CURATORIAL
After the GOLDEN TRIGA in PQ2011 it came the invitation, by the artistic director of the Prague Quadrennial Sodja Lotker, in July 2012, to become one of the curators for the 13th edition of PQ. The main theme launched by Sodja for PQ2015: SHAREDSPACE / Sound Weather and Politics identifies three pillars in the practice of Design for Performance. Responsible for the POLITICS axe , here is the concept proposed for the International curators from more than 60 countries to develop their exhibitions:
SharedSpace POLITICS
The recurrent discussion about ‘how to exhibit scenography/performance design’ emerges strongly every PQ edition; to beyond that, the questioning of the validity on exhibiting it. Scenography, when presented at the first performance, becomes itself an exhibition. At that moment of the show opening, designers as well as directors have concluded the work and turned into part of audience, watching the exhibit of creative minds and makers who imagined and materialized a place and time which exists in the context of the live event throughout the actors’, technicians’ and spectators’ performance.
Through the national exhibitions, the ephemeral and transience of performance design is presented at PQ every four years by curators and designers who collaborate on provoking the perception and understanding about the diversity of the socio-cultural-historical the issues, the identities, the humans’ role, the ways of handling with reality in their particularly context and how does it effects on the social models of existing.
Designers for performance have the ability to transform any space into a potential stage and make any element alive to tell an entirely history or make a statement. Through the fiction created by the performance and its design, we give to the audience an accurate perception … of the reality.
The reality can be also ephemeral and transient; its limits became hard to identify nowadays, as well as the limits between ‘performance design’, ‘arts installation’ and ‘exhibition design’. PQ’15 is an opportunity to explore the In-between of the real and the ficcional; the ephemerality of the scenography and its permanence as Art.
Space as Politics POLITICS as a theme into the PQ context inquiries about the rules of space and its occupation. Consequently it brings up the socio-political aspects of the real life and the fictional of the performance; the political aspects of Art and its contemporaneity, provoking the designers to work “in-between” of Performance Design – Arts Installation – Exhibition Design, also in-between the reality and the imaginary.
The curatorial project for POLITICS, in addition to the guidelines created for the representative exhibitions of Countries and Regions, also includes two ACTIONS/ OCCUPATIONS.
Country and Regions EXHIBITIONS
PQ2015, by the concept POLITICS, aims to bring, into the heart of the scene, the designer for performance as a conductor who will establish interactions, promote actions, and provoke experiences of coexistence. Recognizing the critical role played by the designer on (re)defining a space; establishing a relationship between stage, audience, environment and society; creating a lively place formed by the overlapping of intertwining layers, building a plural identity, conflicts and narratives.
Space as POLITICS focuses on reuniting and representing multitude of voices, to keep open, to listen and to motivate the interrelationships. A place where a strong statement of political organization is presented in a way no one can remain indifferent.
Space as a common territory for the artistic expression. The main axis to the theatricality and the performative practices, a meeting point of distinct languages, identities, point of views and conflicts.
Space as the mediator of interrelationships in which the local and the global references are presented, bringing distinct identities into to a confrontation between the spatial and temporal boundaries, tracing an imaginary and temporary Urbis.
Curators of the Countries and Regions Section are invited to work on a new geography for the PQ ’15 by taking on the concept of Space as POLITICS. Exploring the spatial features that lead to the rule of POLITICS: its capacity for interaction, divisibility, and configuration. To reflect its occupancy and (re) organization, not only as a lay-out but as a political attitude, and how it will affect the other curators on the borders… Traces of territories in common shared or in contest, reinforcing the idea that space is not a static lifeless body but always on the move.
A NEW CARTOGRAPHY
A new cartography for the World of Performance Design has already started being tracing: the venues (buildings) are the continents, defined by the artistic and production team; consequently, occupied and defining new frontiers by the countries and regions curators’ choices; in addition, we have some islands and other few bodies in constant migration (like ships) some participants are clearly looking for an independent existence; we can have also an Equator line defined by a route linking the open air spots where actions will take place in Prague. As part of this cartography, two installation projects are special created as POLITICS’ Basis. Essentially, two new regions are founded: Politics Transient Region / NO MAN`s LAND and Politics Resistance Zone / The Free Region.
As part of the program a previous Symposium took place in Prague:
SharedSpace: Spatial Curation – registration open!
SharedSpace: Spatial Curation
Prague Quadrennial 2015 symposium
April 2 – 4, 2014
Prague, Czech Republic
This symposium aims to explore curation of scenography exhibitions and scenography events – their systems, processes, problems, and concepts. The intention is to explore curation of scenography as a strategy that needs to find new approach for every exhibition, a different language of storytelling, always presenting a specific project anew. It will look into curating through space and design, and at space and design as curatorial tools. Scenography not only as something we display but as a dramaturgic agent of an exhibit, a tool for creating performative spaces, specific environments unfolding of the core idea of a project. Here the scenography curator is also a storyteller, an editor, a dramaturge , but more than anything someone creating the dialogue between the stage and that what is absent.
Convener:
Sodja Lotker, PQ Artistic Director
Main speakers include:
Aby Cohen (BRA), Commissioner of PQ ’15 Politics Exhibition
Simon Banham (UK), Commissioner of PQ ’15 Weather Exhibition
Jiří Heřman (CZ), Commissioner of PQ ’15 Music Exhibition
Serge von Arx (NOR), Commissioner of PQ ’15 Space Exhibition
Tomáš Svoboda (CZ), Commissioner of PQ ’15 Objects Exhibition
Rebekka A. Ingimundardóttir (ISL), Commissioner of PQ ’15 Makers Exhibition
(*please note many pages had desapeared from the PQ website erasing important memory)
Aby Cohen 