SET + EXHIBITION DESIGNER + SITE PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR + CURATOR PQ2011 Golden Triga + 2013 IDCA Exhibition Awarded
Home
PQ2011 Golden Triga
SET + EXHIBITION DESIGNER + LECTURER
CURATOR + SITE SPECIFIC PERFORMANCEPROJECTS
PQ2011 GOLDEN TRIGA AWARDED BRAZIL NATIONAL EXHIBITION / PQ2015 SHAREDSPACE POLITICS CURATOR / PQ2019 BRAZIL CURATOR / IDCA2013-EXHIBITION DESIGNER AWARDED MixMax BRASIL, TROPENMUSEUM – AMSTERDAM
abycohen.br@gmail.com
“To create the feeling that the visitor can go everywhere and do everything, Cohen searched for a way to create a transparent space, where “you can look through all the way, from one room to another, from front to back and up to down” is comparable to Peter Brook’s notion of an open design. (…) Within the do-exhibition of MixMax Brasil, the involvement of the body means more than only visual assistance, as advocated by Brook. The whole body is involved, in all its senses, as visitors actively perform and participate in the exhibition.” (WOERDEN,2013)
PQ2011 Prague Quadrennial – Brazil National Exhibition – GOLDEN TRIGA awarded for design and curatorial project
INDEPENDENT ARTISTIC + CURATORIAL + SPACE DESIGN PROJECT 2016/2019
CENA # is a recent artistic and curatorial project that explores possibilities of creating and exhibiting design for performance, bringing together artists from different disciplines of Visual Arts, Theatre and Performance. It unfolds in different editions and formats, in construction of nonverbal narratives, through collaborative interdisciplinary processes. SPACE DESIGN In every format I take the role as Space Designer, defining and designing the space of communication between the artists productions.
The project started in 2015, after other independent project – the occupation NO MAN’s LAND, held in Prague, for PQ2015 / SharedSpace POLITICS, in June2015.
CENA #1
2016/ SESC Sao Paulo, Brazil. Duration: 3 months. Reunited 16 artists from 8 countries and 5 continents, in a format of daily activated exhibition and performances, combining the work of relevant artists from Arts, Theatre and Performance.
SPACE DESIGN – 500m2 of a light controlled indoor space. The exhibition space was orientated by transparent walls made by metal frames and glass panels of 3,5m x 3,5m approx. The concept was based on the permeability, allowing the visitors to see all space and the installations overlapping and multiplied by the multi-reflection of glass, water and projected images, proposing an immersive and sensorial experience
Participating Artists: Antony Gormley (UK), Antti Mäkelä (Finland), Bia Lessa (Brazil), Cris Bierrenbach (Brazil), Dries Verhoeven (Holland),Emma Ransley (New Zeland), Gavin Krastin (South Africa), Giulia Pecorari (Italy), Ian Evans (UK), Laura Vinci (Brazil), Liu Xinglin (China), Marina Reis (Brazil), Peter Mumford (UK), Richard Downing (UK), Theo Jansen (Holland), Valéria Martins (Brazil)
CENA #2 Playground
2017 / WSD2017 – World Stage Design – Taipei, TAIWAN. Duration: 10 days
5 artists from 5 countries and 4 continents were invited to conduct creative processes through workshops to explore space, sound, light and object separated. The artists were challenged to create works-installations in a site-specific, accessible to public, transforming an open area, and creating a dynamic and active space as a ‘PLAYGROUND’. Daily transformed by the results, in which each artist worked in individual and collective processes, and the public became an agent of integration and activation of the space installed.
SPACE DESIGN – A temporary outdoor stage is created in an open field to configure a PLAYGROUND. The choice to work an outdoor area force to careful decisions on the materials and the orientation of space. The design of space is inspired by existing elements, using sustainable materials, connected with nature and, at the same time, bringing into this area elements that do not belong, in order to provoke tension between space, nature and its occupation;seeking not only to be comfortable, but also to encourage to a critical view
Ian Evans (UK) , Po Hsin (Taiwan), Renato Bolelli Rebouças (Brazil), Tanja Beer (Australia), Jennifer Tran (Vietnam)
CENA #3 Intersections
2018 – 2019 / Brazil, Wales, Sotland. Four artistic residences were carried out, bringing together about 60 artists from various countries.
