A new year. A date, a time. A threshold that makes us emotional.. This emotion, for me, is always hard to define... a sort of neediness. (it's different than that of Christmas which has more to do with childhood, nostalgia, family). This one has more to do with doing the right thing at midnight. It's not anxiety though. It has something to do with doing the right thing....
Preparation.
Maybe astronauts feel this way before launch. They're on to something new... but the hard work involved is daunting. The checklist is great. Nothing can go wrong.
Then the time comes and there are explosions. Light. People look to the sky and cheer. The heart rises, rises and a happiness comes to our cheeks and eyes.... we made it. The spectacle fades in the sky. Our hopes carried away on smokey clouds that skim the earth sideways. Sky empty, we now know its up to us to make our hopes rise throughout the year.
quarta-feira, 31 de dezembro de 2008
terça-feira, 30 de dezembro de 2008
quinta-feira, 25 de dezembro de 2008
terça-feira, 23 de dezembro de 2008
Star of Wonder by the Roches
This is one of my favorite Christmas songs. The video is not by the Roches but of some fan. Enjoy the voices. Merry Christmas!
Morning Glory
quinta-feira, 18 de dezembro de 2008
When Sexy Hottie Is Having Brain
Review of Ricky Seabra's Empire, Love to Love You, Baby from the Mobile Lab for Theatre and Communication written in "Gonzo journalism style" in which critics react to a piece and don't reveal their identity.
(I wish a few of them had manifested their attraction to me in Ljubljana... I might have gotten laid...)
Review: When Sexy Hottie is Having Brain
Aw, aw, could you imagine what a cutie I saw yesterday in the theatre in Ljubljana!...On a stage, by the way, not in the audience. That was the moment when I remembered my wonderings about turning to boy-lover profession, still, I stayed to chicks (it’s just easier somehow). Righty then, the thing was that he had a solo performance called Empire. I love to love you, baby (well, you see, what I’m tryin’ to say, uh?). It was about The States and the old stuff with them: patriotic madness and military obsessions. But haba- haba, mummy llliked the guy, Ricky Seabra!!! What a body, what skin, although, no big wonder, coz he was from Brazil and he had just returned from the desert sands. Having had a pretty rough tour through different countries, something like European, can’t remember, but it isn’t so important. What a sense of humour, my looord! I pissed my pants for about five times, and, no doubt, I wasn’t the only one. And at the same time he managed to kick butt of some serious problems and did it in different ways, using loads of videos - some live captured on the stage, some, taken from the net, projected on screen; then suddenly turning into transvestite or just ugly babe. He called himself Rickyoncé, you know, from where he pulled the strings, don’t ya? With that he crowned himself as the Empress of The States. Gosh, in some moments I thought that he’s gone with the birds – toot, toot!,- you know, the artist in that modern theatre bullshit sometimes has their little surprises. No, no, everything was O.K., he’s just a hell of a good actor. Though he has a designers degree.
The most terrifying moment was when he showed a compilation from disaster and shitty sci-fi blockbusters like Independence Day (is Will Smith still alive, by the way?) and The Day After. To see, how such a ‘great’ nation blows up their skyscrapers, Black House (haaah) and things like that, you really start to wonder what the hell is happening in their fatty heads. You had some shit in sunny September morning, didn’t you get the point? Why don’t you stop playing with your country like a mad farmer with his chainsaw? Other wicked episode was when he demonstrated porn photo collection of USA army soldiers and their Little Soldiers as well. Well, apparently those are the thingies they do to get some extra earnings while they're in service.
Yeah, Rickyoncé really knew exactly what he wanted to say with his work, which, I suppose, require much power from him. Remarkable guy, that’s for sure. Interesting, what he will do next, unless some guys with sunglasses and little earphones won’t visit him in late hours of the night to ask some simple questions by cup of tea…
Stanley H. Orny
(I wish a few of them had manifested their attraction to me in Ljubljana... I might have gotten laid...)
Review: When Sexy Hottie is Having Brain
Aw, aw, could you imagine what a cutie I saw yesterday in the theatre in Ljubljana!...On a stage, by the way, not in the audience. That was the moment when I remembered my wonderings about turning to boy-lover profession, still, I stayed to chicks (it’s just easier somehow). Righty then, the thing was that he had a solo performance called Empire. I love to love you, baby (well, you see, what I’m tryin’ to say, uh?). It was about The States and the old stuff with them: patriotic madness and military obsessions. But haba- haba, mummy llliked the guy, Ricky Seabra!!! What a body, what skin, although, no big wonder, coz he was from Brazil and he had just returned from the desert sands. Having had a pretty rough tour through different countries, something like European, can’t remember, but it isn’t so important. What a sense of humour, my looord! I pissed my pants for about five times, and, no doubt, I wasn’t the only one. And at the same time he managed to kick butt of some serious problems and did it in different ways, using loads of videos - some live captured on the stage, some, taken from the net, projected on screen; then suddenly turning into transvestite or just ugly babe. He called himself Rickyoncé, you know, from where he pulled the strings, don’t ya? With that he crowned himself as the Empress of The States. Gosh, in some moments I thought that he’s gone with the birds – toot, toot!,- you know, the artist in that modern theatre bullshit sometimes has their little surprises. No, no, everything was O.K., he’s just a hell of a good actor. Though he has a designers degree.
The most terrifying moment was when he showed a compilation from disaster and shitty sci-fi blockbusters like Independence Day (is Will Smith still alive, by the way?) and The Day After. To see, how such a ‘great’ nation blows up their skyscrapers, Black House (haaah) and things like that, you really start to wonder what the hell is happening in their fatty heads. You had some shit in sunny September morning, didn’t you get the point? Why don’t you stop playing with your country like a mad farmer with his chainsaw? Other wicked episode was when he demonstrated porn photo collection of USA army soldiers and their Little Soldiers as well. Well, apparently those are the thingies they do to get some extra earnings while they're in service.
Yeah, Rickyoncé really knew exactly what he wanted to say with his work, which, I suppose, require much power from him. Remarkable guy, that’s for sure. Interesting, what he will do next, unless some guys with sunglasses and little earphones won’t visit him in late hours of the night to ask some simple questions by cup of tea…
Stanley H. Orny
domingo, 14 de dezembro de 2008
Nesses casos de reação a assalto sou a favor da Pena de Morte
Violência
Médica do Hospital Pérola Byington é baleada e morta em assalto no Rio Pequeno
Publicada em 13/12/2008 às 10h23m
Cleide Carvalho, O Globo, Jornal Hoje
Nadir Oyakawa, médica morta por ladrões
SÃO PAULO - A médica Nadir Oyakawa, de 53 anos, chefe do setor de Laser do Hospital Hospital Pérola Byington (Centro de Referência à Saúde da Mulher), foi baleada e morta na noite desta sexta-feira ao sair da casa de uma irmã na Rua Dr João Vieira Neves, no Rio Pequeno, na zona oeste de São Paulo. Por volta de 23h30m, Nadir estava dentro do carro, estacionado na porta da residência, quando três homens chegaram e anunciaram o assalto.
Imagens gravadas por uma câmera de segurança são a principal pista da polícia para identificar os criminosos que mataram a médica, mas há informações de que os ladrões estariam encapuzados. A câmera está instalada em um prédio em frente ao local do crime.
Segundo a polícia, eles teriam apontado a arma para sobrinhos da médica. Ela havia participado da festa de formatura de uma sobrinha e iria com a família a uma pizzaria, onde comemoraria o aniversário de outro sobrinho.
Imagens gravadas pelo prédio em frente ao local do crime
Trancada dentro do carro, Nadir passou a buzinar para chamar a atenção de vizinhos. Ela teria ainda gritado aos sobrinhos para correrem para dentro. Os bandidos chegaram a dar um soco no vidro do veículo, uma Zafira, e um deles atirou.
Nadir foi baleada com um tiro na altura do rim, sofreu hemorragia interna e morreu. Os bandidos fugiram a pé, sem levar nada, rumo à Favela do Sapé. Um dos criminosos estaria de camiseta branca. Os outros dois trajavam roupas vermelha e azul.
Médica do Hospital Pérola Byington é baleada e morta em assalto no Rio Pequeno
Publicada em 13/12/2008 às 10h23m
Cleide Carvalho, O Globo, Jornal Hoje
Nadir Oyakawa, médica morta por ladrões
SÃO PAULO - A médica Nadir Oyakawa, de 53 anos, chefe do setor de Laser do Hospital Hospital Pérola Byington (Centro de Referência à Saúde da Mulher), foi baleada e morta na noite desta sexta-feira ao sair da casa de uma irmã na Rua Dr João Vieira Neves, no Rio Pequeno, na zona oeste de São Paulo. Por volta de 23h30m, Nadir estava dentro do carro, estacionado na porta da residência, quando três homens chegaram e anunciaram o assalto.
Imagens gravadas por uma câmera de segurança são a principal pista da polícia para identificar os criminosos que mataram a médica, mas há informações de que os ladrões estariam encapuzados. A câmera está instalada em um prédio em frente ao local do crime.
Segundo a polícia, eles teriam apontado a arma para sobrinhos da médica. Ela havia participado da festa de formatura de uma sobrinha e iria com a família a uma pizzaria, onde comemoraria o aniversário de outro sobrinho.
Imagens gravadas pelo prédio em frente ao local do crime
Trancada dentro do carro, Nadir passou a buzinar para chamar a atenção de vizinhos. Ela teria ainda gritado aos sobrinhos para correrem para dentro. Os bandidos chegaram a dar um soco no vidro do veículo, uma Zafira, e um deles atirou.
Nadir foi baleada com um tiro na altura do rim, sofreu hemorragia interna e morreu. Os bandidos fugiram a pé, sem levar nada, rumo à Favela do Sapé. Um dos criminosos estaria de camiseta branca. Os outros dois trajavam roupas vermelha e azul.
quarta-feira, 10 de dezembro de 2008
Ricky loves Empire – and Empire loves Ricky
by Andreja Kopac, November 22, 2008,
Exodos Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia
PREAMBLE BY Michel Foucault:
Sexuality is a part of our lives. It is a part of freedom that we enjoy in this world. We have to understand that there is, with our wishes, through our wishes, strength in new types of relationships, new ways of love and new forms of creation. Sex is not a destiny, it is an access to creative life. We are not supposed to find out that we are homosexual. Before that we have to create a gay way of living. Become gay.
Ricky Seabra: Don't criticize USA soldiers, fuck them!
Ricky then … Let me think … Until now I have heard of three Rickys. First is Ricky Martin, pop singer from the USA. Viva la Vida Loca. Second is Ricky Lake. Woman, moderator of her own talk show. (Actually she is Riki with a K). Third is Ricky, the famous Slovenian stripteaser. Part of the Chippendales group. Some people think he is the one of the most goodlooking strippers in Slovenia. The name Ricky has, at first glance, some certain pop connotations. Pop is written in the name. Performer Ricky Seabra has a father, who was by the age of 18 speaking 6 languages fluently. His mother is Brazilian with a special interest in antiques. Ricky has a childish dream to be an astronaut. His place to be was always the sky. Planes and aircrafts. Skyscrapers and towers. All together, crossing one another. Ricky is a graduated student of communication design and has a Master degree in industrial design. Studying in USA. Living in Rio. Because of the weather. Very nice. Very American.
And because Ricky really likes the sky and universe, he uses similar symbols for interpretation, or more precisely, deconstruction of American mythology. From this bunch of symbols he choses the following ones, starting from the air: American air bases, spread all over the map of the world, the American flag, proudly waving in the air, White house, Twin towers, Bombs bursting in air and finally – the American national anthem, starting with a black star - Whitney Houston, ending by a white star - Mariah Carey. Amazing. We can't really criticize any one of the singers. Or the performance at all. And especially not Ricky. He made a good piece. Entertaining one. With nice images, interesting lights, with a sense of healthy wittiness, a refreshing self-referenciality and some interesting interventions.
What did he actually do to present, represent and make fun of his own Empire? He simply became an empire! He undressed and dressed himself into a half Whitney - half Mariah. He became Ricky Martin, Riki Lake and Ricky, the striptease guy at the same time. Yes, he was convincing. Until the end, when he visually introduced a next possible empire – CHINA. With some chinese boys, imitating a boy band song ... As long as you love me ... As long as America loves China – or as long China loves America? This is a question. Hamletian one. So, as long as they love each other there will be peace on planet Earth. Poppishly terrifying. So, what about the Chinese? They already knew (since middle ages) how to become an Empire: If you want to be Empire, create an empire way of living. Become an empire. Imitation is possible.
CLOSING BY Michel Foucault:
EMPIRE is a part of our lives. It is a part of freedom that we are enjoying in this world. We have to understand that there is, with our wishes, through our wishes strength in new types of relationships, new ways of love and new forms of creation. EMPIRE is not a destiny, it is an access to creative life. We are not supposed to find out that we are PART OF THE EMPIRE. Before that we have to create an EMPIRE way of living. Become EMPIRE.
Exodos Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia
PREAMBLE BY Michel Foucault:
Sexuality is a part of our lives. It is a part of freedom that we enjoy in this world. We have to understand that there is, with our wishes, through our wishes, strength in new types of relationships, new ways of love and new forms of creation. Sex is not a destiny, it is an access to creative life. We are not supposed to find out that we are homosexual. Before that we have to create a gay way of living. Become gay.
Ricky Seabra: Don't criticize USA soldiers, fuck them!
Ricky then … Let me think … Until now I have heard of three Rickys. First is Ricky Martin, pop singer from the USA. Viva la Vida Loca. Second is Ricky Lake. Woman, moderator of her own talk show. (Actually she is Riki with a K). Third is Ricky, the famous Slovenian stripteaser. Part of the Chippendales group. Some people think he is the one of the most goodlooking strippers in Slovenia. The name Ricky has, at first glance, some certain pop connotations. Pop is written in the name. Performer Ricky Seabra has a father, who was by the age of 18 speaking 6 languages fluently. His mother is Brazilian with a special interest in antiques. Ricky has a childish dream to be an astronaut. His place to be was always the sky. Planes and aircrafts. Skyscrapers and towers. All together, crossing one another. Ricky is a graduated student of communication design and has a Master degree in industrial design. Studying in USA. Living in Rio. Because of the weather. Very nice. Very American.
And because Ricky really likes the sky and universe, he uses similar symbols for interpretation, or more precisely, deconstruction of American mythology. From this bunch of symbols he choses the following ones, starting from the air: American air bases, spread all over the map of the world, the American flag, proudly waving in the air, White house, Twin towers, Bombs bursting in air and finally – the American national anthem, starting with a black star - Whitney Houston, ending by a white star - Mariah Carey. Amazing. We can't really criticize any one of the singers. Or the performance at all. And especially not Ricky. He made a good piece. Entertaining one. With nice images, interesting lights, with a sense of healthy wittiness, a refreshing self-referenciality and some interesting interventions.
What did he actually do to present, represent and make fun of his own Empire? He simply became an empire! He undressed and dressed himself into a half Whitney - half Mariah. He became Ricky Martin, Riki Lake and Ricky, the striptease guy at the same time. Yes, he was convincing. Until the end, when he visually introduced a next possible empire – CHINA. With some chinese boys, imitating a boy band song ... As long as you love me ... As long as America loves China – or as long China loves America? This is a question. Hamletian one. So, as long as they love each other there will be peace on planet Earth. Poppishly terrifying. So, what about the Chinese? They already knew (since middle ages) how to become an Empire: If you want to be Empire, create an empire way of living. Become an empire. Imitation is possible.
CLOSING BY Michel Foucault:
EMPIRE is a part of our lives. It is a part of freedom that we are enjoying in this world. We have to understand that there is, with our wishes, through our wishes strength in new types of relationships, new ways of love and new forms of creation. EMPIRE is not a destiny, it is an access to creative life. We are not supposed to find out that we are PART OF THE EMPIRE. Before that we have to create an EMPIRE way of living. Become EMPIRE.
terça-feira, 9 de dezembro de 2008
Corcoran School of Art Class of 87
Today I was googling around a bit for colleagues/friends from my Foundation year at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington DC. That was 1983-84 I believe. Anyone know the whereabouts of Roz Kuhn, Katherine Williams, Rosana Baptista from Bolivia?
segunda-feira, 8 de dezembro de 2008
Take off / Decolagem Santos Dumont
Here is a small vid of what is probably the most picturesque take-offs in the world. Just did it last week. Went to São Paulo for work.
domingo, 7 de dezembro de 2008
Menos América, Mais Ternura!
Segunda, 24 de novembro 2008
Text: Ana Schnabl
Ljubljana – O Festival Internacional Contemporâneo de Artes Cênicas Exodos está acontecndo esse dias de novembro e entre outras coisas assistimos a performance de Ricky Seabra Império, Love to Love You, Baby, que o artista apresenta duas vezes na grade do festival.
Neste projeto, Império, Love to Love You, Baby, Ricky Seabra desconstroi fixações nacionais americanas.
Antes de ser desenhista gráfico para Miramax Films, Seabra se formou bacharel em comunicação visual e fez mestrado em desenho industrial. Nove anos atrás deixou o seu emprego e se mudou para Amsterdam para se tornar contador de histórias – performando no palco.
Contra o imperialismo
Seabra é portador de um passaporte brasileiro assim como um americano e é justamente esta dualidade que legitima o seu projeto apresentado na última sexta e sábado no Plesni Teater Ljubljana (mais precisamente, o “Imperial PTL Thetater” como ele o denominou) imbutindo este projeto com uma conivência muito apreciada. Seabra, uma espécie de palestrante/performer se desafia a descontruir fixações nacionais – se não nacionalistas – americanas que muito eficientemente conseguem penetrar na pele, ou melhor nas “almas do indivíduos”. Passa também pela fantasmagória do fenomeno da cultura pop pós 11 de setembro enquanto explica que os fundamentos históricos que levaram a tudo isso vêem de longa data. Ele fala como os pontos de interrogação no final de certas frases do hino nacional americano foram apagados para que não houvesse dúvida quanto ao senso americano de igualdade, liberdade e coragem. Discute a santidade da bandeira americana, o símbolico slogan da guerra do Iraque “Support Your Troops” (Apoie as suas tropas), a supremacia ética do exército americano e outras formas de comportamento imperial. Sua performance/palestra é cômico e satírico e se assemelha com a de um “stand-up comedian” com um conceito dramatúrgico excelente composto de animações ao vivo, hits, programas de TV, projeções de sites na internet e uma coreografia muito bem pensado e persuasivo.
Com a aparição de Rickyoncé, a nova Imperatriz que aposta num bootyliscious Estados Unidos da América – a ironia das tendências imperialistas americanas é trazida para o absurdo. Seabra, que em sua versão travestida, oscila entre o ponto de vista de uma estrela da MTV e a lógica de um Quaker, tem muitas idéias sexys e sugestões de como os Filhos de Sam podem realmente dominar o mundo. De qualquer forma, Imperio, Love to Love You, Baby, deixa o espectador com uma impressão ambígua. Fazer pouco dos ícones e símbolos americanos e recontextualizando estas imagens, é de fato uma crítica e certamente o artista se posiciona contra o imperialismo de sua terra natal que origina de um conciente coletivo demônico (ou como o autor diz: é sobre “deep shit”. O alvo da ofensiva de Seabra porém não está limitado ao nacionalismo americano mas também aponta para a instituição de preconceito e estereótipos que não americanos alimentam sobre a América e o seu povo. Em outras palavras, Seabra não está tentando fazer apologias da identidade americana nem está tentando ser moralista, mas ele se coloca exatamente no lugar onde a maioria das pessoas veem os EUA: os disseminadores da verdade sagrada. Seabra não tenta forçar esta verdade em você mas apenas lança uma luz nos seus mecanismos.
Text: Ana Schnabl
Ljubljana – O Festival Internacional Contemporâneo de Artes Cênicas Exodos está acontecndo esse dias de novembro e entre outras coisas assistimos a performance de Ricky Seabra Império, Love to Love You, Baby, que o artista apresenta duas vezes na grade do festival.
Neste projeto, Império, Love to Love You, Baby, Ricky Seabra desconstroi fixações nacionais americanas.
Antes de ser desenhista gráfico para Miramax Films, Seabra se formou bacharel em comunicação visual e fez mestrado em desenho industrial. Nove anos atrás deixou o seu emprego e se mudou para Amsterdam para se tornar contador de histórias – performando no palco.
Contra o imperialismo
Seabra é portador de um passaporte brasileiro assim como um americano e é justamente esta dualidade que legitima o seu projeto apresentado na última sexta e sábado no Plesni Teater Ljubljana (mais precisamente, o “Imperial PTL Thetater” como ele o denominou) imbutindo este projeto com uma conivência muito apreciada. Seabra, uma espécie de palestrante/performer se desafia a descontruir fixações nacionais – se não nacionalistas – americanas que muito eficientemente conseguem penetrar na pele, ou melhor nas “almas do indivíduos”. Passa também pela fantasmagória do fenomeno da cultura pop pós 11 de setembro enquanto explica que os fundamentos históricos que levaram a tudo isso vêem de longa data. Ele fala como os pontos de interrogação no final de certas frases do hino nacional americano foram apagados para que não houvesse dúvida quanto ao senso americano de igualdade, liberdade e coragem. Discute a santidade da bandeira americana, o símbolico slogan da guerra do Iraque “Support Your Troops” (Apoie as suas tropas), a supremacia ética do exército americano e outras formas de comportamento imperial. Sua performance/palestra é cômico e satírico e se assemelha com a de um “stand-up comedian” com um conceito dramatúrgico excelente composto de animações ao vivo, hits, programas de TV, projeções de sites na internet e uma coreografia muito bem pensado e persuasivo.
Com a aparição de Rickyoncé, a nova Imperatriz que aposta num bootyliscious Estados Unidos da América – a ironia das tendências imperialistas americanas é trazida para o absurdo. Seabra, que em sua versão travestida, oscila entre o ponto de vista de uma estrela da MTV e a lógica de um Quaker, tem muitas idéias sexys e sugestões de como os Filhos de Sam podem realmente dominar o mundo. De qualquer forma, Imperio, Love to Love You, Baby, deixa o espectador com uma impressão ambígua. Fazer pouco dos ícones e símbolos americanos e recontextualizando estas imagens, é de fato uma crítica e certamente o artista se posiciona contra o imperialismo de sua terra natal que origina de um conciente coletivo demônico (ou como o autor diz: é sobre “deep shit”. O alvo da ofensiva de Seabra porém não está limitado ao nacionalismo americano mas também aponta para a instituição de preconceito e estereótipos que não americanos alimentam sobre a América e o seu povo. Em outras palavras, Seabra não está tentando fazer apologias da identidade americana nem está tentando ser moralista, mas ele se coloca exatamente no lugar onde a maioria das pessoas veem os EUA: os disseminadores da verdade sagrada. Seabra não tenta forçar esta verdade em você mas apenas lança uma luz nos seus mecanismos.
quinta-feira, 4 de dezembro de 2008
quarta-feira, 3 de dezembro de 2008
Exodos 14 – Bringing the Potential of Power of Suppressed Spirits of Weakness to Life
01. december 2008
http://www.sigledal.org/index.php?id=12&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=944&cHash=474268ca4a
Katja Čičigoj
If theatre is the privileged interpreter/carrier of political potentiality, then contemporary performing arts practices are the privileged place of demonstrating the effects this potential has; as long as the issue of responsibility of the viewer to be the interpreter is not transformed into the responsibility of the viewer to co-create the performance. Performing (of) the body exposes the body as something, which is always (in-)a-process, transient, weak and vulnerable. Exodos Festival of Performing Arts had always in one way or another included political potentiality into its program, but this year the program primarily focused on dealing with the weaknesses of the body as weaknesses of a different kind – with performing (of) speaking and moving bodies on stage, the festival exposed the discriminating nature of the cultural practice, which designates particular movements and speech (that are of a different kind) as a »handicap«.
The audience was treated as a much more open community [compared to Raimund Hoghe, BH] in Ricky Seabra's multimedia performance Empire, Love to Love You, Baby with the embodiment of a bosomy blond – the Empress of the USA. Here we were again confronted with an obvious contradiction between the character and the body on stage but performing a different role: instead of building a cult historical personality manifested in a weak body, in Empire we had a fictional character in a young body, mockingly representing the body of America and exposing its hidden weakness. The audience was much more engaged not only due to excellent dramaturgy, but also because the artist was constantly addressing the audience directly, learned some Slovenian words and made references to simultaneous locations of the performance. Most important however was a general anti-American attitude of the audience, which on the other hand – being widely popular and fashionable around the globe - exposes a deep paradox of globalization, namely rejection of American culture (and not only the culture itself) had become global – a double paradox, embodied by Seabra's critique of American pop culture performed as a pop-performance, which in this way tackles the issue in a critical manner and performs a kind of auto-critique that is lacking in American culture.
translation: Barbara Hribar
http://www.sigledal.org/index.php?id=12&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=944&cHash=474268ca4a
Katja Čičigoj
If theatre is the privileged interpreter/carrier of political potentiality, then contemporary performing arts practices are the privileged place of demonstrating the effects this potential has; as long as the issue of responsibility of the viewer to be the interpreter is not transformed into the responsibility of the viewer to co-create the performance. Performing (of) the body exposes the body as something, which is always (in-)a-process, transient, weak and vulnerable. Exodos Festival of Performing Arts had always in one way or another included political potentiality into its program, but this year the program primarily focused on dealing with the weaknesses of the body as weaknesses of a different kind – with performing (of) speaking and moving bodies on stage, the festival exposed the discriminating nature of the cultural practice, which designates particular movements and speech (that are of a different kind) as a »handicap«.
The audience was treated as a much more open community [compared to Raimund Hoghe, BH] in Ricky Seabra's multimedia performance Empire, Love to Love You, Baby with the embodiment of a bosomy blond – the Empress of the USA. Here we were again confronted with an obvious contradiction between the character and the body on stage but performing a different role: instead of building a cult historical personality manifested in a weak body, in Empire we had a fictional character in a young body, mockingly representing the body of America and exposing its hidden weakness. The audience was much more engaged not only due to excellent dramaturgy, but also because the artist was constantly addressing the audience directly, learned some Slovenian words and made references to simultaneous locations of the performance. Most important however was a general anti-American attitude of the audience, which on the other hand – being widely popular and fashionable around the globe - exposes a deep paradox of globalization, namely rejection of American culture (and not only the culture itself) had become global – a double paradox, embodied by Seabra's critique of American pop culture performed as a pop-performance, which in this way tackles the issue in a critical manner and performs a kind of auto-critique that is lacking in American culture.
translation: Barbara Hribar
terça-feira, 2 de dezembro de 2008
Less America, More Tenderness! (Review of Empire)
http://www.dnevnik.si/novice/kultura/1042224511
Monday, 24th of November 2008
Text: Ana Schnabl
Ljubljana –International Festival for Contemporary Performing Arts Exodos is taking place in these November days, and among others we saw a performance by Ricky Seabra Empire, Love to Love You, Baby, which he performed twice in the frame of the festival.
In his project Empire, Love to Love You, Baby, Ricky Seabra deconstructed American national fixations.
Formerly a graphic designer at Miramax, Seabra is a graduate of visual communications and Master of Arts in industrial design, who nine years ago quit his job and moved to Amsterdam to become a storyteller – mostly performing on stage.
Against Imperialism
Seabra owns a Brazilian as well as an American passport and this duality is exactly what legitimates his project, presented last Friday and Saturday at Plesni Teater Ljubljana (more precisely, at the “Imperial PTL Theatre”, as he called it) and grants this project with much appreciated connivance. Seabra as a kind of lecturer/performer takes on the task of deconstructing American national – if not nationalistic – fixations that are exceptionally successful and persistent in getting under the skin or rather into the »souls of individuals« and the phantasmagoria of pop culture phenomena following 9/11, while explaining at the same time that the historical foundations for all of this were laid long time ago. He talks about how the question marks at the end of particular lines of the American anthem were erased so that there would be no doubt of the American sense of equality, freedom and courage; he talks about the sacredness of the American flag, about the symbolic slogan "Support your troops" and ethical primacy of American army and other forms of Imperial attitude. His performance / presentation is comic and satiric and reminds one of a stand-up comedy with an excellent dramaturgical concept and make-up of live animations, music hits, TV shows, projections of websites and a very persuasive and thought-out choreography.
With the appearance of Rickyoncé - the new Empress who bets on bootylicious United States of America - the irony of American imperialistic tendencies is brought to absurdity: Seabra, who in his transvestite edition oscillates between the point of view of an MTV star and the logic of an average Quaker, has plenty of sexy ideas and suggestions about how the Sons of Sam could really rule the world. In any case, Empire, Love to Love You, Baby leaves the viewer with an ambiguous impression. Mocking the icons and American symbols and re-contextualizing this imagery surely comes out as a critique and the artist stands up against the imperialism of his home country, displayed on the level of a nation and originating from the demonic collective unconscious (or, as the author says, it's about »deep shit«). The target of Seabra's offensive however, is not limited just to American nationalism but also points to the institution of prejudice and stereotypes non-Americans foster about America and its people. In other words, he is not trying to be apologetic on behalf of American identity or be overtly moralizing, instead he puts himself exactly on the spot from which most people see USA: the disseminators of the holy truth. Seabra, however, doesn't try to force this truth on you instead he only displays its mechanisms.
translation: Barbara Hribar
domingo, 30 de novembro de 2008
Retro-blogging the beauty of flight
So I'll be posting some moments from the tour I did since August. The translation of the review in Slovenia will be arriving on Wednesday so I'll post it here as soon as possible in both Portuguese and English.
The tour was great. I got to fly a lot. I messed up my sleeping patterns. I suffered from a severe case of insomnia at one point. I thought ending my tour in Slovenia would make things worse but it actually didn't. Aside from meeting really sweet people in Slovenia (probably the warmest response I ever had to Empire) I started to sleep again. OK. It must have been because the tour was over and my body relaxed. But I think it was the snow, the winter. My body went into hibernation mode and I slept 11 hours one night and 10 the next. I was so happy to sleep again. I even slept on the plane upon my return which is something I can never do. I have these mini panic attacks if I sleep. I wake up startled. Indeed I did have one bad dream on the plane... I dreamed that the plane slammed into a hill... i could see it approach in front of the wing... i looked forward and could see the plane crumpling and burning from front to rear. I woke up and wondered, for the first time, why is it that I set myself up to fear flying when in fact i love sitting at the window and admire the beauty of flight, the motion of the clouds passing, the flaps on the wing moving, the plane banking shifting the sunlight etc? Why is it that I don't dream of the beauty of flight? So I'm trying to make that shift now. So to follow over the next days, weeks perhaps, will be videos and pictures I took from my airplane window of this beauty of flight I so much observe.
terça-feira, 25 de novembro de 2008
Manj Amerike, več nežnosti! (My first Slovenian Review)
(I hope to get this translated ASAP... I hear it's a good review!)
Novice.Dnevnik.si Novice/Pop/Kultura
14. festival sodobnih odrskih umetnosti Exodos
Manj Amerike, več nežnosti!
Pop/Kultura - ponedeljek, 24.11.2008 Tekst: Ana Schnabl
Ljubljana - Z dvema ponovitvama svojega zadnjega projekta Imperij, rad te imam rad, bejbi je v teh dneh na mednarodnem festivalu sodobnih odrskih umetnosti Exodos (ta se bo sicer sklenil jutri) nastopil Ricky Seabra.
Nekdanji Miramaxov oblikovalec, sicer diplomant vizualnih komunikacij in magister industrijskega oblikovanja, je pred približno devetimi leti opustil svojo dolgoletno zaposlitev, se preselil v Amsterdam in se posvetil pripovedovanju zgodb - predvsem odrskih.
