In its 4th edition, the Portuguese Biennial of Contemporary Arts unveils the "Invisible Present" as a reflection of the powers hindering equality, justice, and freedom.
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Paul B. Preciado, Agnieszka Polska, Gabriel Chaile, Vera Mantero + Teresa Silva, Ana Borralho & João Galante, Yvonne Rainer, Gaya de Medeiros, João dos Santos Martins + Ana Jotta + Joana Sá, Marina Herlop, Cláudio da Silva + Carolina Dominguez + Pedro Paiva, Julian Hetzel & Ntando Cele, Herlander, Cláudia Dias, João Pais Filipe + Marco da Silva Ferreira, Pedro Sousa, Odete + Caty Olive, Héctor Zamora
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Lisbon and Faro are the two Portuguese cities that will host the new and vibrant program of BoCA from September 2 to October 15.
Featuring commissions and world and national premieres by established and emerging artists, performing in their field or venturing into new forms, the Biennial of Contemporary Arts builds its 4th edition around the "Invisible Present."
Constantly aware of the...current cultural/artistic, social, and political landscape, Artistic Director John Romão expresses the desire to "bring visibility to living matters that are unseen, whether due to social, political, cultural, economic, legal, or technological constraints or deliberately ignoring the existence of others, of validating identities that inhabit the margins." With this aspiration, this year's program delves into issues related to the migrant crisis or gender identity, asserting the physical presence of what is not usually seen.
The confirmed first names align perfectly with this intention. Paul B. Preciado, for instance, presents the nationally premiered award-winning filmed letter to Virginia Woolf, "Orlando, My Political Autobiography," as well as introduces, for the first time in Portugal, the lecture-performance "I Am the Monster Who Speaks to You." These two pieces are essential to enter the mandatory universe of the transgender philosopher and writer that is critically crucial in reshaping traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and power.
Returning to Portugal is the award-winning Polish artist Agnieszka Polska who takes a risk with her first stage creation, "The Talking Car." The play follows a group trying to escape from a high-speed vehicle, reflecting on the relationships between humans, non-humans, and socio-technological infrastructures. Polska's mesmerizing performance premieres worldwide at Culturgest and features an impressive cast: Albano Jerónimo, Bartosz Bielenia, Íris Cayatte, Vera Mantero, and Aaron Ronelle.
In a national premiere, Julian Hetzel collaborates with South African artist Ntando Cele to present "SPAfrica," a show about empathy and extractivism, investigating the association of capitalism with racism.
Also confirmed are new commissioned works by some of the most prolific and exciting names in the portuguese scene: Ana Borralho & João Galante create "Chat Room," a participatory art experience where the stage is transformed into a virtual chat room where the audience becomes an active part; Gaya de Medeiros explores hope through Pina Bausch's classic "Café Muller"; João dos Santos Martins joins visual artist Ana Jotta and pianist Joana Sá to create a piece for singing and dancing based on Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe songs; Portuguese actor and creator Cláudio da Silva, Carolina Dominguez, and visual artist and director Pedro Paiva present a play that reflects on Georg Büchner's "Woyzeck," a significant text about human perversion; musician João Pais Filipe and dancer/choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira unveil "Terra Cobre," a BoCA commission that delves into the traditional portuguese art of chocalhos (cowbells) in the village of Alcáçovas, Alentejo; Portuguese artist Odete and French artist Caty Olive create "Il y a une larme dans chaque note et un soupir dans chaque pli," exploring the universe of castrati; a series showcasing Pedro Sousa's transdisciplinary work, including his debut in opera and a sound installation at maat. Marina Herlop's hypnotic pop music takes centre stage with two special concerts at historical venues: the National Pantheon (Lisbon) and the Ruins of Milreu (Faro). Young artist Herlander lets excess take flight in a new musical and performative creation for MNAC.
Vera Mantero returns to BoCA, premiering the performance "A Small Composition Exercise" in collaboration with Teresa Silva. Mexican artist Héctor Zamora returns to Portugal with "Quimera," a performative action associated with the migrant community, taking place in public spaces in Lisbon and Faro. Argentine artist Gabriel Chaile conceives a large-scale installation for maat's Carvão Square, intertwining ceramics, performance, and public participation.
As part of the "Retrospective: Becoming Yvonne Rainer," included in the Queer Lisboa 2023 program, BoCA hosts a discussion dedicated to the pioneering figure of the North American avant-garde movement and one of the most influential performing artists of the 20th century, Yvonne Rainer. With the participation of João dos Santos Martins, Gisela Casimiro, and Jorge Jácomo, the moderation is led by Claudia Galhós. The discussion delves into the dichotomy of her on-stage bodywork, her psychological approach in cinema, and the impact of her work on the Portuguese artistic scene.
Since its first edition in 2017, BoCA has established connections between different Portuguese like Faro, Braga, Almada, and Porto, as well as with international venues, cultural institutions (museums, theatres, cultural centres), public spaces, and artistic domains (performing arts, visual arts, music, and cinema), engaging diverse audiences.
To date, BoCA has presented over 890 world and national premieres and collaborated with over 200 national and international artists, including Marina Abramović, Grada Kilomba, Gus Van Sant, Marlene Monteiro Freitas, Romeo Castellucci, Vhils, Jérôme Bel, Angélica Liddell, among others.
This year, the theme revolves around "the dissolution of the body and affective relationships in the realm of digital comfort" and "a certain disenchantment with the future, a crisis that prevents us from fully inhabiting the present," as John Romão elaborates.
Entrada actualizada el el 19 sep de 2023
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