Performance Art Festival London
May 30–June 5, 2016
Block Universe, London’s annual festival of performance art, is pleased to announce the full 2016 festival programme across the capital’s iconic venues.
This year’s festival embraces the theme of The Future Perfect, presenting works that explore relationality in a mediated society, the construction of identity alongside body enhancement, aging and immortality. Using the motifs of shared experience, individualism and anonymity as experienced through technology to locate the virtual in physical time and space, artists will focus on historical and future representations of the self as embodied in the present.
Seven new commissions are included in the programme to be performed by an exciting selection of up-and-coming and established artists such as Sam Belinfante and Elaine Mitchener, Alexis Blake, Jesse Darling and Raju Rage, Philip Ewe, Lina Hermsdorf, Grace Schwindt and Erica Scourti. Block Universe will also present performances by niv Acosta, Mårten Spångberg and Trajal Harrell, newly adapted or showing in London for the first time.
Block Universe collaborates with organisations that share the same ambition to support a new wave in cutting edge artistic practices and performance today. Venue partners for the second edition of the festival include the British Museum, DRAF (David Roberts Art Foundation), ICA, Kachette, Royal Academy of Arts, Sadler’s Wells and Somerset House as well as unique off-site locations.
Block Universe is delighted to announce Gaia Art Foundation as Principal Supporter for the 2016 edition. This year’s festival is made possible thanks to the support of Arts Council England, Mondriaan Fund, Violette Editions, Delfina Foundation, Open Space Istanbul, Dance Art Foundation, Film and Video Umbrella, The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Ace Bros and The Pale Green Press.
For more information on the programme and to purchase tickets, visit: www.blockuniverse.co.uk. A limited number of Festival Passes and VIP Passes are available to purchase via our website. These entitle the bearer access to all of the performances as well as additional perks such as rehearsal views with the artists and special events.
Programme
Monday, May 30
10am: Workshop: niv Acosta, Unit 2, Boothby Road, N19 4AJ
4pm: Jesse Darling and Raju Rage, Kachette, 347 Old Street, EC1V 9LP
6pm: Workshop: Cecilia Bengolea, Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN
8pm: Erica Scourti, River Rooms, The New Wing, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA
Tuesday, May 31
10am: Workshop: Mårten Spångberg, Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN
8pm: Lina Hermsdorf, Bellenden Road, Peckham, SE15
Wednesday, June 1
6:30–10pm: Mårten Spångberg, ICA, The Mall, SW1Y 5AH
Thursday, June 2
6:30pm: Philip Ewe, Gridiron Building, One Pancras Square, N1C 4AG
7pm and 9pm: Trajal Harrell, Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R 4TN
Friday, June 3
5:30pm and 7:30pm: Alexis Blake, Parthenon Gallery, British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG
8pm: Sam Belinfante and Elaine Mitchener, Kachette, 347 Old Street, EC1V 9LP
Saturday, June 4
4pm: Grace Schwindt, Brown Hart Gardens, Duke Street, W1K 6TD
8pm: niv Acosta, DRAF (David Roberts Arts Foundation), Symes Mews, 37 Camden High Street, NW1 7JE
9pm: Block Universe Festival Party, DRAF (David Roberts Arts Foundation), Symes Mews, 37 Camden High Street, NW1 7JE
Sunday, June 5
3pm: Grace Schwindt, Annenberg Courtyard, Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD
For further information and images:
Fiona Russell at Flint PR
fiona.russell [at] flint-pr.com
Or contact Block Universe at info [at] blockuniverse.co.uk
