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“WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE URBAN DEFINITIONS OF ART AND CULTURE? AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE SWAP these URBAN DEFINITIONS?”
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland).
ERASING THE LINE BETWEEN THE GALLERY AND THE PUBLIC SPACE, THE ARTIST AND THE AUDIENCE. 63 artists in attendance from 6 continents 24 live art events during The Blackout Festival 2015 29 experimental artworks in The Pvt Blackout Collection 118 member community (core and support team) 4 venues including 3 foremost cultural venues of Basel - Warteck, Kaserne and Ausstellungsraum Klingental 10 pre-events including 3 as satellite events of Art Basel 2015
WWW.BLACKOUT-FESTIVAL.COM
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland).
"A hybrid between a festival OF EXPERIENCES and an exhibition of live art WITH BASEL CITY AND ITS PEOPLE AS ITS Muse - a uranium necklace hidden in THE CITY'S oldest attic, a memory of a community dinner etched on to the dinner table itself, a piano burnt in the city centre after waiting for 15 years, an illegal landmark of hopes and dreams made from cyanotypes, an Artist BnB project to support all incoming foreign artists as true cultural exchange, an exhibition of sauces sent by restaurants and cafes from all over the city, a bacteria brunch, 16 trailblazing audio-visual-dance performances, a chat show for the drunk, using the public space to produce fashion objects in performance, and much more”
THE BLACKOUT FESTIVAL: SWISS EDITION
BLACKOUTBASEL: CATALOGUE
THE PVT. BLACKOUT COLLECTION (EXHIBITION)
“HOW DID A FESTIVAL THAT STARTED IN A 2-BHK IN SUBURBAN MUMBAI, GO ON TO MAKE A DEEP CONNECTION WITH THE GLOBAL HUB OF ART - BASEL, SWITZERLAND?”
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
“reject everything”
BLACKOUT REPRESENTS FREE, SPONTANEOUS AND COLLECTIVE EXPRESSION.
since its inception on 21-12-2012 to celebrate the mayan legend of doomsday, the blackout festival has constantly mutated in formats over 4 editions while it’s core has remained intact - a secret celebration of experimental exhibitions and experiences representing and producing urban sub-culture. made out of collective contributions across everything that we experience in urban society from food to fashion, technology to social behaviour, the festival is HELD NON-STOP OVER 3 DAYS AND NIGHTS WITHOUT ANY PERMISSIONS AND WITHOUT ANY EXCHANGE OF MONEY.
2015…………..……2014…………..…2013…..……….…2012
timeline of the blackout festival DATES: 21-12-2012 – 23-12-2012 VENUE: 2-BEDROOM APARTMENT IN ANDHERI, MUMBAI GUESTS: 100+ OVER 3 DAYS AND NIGHTS MUSIC, ARTS, FILMS, FOOD, SPA, GAMING, GAMBLING INCLUDING THE LAUNCH OF A BOOK, A WEB SERIES AND THE DEBUT PERFORMANCE FOR A NEW ELECTRONIC MUSIC ALBUM ++
DATES: 20-12-2013 – 22-12-2013 VENUE: APARTMENT TERRACE AT BANDSTAND, BANDRA GUESTS: 200+ OVER 3 DAYS AND NIGHTS INSTALLATION EXHIBITION, MULTI-SCREEN FILM FESTIVAL, REMOTE-CONTROLLED CAR RACES, TERRACE CAMPING, DANCE KARAOKE, QUAD SENSOR PERFORMANCES ++
DATES: 19-12-2014 – 21-12-2014 VENUE: APARTMENT TERRACE AT BANDSTAND, BANDRA GUESTS: 10 RESIDENT ARTISTS OVER 3 DAYS AND NIGHTS 3 DAY-NIGHT RESIDENCY PROGRAM TO BUILD ‘TENTWORKS’ WITH 5 PAIRS OF CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ARTISTS AS A STATEMENT ON THE CRUNCH OF TIME AND SPACE IN THE CITY OF MUMBAI.
DATES: 05-09-2014 – 20-09-2015 VENUE: BASEL CITY, SWITZERLAND GUESTS: 400+ OVER 2 WEEKS A 3-DAY-NIGHT SUB-CULTURE FESTIVAL OF EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITIONS AND EXPERIENCES ACROSS CULTURAL INTERSECTIONS OF LIVE ART, PERFORMANCE, FOOD, FASHION, SCIENCE, RITUALS, FILMS, MUSIC, HUMAN BEHAVIOUR, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY HOSTED WITHIN A 2-WEEK LONG EXHIBITION CHANGING IN ITS APPEARANCE THROUGH ITS DURATION WITH NEW IMPULSES AND STIMULI. FREE FOR THE AUDIENCE.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
BLACKOUTBASEL BACKGROUND/PLAYGROUND PROGRAM BACKGROUND PRO HELVETIA - SWISS ARTS COUNCIL, THE CULTURAL AGENCY OF SWITZERLAND; AUSSTELLUNGSRAUM KLINGENTAL, AN ARTS SPACE FUNDED BY THE CITY OF BASEL AND RUN BY SWISS ARTISTS; ATELIER MONDIAL, ONE OF THE PRIME RESIDENCY STUDIOS IN BASEL HAVE JOINED FORCES IN A 4-YEAR (2013-16) PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM TO INVITE ONE FOREIGN CURATOR FROM CHINA (2013), POLAND (2014), INDIA (2015) AND SOUTH AFRICA (2016) TO EXPOSE THEM TO SWISS ARTS AND CULTURE AND PRODUCE A NEW PROJECT IN RESIDENCY. SHAZEB ARIF S., WAS SELECTED AS THE INDIAN CURATOR IN THIS PROGRAM FOR A 5-MONTH RESIDENCY IN BASEL (MAY - SEPT 2015). HIS ARTISTIC PROPOSAL WAS TO PRODUCE THE SWISS EDITION OF THE BLACKOUT FESTIVAL, AN ANNUAL EXPERIMENTAL URBAN CELEBRATION THAT HE STARTED IN BOMBAY, INDIA ON DOOMSDAY DATE: 21-12-2012.
PROJECT PROPOSAL A SECRET CELEBRATION THAT REFLECTS THE CITY OF BASEL BY RESEARCHING ITS SUB-CULTURAL FABRIC AND PRESENTING IT AS EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITIONS AND EXPERIENCES BACK TO THE CITY. WITH AN UNCONVENTIONAL FORMAT OF AN URBAN FESTIVAL WITHIN A MORPHING EXHIBITION, WE AIM TO DEVELOP AN INTERNATIONAL MEETING POINT FOR SOME OF THE FINEST CUTTING-EDGE GLOBAL ARTISTS AND PROJECTS ACROSS DISCIPLINES TO ESTABLISH A UNIQUE, EXPERIENTIAL AND EDUCATIONAL FREE-FOR-ALL PUBLIC FESTIVAL FOR BASEL, SWITZERLAND. #BLACKOUTBASEL IS ENVISIONED AS AN EXPERIENTIAL ATMOSPHERE, A LIVE LAB, ENGINEERED BY ARTISTS AND CURATORS TO BUILD A BRIDGE TO THE AUDIENCE LIKE NEVER BEFORE TO CREATE NEW FRIENDSHIPS, GENUINE SHARING AND TRUE INSPIRATION FOR ONE AND ALL. WITH NO BOUNDARIES WHETHER WITH ARTISTIC PRACTICES, SUBJECTS OR CONTEXTS, BLACKOUTBASEL IS A SIMULATION OF LIFE, A COMMON PLACE, A COMMONWEALTH FOR HUMAN EXPERIENCES THAT WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
the pvt blackout collection opens
5 Sept
the blackout festival 2015
11 1st collection of artworks / new works in live production
12
Sept
the pvt blackout collection closes
13
20 new artworks added from the live art experiments at the festival
THE CURATORIAL VISION TO BUILD AN INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF EXPERIMENTAL ARTISTS AND APPRECIATORS WHO WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE, SHARE AND COLLABORATE INTIMATELY WITH EACH OTHER EXPANDING THE ORIGINAL NETWORK, OVER THE YEARS IN BASEL. THE BLACKOUT WILL FUNCTION AS A WHOLESOME CULTURE MACHINE, FUSING EVERYTHING URBAN IN UNCONVENTIONAL FORMATS TO INVENT AND DEVELOP ORIGINAL IDEAS AND UNIQUE EXPERIENCES TO BREAK THE LINE BETWEEN THE ARTIST AND THE AUDIENCE. NEW ON-GOING PROJECTS WILL BE DEVELOPED IN COLLABORATION WITH SWISS ARTISTS, STUDENTS, INSTITUTIONS AND BUSINESSES THAT CAN BE PRESENTED AT #BLACKOUTBASEL.
