Syndicate: Performance festival in Moldova

[Octavian Esanu <oesanu@scca.soros.md>]

  giocondaâ??s smile
>from mythic to techno-ritual

giocondaâ??s smile is conceived as a meeting of the representatives from several
countries for a few days of collaboration in an artistic medium which is
performance. The title is essentially in order to analyze and rethink the genre
>from the viewpoint of the historical evolution of fine arts. Meanwhile the
festival will be an official presentation of performance to the local audience.
By titling the event with a metaphorical epithet of the â??symbolic smileâ?? from
historical fine artsâ?? Number One symbol, i.e. Leonardoâ??s Mona Lisa, we take the
responsibility to apply it figuratively to one of the most revolutionary and
provocative artistic and spiritual manifestations of postmodern times. We dared
to call it the mysterious smile of contemporary fine arts, that is the art of the
human body, senses, experiences and spirit. 
One of the main aims involves introducing the new medium to the â??traditional art
loverâ?? in Moldova. Even though it already has a limited history in Moldova,
performance still remains a mysterious innovation (terra incognito) here, mainly
due to its own revolutionary essence. The absolute rejection of the object (the
work of the artist) as a final product, which has served the consumerâ??s aesthetical
delight since the institutionalization of fine arts, in favor of an immediate
corporeal and spiritual beauty, has generated an essential shift in the history of
aesthetical thinking.
The event will take place in a very rich environment in this sense. Considering
our heritage in terms of the traditions and rituals of our ancestors we anticipate
a reincarnation of a sublime expression into contemporary frame.
Using the human body as an expressive tool to convey a message has a long
ethnographic and folkloric tradition in the European Southeast. Folk drama holds
an important place in Moldovan folklore, especially in customs related to the calendar
and cycles of human existence. For example, those customs connected to the winter
solstice offer an ample inventory with various ritual attributes like actors,
garments, mimic, gestures and motions, masks, etc.
I think that the drama tradition mentioned above serves as one of the major
justifications for the great interest (perhaps only subconsciously) which appears
the new generation of local artists. Even though its history is very recent in Moldova
this medium is very often utilized by many visual artists.
We would like to reconsider this cultural heritage of ours in order to give it
a new dimension. We see a return to the rite as to a modern ceremonial act which did
not consume the potential and the senses. It just modified its aspect due to the
electronic â?? informational environment in which we live.

The festival will take place in city of Chisinau, Republic of Moldova from May 10 to 15.
We advise our foreign participants to submit a project to the centre. It should contain
photos, drawings and other explanatory materials, to indicate the place where the artist
will perform his/their work/s and expected human / technical resources.


Curator Octavian ESANU


SCCA Chisinau
str. Bulgara 32
Chisinau 2001, Moldova
t. 373 2 26 40 81
f. 373 2 26 05 07
email: oesanu@scca.soros.md
http://www.scca.soros.md











Best regards,
 Octavian                          mailto:oesanu@scca.soros.md