Proti imperializmu
Seabra je lastnik brazilskega in ameriškega potnega lista, prav ta dvojnost pa legitimira omenjeni projekt, v petek in soboto predstavljen v Plesnem teatru Ljubljana (oziroma v Imperial PTL Theatre, kot ga je poimenoval sam), in mu daje dragoceno potuho. V njem se performerpredavatelj spopade z dekonstrukcijo ameriških nacionalnih, če ne že nacionalističnih fiksacij, ki še posebej uspešno in vztrajno ponikajo v "duše posameznikov" in fantazmagorijo pop kulture po prelomnem 11. septembru, nastavki zanje pa segajo globoko v zgodovino. Izpostavi razvoj ameriške himne, ki je kitice okrajšala za vprašaje in s tem odstranila dvom o ameriški egalitarnosti, svobodi in pogumu, svetinjo ameriške zastave, simbolni slogan "Support your troops" in etični primat ameriške vojske ter druge pojavne oblike imperatorske drže. Vse je prikazano na komičen, satiričen način, ki formalno spominja na dramaturško izvrstno zasnovano stand-up komedijo, nališpano z animacijo v živo, glasbenimi hiti, televizijskimi posnetki, projekcijami internetnih strani in prepričljivo koreografijo.
Ironija ameriških imperialističnih teženj je do skrajnosti privedena s pojavom Rickyoncé, nove vladarice, ki stavi na bootylicious Združene države Amerike: Seabra nam v svoji transvestitski različici, ki niha med stališči emtivijevske zvezde in povprečno kvekersko logiko, predstavi mnogo bolj seksi zamisli in predloge za prevlado Samovih potomcev. Imperij, rad te imam rad, bejbi ob tem pušča ambivalenten vtis. Zasmeh ameriške simbolike in rekontekstualizacija podob učinkujeta kritično, avtor se izreče proti imperializmu matične domovine, ki se izkazuje na nacionalni ravni, v kolektivni zavesti, izvira pa iz demoničnega kolektivnega nezavednega (ali, kot pravi avtor, pri tem gre za "deep shit"). Tarča Seabrove ofenzive pa ob tem ni zgolj ameriški nacionalizem, temveč tudi institucija predsodkov in stereotipov, ki jih o Ameriki in njenih ljudeh vneto gojimo Neameričani (glej zadnji stavek). Ne trudi se z apologijo ameriške identitete, niti s pretiranim moraliziranjem, ostane točno tam, kjer so za večino sveta ostale ZDA: pri distribuciji svoje resnice, pri čemer je Seabra ne vsiljuje, ampak samo predloži.
Novice.Dnevnik.si Novice/Pop/Kultura
14. festival sodobnih odrskih umetnosti Exodos
Manj Amerike, več nežnosti!
Pop/Kultura - ponedeljek, 24.11.2008 Tekst: Ana Schnabl
Ljubljana - Z dvema ponovitvama svojega zadnjega projekta Imperij, rad te imam rad, bejbi je v teh dneh na mednarodnem festivalu sodobnih odrskih umetnosti Exodos (ta se bo sicer sklenil jutri) nastopil Ricky Seabra.
Nekdanji Miramaxov oblikovalec, sicer diplomant vizualnih komunikacij in magister industrijskega oblikovanja, je pred približno devetimi leti opustil svojo dolgoletno zaposlitev, se preselil v Amsterdam in se posvetil pripovedovanju zgodb - predvsem odrskih.
Proti imperializmu
Seabra je lastnik brazilskega in ameriškega potnega lista, prav ta dvojnost pa legitimira omenjeni projekt, v petek in soboto predstavljen v Plesnem teatru Ljubljana (oziroma v Imperial PTL Theatre, kot ga je poimenoval sam), in mu daje dragoceno potuho. V njem se performerpredavatelj spopade z dekonstrukcijo ameriških nacionalnih, če ne že nacionalističnih fiksacij, ki še posebej uspešno in vztrajno ponikajo v "duše posameznikov" in fantazmagorijo pop kulture po prelomnem 11. septembru, nastavki zanje pa segajo globoko v zgodovino. Izpostavi razvoj ameriške himne, ki je kitice okrajšala za vprašaje in s tem odstranila dvom o ameriški egalitarnosti, svobodi in pogumu, svetinjo ameriške zastave, simbolni slogan "Support your troops" in etični primat ameriške vojske ter druge pojavne oblike imperatorske drže. Vse je prikazano na komičen, satiričen način, ki formalno spominja na dramaturško izvrstno zasnovano stand-up komedijo, nališpano z animacijo v živo, glasbenimi hiti, televizijskimi posnetki, projekcijami internetnih strani in prepričljivo koreografijo.
Ironija ameriških imperialističnih teženj je do skrajnosti privedena s pojavom Rickyoncé, nove vladarice, ki stavi na bootylicious Združene države Amerike: Seabra nam v svoji transvestitski različici, ki niha med stališči emtivijevske zvezde in povprečno kvekersko logiko, predstavi mnogo bolj seksi zamisli in predloge za prevlado Samovih potomcev. Imperij, rad te imam rad, bejbi ob tem pušča ambivalenten vtis. Zasmeh ameriške simbolike in rekontekstualizacija podob učinkujeta kritično, avtor se izreče proti imperializmu matične domovine, ki se izkazuje na nacionalni ravni, v kolektivni zavesti, izvira pa iz demoničnega kolektivnega nezavednega (ali, kot pravi avtor, pri tem gre za "deep shit"). Tarča Seabrove ofenzive pa ob tem ni zgolj ameriški nacionalizem, temveč tudi institucija predsodkov in stereotipov, ki jih o Ameriki in njenih ljudeh vneto gojimo Neameričani (glej zadnji stavek). Ne trudi se z apologijo ameriške identitete, niti s pretiranim moraliziranjem, ostane točno tam, kjer so za večino sveta ostale ZDA: pri distribuciji svoje resnice, pri čemer je Seabra ne vsiljuje, ampak samo predloži.
segunda-feira, 17 de novembro de 2008
segunda-feira, 10 de novembro de 2008
domingo, 2 de novembro de 2008
sexta-feira, 31 de outubro de 2008
quarta-feira, 29 de outubro de 2008
segunda-feira, 27 de outubro de 2008
sábado, 25 de outubro de 2008
As Long As They're Smaller...
