DETAILED SCHEDULE Mapa/Corpo: Oppositional
Rites for a Borderless Society at the Pickle Company
On Saturday, March 17th at 8pm, TRASA urban arts collective will host La Pocha Nostra’s Mapa/Corpo: Oppositional Rites for a Borderless Society, an interactive performance installation developed in response to the post-9/11 “era of terror.” Mapa/Corpo is a living diorama that explores the current occupation of Iraq through a symbolic mapping of the human figure. This poetic, multimedia work examines the body as occupied territory, inviting the audience to participate in a ritualistic process of decolonization. La Pocha Nostra began workshopping Mapa/Corpo in 2003, immediately after the invasion of Iraq. This particular version, perhaps the most complex to date, was developed in Dublin and London. Featuring Gómez-Peña, Roberto Sifuentes, and Violeta Luna in collaboration with local artists and audience members, Mapa/Corpo is constantly alive and evolving. “…a provocative, engaging, often brilliant evening of that indefinable entertainment hybrid known as performance art.” -Mark Muro Sunday, March 18, 2007, 2 pm: at the SLC Film Center
Guillermo Gómez-Peña’s work navigates the contested terrain known as the US/Mexican border. By telling a story of realities, he acts as a warrior in transnational identity and immigration issues. As El Mexorcist Gómez-Peña assaults the construction of the US/Mexican border that is lined with Minute Men, rising nativism, three-ply fences, globalization, and transnational identities. The artist will present both short videos and performance texts. “At the heart of the performative is an activation of
consciousness, triggered by multicultural puns and transcultural
associations. Mexican by birth, Mexican-American by choice, this
linguistic trickster does not appear to be insecure about who he
is, but he knows many who are trapped in stereotypes and in the
dangerous dynamics of disempowerment that characterize the lives
of the underclasses in American society.” March 19 to March 21, 2007, 12 –
8 pm: at the Pickle Company
Guillermo Gómez-Peña and La Pocha Nostra core members Roberto Sifuentes and Violeta Luna will conduct a three-day, hands-on workshop at the Pickle Company, exploring performance art as a form of radical democracy. Since 1993, Gómez-Peña and La Pocha Nostra have conducted innovative workshops that bridge cultures, generations, and disciplines to create “ephemeral communities of rebel artists.” Drawing from multiple traditions, including experimental theatre and dance, ritual performance, and shamanism, this workshop will help participants develop a hybrid persona and a performance piece based on their own complex identities, personal aesthetics, and political tribulations. Designed to build bridges between marginalized cultures, this workshop will bring together a diverse group of community members and students in a deeply personal engagement with art and politics. No prior performance experience is required, but a great deal of willingness to experiment is fundamental. To register for the workshop, or for more information, please contact info@thepicklecompany.org or call 801.450.8977. |
Guillermo
Gómez-Peña will be presenting selections from Ethno-techno:
Los videograffitis, a conceptual DVD comprising over 40 performances
created specifically for video, at the SLC Film Center on Sunday,
March 18th at 2pm, followed by a discussion with the artist. A critically-acclaimed
filmmaker, Gómez-Peña received the Cineaste Lifetime
Achievement award in 2000 from the Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival.