PETER BAREN ARK (Unknown Pleasures) 2007

PETER BAREN ARK (Unknown Pleasures) 2007 performing dvd




ARK (Unknown Pleasures) is part of the ARK (Blind Dates With History, Orphaned Whisperings And Other Unknown Pleasures) series, an ongoing performance piece that has continued to evolve and change shape over time. Having started life in New York City during Currency 2004, an international festival of contemporary performance, it has subsequently been performed in a great variety of cities across the United States, Europe, Canada, Middle East, China, Asia, Central America.
A multi-sensory work, Baren's ARK performances include fog, saran-wrapped performers, circling satellites, orphaned whisperings, molasses, written and spoken texts, boomerangs and more.
Baren's practice uses the public assumptions of performance- the promise of drama, duration and theatricality- to evoke a disquieting sense of prim-ordial mystery, public yearning, fear and cultural reformation. Blending props common to show-business with cross-cultural signifiers, Baren's work creates a site of what photographer and art critic Kristoff Steinruck dubbed "radical mystical fundamentalism. " (Performance during LIVE. Biennial of Performance Art. Vancouver)

ARK (Unknown Pleasures) finds a meeting ground between sensual bewilderment and political commentary which points out the constructed nature of our ideas of cultural memory and our sometimes superficial notions of identity. Lance Blomgren
The involvement of people present is triggered by mobilizing all the senses. It cannot and should not be that the spectators leave the location unmoved. A performance by peter baren is not a visual spectacle, but an emotional experience. Rob Perree
This performing dvd deals with Hope And Other Terminal Bodies and produces extracts of the BLURRR 5 performances, executed both in the Center for Contemporary Art and around the city of Tel Aviv (November 2005).
For three days in a row a young man, with his head scarved in and dangling satellites from his outstretched fingers, was lead out of CCA Gallery and process(ion)ed along different sites where suicidebombings took place in the past, such as shopping street, market, crossroad, busstation and seaside.
Actions were carried out at several sites (SEASIDE:) amongst people sunbathing, Baren is writing the word HOPE (in different languages) in the sand encircling the figure- still holding up the dangling satellites- throwing a boomerang towards the sea with SPIRIT written on it and tearing the shirt opposite, he returns with the scarved figure to CCA again-

ARK (Unknown Pleasures)
DVD-video, b&w, no sound, 4 min. 50 sec. loop.
In performance; Tal Rosen and Peter Baren.
Camerawork: Ruti Sela. CCA/Centre for Contemporary Art, Tel Aviv.
Editing: Ramon Coelho at Netherlands Media Art Institute, Amsterdam.




Producer: Sergio Edelsztein.
First feature: DTN office, Amsterdam, from April 28th till July 1st 2007, over night screenings.
Commissioned by Amsterdam Fund for the Arts in 2006.

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People & Blogs

Tags:

• ETER
• BAREN
• ARK
• (Unknown
• Pleasures)
• 2007