Tag Archives: Wattis Institute

CECILIA VICUÑA

What’s happening in Chile (and in Hong Kong, Ecuador, etc.) is truly terrifying, and it may be a preview of what awaits people around the world, unless we wake up fast to defend our democratic rights! The art community will be affected fully by what happens to the whole of society, during and after an uprising of this order.

The beauty of this movement is that it feels as an awakening expressed in joyful and peaceful massive protests emerging in every corner. They respond to the hidden pain under the monstrous inequity of the system (Chile has the biggest disparity between rich and poor in the world). The people have named it “Chile despertó.” (Chile awoke). Yet, the President has declared an unconstitutional “State of exception” that suspends rights and floods the streets with armed soldiers and [is] unleashing a new form of state violence, illegal detentions, and shootings. The number of people dead is growing, and so far there is no accountability. It all comes down to the circulation of information: the media controlled by the private sector only shows vandalism, to spread fear. But the people are posting counter images: multiple video clips on the Internet that open the question: is this vandalism a “set up”? You see what looks like undercover policemen descending from fancy cars, setting banks on fire. You see crowds shouting: “the police are burning the subway stations.” So, this is beyond fake news, it is faking reality, in order to exert control.

What can art, and the art world, do in Chile and beyond? Spread awareness of the violence that distorts information, language, and images, the “tools” of our trade. The art world can stand for transparency to empower our ability to discern purpose and intent. Otherwise the mad destruction of the land and people’s rights, along with the right to question what is true as it is happening in Chile, will continue to spread like wildfire to all nations.Cecilia Vicuña

This week at the Wattis Institute, Vicuña presents three of her short films—El veroir comenzó/Seehearing began, Rito por el Mapocho, and the video poem Word-Snakes.

The event includes an online conversation with Vicuña and Daniel Borzutzky. See link below for details.

CECILIA VICUÑA and DANIEL BORZUTZKY—SCREENING and CONVERSATION

Wattis Institute

Thursday, February 11.

5 pm on the West Coast, 8 pm East Coast.

From top: Cecilia Vicuña, photograph by Jane England; Vicuña film still; Vicuña, Lava Quipu, 2020, multimedia performance, photograph courtesy of Museo Universitario Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City; Vicuña film still; Cecilia Vicuña, Memoria Chilena. Images © Cecilia Vicuña, courtesy of the artist and Lehmann Maupin.

ADAM LINDER — FULL SERVICE

All-afternoon, five-day-a-week performances of all five of Adam Linder’s choreographic services have commenced at Wattis.

In February 2019, Linder brings FULL SERVICE to Mudam Luxembourg.

ADAM LINDER—FULL SERVICE

Through March 3.

Mudam Luxembourg

Musée d’Art Moderne Grand-Duc Jean

3 Park Dräi Eechelen, Luxembourg-Kirchberg.

Through September 29.

CCA Wattis Institute

360 Kansas Street, San Francisco.

Adam LinderFull Service, 2018, installation view, Wattis Institute, from top: Choreographic Service no. 2: Some Proximity (2014), performed by Josh Johnson and Justin F. KennedyChoreographic Service No. 5: Dare to Keep Kids Off Naturalism, 2017, performed by Leah Katz, Kennedy, Noha Ramadan, and Stephen Thompson (2); Choreographic Service No. 2: Some Proximity, performed by Enrico Ticconi and Adam Linder. Photographs © Allie Foraker. Brooke Stamp and Katz, photograph by Dustin Soriano. Images courtesy Adam Linder, the photographers, and the Wattis Institute.