Ensemble sin órganos
(Ensemble without organs)

Participating artists include:
Ana Mendieta (Cuba) / Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (Belgium) / Carlos Martiel (Cuba) / Cibelle Cavalli Bastos (Brasil) / Grace Schwindt (Germany) / Grupo Enema (Cuba) / Habacuc Guillermo Vargas (Costa Rica) / Hu Xiangqian (People's Republic of China) / Héctor Remedios (Cuba) / Javier Calvo Sandí (Costa Rica ) / Koki Tanaka (Japan ) / Korakrit Arunanondchai ( Thailand ) / Lawrence Abu Hamdan (Lebanon) / Leandro Soto Ortiz (Cuba) / Manuel Mendive (Cuba) / Rosana AntolÍ (Spain) / Shozo Shimamoto (Japan) / Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo (Cuba) / Trisha Brown(USA) / VALIE EXPORT (Austria) / Xu Zhen (People's Republic of China) / Yves Klein (France) /Yvonne Rainer (USA)

Curated by Blanca Victoria López and Victor Wang

Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana

July 7–24, 2016

The Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam is honored to announce Ensemble sin órganos (Ensemble without organs), a performance-based exhibition spanning 18 days. This exhibition marks the first international performance-based exhibition to take place in the museum. Ensemble sin órganos is an intergenerational exhibition that examines the concurrent histories and trajectories that have contributed to the development of "artes vivas," live actions, "acciones," and performance art across various geographies. The exhibition employs duration as a format to link and activate various spaces within the museum, showcasing the work of emerging and established international and local artists, as well as a diverse range of media, historical and archival materials, and documentation.

The exhibition at hand endeavors to bring together a diverse array of artists and collectives from different generations, representing a wide range of practices dating from the 1960s to the present day. Rather than attempting to define the current state of performance art and "artes vivas," the exhibition is structured in such a way that it evolves over time and is divided into five distinct constellations that are interconnected throughout the galleries of the museum. These constellations include: Instructions and Language, Living Technologies and the Body, Ritual and Dance, Social Engagement and Audiences, and Reenactments and Live Histories. By utilizing these networks, the exhibition aims to initiate a dialogue between practices and movements that were occurring simultaneously, with international links to the present. Each constellation, however, represents unique local conditions and environments, with distinct lineages and influences. Many of the artists and artworks featured in the exhibition are being exhibited for the first time in Cuba.

The design and layout of the exhibition will incorporate the networked themes being explored. Adequate time and space will be allocated to delve deeper into these concepts and engage in discussions surrounding them. One such theme, "Reenactments and Live Histories," will examine the intersection between the historicization of performance, the preservation and archival practices surrounding it, and its relevance to contemporary audiences. Additionally, the theme will feature notable Cuban artists and collectives, such as Grupo Enema and Ana Mendieta, who have made significant contributions to the field of performance.

Installation view, Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo, ‘Dictado’, 2016, live performance, ‘Ensemble without organs’, 2016, Centro de Arte Contemporaneo Wifredo Lam, Havana.

Installation view, XU ZHEN ‘Physique of Consciousness’, 2011. ‘Ensemble without organs’, 2016, Centro de Arte Contemporaneo Wifredo Lam, Havana.

Ensemble sin órganos
(Ensemble without organs)
July 7–24, 2016

Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana
San Ignacio No.22, Esquina a Empedrado
Plaza de la Catedral
Havana
Cuba

Curated by Blanca Victoria López and Victor Wang

Participating artists include:
Ana Mendieta (Cuba) / Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (Belgium) / Carlos Martiel (Cuba) / Cibelle Cavalli Bastos (Brasil) / Grace Schwindt (Germany) / Grupo Enema (Cuba) / Habacuc Guillermo Vargas (Costa Rica) / Hu Xiangqian (People's Republic of China) / Héctor Remedios (Cuba) / Javier Calvo Sandí (Costa Rica ) / Koki Tanaka (Japan ) / Korakrit Arunanondchai ( Thailand ) / Lawrence Abu Hamdan (Lebanon) / Leandro Soto Ortiz (Cuba) / Manuel Mendive (Cuba) / Rosana AntolÍ (Spain) / Shozo Shimamoto (Japan) / Susana Pilar Delahante Matienzo (Cuba) / Trisha Brown(USA) / VALIE EXPORT (Austria) / Xu Zhen (People's Republic of China) / Yves Klein (France) /Yvonne Rainer (USA)

The Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam is honored to announce Ensemble sin órganos (Ensemble without organs), a performance-based exhibition spanning 18 days. This exhibition marks the first international performance-based exhibition to take place in the museum. Ensemble sin órganos is an intergenerational exhibition that examines the concurrent histories and trajectories that have contributed to the development of "artes vivas," live actions, "acciones," and performance art across various geographies. The exhibition employs duration as a format to link and activate various spaces within the museum, showcasing the work of emerging and established international and local artists, as well as a diverse range of media, historical and archival materials, and documentation.

The exhibition at hand endeavors to bring together a diverse array of artists and collectives from different generations, representing a wide range of practices dating from the 1960s to the present day. Rather than attempting to define the current state of performance art and "artes vivas," the exhibition is structured in such a way that it evolves over time and is divided into five distinct constellations that are interconnected throughout the galleries of the museum. These constellations include: Instructions and Language, Living Technologies and the Body, Ritual and Dance, Social Engagement and Audiences, and Reenactments and Live Histories. By utilizing these networks, the exhibition aims to initiate a dialogue between practices and movements that were occurring simultaneously, with international links to the present. Each constellation, however, represents unique local conditions and environments, with distinct lineages and influences. Many of the artists and artworks featured in the exhibition are being exhibited for the first time in Cuba.

The design and layout of the exhibition will incorporate the networked themes being explored. Adequate time and space will be allocated to delve deeper into these concepts and engage in discussions surrounding them. One such theme, "Reenactments and Live Histories," will examine the intersection between the historicization of performance, the preservation and archival practices surrounding it, and its relevance to contemporary audiences. Additionally, the theme will feature notable Cuban artists and collectives, such as Grupo Enema and Ana Mendieta, who have made significant contributions to the field of performance.

External Links:

http://www.cubarte.cult.cu/es/noticia/gana-protagonismo-el-performance-en-el-wifredo-lam/44416

http://artoncuba.com/blog-es/ensemble-sin-organos/

http://www.wlam.cult.cu/index.php/17-noticias/43-ensemble-sin-organos

http://www.cubasi.cu/cubasi-noticias-cuba-mundo-ultima-hora/item/52716-propone-centro-wifredo-lam-arte-vivo-para-este-verano

http://www.acn.cu/cultura/19370-propone-centro-wilfredo-lam-arte-vivo-para-este-verano

http://www.lapapeleta.cu/actividad/detalles/39989-ensemble-sin-organos/

http://alasdecolibri.bloguea.cu/2016/06/24/noticias-de-cuba-25-junio-de-2016/

http://www.radiorebelde.cu/noticia/crean-nueva-york-habana-festival-para-intercambio-cultural-20160627/

http://www.habanaradio.cu/culturales/proximamente-en-el-centro-de-arte-contemporaneo-wifredo-lam/