Sept
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the PVT. BLACKOUT COLLECTION ‘UNFIXED & LIVE’ ‘THEME-LESS’ EXHIBITION
29 artworks FROM 6 CONTINENTS
THE HALLMARK OF EXHIBITIONS EVEN IN THE INTERNATIONAL HUB OF ART, BASEL, IS THAT AFTER THE OPENING, AUDIENCE FOOTFALL BEGINS TO DWINDLE. REPEAT VIEWING IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO EXPECT. ON THE OTHER HAND, FESTIVALS ARE MUSHROOMING ALL OVER THE WORLD AT A PACE LIKE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. THE EMERGENCE OF LIVE ART IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART SITUATION IS THE OTHER INDICATOR THAT WE ARE MIGRATING AWAY FROM PASSIVE EXPERIENCES TO LIVE ALTERNATIVES.
WITH A FOCUS ON BUILDING A LIVE ATMOSPHERE IN THE GALLERY, BLACKOUTBASEL EXPERIMENTED WITH THE FRAMEWORK OF A MORPHING EXHIBITION THAT WOULD CHANGE THROUGH ITS COURSE OF 2 WEEKS OPENING WITH A SET OF ARTWORKS AND A SPACE LAYOUT THAT WOULD CHANGE ALMOST EVERYDAY, ALONG WITH THE PROGRESS OF NEW ARTWORKS BEING BUILT WITHIN THE SPACE. THIS GAVE THE AUDIENCE AN INSIGHT INTO THE PROCESS BEHIND SOME OF THE ARTWORKS WHILE VIEWING FINISHED ARTWORKS - THE JUXTAPOSITION OF THE TWO STRIPPED THE EXHIBITION SPACE OF ITS CONVENTIONAL SANCTITY THAT ONCE FIXED, NOTHING SHOULD BE TOUCHED. BEING FREE OF A THEME WAS ANOTHER UNUSUAL DEPARTURE FOR THE EXHIBITION. THE 3-DAY-NIGHT FESTIVAL OF LIVE EXPERIMENTS AND EXPERIENCES HOSTED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE EXHIBITION PERIOD, WITHIN THE SPACE AND OTHER VENUES IN THE CITY LED TO THE CREATION AND ‘FINISHING’ OF NEW ARTWORKS THAT FURTHER CHANGED THE APPEARANCE AND COMPOSITION OF THE EXHIBITION. THE PVT. BLACKOUT COLLECTION WAS DECLARED ‘COMPLETE’ AT ITS CLOSING WITH AN AUCTION / FLEA MARKET MAINTAINING A STRONG AND LIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ARTISTS, THE ARTWORKS AND THE AUDIENCE THROUGH THE 2 WEEKS OF THE PROJECT.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the BLACKOUT FESTIVAL EXPERIMENTAL URBAN SUBCULTURE
24 LIVE ART EVENTS FEATURING 63 ARTISTS in attendance FROM 6 CONTINENTS
ART IS IN THE GALLERIES, CULTURE IS IN THE STREETS - THAT IS REALLY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE URBAN DEFINITIONS OF ART AND CULTURE. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SWAP THESE DEFINITIONS TO CREATE AN EXCHANGE BETWEEN ARTISTS AND THE PEOPLE OF A CITY.
A 3-DAY-NIGHT FESTIVAL OF EXPERIMENTAL EXHIBITIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF SUB-CULTURE STUDIED AND ABSORBED FROM THE CITY ACROSS CULTURAL INTERSECTIONS OF LIVE ART, PERFORMANCE, FOOD, FASHION, SCIENCE, RITUALS, FILMS, MUSIC, HUMAN BEHAVIOUR, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY HOSTED WITHIN A 2-WEEK LONG EXHIBITION. FREE FOR THE AUDIENCE. MOST OF THE EXPERIENCES DURING THE FESTIVAL WERE PARTICIPATORY IN NATURE LEADING TO THE CREATION OF NEW ARTWORKS THAT CLEARLY CARRIED A MARK OF THE AUDIENCE.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL
artist bnb project THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY WERE AWESOME ENOUGH TO INVITE OUR FOREIGN ARTISTS TO LIVE IN THEIR HOMES TO GET A REAL TASTE OF CULTURAL EXCHANGE
kitchen from the city THE LOCAL FOODSHARING PROJECT HELPED US STOCK UP OUR ARTIST KITCHEN EVERYDAY BESIDES LENDING US THE KITCHEN EQUIPMENT FROM THE ART BASEL 2015 KITCHEN
opening a new concert space in basel KLAPPFON INVITED BLACKOUT TO OPEN A NEW PERFORMANCE SPACE, FLATTERSHAFT DURING THE FESTIVAL, THAT IS GOING STRONG AS ONE OF THE NEW INFUSIONS IN BASEL’S EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONICS AND AUDIO SPHERE
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL
collaboration with local students av resource support BASEL SCHOOL OF ARTS SUPPORTED US WITH AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT FOR THE PROJECT
THE STUDENTS OF THE INSTITUTE OF FASHION DESIGN HGK FHNW COLLABORATED WITH ONE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS AT THE FESTIVAL TO PRODUCE A FASHION PERFORMANCE IN THE PUBLIC SPACE
messages on buildings in the city INSTEAD OF EXPLOITING SOCIAL MEDIA TO MAKE THE CITY AWARE OF THE FESTIVAL, WE WENT OUT AND BOMBED PROJECTIONS OF THE FESTIVAL ALL OVER THE CITY AS A GUERRILLA ACTIVITY
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL
a new landmark for the city J.J. HASTINGS ESTABLISHED A NEW LANDMARK IN AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION IN THE HILLS OF BASEL MADE UP OF HOPES AND DREAMS THAT SHE RECEIVED ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS #EPRAYERS AND PRINTED AS A SERIES OF CYANOTYPE PRAYER FLAGS.
saucy - exhibition of sauces RESTAURANTS AND CAFES SENT US A PLATTER OF OVER 40 SAUCES IN RESPONSE TO THE CURATOR’S CHALLENGE THAT BASEL’S FOOD CULTURE LACKS TASTY SAUCES
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL EVENTS OF THE FESTIVAL WERE HOSTED ACROSS 5 VENUES IN THE CITY AND THE PUBLIC SPACE INCLUDING FOREMOST ART VENUES SUCH AS WARTECK, KASKADENKONDENSATOR, AUSSTELLUNGSRAUM KLINGENTAL AND KASERNE (CLOCKWISE ORDER).
