Artist Call: The Firefly Tunnels- Cairo
The Firefly Tunnel Project is now accepting applications. Running from mid July to mid August, the performance art and installation project will culminate with an exposé of the program’s work in Cairo around the celebration of Ramadan. The Firefly Tunnel research continues as a virtual exhibition and dialogue open to the international community. The project also includes an opportunity for 2-3 of the curated Egypt based artist to go to the United States for the final stage of the exhibition.
Tavia La Follette, a U.S. based artist, will lead and curate the project. La Follette is an award-winning deviser of performance, curator and designer whose work has toured all over the States, Europe, South America and Asia. Her politically driven work has been the subject of articles such as the Economist, Rolling Stone Magazine and the New York Times. La Follette seeks artists who are diverse in their medium, background and in various stages of their careers. The project is an opportunity for participating artists to achieve international recognition, participate in an ongoing global dialogue, and to explore their own work through performance art. Performance art grew out of DaDa and the avant-garde movement in the visual arts. It is conceptual by nature. It therefore is adaptable to a variety of artists who will be learning from one another in an intensive residency atmosphere.
The Firefly Tunnels will incorporate performance, video, sculpture, movement, poetry and sound to create various installations sites throughout Cairo. As a director and curator, La Follette’s mission is to develop a foundation of experimental artists in Cairo who range in diversity (race, gender, religious/cultural beliefs, economic background etc) who will strive to push each other’s boundaries, stimulating dialogue and discovery through the exchange of aesthetic works.
A metaphorical “tunnel” or website will be set up between Egypt and the U.S. that investigates visual and performative colloquy. By building a discourse between the U.S. and Egypt, the goal behind the project is to break down the barriers between Muslim and Christian prejudices as well as addressing general xenophobia, gender and class issues. Cairo is rich in academia and the arts. The project hopes to tap into the various forms of these fields, birthing a hybrid language of communication.
Through social, political and environmental observations the “tunnels” will create an experience that seeks and speaks emotional truth and intelligence through art, unafraid of change, culture and inspired by the education of new ideas.
An exposé of the work will be presented in Cairo around Eid ul-Fitr. Curated artists must be available to commit to a 3 week intensive workshop based out of Arts Residency Egypt (ARE) from mid July through mid August of 2010 (exact dates to be announced).
Interested artists should send a one page artist statement as to why they should be considered for the Firefly Tunnel Project, a resume, and collection of up to 10 images, 10 pages of written work or 10 minutes of video (performance, movement videography), sound to: Tavia@artup.org and eserry@artsresidencyegypt.org. Please send inquiries to the same addresses.
If you are including video, please provide a link to a website or upload to an open access site like You Tube. Artist can provide both images and video by sending, for example- 3 images and 7 minutes of video, but the average portfolio review time should amount to approximatly10 minutes.
Expectations of the artists and the role of art:
