THE PROTAGONIST

I've been so busy with exercising, cooking and painting that I forgot all about International Women's Day yesterday... which is very unfortunate since I was part of this fantastic screening of performance & video works by female artists in celebration of its100th anniversary:

8th March 2011

SLET 080311 – Flocking of birds

To mark 100 years since the first International Women’s Day, and in honour of female courage, determination and achievement Performans klub Fiskulturnik presents, a celebratory slice of present-day performance & video by a diverse, digital sisterhood.

Slet 080311 is conceived as an international digital festival of works by female artists who use their own body as an expressive tool or are exploring a concept of the body / identity through image and movement. Featuring eclectic footage – from live & performance art, through circus and dance, to photography and video - Slet 080311 is a versatile collection of works created by both emerging and established contemporary artists.

The footage will be webcast on-line at fiskultura.com and simultaneously screened, at a number of cities in Europe on the 8th of March 2011 - the 100th International Women’s day. Conceptualising each artist as a cell, equally essential in the construction of this collective digital body, the participants connect into a creative mass that celebrates and commemorates the history of female suffrage, feminist movements and universal themes around female identity. All in all– a true flocking of ‘birds’! 

U povodu 100. obljetnice Međunarodnog dana žena, Performans klub Fiskulturnik proslavlja hrabrost, odlučnost i podvige ostvarene u proteklih sto godina borbe za ženska prava i rodnu jednakost projektom Slet 080311. Međunarodni je to digitalni festival autorica koje koriste svoje tijelo kao izražajni instrument ili pak istražuju tematiku ženskog tijela/identiteta. Raznovrsni radovi, od performansa preko cirkuskih vještina i suvremenog plesa do videa i fotografije, kako novih tako i etabliranih umjetnica, prenosit će se na internetu putem live streaminga na fiskultura.com te istovremeno prikazivati u gradovima Istre i Europe 8. ožujka 2011. Udružene u svojevrsno kolektivno sestrinstvo koje na stoti Međunarodni dan žena nezaustavljivo struji virtualnim teritorijem, sudionice će se dotaći kako povijesti feminističkih pokreta tako i univerzalnih tema ženske osobnosti.

Participating artists: Anna Furse featuring Marie-Gabrielle Rotie, Anne Bean in collaboration with Poshya Kakl, Vlasta Delimar, Efi Ben-David & Sinead O’Donnell (PAVES), Curious, Deepa Craig, Elena Skoko, Emma Hart, Emma Katherine Skeldon, Gina Czarnecki, Ivana Peranić, Ivana Nataša Turković, Julijana Kocanović Grubić, Kira O'Reilly, Lara Ritoša Roberts & PKF, Lisa Flynn, Lucy Cash, Lydia Maria Julien, Megumi Eda, Nataša Stanić/Erika Cuk & SDNA, Nela Milić, Nhandan Chirco, Nikolina Nikoleski, Olja Stipanović, Oriana Fox, Piglet & Butcher Boy, Polona Dolžan, Rebecca Feiner, Sanna Kuittinen, Silvia Pavone, Sonia Boyce & Ain Bailey, Sophie Kasser & Moveo, Stacy Makishi, Susanne Ohmann, Valentina Lacmanovic, Verónica Pérez Karleson, Virginia García Ramos and Zory Shahrokhi.

The event is conceived and curated by Lara Ritosa Roberts, produced by PERFORMANCE KLUB FISKULTURNIK with the financial support of the Istrian Department of Culture (ISTARSKA ŽUPANIJA – REGIONE ISTRIANA / UPRAVNI ODJEL ZA KULTURU – ASSESSORATO ALLA CULTURA) & Performance Klub Fiskulturnik members.

Slet 080311 osmislila je Lara Ritoša Roberts, koja je i kustosica projekta, a financijski su ga pomogli Istarska županija-Regione Istriana/Upravni odjel za kulturu-Assessorato alla cultura te članovi Performans kluba Fiskulturnik.

Slet 080311 screenings / Slet 080311 prikazuju:

Istria	Galerija Makina, Pula
	MMC Luka, Pula
	Kino Valli, Pula
	POU Rovinj
	POU Buzet
London	Women’s Art Library (MAKE)
	Charterhouse bar
	If Not Then What @ Chelsea College of Art & Design
Belgrade	Muzej Istorije Jugoslavije
Valencia	Arte&Facto, Centro Cultural

Streaming / On-line transmisija:

fiskultura.com, livestream.com/slet080311 & Facebook

 

Apparently at the Oscars when someone gets up to go to the toilet a very attractive person comes and takes their place for the duration of the pee break.

(This is a silly blog-post - I apologize in advance - it's also not suitable for those under 16. I thought it was funny at the time, but I am very tired and jetlagged, forgive me.)

Shortly after airing Let's Paint TV this morning, John Kilduff (a.k.a. Mr Let's Paint) and I were talking about this exhibition called Narratives of The Perverse at Jancar Gallery which he had recommended I see.

The highlight of the show for me was a video of a woman (the artist) removing her tampon and rubbing it all over her face and body. She seemed to be enjoying herself:

She certainly took to heart Germaine Greer's advice that women should taste their own menstrual blood.

But anyway, there was also another video by Micol Hebron which is a close up of a vagina with pearls going in and out. John was saying that you don't get many videos of men masturbating. But then he said, actually there was that Vito Acconci piece where he masturbates under the floor of the gallery. 'Did he do that all day? How did he do that?', John asked, 'I mean that was before viagra'. Then I thought about the fact that Seedbed had been re-performed at the Guggenheim by Marina Abramovic, and it tickled me to think of Acconci himself reenacting the work today, but this time with the help of some pharmaceuticals.

These are my brothers Alex and Josh at the Academy Awards yesterday. On the right is Josh, his movie Gasland was nominated for best documentary feature. Sadly, he didn't walk away with the Oscar. So today more than ever we have to take the motto of Mr. Let's Paint to heart and 'embrace failare'.

The fact is Gasland hasn't failed - it's a much greater winner than the film that got the award because it's actually doing something to change the world.

Not only was I one hour late for my appearance on Let's Paint TV on Friday, I am also late in delivering this blog post about it.

But according to author Gretchen Rubin: "[a]lthough a perennial favorite, tardiness is a tricky way to demonstrate power. On the one hand, it's a highly effective way to consume resources - other people's time and effort. Also, being late makes you seem busy, and therefore important. On the other hand, it's so well understood to be a power move, and so irritating, that you're often better off being prompt. So use tardiness cautiously."

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I delivered my motivational lecture 'Performance Art Can Change Your Life For the Better!' at Sheffield Hallam University on Wednesday as part of their Transmission series around the theme of 'Provocation'. In my estimation, the audience of 100s was as inspired as they were provoked. I shared my story of transformation from a shy and introverted painter to the confident and poised performance artist you know today. I introduced the students and staff to my heroines, one of which is Judy Chicago and highlighted this book as recommended reading. It changed my life, I know it can change yours!