4 key art venues across the city
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL 10 PRE-EVENTS WERE HOSTED IN BASEL CITY (MAY - AUGUST 2015) WITH 3 DURING ART BASEL 2015
EVENT #01: CURATOR’S NETWORK DINNER (MAY 2015)
EVENT #02: LIVE PERFORMER’S MEETING VI, ROME (MAY 2015)
EVENT #03: THRILLR (JUNE 2015)
EVENT #04: XPRMNTL INDIA (JUNE 2015) EVENT #05: SUNDAY SIESTA SLACK (JUNE 2015)
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL 10 PRE-EVENTS WERE HOSTED IN BASEL CITY (MAY - AUGUST 2015) WITH 3 DURING ART BASEL 2015
EVENT #06: ART BASEL 2015 CURATOR’S OPEN STUDIO (JUNE 2015)
EVENT #08: BLACKOUTBASEL V/S REAL NETWORKS (JUNE 2015)
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL 10 PRE-EVENTS WERE HOSTED IN BASEL CITY (MAY - AUGUST 2015) WITH 3 DURING ART BASEL 2015
INTERVENTION A: PATRIOTIC DADIST POETRY & SIGNALS (LIVE STREAM FROM SHIVNAKAUN STUDIOS, NEW DELHI) - JULY 2015
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
the URBAN MUSE CONNECTION WITH THE CITY OF BASEL 10 PRE-EVENTS WERE HOSTED IN BASEL CITY (MAY - AUGUST 2015) WITH 3 DURING ART BASEL 2015
EVENT #10: BLACKOUTBASEL V/S BLACKBOXX (AUGUST 2015)
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
special mentions the next few pages encapsulate some of the artworks, projects and performances that happened during blackoutbasel. you can click on the pages to watch the corresponding videos. the artworks and experiences have been tagged with the following categories:
live art use of public space progressive artworks showcase & performances science in society
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
live art
use of public space
progressive artworks
let’s burn the piano by anmari metsa yabi wili for 15 years, the artist waited to cremate the broken piano on which she composed a single 70 minute theatrical piece “die morbide strecke�. after her permission to perform this piece a decade and a half ago at the basel theatre was revoked, the artist returned to perform it with her original collaborators to kaserne (public space in the city centre of basel). after the performance, the burnt piano and its remains were exhibited with a projection of the performance.
WATCH VIDEO
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
use of public space
progressive artworks
science in society
the propitiator by j.j. hastings fulfilling the curator’s promise of a physical landmark artist / scientist j.j. hastings inaugurated the blackout festival at dawn of the first day with a shrine of prayer flags made as cyanotypes hidden in an undisclosed location in the hills of basel.
the artist had earlier launched the project as a digitally mediated intervention at the opening of the pvt blackout collection. she invited #eprayers on the internet and made a select few into custom cyanotypes that were displayed in the exhibition until she planted the installation in the hills of basel.
WATCH VIDEO
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
live art
progressive artworks
science in society
don’t compress me by hojun song a video piece playing the results of the “don’t compress me” - full body competition hosted by the artist in an earlier show in berlin (2015). this piece at the exhibition intended to introduce the competition of beating a compression algorithm by moving as fast and randomly as possible while being recorded by a high-definition camera for 10 seconds.
WATCH VIDEO here we see, the artist hojun song conducting the don’t compress me (head only competition) at the blackout festival
the results of the don’t compress me (head only competition) hosted at the blackout festival were displayed as a new video piece during the rest of the exhibition days following the festival.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
live art
progressive artworks
science in society
open fit / smudge by lisa kori chung
WATCH VIDEO
step 1) make ‘instant’ pants best meant to fit your legs using open fit (custom open source software) at the first day of the blackout festival step 2) invite audience to draw with one continuous stroke on the pants with charcoal during the festival
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the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
live art
use of public space
progressive artworks
step 3) the pants are worn in a performance in collaboration with students from the institute of fashion design - hgk fhnw who bring their ‘tops’ or ‘shirts’ to go with the pants
WATCH VIDEO
step 4) smudge!
open fit / smudge by lisa kori chung
step 5) exhibit the smudged pants and shirts as an installation
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
social experience / live art
progressive artworks
contact imprint dinner contact imprint dinner by bysaskia saskiaedens edens&&jerome jeromeKarsenti Karsenti the artists starting building a custom wooden table from the first day of the exhibition and prepared it with clay everyday until the festival began. during the festival, the artists staged a ceremonial performance around the fresh clay table inviting a select few members of the audience to join them by offering them a sculpture with a candle.
