EXPERIMENTAL CONVERSATION AND SEMI-ACCIDENTAL PERFORMANCE | A Respondent Series Workshop by Ray Fenwick
Thursday, March 15, 2018 – 7pm
Every conversation is an experiment — and some conversations are more experimental than others. Some conversations are like performances, or games, or music, or a collaborative soundscape.
~ Ray Fenwick
Simple, fun, and often ridiculous! Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art is excited to host a Respondent Series workshop: EXPERIMENTAL CONVERSATION AND SEMI-ACCIDENTAL PERFORMANCE by artist Ray Fenwick.
Programmed in conjunction with Skeena Reece’s exhibition, Sweetgrass and Honey, over the course of one and a half hours participants will engage in collective linguistic experimentation, contorting sound and elemental aspects of conversation, which begin to shift in form and experience between ‘just talking’, ‘performing’, or ‘making art’.
As easy as saying your name! Almost by accident you’ll dip a toe into the world of performance by way of simple games shamelessly stolen from theatre, improvisation, and so-called “icebreaker” activities.
Other “goals” of the workshop:
– Not just break the ice but, through a form of alchemy, turn the ice into a very pleasing slime
– Find new and strange ways to speak to each other, with each other, or out loud
– Make each other laugh
– Make yourself feel weird
– Fail miserably and awkwardly a few times
– Have a few drinks maybe, if that’s your thing
Spaces are limited. RSVP REQUIRED – email Sarah Nesbitt @ sarah@plugin.org with “RSVP” in the title line.
Ray Fenwick is an interdisciplinary artist working in performance, video, sound and typography. Known for eccentric, often immersive and durational performances that explore language, voice, and communication, his performance work lies somewhere between experimental comedy and sound art. In addition to his solo work, Fenwick collaborates with Halifax-based artist Mitchell Wiebe in Pastoralia, an art, performance, and music hybrid that acts as a meeting point between the practices of the two artists. Fenwick completed his MFA Degree at the University of Manitoba and has exhibited in both Canada and the United States. Pastoralia has performed at unexpected venues including the opening of Mass MoCA’s Oh Canada exhibition, North Adams Massachusetts; Halifax’s Nocturne festival; and at the recent Saltboxperformance festival in Newfoundland. His work has also been exhibited in Galerie Sans Nom, Moncton; Grenfell Art Gallery, Corner Brook; Southern Alberta Art Gallery, Lethbridge; Truck Gallery, Calgary; and Plug-In ICA, Winnipeg.
Plug In ICA extends our heartfelt gratitude to our generous donors, valued members, and dedicated volunteers. You make a difference.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Canada Council, the Manitoba Arts Council and Winnipeg Arts Council. We thank the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for their support of our 2016 and 2017 program.
Plug In ICA relies on community support to remain free and accessible to all, and enable us to continue to present excellent programs. Please consider becoming a member of Plug In ICA and a donor at https://plugin.org/support or by contacting Angela Forget: angela@plugin.org
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