w.o.p 1/23 parcour through central asia and panama

videos from central asia and panama
contemporary video works from
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan and Turkmenistan video documentation of Ciudad MultipleCity: An Experiment in Context in Panama plus sound performance by Ria Muñoz Blessed the necessary distractions looming by the foreground of ‘to do’ checklists. The mantra of adult responsibility fought by stamina that do grow tired. Memory lapses. Forgetting it seems is a reality. Thus sticky notes, post-it pads, alarm clocks and even the nagging voice in your head banging like the early rooster calls. It seems that the rains have come again. Unpredictable weather predictions, the street cat stubbornly loiters the ground. Cat calls lure the little boy who refuses to grow old. It’s Wednesdays once again! Ah yes, the passage of time. It flies and it flies quick. We keep to it and it goes on. A broken record? Dare not say. There is however the comfort of repetition, meditative to a point. Along the meditative maybe, this Wednesday we screen video bytes from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan and Turkmenistan (yes, they definitely sound sexy). These works, screened during the 52nd Venice Biennale billed as Muzykstan, were made by a group of artists called neo-nomads who grew up in the Soviet era and who are primarily considered art stars of contemporary art in Central Asia. If this is not enough globehopping in one night, Ciudad MultipleCity should put our interventionist tendencies to momentary rest. Co-curated by Adrienne Samos and Gerardo Mosquera, MultipleCity was a project that gathered artists from several countries and asked them to react creatively to Panama City. The artists were asked to actively relate to the city and struggle with its myriad seductions and pressing problems; and to ensure that both the process of creation and final works would involve their host communities and have some sort of impact upon them. And lest we forget, Ria Muñoz conducts a sound cook out to lay the tone for the evening. Consistency like patience is virtue. But we can’t help it. Look out for Sunday, January 27 as The Love Gangsters finally comes out of the drawing board to do some gun-slinging, bathtub passing, music and dance extravaganza to kick-off their performance at 2008 Yokohama Dance Collection-R. Next week: New Year’s Resolution poetry reading sessions and screening/artist talk by punk filmmaker from New York Joe Christ. See you all tonight!!!