WATCH VIDEO
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
social experience / live art
contact imprint dinner by saskia edens & jerome Karsenti the artists guided the guests through a performance around the table etching and printing physical memories of a specially prepared indian dinner directly on to the table itself - transforming it into a participatory artwork displayed at the exhibition.
WATCH VIDEO
progressive artworks
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
progressive artworks
money by gil & moti the artists exhibited a video showing the duo playfully running away from palestinian children who were chasing them for money. the artists sculpted identical piggy banks of cement that the audience could drop some money into that the artists in turn promised to take back to the children in palestine. they would break the artworks - the identical cement piggy banks in front of the children and donate the money to them.
WATCH VIDEO
occupied objects by nadine baldow the artist initiated the proposed live lab atmosphere in the exhibition space with the onsite production of two new pieces in her series ‘occupied objects’. handpicking a washing machine and a refrigerator from the local recycling plant, the artist started working on her pieces in the gallery while the exhibition was being set up.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
progressive artworks
various works by benuz
WATCH VIDEO
the artist’s role in the project was to keep the exhibition space alive with new mural works through the first few days of the exhibition and later in a fashion performance with a local artist during the festival. he was given a free hand to use the exhibition space as a canvas and rearrange it while making new works in his signature calligraphic style. these series of works brought alive the curatorial vision of bringing the streets inside the gallery, and vice versa.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
live art
use of public space
order - dis -order by mirjam spoolder and benuz a spontaneous collaboration as a street fashion performance between designer, mirjam spoolder and urban artist, benuz saw 7 objects being produced live in the public space.
progressive artworks
WATCH VIDEO
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
live art
use of public space
progressive artworks
WATCH VIDEO
order - dis -order by mirjam spoolder and benuz the live-sprayed fashion objects were then displayed in the exhibition.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
social experience
use of public space
uranium necklace by hojun song the oldest attic in basel city is not in public knowledge. being a heritage structure ensconced in atelierhaus klingental in the city centre, only 7 people are allowed at a time in the attic on special permission. we opened up the attic with a solitary installation by artist, hojun song - a uranium necklace. only 2 people were allowed at a time to experience the oldest but unknown symbol of basel’s architecture.
WATCH VIDEO
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
social experiences
use of public space
performances
fracas: klappfon v/s blackout
WATCH VIDEO
the local audio project, klappfon invited blackout to open a new experimental performance space flattershaft. presented as a free-forall night, klappfon and blackout both brought 2 artists each to the show.
roboteque outside the venue, 2 cardboard robots grilled a barbecue along side their human counterparts to produce an indian street style barbecue pop up in the streets of basel.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
showcase and performances
live art
16 experimental audio-visual live performances, demonstrations and showcases over 3 days and nights of the festival.
WATCH VIDEO
instramental (xprmntl performance series)
WATCH VIDEO
fracas: klappfon v/s blackout (xprmntl concert series)
WATCH VIDEO
genre gutter (xprmntl concert series)
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
showcase
blackout midnight cinema showcase with an all-night screening on the first night of the blackout festival, a collection of movies including performance art films, project documentaries and short films were played. the night began with films personally narrated by the some of film-makers in presence.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
science in society
social experiences
WATCH VIDEO
postpasteurian fingerfood by gosie vervloessem the artist, a member of the domestic science club exhibited her fermentation project ‘recipes for disaster’ as a tasting event / bacteria brunch.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
science in society
showcases
science in / as / of art personal accounts by hojun song, joker nies, sohan modak & gosie vervloessem WATCH VIDEO
presentations by 4 artists who work with science as their core practice and process going across satellites, fermentation, genetic poetry, circuit bending and mysterious electronics
process and criticism in the art of science hosted by jamie allen the presentations of the artists / scientists were followed by bringing all of them together in a freewheeling conversation with the host
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
social experiences
showcases
smashed with smash drunk chat show with members of the project the last event of the festival was a chat show for the shit-faced with a live audience.
