Over 40 artists from around the world. Among them a leading representative of the Austrian feminist art Valie Export, one of the world pioneers of performance art Zbigniew Warpechowski and Bruce Barber, an interdisciplinary artist from Canada whose work has been shown at Paris, Venice and Sydney biennials. Performances, sound works, installations, interventions in public space, screenings, exhibitions, presentations and discussions, as well as versatile open platform for young artists. All this and more is coming in the 7th edition of CONTEXTS International Festival of Ephemeral Art taking place in Sokołowsko from 21st to 25th July 2017. The festival is organized by In Situ Contemporary Art Foundation.
This edition of Contexts festival is dedicated to the late legendary gallery manager and art historian Andrzej Mroczek.
Internationally recognised artists, performers, filmmakers and musicians invited to participate in Contexts are asked to express their take on the enigmatic phrase „That’s the way”. Among them are Ewa Partum, a pioneer of conceptual art, whose installation will pay tribute to Polish women, Franzisca Siegrist from Norway and her bold attempt to overcome the limitations of her own body, and the Canadian duo Bean – Lounder, whose interactive artwork will present Sokołowsko as a place for confrontational healing.
Performance art, installations, interventions
A new installation of Joanna Rajkowska, the artist who gained acclaim for numerous projects such as Greetngs from Jerozolimskie Alleys and Oxygenizer, will be premiered. The sound work of Ralf Peters of KörperSchafftKlang group repeatedly presented every day will voice his concern with the condition of the modern world. Krzysztof Żwirblis, a former member of Akademia Ruchu will realize his Social Museum, which aims at involving local community.
– We aim to inspire and provoke artists to pronounce their statements concerning social, political, aesthetic and political issues. The audience will be confronted with artistic reactions to the current state of affairs, the distressful situation in which the world finds itself today – the curator Małgorzata Sady, explains her concept of the 7th edition of Contexts.
Exhibitions, film screenings, discussions
This year’s program features also film screenings, interventions in public space, exhibitions, panel discussions and presentations. One of the highlights is an exhibition documenting the history and accomplishments of the legendary Labirynt Galery (Lublin) managed by Andrzej Mroczek, who in spite of the political conditioning of socialist Poland succeeded in creating unique opportunities for experimental, avant-garde art to flourish. His ability to maintain independence from mainstream influences and conformist tendencies was astonishing. The exhibition will be followed by a panel discussion.
The program of the festival includes a screening of films by Valie Export, the inter-media artist, performer and feminist art icon. The artist, whose works have been widely presented, among others at Tate Modern in London, the Pompidou Center in Paris and MoMA in New York will now come to Sokolowsko to present films documenting her performances and actions.
Benjamin Cook, the director of London based LUX, an international arts agency that supports and promotes artists’ moving image practices and the ideas that surround them, will present screenings from original 16mm films with a performative edge to them.
A dialogue between established artists and young artists.
Contexts festival presents not only internationally acclaimed artists, but also promotes young artists. Among these emerging artists there are Zofia Kuligowska, Igor Stahniv, Witalii Shulpiak and Jagoda Kozon. We introduce a new idea of Open Platform which gives space for young artists to present their work to international audience. You can still submit your proposal by contacting the organizers of the festival.
Contexts Festival offers a unique opportunity to accommodate encounters of experienced and acclaimed artists with a new generation of performers and art aficionados, not only on a professional, but also personal level – Małgorzata Sady, curator.
The dividing line between artists and audience gets blurred in late evening hours, during dance parties and informal talks that last till the early hours of dawn.
Where is Sokołowsko?
Sokolowsko is a small town in Lower Silesia, 15 km from Wałbrzych. It was re-discovered by IN SITU Foundation, and soon became a popular destination for artists from all corners of the world. Sokołowsko Laboratory of Culture is dedicated to promote contemporary art, film and experimental music through festivals, exhibitions, screenings, conferences and meetings centered around art and culture.
Participating artists:
Performance: Alastair MacLennan, Valie Export, Zbigniew Warpechowski, Ewa Partum, Bruce Barber, Zdzisław Kwiatkowski, Janusz Bałdyga, Przemysław Kwiek , Marlene Haring, katharinajej , Franzisca Siegrist, Jasmine Schaitl, Zofia Kuligowska, Witalii Shulpiak, Marta Kotwica, Jagoda Kozon, Igor Stahniv, Alexander Maksymov, Olga Czychryk, Ewa Zarzycka // Sound: Ralf Peters, Rob Mazurek, Gerard Lebik // Presentations: Liverpool Hope University, Labirynt Gallery, LUX (Benjamin Cook), Bread Matters (Ines Amado) // Art in the social dimension: Robert Bean, Barbara Lounder, Krzysztof Żwirblis, Joanna Rajkowska // Installations: Katy Connor, Andreas Savva, Galeria Entropia, Agnieszka Zalotyńska, Robert Mainka // Film screenings: Józef Robakowski, Fundacja Arton // // Andrzej Mroczek In Memoriam: Mikołaj Smoczyński, Jurgen Blum-Kwiatkowski, Jan Swidziński, Jerzy Bereś, Janusz Zagrodzki, Wojciech Stefanik, Tadeusz Mroczek, Dobrosław Bagiński, Aniela Mroczek, Maria Mroczek, Waldemar Tatarczuk // Open Platform: Maria Bitka, Irmina Rusicka, Kasper Lecnim, Izabella Ołdak, Manuel Guillin, Maria Mayoral, Anna Wlater … and more.
That’s the way – Alastair MacLennan
CONTEXTS 2017 – july 21 to 25
Artists participating in the 7th International Sokolovsko Festival of Ephemeral Art CONTEXTS are asked to present their works of the sentence ‘That’s the way’ will constitute a conclusion.
This formula is open to discussing the issues concerning a range artistic approached to the problems of sociological, political, aesthetic, philosophical, psychological and economic nature. It will be an artistic response to the current state of affairs, difficult situation the modern world is confronted with, acceleration of problems we all try to solve. Art which is the sublimation of real problems, taking them on the platform of insightful perception and allowing to realize the essence of these problems can be helpful in finding solutions. Through artistic realizations we will create a forum that will lead to discussions and reaching a possible constructive consensus.
That’s the way, but what happens next?
The festival comprises performance art, installation, sound pieces, screenings, presentations of art projects and places, discussions, exhibitions, workshops.
Andrzej Mroczek in memoriam.
This edition of CONTEXTS pays tribute to this extraordinary gallery manager and noble human being.
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