URBANALAGUNA
Is an inter-disciplinary contemporary art company based in Bristol England, formed by international and professional artists, Marina Moreno and Michael Meldru.
Urbanalaguna works primarily in video and film production, photography, dance, theatre, site-specific performance/ installation and music. We are interested in producing innovative and experimental artwork having direct interaction with audiences. We welcome the collaboration of artists in their many different forms.
Marina works within live-art, dance, film sculpture and video production having a diverse perspective both culturally and artistically. She has directed and performed in several pieces and has produced film and installations, using video, film, performance and photography.
Her background is Hispano – Italian, she has traveled extensively, and lived in Mexico and England. She received her BA in Visual and Performing Arts (Dance) from Brighton University in 1991 where she studied with Liz Aggis. Marina trained at the School of New Dance, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
She recently completed her Masters Degree in Art Practice in Education at UCE Birmingham.
Being based as an artist in England, her work is at the point where outsider and contemporary art meet, working through an interdisciplinary and inter-cultural approach.
Some artists that Marina has worked, trained or collaborated with:
Mary Fulkerson,
Steve Paxton,
The Chomondoleys,
DV8,
Edwards & Watton,
Nancy Stark-Smith,
Laurie Booth,
Roz Hall,
Scott Clark,
Mayhew & Edmonds,
Nick Tandjiavani,
Blast Theory,
Edwards & Watton,
Man Act, &
Kamina Walton
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Michael is a sound artist who trained as a musician since the age of five, is proficient on 8 different instruments. As a sound artist he works primarily from his soul, he uses his daily experiences to influence his rhythm and melodies, allowing sounds and music to flow without inhibition or self-judgement.
He has worked as both video artist and audio / video engineer. He began his career in New York, toured throughout the Americas in the seventies and eighties as an A/V engineer, and came to Europe in the 90’s.
Over the last 30 years Michael has been under constant demand as both an audio and video engineer in the US, UK, and Europe. In the past, he has worked with such highly acclaimed international artists such as:
Marvin Gaye,
Blood Sweat and Tears,
Chaka Khan,
Aretha Franklin,
Patti La Belle,
Jess Roden,
Niominka Bi N’Diaxas Band,
Pentangle,
Court of Miracles,
Iggy Pop,
Life After Bob,
The Fugitives,
Uprising (Barbados),
Stomo Yomashta,
Bobby Colomby,
It has been his role, under all types of circumstances, whether as an engineer for independent films, television production, musical recordings or live performance, to supply the proper outcome to the audiences who have turned out to see and hear an artist perform.
Both Marina & Michael have worked across Europe and the USA in a variety of roles and projects throughout the 80’s, 90’s, and now in the new century.
They have collaborated with many artists from all ranges of art forms, this owing to the extensive requirements and nature of the projects they have produced or managed. Among the bodies that have commissioned projects or shown works by UrbanaLaguna artists:
South West Arts,
Watershed,
Electric Pavilion,
Electric December,
Arnolfini Live,
Bristol City Council.
Venice City Council,
Venice/Milan Carnival,
FR3 (France),
WWF (World Wildlife Foundation),
Galleria 3D Venice,
University of West of England,
Dance Services South West,
Brighton Festival,
South Bank Centre, London,
Zap Club, Brighton,
Glasgow Film Festival,
Islington Art Factory,
City of London.
UrbanaLaguna is interested in producing innovative and experimental work having direct interaction with an audience and collaborators from all walks of life.
Improvisation is a fundamental tool in the process of producing work and is vital to UrbanaLaguna. Work includes film photography dance theatre site specific performance / installation, sound and music.
A recent project, “UmanaLaguna - Installation 4 Life†takes one on a simultaneous exploration in the lives of 4 people within 4 different cultures. Installation4Life is a fascinating artwork, featuring the parallel narratives of four people from diverse cultural backgrounds living in the UK, observed as they go about their respective daily routines. UrbanaLaguna combines documentary filmmaking techniques with a contemporary performance aesthetic, and uses a specially composed soundtrack to bind together the separate visual narratives.
It was shown in Palazzo Prigione (Taiwan Pavilion, Venice Biennale) Venice Italy, also in Bristol as part of “Refugee Week†2006 and on the Electric Pavilion. Extracts can be seen at:
http://www.electricpavilion.org/content/roots/installation_4
_life/media/index.html
Work in progress “Flamenco Cercando El Duende†is a research and experiment carried out through different art forms, notably Dance/Film/Installation.
The Saatchi Gallery - Contemporary art in London