WATCH VIDEO
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
social experiences
showcases
progressive artworks
posh auction turns flea market closing event a week after the festival, the exhibition closed down with a final tour of the artworks personally narrated as experiences by the artists. some of the artworks were auctioned with an informal code, allowing the audience to decide the price of the art without any conditioning of the art market. what did not sell was open to be sold in a pop up flea market during the closing.
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
posh auction turns flea market closing event
THIS REPORT ENDS HERE!
LAKE GARDA, ITALY
THE BLACKOUT CORE CREW TOOK OFF ON A ROAD TRIP TO ITALY AFTER CLOSING THE PROJECT
VENICE BIENALLE 2015, ITALY
CHIOGGIA, ITALY
BUT DIDN’T FORGET TO DROP MEMORY BOMBS AS PROJECTIONS IN A NEW CITY
CHIOGGIA, ITALY
THE SWISS ALPS
COMING BACK INTO SWITZERLAND FROM ITALY OVER THE ALPINE PASS ON A SUNKISSED MORNING
the blackout festival: swiss edition 5-20 sept 2015. basel (switzerland)
OUR PARTNERS Kanton Basel Stadt (The City of Basel) Schweizer Kultur-Stiftung Jacqueline Spengler Stiftung for supporting The Propitiator by J.J. Hastings Sudkulturfonds for supporting the travel of some of our Indian and South American artists Atelier Mondial for being home to the project as the residency space Pro Helvetia Swiss Arts Council for generously facilitating the project Ausstellungsraum Klingental and its board members, the hosts of the project and the main venue of the festival
TEAM Conceptualized, Curated and Directed by Shazeb Arif S. Produced by Stephanie Nabholz, Bruno Steiner, Thomas Heimann, Annina Zimmerman and Shazeb Arif S. Co-curated by Hauke Ziessler Co-curator: Michi Zaugg (Klappfon v/s Plattfon) Director of Design: Diya Sarker Director of Documentation: Huzefa Roowala Documentation: Huzefa Roowala, Abhinay Khoparzi, Oscar Hernandez Rodriguez, Nathaniel White, Tim Jesper Surhoff, Andre Vicentini, Bruno Steiner and Alexandra Vom Endt Home Team: Ole Ziessler, Elias Lory, Zaskia Gluege, Anna Korpsvart The members of Ausstellungsraum Klingental: Daniella Brugger, Simon Wunderlich, Alexandra Vom Endt, Jan Hostettler, Franziska Baumgartner, Sabrina Davatz, Sarina Scheidegger, Silas Heizmann, Andrea Giger, David Siepert, Leila Martin, Margret Martin, Saskia Edens and Krystin Buch. The members of Atelier Mondial: Ruth Walther and Alexandra Staeheli The members of Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council: Helen Muggli, Isabel Stierli, Tanima Maniktala
THE BLACKOUT CORE Huzefa Roowala, Romika Chawla, Diya Sarker, Shalini Gupta, Hauke Ziessler, Ole Ziessler, Stephanie Nabholz, Bruno Steiner and Shazeb Arif S.
THANKS FOR ALL THE SUPPORT! Chandrika Grover (Pro Helvetia - Swiss Arts Council, India) Our ArtistBnB project hosts in Basel - Marie-Louise Nabholz, Almut Rembges, Bruno Steiner, Elin Gonsalvez, Manuel Kuhn, Daniela Brugger, Saskia Edens, Franziska Baumgartner and Salon Mondial. Foodsharing Basel - Hanes Sturzenneger, Tilman Pfaefflin, Manuel Kuhn Michi Zaugg (Plattfon and Klappfon) Chris Regn (Kaskadenkondensator) Martina Siegwolf (Lodge at Warteck) Almut Rembges (Blackboxx) Sonia Pastor Chus Martinez (HGK FHNW) Nathalie Boseul Shin (Total Museum of Contemporary Arts, Seoul) Mrinal Bahukhandi (Clockwork Film Company, Bombay)
IF YOU ARE HAVING SENSATIONS TO BLACKOUT YOUR CITY, CALL US
THE SWISS ALPS
WWW.BLACKOUT-FESTIVAL.COM