So. On my way to Holland we hit a bird during take off out of Rio de Janeiro. We stopped climbing for a while and later when we reached cruising altitude a flight attendant came on saying we had sucked a bird into one of our 747 engines. She joked and said the engine was OK and the bird well cooked. She said that we could smell it at one point during take off. There was actually a weird odor in the craft upon take off... maybe she was joking... I've heard that the air we breath in aircraft is recycled from weird places...
In April I was in a train in Belgium that hit a car. We dragged the poor soul some 300 meters and he died a crushing and firey death. So it took me 44 years to hit a bird in a plane and a guy in a train. As long as the the the things I hit in the future are smaller than what I'm in I'm OK with it. Maybe it'll take another 44 years until something bigger hits me... Let's hope so.
In April I was in a train in Belgium that hit a car. We dragged the poor soul some 300 meters and he died a crushing and firey death. So it took me 44 years to hit a bird in a plane and a guy in a train. As long as the the the things I hit in the future are smaller than what I'm in I'm OK with it. Maybe it'll take another 44 years until something bigger hits me... Let's hope so.
domingo, 19 de outubro de 2008
Off to Holland Again
So i just got back from Fortaleza where I performed Isadora.Orb. Wonderful performance. Two days before I was in Salvador for two other performances of Isadora. Caught a cold on the road and I had the worst earaches I ever had approaching Rio. As we descended it felt like my ears were going to bleed. Funny thing is I didn't feel this as we were climbing. Just as we descended. If someone can explain that please add comment to this blog. I spend a week in Amsterdam and then go to Curitiba. Tomorrow before I leave I vote. I'm mailing my ballot into the the New York Board of Elections. I'm quite hopeful about Obama becoming President. I think I will go to the States for the inauguration if he does win.
quinta-feira, 9 de outubro de 2008
First Sweetness
terça-feira, 30 de setembro de 2008
quarta-feira, 17 de setembro de 2008
segunda-feira, 8 de setembro de 2008
Approaching Rio
quarta-feira, 3 de setembro de 2008
Outro avião derrapa
Ouvi dizer que querem fazer um memorial no lugar do prédio que foi atingido pelo avião da TAM que saiu da pista e explodiu ano passado. Bueno... EU acho que seria mais inteligente extender a área de escape da pista de Congonhas por cima da Avenida Washington Luiz e da Avenida dos Bandeirantes e do lote em que ficava o prédio. Eu aterriso com frequência em Congonhas... não me importaria nada se não existisse esse aeroporto onde envelheço pelo menos 3 meses de vida cada vez que pouso lá... é MUITO aflitivo aterrisar ali. Fui. Decolei.
terça-feira, 26 de agosto de 2008
Bummed and Worried
SESC Pompéia was disappointing. I chose performing there over attending a high school reunion. Bad choice. I'm living in the regret zone these days. Not mature, I know. But it's how I feel. Had the SESC advertised our gig, had they not been so rude I'd feel a bit differently. Though my friend Arnaldo Battaglini showed up and so did Suzana Salles whom I had never met and invited. Without her knowing she was the one who inspired me to buy a viola caipira (the 10 string Brazilian country guitar).
So... I just got back my MRI of my lower back. The images look ugly. Vertebrae are touching each other, protusions, weird stains and blotches, lack of symmetry. I'm not happy. Going to the doctor today to find out what's up.
So... I just got back my MRI of my lower back. The images look ugly. Vertebrae are touching each other, protusions, weird stains and blotches, lack of symmetry. I'm not happy. Going to the doctor today to find out what's up.
domingo, 24 de agosto de 2008
terça-feira, 19 de agosto de 2008
quarta-feira, 6 de agosto de 2008
On the road again
So everyone... I'm on the road again. I just started a tour with SESC Palco Giratório. We started off in Ceilândia, Distrito Federal, Brasilia and now I'm in Mato Grosso do Sul. Great floors in the hotel.
quinta-feira, 19 de junho de 2008
sábado, 24 de maio de 2008
Sleeping Beauty
Back in Brazil
(picture is me talking off in Amsterdam) So... it turns out I wasn't a good blogger in Europe. Now I'm back in Brazil. DasArts was a great experience... and i met lovely artists... Nadia, Petter, Ivo, Steef, Linda, Stephanie, Camilla, Christian, Snejanka (kisses to all). I'll probably be retro-blogging a bit. Talk about what went down there. Today was a particularly beautiful day... but I couldn't get out of the house. Tired of moving about. Still jet-lagged. To recover from jet-lag I believe it takes one day for every half hour. I'm 5 hours jet-lagged... Will take 10 days to recover.
sábado, 23 de fevereiro de 2008
I'm in Holland
So here I am in Holland again. I'm here to co-mentor a class at Das Arts in Amsterdam. Who knows i'll be a better blogger here. Jan was operated and is doing fine. Thanks to all for wishes of good health. Nice to be back. I could do without the winter though. I hope to start working out again and moving the body but this weather is not conducive action and sweat... outside the saunas...
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