CUT THE EDGE: Emerging Genre Installation @ Fishbon

It took awhile to wrap our minds around what wants to emerge in that it is so different than anything else we've conceived of before. After looking at the space and its possibilities, processing information submitted by the artists involved, and consulting with individuals within the Fishbon community (Clay Bodine, Anaya Cullen, Jill Littleton, Alan Macy, Jon Smith) the intention we are setting is that of an "Emerging Genre" exploration.

We are structuring the flow of the evening using the concepts of "overlapping time" and "linear time" offering the participants the opportunity to control their own experience. By "overlapping time" we refer to multiple events occurring simultaneously. By "linear time" we refer to experiencing the installation in a fashion that will enable you to progress from station to station witnessing the activity within at a pace one would experience in a theater. An event happens, pause, the next event, and so on.

The focus will not be on a "performance" but on creating an environment that has intrinsic value/worth/importance just by being birthed into a physical manifestation with an intent to energetically open the Festival with an expression where "no" is not a part of the creator's vocabulary and "anything is possible" charges the air with potential for positive change.

Spectators/witnesses can opt for a guided tour experiencing the event in "linear time" or they can meander at will.

The artist can choose if they want to contain their process by choosing to perform for those present from the beginning to the end of their contribution or by asking "gatekeepers" to control the flow of spectators in such a way that no one will enter or exit during the event and will give their expression full focus for the duration it is transpiring.

In order to make the performance process complete (using the definition that a performer needs and audience/spectator to be present or viewing the work for it to be a performance) a "pod" of spectators will be established to ensure that during any performance someone will be fully present from beginning to end of the performance (including applause).

We intend to design the sound structure of the different works in such a way that when events are going on simultaneously they won't compete with each other. For the meanders, there will be silent zones so dialog will not interfere with the sound of the artists expression. After the linear time event then as much as possible all performances will go off like fireworks and be performed again.

We don't know EXACTLY what will occur in that our hope is for local artists to connect with the visiting artists to take in the visiting artists ideas and engage and collaborate which is beginning to happen.

The first level in the building's "shop" we intend to lay down sod and have a grounding opening ritual. There is an amazing paper artist that is going to hang paper sculpture panels. In this either an artists from NYC or Honey & Mood Productions from Austria/Turkey will be installed and we hope to project some of the films.

In the stairwell headed to the second level there is a perfect space for performance and we think it would be great to create specifically for this space. It is like a mini-black box theater with the space to move around 4 square feet - if that.

On the second level it is divided into 2 main areas.

There will be no seating and the spectator/witness process will be choreographed so that the energy continues to flow and the facing constantly changes. It will begin in the "Main room" with the spectator/witness facing East for Butoh streaming live from Israel (I hope). The next event will be an aerial dance in the "aerial room" followed by some theater on a balcony above this. The flow will return to the main room with the spectator/witness facing South. Then back to the Aerial room for a work using movement, potting soil, and projections. Then back to the main room with the spectator/witness facing West, then two facing East. It will close with a process/performance that is circular and integrates the spectator/witness into the performance process which is intended to provide those who have witnessed the evening to give physical expression to what they have experienced thus far.

Then - everything goes off at once!

Between now and the event - this may alter radically.

With the intent of creating an "emerging genre" experience we don't really know what to expect other than knowing it will be a magical experience.