“The intention is to develop a project of significant intensity and power, delivery, representation and, why not, risk,” says Paula Garcia, the sector's curator

5 Mar 2018, 11:53 am

During the last Venice Biennale, Recife native Paulo Bruscky – one of the five Brazilian artists participating in the 57^th edition of the event in Italy – made a performance that led to a lot of talk in the artistic scenario worldwide. At the time, he arrived at the event venue in a gondola with 30 boxes of works, which were then transported by carriers dressed in blue overalls. When they arrived at the destination, Bruscky piled one box on top of the other and never opened them. The phrase “Art is packaged any way you like it” was stamped on their clothing, banners and wooden crates: Bruscky’s performance was like a manifest, which showed how deep art should be beyond its packaging.

Bruscky’s presentation at one of the most relevant art venues worldwide is an example of the power of performance production in Brazil and its international acclaim. Within this scenario, SP-Arte had to incorporate this artistic expression in its program, which it’s been doing since 2015, bringing several performances to the Bienal Pavilion. For its 14^th edition, SP-Arte/2018 decided to deep dive and intensify even more its relationship with this artistic style, dedicating a space specifically for presentations. This action walks hand-in-hand with Bruscky’s rationale of further delving into the public’s relationship with contemporary art.

For such, artist, independent curator and coworker at the Marina Abramovic Institute Paula Garcia was invited to gather and create a joint dynamic between artists for this space. The idea is that visitors immerse in the environment without a specific date or time: the performers present their act simultaneous without any interruption during the five days of the event for eight hours nonstop. “The intention is to develop a project of significant intensity and power, delivery, representation and, why not, risk,” says Paula. The artistic marathon requires a lot of preparation: the artists arrive before the Pavilion doors open and are the last to leave. “They are preparing to stay there the whole time without even leaving to go to the restroom. My intention is that the presentations become a single scene and the space transforms throughout the process in accordance with the placement of artists,” says the curator.

Five artists and collectives were hand chosen to be part of the program: Brechó Replay, Karla Girotto, Paul Setúbal, Gabriel Vidolin and the duet Protovoulia, with Jessica Goes and Rafael Abdala. They will coinhabit the 200 m² space located at the end of the second floor the Pavilion. “Performance is these people’s life. I’m certain that these are the names that will make history,” says Paula, in justifying her selection. Each one of the presentations is described below: