COMPAGNIE TRANSE EXPRESS

The creation of Brigitte Burdin and Gilles Rhode in 1992, the Company Transe Express perform in unusual public spaces. My favourite is their Celestial Art or theatre in the sky favouring gigantic mobile constructions. Similar to La Machine and Royal de Luxe, their Gilliam-esque shows are wonderous and uplifting in their scope and execution.

« Celestial Art »… A Baroque or naïve expression ? A bazaar of accessories? Of too-heavy Angels hissed by groaning pulleys, blue golden skies, cotton clouds stuck to Columbus of escaped voices from the Sistine Chapel. Celestial fireworks? Machinery invented to overcome the Peasants? Plumes of nacre or the first wings of articulated wood… A genius deployed to rule the surrounding space does not escape the burlesque. Could this be a dare for space shuttles or sputniks?

- Sylvie Meunier,
Extract of book L’Art Céleste, théâtre au-dessus de la ville

Links:
Compagnie Transe Express (EN)
Transe Express (LeFourneau)
Transe Express (Flickr)

THE PENNY DREADFULS - Victorian Sketch Comedy Troupe

"The Penny Dreadfuls are Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck, who together present their splendid brand of Victorian comedy, centering around the world of noted Victorian explorer and dandy, Aeneas Faversham."

Here is a sample of their work:

The sound was recorded on the finest wax cylinders in front of an audience of living souls. The moving images are an artist's impression of the events as they unfolded that fateful evening. This film is brought to you by the magic of electrons. And also by Mr. Humphrey Ker, Mr. David Reed and Mr. Thom Tuck. Animation is by Mr. Tim Sagar.

Links:
The Penny Dreadfuls
The Penny Dreadfuls (MySpace)
Aeneas Faversham blog
The Penny Dreadfuls Wiki
More Brothers Faversham (BBC Radio 7)

Featurette: EIJA-LIISA AHTILA

With her experimental video work, photographer and sculptures, Eija-Liisa Ahtila's explores themes such as death, relationships, and mental breakdown through what she describes as "human dramas". Her work experimenting with narrative in video through multiple screens virtually removing the two-dimensional cause and effect is fascinating. Grounded in extensive research, her application of moments to her multi-platform video tableau is in essence more painterly than cinematographic.

Follow the links below for more information.


Links:
Eija-Liisa Ahtila (BBC Wales)
Eija-Liisa Ahtila (BFI)
Eija-Liisa Ahtila interview (Kopenhagen)
The Never-ending Story (Guardian)
Eija-Liisa Ahtila Wiki
Eija-Liisa Ahtila (ArtForum)
Eija-Liisa Ahtila (New York Times)
Eija-Liisa Ahtila's Affective Images in The House (Mediascape)
Eija-Liisa Ahtila (Kiasma Magazine)
Eija-Liisa Ahtila (Paolo Curti)

Interview: MICHEL LEMIEUX of 4D Art

In line with the ethos that SiouxWIRE advocates, Michel Lemieux's creations merge media and span class. Founding Lemieux.Pilon 4D Art in 1983, directors Michel Lemiux and Victor Pilon combine performing arts with new media to create a hybrid show merging performance, scenography, cinema, video, dance, poetry, visual arts, lighting design, music and sound. The results are striking and coherent.

Here is an example from their latest performance. Note that this clip has no post production. The visuals were filmed as they were on stage.

Presenting more than 300 performances since its creation, Lemiux.Pilon 4D Art has worked internationally and in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. Their latest project, Norman is a tribute to Norman McLaren and the history of art animation.

Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon are currently working on the opera version of Starmania by Luc Plamondon and Michel Berger that will be presented during the festivities of the 400th anniversary of Quebec City with performances on the 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, and 26 of May 2008.

As well as introducing their work to South America in Bogota, Columbia, Lemieux.Pilon 4D Art will also be taking Norman on tour this year.

Michel very kindly agreed to be interviewed in Fall 2007, but due to some technical difficulties it has taken some time to release this interview. Enjoy.

