Open Night: Performing in the Zones of Silence

Performing in the Zones of Silence
Talk by Gabriela Salgado, Tate Modern curator and La Pocha Nostra member

Please email on@thisisLiveArt.co.uk in advance if you plan to attend this event as there is a limited capacity.

Gabriela Salgado has been a curator of contemporary art for over 15 years. She has worked in a number of projects across geographical, institutional and disciplinary borders. Her talk will focus on her interest in ‘performing in the zones of silence’ which was developed from a published conversation with Guillermo Gómez-Peña. It will cover her involvement as a member of the collective La Pocha Nostra in the organisation of performance workshops, participation in talks and live art presentations with the company. The talk will also include an overview of her last project The Fight for Tate Modern with artist Humberto Vélez and her current research interest in participatory forms of art and activism.

Barby Asante has made the idea of participation and dialogue a defining part of her practice, whether it be in her work creating spaces for dialogue for artists, or in creating works such as Journey into the East (Showroom Gallery 2002) or Comfort Zones (Futurology, New Art Gallery, Walsall 2004).  In 2006 she began collaborating with Andrea Encinas on the Funk Chorus, which invites people to share their desire to sing.  She is currently working on a project with older people exploring karaoke and the possibility of this popular activity as an outlet for our personal histories and memories. Barby will be leading the final event of the season which will be a celebration of the Open Nights series as well as an opportunity to map the future on a personal and group level.

This event is part of the Live Art Development Agency’s Open Nights series aimed at artists with an interest in culturally engaged practices. Open Nights are informal events designed to stimulate debate and a sense of community among artists who are questioning cultural identity through live and interdisciplinary practices.  Open Nights so far have included presentations and events by George Chakravarthi, Yara El-Sherbini, Sonia Boyce, Oreet Ashery, David A Bailey, Manick Govinda, Ali Zaidi and Janine Antoni.  Events take place at a variety of different London venues and each has a unique structure that encourages new ways of talking, engaging and asking questions. Open Nights are curated by Barby Asante and produced by Rajni Shah. To find out more please drop us a line at on@thisisLiveArt.co.uk or visit www.myspace.com/opennights.

Open Nights are part of the Live Art Development Agency’s Restock, Rethink, Reflect initiative, a package of artistic and professional development programmes for artists from culturally diverse backgrounds. These events are curated by Barby Asante and produced by Rajni Shah.