Open Avond

A proposition from the archive of de Appel arts centre

OPEN AVOND(S) is the kick-off of a series of events, which aims to revive a concept, presented at de Appel arts centre between March 1979 and October 1980. Every first Wednesday of the month, de Appel offered artists the opportunity to show their work between 20:00 and 22:00. Artists had to register their contribution at least one day in advance so that the programme could be compiled.
Such a stage connected established practices with more experimental ones. Would this relatively improvised and fast 'route' still be viable?



De Appel has been considered one of the first supporters and promoters of performance art in Europe. Looking backwards to this period is a fundamental step in a process of re-identification.

Between the June 6 and 11, an open call was directed to any artist interested in presenting her or his work at de Appel, during the evening of June 15.
The framework of the open call was determined by a selection of documents from the archives of de Appel, chosen for the dialogue they create with present practices. The same material inspired questions, such as: 'what constitutes an identity?' and 'how to play role dynamics?', which were used as guidelines for the open call.

Entrance: 3 euro (no Museumkaart needed)

Works from the archive by artists Vito Acconci, Hezy Leskly and Edmondo Za will be introduced in collaboration with sound artist Gunnar Gunnsteinsson during a rambling evening connecting past with present through humour and tragedy. Archival resources will intermingle with the performances or contributions by artists Ivan Cheng, Andrius Mulokas, Ohad Ben Shimon, Urok Shirhan, Ieke Trinks. The selection was done in order to host a variety of formats and contents, which will create a dialogue among them.

Gunnar Gunnsteinsson is a composer and performer, graduated from the Amsterdam Conservatory working mainly with music and spoken word. His performances are based on his weekly podcast, The Musicosmology Etudes, and includes recurring themes such as Jungian psychology, techno, middle ages and love dramas that lurk under the surface. www.soundcloud.com/gunnar-gunnsteinsson.

Emma Panza is an independent curator based in Amsterdam and an alumna of de Appel Curatorial Programme 2013-2014. Her current research encompasses elements from both curatorial and performance practices. The most recent example is the workshop series 'De-Skilling Curation', which reflects upon the impact of performances practice on our lives, through direct experiences.
OPEN AVOND(S) is based on the archive of de Appel arts centre, and part of a research supported by Mondriaan Fund.

http://performance-anxiety.org/

Special thanks to Nell Donkers, Abel Kroon, Titus Nouwens and the staff of de Appel arts centre.