It promotes collaborative and shared spaces between artists from different areas, including: scenography, costumes, light, sound, object, space, multimedia, VR and body. The artistic residencies take place in the context and in partnership with Festivals and International Institutions of Theatre and Visual Arts, focused on working with diverse groups and communities. Resulting in the materialization of scenes-performances-installations presented to the public as part of a live-event. Each artistic residence happens in two stages – at first in a site-specific significant for the locality and, second, transposed into a neutral space of a Gallery or a Theatre
CENA #3 RESISTANCE Mar– May 2018, Memorial of Resistance in Sao Paulo, Brazil / 22 artists participants CENA #3 TRASHES Aug 2018, Wenvoe Tunnel +Bute Theatre RWCMD Cardiff, Wales/10 artists participants CENA #3 BORDERS Nov 2018 – Jan 2019, Fortress da Barra, Port of Santos Brazil/ 12 artists participants CENA #3 MS-FIT Sep – Nov 2019, Glasgow Women’s Library, in Glasgow, Scotland / 5 artists participants
Co-Curator of Beyond UK with Shizuka Hariu . Beyond UK– the 13th and digital region of UK National Exhibition, part of the curatorial project HeloStranger by SBTD/ UK .Beyond UK Virtual Exhibition — hello stranger
2019 – PQ2019
Brazil National Exhibition Opening at PQ2019
2015 – PQ2015
PQ TEAM Curator: SharedSpace/ POLITICS No Man’s Land Project – Prague Crossroads, 2015
2011 – PQ2011 Golden Triga / BRAZIL
Antonio Grassi & Aby Cohen Brazil General Curator & Brazil National Exhibition Curator and Designer
2007 – PQ2007 Scenofest
SCENOFEST – LEAR`S CRITIQUE SESSION with PAMELA HOWARD, JEAN GUY -LECAT and Students
2003 – PQ2003 Scenofest
SCENOFEST – Assistant Curator for Birds Critiques with PAMELA HOWARD and students
1999– PQ1999
CURATOR for THEMATIC EXHIBITION – BRAZIL
1995 – PQ1995 Golden Triga / BRAZIL
Brazilian Team at PQ1995 GOLDEN TRIGA AWARD for BRAZIL – Eve Lise Machado, Aby Cohen, Jose de Anchieta, Telumi Helen, Muna Hauachi and Gustavo Lanfranchi
Highlights by Decade
1990
1991 – First Gallery Exhibition MIS/ Sao Paulo 1992 – starts at Antunes Filho Theatre Co. 1994 – Exhibition Coordinator, for BRASIL dos VIAJANTES, MASP, Sao Paulo / Brazil 1995 – PQ1995 – first attendance – designer assistant / Brazil GOLDEN TRIGA awarded . Meeting the legend JOSEPH SVOBODA 1995 – International Theatre Festival FIAC -in Sao Paulo – Braz il Designer responsible to reproduce the sets for the play “Anthony &Cleopatra”, directed by Vanessa Redgrave; 1996 – Start working at PAIDEIA Theatre Co . 1999 -PQ1999 Curator + Designer for Brazilian Thematic Session. Meeting the legend RALPH KOLTAI, at Manes Gallery 1999 – 1st Biennial Mercosur – Exhibition Coordination , Porto Alegre / Brazil
2000
2000 – Exhibition Coordinator for +500 year Brazil , major National event to celebrate Brazil’s 500 years – Sao Paulo/ Brazil . 2003 – OISTAT Education Commision Membership during PQ2003 , in Prague 2003 – PQ2003 1st SCENOFEST – Presenter. Meeting the legend PAMELA HOWARD 2003 – 3rd Biennial Mercosur – Exhibition Coordination , Porto Alegre / Brazil 2004 – MA in Arts /Performance concluded 2005 – TERRA PAULISTA Exhibition Design at SESC Pompeia, combining art and sets 2007 – PQ2007 SCENOFEST TEAM . Curator Assistant for the Critiques Session, led by Marina Raychinova and Designed by Jean -Guy Lecat. Project Leader: Sean Crowley 2007 – 1st Biennial del FinDelMondo – Patagonia /Argentina 2008 – STAR WARS Exhibition Coordinator in Sao Paulo/Brazil 2008 – 2ª Biennial of DESIGN Exhibition Coordinator, Brasilia / Brazil 2008 – 28ª Biennial of ARTS Sao Paulo Exhibition Coordinator
2010
2010 – invited to be the Brazilian National Curator for PQ2011, by Mr. Antonio Grassi 2010 – 3ª Biennial of DESIGN Exhibition Coordinator, Curitiba/Brazil 2011 – PQ2011 Brazil National Curator and Designer. GOLDEN TRIGA AWARDED PQ 2011 PQ2011 SCENOFEST WORKSHOP CURATORIAL TEAM led by Jessica Bowles 2011/12 PQ Golden Triga exhibition on tour to Brazil, Salisbury/UK and Lisbon/Portugal 2011 – OISTAT Education Commision meeting + workshop in Novi Sad , Serbia 2012 – 52. USITT Conference International Presenter , in Long Beach – California , USA, 2012 – OISTAT Education Commision, meeting in Maastrich, Netherlands 2012 – MIxMax Brasil Exhibition at TropenMuseum, Amsterdam – Designer 2012 – INTENSIVDAGARNA International Presenter of MixMAx project, VIsby, Sweden 2013 – 53. USITT Conference International Presenter , in Milwaukee , USA, 2013 – IDCA AWARDED for Exhibition Layout for MIxMax Brasil at TropenMuseum 2013 – WSD2013 Curator Jury Exhibition 2013 – WSD2013Coordinator and Curator for DESIGN as PERFORMANCE Program 2013 – OISTAT VICE PRESIDENT elected at the World Congress (2013-2017) 2013 – OISTAT EC meeting in Taiwan 2014 – 54. USITT Conference International Presenter , in Dallas – Forthworth , USA, 2014 – OISTAT Education Commision meeting E-SCAPES in Sao Paulo , Brasil 2015 – PhD in Arts /Performance concluded 2015 – PQ2015 INTERNATIONAL CURATORSharedSpace/ POLITICS2015 – PQ2015 INTERNATIONAL CURATORProject NO MAN’s LAND, Prague Crossroads WSD2017 SCENOFEST Curatorial Team Meeting in Prague 2016 – CENA #1 opening Sao Paulo/ Brazil 2016 – OISTAT Education Meeting in Seville2016 – OISTAT EC+GB Meeting in TAIWAN2017 – CENA #2 opening Taipei/ Taiwan at 2017 – WSD2017 Curatorial Team / Taiwan 2018 – CENA #3 project in Sao Paulo / Brazil 2018 – MOMENTUN DELEGATE at EDINBURGH ARTS FESTIVAL, Scotland/ UK 2018 – CENA #3 project at RWCMD, in Cardiff / UK , program of OISTAT 50 years. 2018/19 – CENA #3 project in Santos / Brazil 2019 – CENA #3 project in Glasgow / UK 2019 – Brazil General Curator PQ2019 . Curator and Designer for the NAtional Exhibition ” BODY as SPACE, TERRITORY and its BORDERS”.
2020
2021 – OISTAT PRESIDENT elected at the World Congress for the term 2021-2025 2022 – USITT22 Conference International Presenter , in Baltimore , USA. 2022- WSD2022 Calgary, Canada – Presenter, 2022 – SENA – OISTAT Southern European Northern African Festival, Rabat – Morocco 2022 Ukraine Scenography International Online Conference: Theatre in shelter: Painful touches. Presenter. 2022 – ALT Symposium 1, UK. Project Leader 2022 -Tbilisi Biennale of Stage Design Online Conference – Presenter, OISTAT Georgia 2022 – ESCO Workshop by Creative FLIP & INCREAS, Vienna, AU. Participant 2023 – USITT23 Conference International Presenter , in St Louis , USA. 2023– SHOWTECH Conference – Presenter, Berlin, OISTAT DTHG 2023 – PQ2023 Co-Curator of Beyond UK – the 13th and digital region of UK National Exhibition, part of the curatorial project HeloStranger by SBTD/ UK) , UK/ Prague 2023 – PQ TALKS . Prague – Panel Presenter 2023 – OISTAT HUB. Prague – Project Leader 2024 – USITT24 Conference International Presenter , in Seattle , USA. 2024 – ETC – European Theatre Convention , Nova Gorica, Slovenia. Guest 2024 – ALT International Symposium 2, UK. Project Leader2024 – OISTAT ECGB meeting in Taiwan 2024 -Tbilisi Biennale of Stage Design Online Conference – Presenter, OISTAT Georgia 20242024 – SENA – OISTAT Southern European Northern African Festival, Novi Sad- Serbia, 2024 – Bucharest Scenography Biennale, RO. Panel: Transnational Collaboration Networking 2025– SHOWTECH Conference – Presenter, Berlin, OISTAT DTHG 2025 – Conference: Designing the Future, Budapest , OISTAT Hungary – Presenter 2025 – Mentor -International Programme in Scenography, Constanta, OISTAT Romania 2025 – PQ 60 years Symposium – Presenter 2025 – WSD2025 -Sharjah, UAE – Presenter
Aby Cohen 