PERFORMA

I recently founded PERFORMA (Spring 2004) to establish a distinctive biennial for the vast array of new performance by visual artists from around the world. I was prompted by the belief that curating and contextualizing such cutting edge material serves to build an exciting community of artists and audiences, and provides a strong basis for educational initiatives. A performance biennial also underlines the important influence of artists’ performance in the history of twentieth century art, and its ongoing significance in the early years of the 21st.

PERFORMA05, the first visual art performance biennial, will take place this year from November 3-21, 2005 in New York City. An exciting three week program of performances, exhibitions, film screenings, lectures and symposia, it has been organized in collaboration with a consortium of international curators and artists to provide audiences with an overview of contemporary visual art performance. With more than 90 participating artists at over twenty venues, PERFORMA05 will articulate a broad range of ideas and sensibilities across disciplines and media.

Looking back to the important era of downtown New York of the Seventies, when SoHo was a beacon for the newest developments in dance, film, music and visual arts, this first biennial also looks to the future, with its focus on new media, and the infinite possibilities of generating new directions for the visual and performing arts of the new century.

PERFORMA proudly announces its PERFORMA Commissions program, that originates new multi-media productions and supports artists in the development of their work, from concept to presentation. Jesper Just’sTrue Love is Yet to Come and Francis Aly’s Ensayo are the first PERFORMA Commissions to be developed through this initiative.

Please join our active investigation of performance and its history in all aspects of the visual arts, and in establishing a vital platform for public debate of this important work.

With PERFORMA05, November is the month to be in New York! We hope to see you there.

RoseLee Goldberg
Founding Director and Curator

PERFORMA
new visual art performance
327 East 18th Street
New York, New York 10003
212 533 5720
www.performa-arts.org