THE LONGEST DAY 2017 goes India

* condcluding day: timetable with narration and reflection rounds in Cubbon-Park *

report in Art&Deal, Indian Art Magazine by Irene Müller und Dorothea Rust

How Different Curatorial Approaches shape The Experience and Perception of Performance Art
by Irene Müller and Dorothea Rust, published in ART&DEAL Indian Art Magazine with a Difference, May 2017

In February 2017 the art space of Sristhi Institute for Art, Technology and Design at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and the Venkatappa Art Gallery in Bangalore became the performance spotlights: both brought together about 130 artists from different regions in India for a lively exchange of up-to-date performsative art practices, affecting not only the artists and audiences but also the Swiss-Indio curatorial team.

At the Bangalore event the authors were actively involved as co-curators but in Kochi they were just visitors with any influence in the curatorial decisions. Experiencing the two different roles within the same artistic field provoked a closer look on the way performative practices had been presented in these two curatorial formats. Thus, this article focuses on their common features and differences as well as their specific aspects depending on the site and context.

Kala Samuha Art Marathon was a collateral venue of the Kochi- Muziris Biennale that took place from February 9 to February 11, 2017, at Mill Hall Compound. Based on an open call 100 artists presented their works during three days showing all different genres of art, i.e. painting and drawing, sculpture and installation, photography, video and audio work as well as live performance. In order to manage so many artists in one exhibition space the curator Suresh Kumar decided to use a tight time structure. Each day was divided into six slots of 40 minutes, involving between six and eight artists and their works. Regarding this setting Kumar referred to initiatives by the Venkatappa Art Gallery Forum (VAG) in Bangalore where these art marathons articulated an artistic strategy of successful resistance to keep this art space without commercial boundaries, ensuring that VAG remains a democratic public space for creative activities.

In combining various genres of art, the live performances became just one part of a continuously changing exhibition, surrounded by other art works and visitors strolling around. This setting basically enhanced the quality of time in exhibition slot, thus the experience and perception cannot be separated from the one of the other exhibited artworks. ...   

full report in Art & Deal with images

report by Marcel Schwald

Brief von Marcel Schwald, der sich in einer Residency in Bangalore für ein Tanz-Theater-Projekt aufhielt und THE LONGEST PERFORMANCE DAY Bangalore besucht hatte: published on www.apresperf.ch

Liebe Andrea, liebe Lena
liebe Irene, liebe Dorothea

Auf Wunsch von Andrea und Lena schreibe ich meine Erinnerungen an meinen kurzen Besuch von „The Longest Performance Day“ in Bangalore. Es sind verschiedentlichste Eindrücke. Sie kreisen seit Tagen in meinem Kopf und driften eher wie einzelne Planetlein von einander weg als dass sie sich im Nachhinein verdichten und bündeln. Ich habe den Longest Day eine Stunde besucht, in Begleitung von Sandeep, einem Mitarbeiter der 1Shantiroad, wo wir - und wohl viele Pro Helvetia Residenten - untergebracht waren.

Als ich reinkomme ein dünner Mann mit einem Dhoti (auch Mundu genannt, der weisse Hüftumhang den „wir" vor allem von Gandhi kennen). Er hat ein weisses Kreiderechteck auf den Boden aufgetragen und geht dieses in Längslinien auf und ab, einen Sack tragend aus dem eckige Steinchen kullern, grau und ca. 3cm im Durchmesser. Auf und ab, auf und ab bis der Sack leer ist. Ruhig macht er es. Langsam. Mit unaufwendigen Bewegungen. So kann man gut dem Sound zuhören, den die Steine machen. Ums Rechteck rum hats auch die gleichen Steinchen aber ich weiss nicht wie die dorthin gekommen sind.

Ich suche Irene und Dorothea. Dorothea sitzt rechts nahe der Wand auf dem Boden in einer Gruppe Menschen, vor ihr ein Laptop. Irene steht im Raum, am nächsten von allen beim Performer. Sie schreibt in ein Buch. Die beträchtlich vielen weiteren Zuschauenden sitzen den Wänden entlang im gut erleuchteten Raum und verfolgen die Performance mehrheitlich ohne etwas aufzuschreiben. Irene und Dorothea konzentrieren sich dokumentierenderweise auf die Performance, was sie in eine besondere Beziehung zum Performer mit den Steinen setzt. Bei ihnen sitzt die Teilnahme an der Performance als Bewegung im Körper, macht sich das Interesse sichtbar durch ein Vorneigen oder Distanz nehmen, durch einen Positionswechsel oder einen Schritt auf den Performer zu. Ich geselle mich kurz zu ihnen, begrüsse, höre wo sie gerade stehen: Bereits 8 Stunden non-stop Rezeption.

Der Mann im Dhoti schiebt die Steine innerhalb des Rechtecks zusammen, von hinten nach vorne. Alle auf einen Haufen, am vorderen Rand. Einige Zeit bleibt er vor seinem Steinhaufen sitzen. Dann nimmt er Steine in den Mund. Isst er sie? Mittlerweile steht auch Dorothea bei mir und Irene. Man könne Steine essen. Aber der Performer spuckt sie wieder aus. Ich weiss nicht, ob ich mir das Geräusch von Zähnen auf Stein vorstelle oder ob ich es wirklich höre. ...   

full letter by Marcel Schwald in German

report by Dorothea Rust

1.10.00/ 10.20 Alaka Rao P
KOCHI: measures the space, looks around like a girl enjoying a sunny dayoff, without parents, free to go wherever she wants, to choose the directions, yet walk desicivley , blindfolded maps the floor with outwardgoing circles, adding from small to big circles around circles, outward from a centre circle, keeps circle drawing until all Rangoli -powder is used, then sitting in the middle of the circles, not blind-folded anymore but folding in, crouching, concentrating the energy until she is trembling, a lot of tension, holding it, somebody else walks in and puts 4 panels randomly on the floor, the look like they have fallen from the sky. She gets up and starts to walk on circle which the closest panel to her is touching, eating up with her feet the powder-marked circle, then when circle has almost disappeared she turns the panel over, and so on she brushes, strokes the floor, until all four panels are turned over, so that we can see the linole etching image, in the end she is getting very energetic, she wants the circles to disappear and the images to appear.
From my point of view the images were not really necessary, may be more interesting if they hadn’t been turned over, showing us their image, Interpreting the Performance?
BANGALORE:
. the space in Kochi was big and different, here in Bangalore space and time are almost capturing the action,
. for me the action/performance starts already when Alaska puts/tapes the blue plastic in the floor, it has an elliptic shape, seems to have the life of a big ’blue’ palm leafe, it’s defining a space, the form is waiting for ...
Also in the end putting plastic away etc. sound/movement also belongs for me to the action. Plastic is functional, it tells her when she has reached edge, or she counts the circles,
. Alaka dressed in black, starts very briefly walking into space like a young girl, hoops and turns (could be longer????), blind-folds herself with black cloth,
. then with Rangoli-powder marking/drawing circles, how skilled if she doesn’t see, she closes each circle, positions herself crouching in the center-circle, panels are positioned by somebody on the circle-lines, A gets up and starts sweeping, diffusing with feet the circle lines, and turns the panels over, the size of the circles are making her movements bigger, the plastic gets a life of it’s own, because the tapes get undone, the plastic wrinkles, moves on the floor, then sound, kind of a count down starts, and consizes what has be done thus, all seems so have been times. ...

full report