and ritualistic figures, especially through materials that interact with the body, his performances are of a singular density. Perhaps my greatest interest to him is that his work goes beyond cultural contexts: in a world increasingly separated and generating multiple virtual spaces in cyberspace, identity is diluted. Thus, with materials ranging from water, paper, wax and others you can find on the shelves of any home in the universe, Karkowski draws attention to his particularities and our conditioning to use them, as well as political categories this material involves. Highly poetic load, I would not miss it.
However, the discussion that interests me most is Looking at porn with Wakefield Poole, which will be attended by Mauricio Gonzalez and the goddess, diva, psychedelic snake, Beatriz Preciado, one of the most important figures of gender studies today. As you know, Wakefield was not only a Russian Ballet dancer but also a contributor to the Factory of our beloved Andy Warhol. He is also one of the forerunners of the famous “porno chic”, and has directed masterpieces such as Boys in the Sand (1971), which is known to set up pornographic film language you now consume daily. What Beatriz´s reading proposes in this discussion group goes beyond gender pornographic divisions, and goes into the forms or modes of visual representation in this genre, not just about two or more wet moving bodies, but it has to do with compositions and photographs where political tensions of domination and control come into play. Not able for moralists. For further info on the LP11, programs, schedules and performances, visit this site: http://laportabcn.com/laportabcn/FestivalLP11.do
SISTER RAY
So get Barcelona accommodation on March 4 and be sure to attend these activities, highly recommended for artists, performers, critics and voyeurs of all kinds. Tickets are cheap, so there is no excuse. See you there!?
