Posted by brad on February 21, 1998 at 13:20:47:
In Reply to: THE NON-INSTITUTION OF ART posted by Klaus on February 21, 1998 at 13:16:45:
THE NON-INSTITUTION OF ART, is a project idealized and created by the
Ecuadorian artist Damian Toro.
This FIRST part of the project is done.
The facts are:
1- In 1993 an "Experimental Project" was showed in Quito Ecuador. This
work was called "Performance". The basic idea was: To decontextualize
the meaning of Art, taking into account the enviroment where this aktion
took place.
I have to put in clear that this was the first Peformance in Quito -
Ecuador -.
Performers:
Damian Toro (Ecuador)
Jenny Jaramillo (Ecuador)
Ana Baldisserotto (Brazil)
Carla Toro (Ecuador)
2- Three years later, in 1997, another Experimental Work was executed in
Quito - Ecuador -. This was not entitled, and was made on the streets of
the city.
At the time, the political situation of Ecuador was critical. This
action was a ressult of a critical study of that situation.
The basic proposal of this Work was: to demonstrate to the ecuadorian
people the relation between the Ecuadorian Democracy, and the Religious
practice.
An incomprehensible text was used for this action. Also black and a red
flags were used. There were not violent results or consequences.
The transgressive sense of this action became when Damian went until one
of the most transitated streets of the Colonial Center of Quito and
stoped the cars.
Performer: Damian Toro
3- In August 8th of 1997, one more action was shown, this time, in
Berkeley, USA. In this case, the act had more performatic and theatrical
elements. More than 10 people were part of this action.
The basic propossal of this action was: to show -using the metaphor of
the wedding-, the falseness of the political discourse, and the reality
of the existence of a concrete native and non-national individual. This
individual can not exist and survive i
n the context of the State, or on the context of any kind of
organization related with the apropiation of the Other.
Performers:
Damian Toro
Ivan Castillo (Mexico)
Kila Bates (USA)
Erick Ochshorm (USA)
Paul Schuete (USA)
David Toro (Ecuador)
And a group of 4 musicians.
4- On December 13 of 1997 one more action was made. This was called: The
End of the Institution-Museum.
The event took place also in Berkeley at the Art department of the
University.
Damian is not a student of Berkeley or any Institution in the United
States of America.
The basic propossal of this action was: To make a ritual for the
destruction of the Museum. The artist as a Chaman, or better, as a
magician, is destroying the concrete and mathematical structure that
defines what Art is or Not.
Some elements of the so called "post-modernist" society were used.
The reaction of some people was agressive. In this case, when Damian
went to the street and stoped the cars, the police came and told him to
"go out". Ironically, he WAS out.
Also, when he went to the Berkeley Museum of Art, he was rejected. The
guardian of the Museum was asking for permisses.
When Damian tried to go inside the Museum they closed the doors
agressively. But another performer was there, representing the death.
Death went inside the museum without problems!
5- In January 13 of 1998 one more action was made.
The name for this action was: THE ANCESTRAL IRON RITUAL.
This took place in Quito -Ecuador-, in Cumbaya, a town out of the city.
The place was a big-green land were old gas tanks are part of the
enviroment.
Fire a cord and a hatched were used to this ritual. The people who
participated on this project were only two:
Damian Toro
Jose Luis Celi.