7a*11d: Invaders of the Everyday?

I ventured out to XPACE Cultural Centre on Ossington this afternoon to take in the closing festival panel, and last Performance Art Daily of this year’s 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art. Moderated by the dazzling Johanna Householder, Canadian artists Michael Fernandes, Karen Elaine Spencer, and Victoria Stanton, along with Swedish performance artist Joakim Stampe discussed their artistic practices in relation to their histories, and what it means to be both an artist and a witness within the activity of performance art and daily life. Responding to the anti-spectacle sentiments¹ of twentieth century performance art, the panel and audience discussed the ways in which life and art intersect, and speculated on the nature of the twenty-first century audience’s need for shock and discomfort in relation to public performances in enclosed environments like subways or streetcars. It was absolutely fascinating and enlightening, especially with the various artistic practices within the panel offering different insights into the nature of performance art today. I found the idea of process particularly interesting, considering each artist offered a different view of the means-based artistic activity of performance.

I won’t spoil the fun and give you all of the details of the discussion because you can watch the archived video yourself when they post it online. If you made it out to this year’s festival, I’m sure you know the magic I’m talking about. If you didn’t, you’ll have to wait another two years before the festival returns, and I feel very sorry for you.