What was the inspiration and purpose of your establishment of 4d Art in 1983?
The inspiration was to merge different forms of expression, such as visual arts, dance, theater, cinema, music, in the context of performing arts. One can say that Opera is doing so for centuries, I think in fact ancient Greek theater was quite multi-disciplinarian. Specialisation came later and confined the different mediums to a highly specialized form. All mediums of representation represent in fact a possible way to approach creativity. In our times, I think we are ready to put things in relation, in interpenetration with each other.

And how did your collaboration with Victor Pilon begin? And how do you feel the two of you compliment each other?
Victor has been in visual fine arts for a while when we met. I have studied in theater, so our interest and competences were so compatible that we started to work together in a very natural way. We could say that this more than 20 years collaboration is a based on a very strong friendship that helped us to become what we are as humans and artists.

In general, we do all concepts and direction together, Vic would more specialised in space elements such as artistic direction, visual arts, and I would be more focused on «time» elements, such as music , editing, timing but in fact we share all the aspects of the creation in consensual way.

Continue reading the interview & see more images
by clicking here

PHOTOGRAPHER'S RIGHTS

The subject of photographer's rights and their infringement has been blogged quite a lot. I have lived, worked, and photographed a lot in the UK (London in particular) for more than a decade. I've never had any problems in the street though to be safe I always carry THIS with me though apparently this doesn't always help.

That said, I have heard about some bad experiences and seen the proliferation of CCTV. Here's an example I found via Conscientious:

Unfortunately, things are not that much better where I come from in Washington State:

In New York where I attended the School of Visual Arts, there are moves to ban public filming and photography, and the police don't seem to be taking heed of their own printed guidelines. This editorial describes a worrying trend stemming from Guiliani's administration.

In an ideal world, all citizens would know the law of the land (and we wouldn't need lawyers) but we're aware that the volumes that make up our legal framework are too cumbersome. Still, what was once a specialist area of the law in regard to the rights of a photographer are now mainstream as cameras proliferate into our phones, laptops, and other mobile devices. These are rights for which we should all be made aware particularly those in law enforcement.

And then there are examples of photographer's being seen as a security threat in the wake of 9/11. NPR news have some examples of this(audio), also HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.

Increasingly, it's members of the public who instigate incidents involving the police, suspicious citizens worried about anyone with a camera. I can't help but wonder if it came to referendum, are there enough of these people to vote in favour of restricting the rights of photographers?

The links below have more detailed information on photographer's rights and THIS ARTICLE from USA Today is an interesting read. EDIT: Here is another worrying entry from Conscientious.

Links:
UK Photographer's Rights
USA Photographer's Rights
Photographer's Rights (various regions)
Photography & the Law (worldwide)
NSW Photographer's Rights (Australia)
Photographer's Rights Overview

ANTHONY MINGHELLA

"The feeling of not belonging, of not being entirely worthy, of being sometimes hostage to your own sensibilities. Those things speak to me very personally."

Links:
Favourite scenes - The English Patient (SiouxWIRE)
Guardian Unlimited Obituary
Remembering Minghella - Michael Covenay (Guardian Unlimited)
Anthony Minghella Wiki
BBC4 Interview (audio)
Anthony Minghella - Screenonline

Interview: ICELANDIC LOVE CORPORATION

The Icelandic Love Corporation are enigmatic and their colourful, life affirming works are transient or anonymous. Because of this and having read numerous other interviews, I knew that this would be a challenge; a bit like catching smoke with a net or a scooping up the same piece of river more than once.

Their work spans a wide range of mediums including performance, sculpture, installations, music, film, television, painting, and literature. While certainly emotive, like their creators, the works are resistant to analysis. Trying to do so is rather pointless; a bit like trying to create a specific blueprint for how to run the rake through a Zen garden.

What I will say is that I find their work honest and refreshing with a seriousness that isn't cumbersome. As a whole, their body of work is like an ornate diary, a window into their own personal journeys with the most incredible, enlightening outlook.

In regards to the name of your group, would you explain the importance of the trio of words from which it is made: Icelandic, love, and corporation? And aside from the name itself, what changed between the group being known as Gjörningaklúbburinn and The Icelandic Love Corporation?
Well, we never thought about it as a trio of words, per se. When this name was first used, we were actually a quartet. Dóra Isleifsdóttir was a part of the group from 1996 - 2001. Why we chose those three exact words is both easy and hard to explain. Icelandic, well that's a fact. We are icelandic. Love. we like it. it is a strong idea. It is both a redeeming, creative and destructive element. but most of the time a very good thing. corporation.

"Some people seem to automatically connect the word love to something kitschy or childish. We really don't understand that."

Probably the megalomania in us back then was pretty strong. but also we thought it was funny. to be a corporation of four girls. We did not really sit around contemplating about this name for a very long time. it just seemed right. through the years we have thought about it from time to time and have grown to like it more and more. Some people seem to automatically connect the word love to something kitschy or childish. We really don't understand that. well partly we do, but we think that's unfair to love.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW BY CLICKING HERE

TERRY GILLIAM at LA SCALA: Giordano's "Andrea Chénier"

Terry Gilliam will be holding the reigns at La Scala for Umberto Giordano's opera Andrea Chénier which tells the story of the poet guillotined during the French Revolution. Production designer Dante Ferretti who has previously worked with Gilliam will be working on this production. It will have a 10 night run at the Milan theatre.

On the La Scala website, they have this to say about Gilliam's contribution to the 2007-2008 season:

Another work related to Puccini is Andrea Chénier by Giordano, which premiered in the same year as La Bohème (two French settings, two poets as heroes). An opera that ran the risk of being flattened by habit, we have entrusted it to an imaginative, unpredictable director, who has agreed to make his debut at La Scala and in opera: Terry Gilliam, the enfant terrible of the Monty Pythons, of Brazil, of The Adventure of Baron Munchausen. While on the stage part there will be the imprint of Dante Ferretti and Gabriella Pescucci, Liliana Cavani’s “cinematographic” collaborators. It is Gilliam’s first work for the theatre.

Links:
Guardian Unlmited (source)
Teatro Alla Scala (english/italian)
Dreams - Terry Gilliam Fanzine
Umberto Giordano Wiki
Dante Ferretti IMDB
Andrea Chénier Wiki
Andrea Chénier Stanford Univ. Synopsis
Terry Gilliam & the Tide - SiouxWIRE

DAMON ALBARN & JAMIE HEWLETT's Opera "Monkey: Journey to the West"

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett latest collaboration "Monkey: Journey to the West" is an opera in nine acts based on the epic Chinese story. The Théâtre du Châtelet site describes it as "A magical work telling the story of the Monkey King, the most popular character of Chinese literature, who rebels against the Powers on High and declares itself to be a grand sage, comparable to Buddha."

Directed and adapted for stage by Chen Shi-Zheng with music by Damon Albarn and visual design, animations, and costumes by Jamie Hewlett, it also features 45 Chinese acrobats, Shaolin monks, Chinese vocalists, and the UK Chinese Music Ensemble led by Cheng Yu.

The opera is a co-production between the Manchester International Festival, the Théâtre du Châtelet Paris and the Berlin State Opera and is set to play at all these venues. Follow the links for scheduling and ticketing.

UPDATE: Alan Yentob will be presenting "Damon & Jamie's Excellent Adventure" on July 3, 2007 on BBC1. LINK

From the last single of the Gorillaz album Demon Days, here's the video for El Mañana:

And here is a compilation of imagery from Jamie Hewlett's exhibition at the Design Museum(London-2006):

UPDATE(24.10.08):

UPDATE(29.5.08): "Gorillaz collaborators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have created the opening sequence for the BBC's Olympics coverage. Based on the traditional Chinese tale Journey To The West, here the characters Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy stand by the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing." - BBC

Links:
Monkey Journey to the West
Manchester International Festival
Théâtre du Châtelet
Berlin State Opera
Guardian Unlimited - 9 June 2007
Wired article 26 June 2007
BBC article 28 June 2007
USA Today article 29 June 2007
Damon Albarn
Jamie Hewlett
Monkey Train Gallery
Cheng Yu - UK Chinese Music
Gorillaz (Albarn/Hewlett)
Gorillaz Wiki

Featurette: Royal de Luxe

If the Royal de Luxe visits your town, see their work. I was fortunate enough to have witnessed the Sultan's Elephant wandering into Trafalgar Square. Follow the links to see more of their incredible work.

