MARIAS program intends to stimulate curatorial practices reflection onto discussion of how representation and woman participation is off proportion in the arts world and how it reflects into social and cultural questions that cross today’s discussion on gender and social subjects. To insert an awareness on the woman role within this sector is fundamental to think on which are the modes of curatorial practices action in theatres and museums. Certainly, it is something which has been changing over the past years, but it is not totally put into practice. With that fact that nowadays, artistic events, fairly most of the time neglect women’s labor, we consider necessary to create a platform for more political attention / awareness on the women role and position within Portuguese and international society.
MARIAS focus on women role within contemporary artistic practice in society, methodologies and means of cultural production, voice and language on contemporary panorama / landscape, applied namely on performing arts as well on research and writing.
It is mainly, a proposition to envision this values through different gazes.
With a “ªSede”, o “Passos Manuel” and “Bombeiros Voluntários do Porto – Porto Volunteers Fire Department, MEZZANINE launches a new curatorial project, “MARIAS”, from 5th to 18th June 2017, in Porto. During this time frame, we will articulate different topics about the place and existence of female protagonism in curatorship and its visibility within the arts in Porto and Portugal.
In this curatorial guideline, two practice labs were designed for daily sessions of two hours, offered to the local community, open to artists, theoreticians and who else is interested, and that can join to this sessions, freely. Krõõt Juurak, from 5th to 9th of June., and Eleanor Bauer from 12th to 16th of June. Each week last session will be open to all the audience, stimulating meeting and debate.
During and along these two weeks, performances, video installations, meetings will be nourishing the possible discussion.
Performances for PETS, on pet’s owners houses and Animal Jokes (for Pets) at Passos Manuel, will be two of Kroot Juurak and Alex Bailey, to be shown and shared, on the first week. And a première of this two artists, for the first time in Porto presenting their work, and these two creations.
The absolute première, of Eleanor Bauer last on going busy research. A first timer in Portugal and Porto, this choreographer will perform “UUU” at Passos Manuel. Two local Portuguese video artists, Sandra Araújo and Tânia Dinis will be installing their work at ªSede, with performance and video projection.
Throughout the two weekends, lectures will kick start Saturday’s afternoons, followed up with Conferência dos Pássaros (Birds Conference), a progressive model in which each one of the women invited will present for 10 minutes, her artistic work, visual or theoretic. Sunday is occupied with two sets of double debates, with public entities which will talk about autarchy, artists, social media and public / private institutions.
