01-19/03/2008 participating in core-group of unitednationsplaza Mexico DF, Mexico City
unitednationsplaza Mexico DF is an exhibition in the form of a temporary school. For this project, artist Anton Vidokle is organizing a month long program of seminars and workshops that use the Casa Refugio as a site to shape a critically engaged public through art discourse. unitednationsplaza is presented by PAC (Patronato de Arte Contemporáneo A.C.) as part of its new curatorial residency program, and will run from March 1st through March 31, 2008.
unitednationsplaza is thematically organized around a central topic: possibilities for artistic agency today. The program will comprise of a series of short seminars and workshops developed by a group of artists, writers, curators and theorists including Eduardo Abaroa, Minerva Cuevas, Anselm Franke, Liam Gillick, Boris Groys, Nikolaus Hirsch, Chus Martinez, Martha Rosler, Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Jalal Toufic, Jan Verwoert and Tirdad Zolghadr. All topics will be addressed from the perspective of ongoing research and production, and as such will constitute the core structure of the school. The program will also feature discussions, screenings, performances and publications by a group of contributors including Julieta Aranda, Fia Backstrom, Regine Basha, Oksana Bulgakowa, Nico Dockx, Adriana Lara, Desiderio Navarro, Damian Ortega, Hila Peleg and Eduardo Sarabia. unitednationsplaza will operate a web-based radio station: WUNP, a project by Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere.
unitednationsplaza Mexico DF is the third in a series of art projects organized around a temporary school format, started by Anton Vidokle. Vidokle initiated his research into education as site for artistic practice for Manifesta 6, which was cancelled. In response to the cancellation, Vidokle set up an independent project in Berlin called Unitednationsplaza–a twelve-month exhibition as school involving more than a hundred artists, writers, philosophers, and diverse audiences. Located behind a supermarket in East Berlin, UNP’s program featured numerous seminars, lectures, screenings, book presentations and projects including the Martha Rosler Library. Starting January 2008, Vidokle is presenting a related year-long program, called Night School, at the New Museum in New York City.
The Patronage for Contemporary Art A.C. (PAC) is a unique non-profit civic association formed by a group of individuals committed to promoting the development of contemporary art. PAC was founded in June 2000 as an initiative to bring contemporary art closer to an audience by way of collaboration with museums, galleries, curators, publishers, critics and researches in the field of contemporary art. Its board of directors concentrates the voluntary efforts of an independent group of cultural professionals. PAC’s program is supported and developed thanks to the yearly contributions of individual and corporate donors.
Casa Refugio Citlaltépetl is a civic association based in Mexico City whose mission is to provide shelter and protection to prosecuted writers from any country. In addition, Casa Refugio also has an intense public cultural program which includes publication of the quarterly magazine “Líneas de Fuga”, as well as the organization of conference cycles (known as “Literary Thursdays”); special events such as book launches and poetry readings, and literary workshops amongst other activities.
Project website: www.unitednationsplaza.org
