Performatik19

Performatik19 showcases contemporary performance art or 'live art'. For 11 days, artists enter a twilight zone in which they tinker with the codes of both the performing arts and the visual arts. Performance has flourished in the arts world in the past, but over the past few years has increasingly come to occupy its own distinct space.

The sixth edition of Performatik is organized by Kaaitheater in association with 11 partners across the city who all contribute their own expertise: KANAL – Centre Pompidou, a.pass and Topaz / IN/FINITY are new to Performatik, while Argos, Beursschouwburg, Bozar, CC Strombeek, Centrale for Contemporary Art, Wiels, workspacebrussels and ZSenne artlab already contributed to previous editions.

Performatik19 will take place from 13 to 23 March 2019 on a dozen different locations throughout the city and will present the work of over 40 local and international artists:

Laure Prouvost, Sam Belinfante & Pierre Droulers | Alexis Blake | Bilial | Bryana Fritz | Christian Bakalov | Dan Graham & Glenn Branca | Emi Kodama | Gabino Rodriguez | Gluklya | Ivo Dimchev | Jamila Johnson-Small | Jan Vromman & Vincent Dunoyer | Jassem Hindi | Jeremy Shaw | Jimmy Robert | Joycelin Cottencin | Jozef Wouters & Globe Aroma | Léa Drouet | Liz Magic Laser | Lotte van den Berg | Melih Genzoboyaci | Meryem Bayram | Mette Ingvartsen & Will Guthrie | Mieko Suzuki | Mike Schmid | Naomi Kerkhove | Natalie Bikoro | Noé Soulier | Nora Turato | Oracle | Pieter van Bogaert | PRICE | Radouan Mriziga | River Lin | Sophie Whettnall | Stav Yeini | The Monastery | Ula Sickle & HYOID | Vera Tussing | Vladimir Miller & Philipp Gehmacher

On www.performatik.be you'll find more information about all artists, as well as day by day programmes.

Performatik19 opens at Kaaitheater with The Are Waiting For You, the first performance for the stage by visual artist Laure Prouvost - in collaboration with Sam Belinfante and Pierre Droulers. This week, Prouvost's largest exhibition to date opens in M HKA (Antwerp) and later this year she will represent France at the Venice Biennale. They Are Waiting for You is rooted in her film Dit Learn, in which a quick succession of everyday objects, images and texts encourages you to imbue everything with new meaning.

Prior to the first performance, Catherine Wood, curator at Tate Modern and author of the newly published book Performance in Contemporary Art, holds the first of a series of Performatik Salons.

Literally introducing the visual arts into the theatre space, choreographer Noé Soulier is letting 20 artworks from the collection of the Centre Pompidou occupy the Kaaitheater stage. Alexis Blake and Jocelyn Cottencin set their performances in the exhibition space, energizing art-historical works and offering a fresh perspective. Jozef Wouters&Globe Aroma in Decoratelier, Jimmy Robert, Last Yearz Interesting Negro, and PRICE are shifting the boundaries of visibility and invisibility.

Historical backdrop of Performatik19 is the Bauhaus movement, which emerged 100 years ago. A number of Bauhaus principles have become deeply relevant again and form an inspirational source for the works of Radouan Mriziga, Ula Sickle and the a.pass researchers. Artists will create together with students and don’t just show end results, but invite you to their rehearsals or open studios.

Another thread in the festival is death, loss and performativity. In March we will commemorate the 2016 attacks on Brussels. During U-Loss and Bardos States, Barbara Raes and The Monastery, respectively, will develop new rituals around loss. Lotte van den Berg and Liz Magic Laser will explore the borders between performance, therapy and politics, while IN/FINITY looks at the inter-section between care and art. 

Performance cannot be pigeon-holed. Expect one-on-one performances, performances of 4 minutes to an entire day, rituals, performed research, concerts, a demonstration in the city, dance, sound installations, lecture performances, debates, activated exhibitions… and a party. The common element is always the live event, the encounter between you and the performer in the here and now. Welcome!