Links:
Royal de Luxe Wiki (eng)
Royal de Luxe Wiki (fr)
Overview

The Vanishing of BAS JAN ADER

One of my favourite books is Cervantes Don Quixote. I read it at an age when I was just passing from the shelter of childhood dreams to grim reality. The concept of unrelenting desire not bound by almost certain failure has lingered with me.

It's also a key part of the final work of Bas Jan Ader, In Search of the Miraculous. He set sail in a 13 foot sailboat(the Ocean Wave) with the aim of crossing the Atlantic in 1975, blurring the borders between life and art. Three weeks into the voyage, radio contact was lost and the Ocean Wave was found after 10 months, floating partially submerged 150 miles West-Southwest of the Irish coast. Ader was never seen again; his body never recovered.

Born in Holland in 1942, Ader experimented with film, photography, installation, and performance. Read more about Ader and his work at the links below. I discovered Ader's work through MASS MoCA exhibition The Believers which features the work of upcoming interviewees Theo Jansen and The Icelandic Love Corporation.

As a sidenote, I think Ader would have appreciated this image from Jeff Widener:


Links:
Bas Jan Ader official site
Bas Jan Ader Wiki
ArtSceneCal Article
the-artists.org Entry
InDepth Arts News

The NO SMOKING ORCHESTRA's "Time of the Gypsies" punk opera

Emir Kusturica and the No Smoking Orchestra will be releasing a new album in mid-June, Time of the Gypsies: Punk Opera, a few days before the opera itself opens at Opéra Bastille in Paris on 26 June 2007. Based on Gordan Mihić and Emir Kusturica's script for the film of the same name, it was adapted by Nenad Jankovic and is performed in the Gypsy language.

Emir says, “The main theme of the opera will be Ederlezi. It’s a story about youth, entering in the real world, and we used this theme as it’s the most relevant Gipsy song, and we made of it a kind of purification and cathartic journey trough life“. Ederlezi is the Gypsy name for the celebration of St. George Day and is something of a celebration of the coming of Spring.

Emir Kusturica's new film, Promise Me This is in the official selection for the 60th Cannes Film Festival. He was won Palm D'Ors for When Father Was Away for Business(1985) and Underground(1995).

Here is a sample of his work with the No Smoking Orchestra, Unza Unza Time:

Links:
thenosmokingorchestra.com
EmirKusturica & No Smoking Orchestra Myspace
kustu.com
Paris Opéra

Dance: SANKAI JUKU

Founded by artistic director, Ushio Amagatsu, in 1975, Sankai Juku is a unique dance troop with which Butoh is an expression of the language of body exploring the relationship between body and gravity, gravity to earth and the environment. They have been premiering a new piece roughly every two years at the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris.

Their works are abstract, employing a hefty amount of metaphor and visuals that are at first alien, but then become familiar as the meaning floats to the surface. I know it all sounds abstract and perhaps a little "pretentious" but it's only pretentious if the creator has no idea what their doing aside from being like someone/something else. I don't believe that's the case with Amagatsu.

If they swing your way, take the opportunity to see them perform and judge for yourself. Visit their official site for their schedule of upcoming shows.

As a taster, here's Ushio Amagatsu's take on their work Kagemi:

The Kage of Kagemi is shadow
The light of contrast, the image in the mirror of water's surface
The mi is seeing and being seen

Some say Kagemi is the ancient origin of "mirror" (kagemi)
In light, the surface that reflects and is reflected, looked into and looking back
Surface beginning in the horizontal water plane and transforming to
the perpendicular face

From an ambiguous and transient state to one clearly outlined
The right hand asks, the left hand answers
Once an imaginary surface is defined

Here is a video of one of their performances:

Sankai Juku - kewego
Sankai Juku, compagnie de danseurs japonais

Links:
Sankai Juku official site (English/Japanese)
Interview with Amagatsu (English/German)
Another interview with Amagatsu
Wiki