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ZENSORS Philippines
Supported by the Asian Cultural Council 12-25 August 2009
The process of building on the marriage of creative energies of artists coming from various cultural backgrounds and practices continues after the successful realisation of the collaborative exchange project, ZENSORS in Berlin, Germany in May 2008. Initiated and curated by Vanini Belarmino, ZENSORS is scheduled in Manila and Baguio City, Philippines on 12-25 August 2009.
This initiative is journey aspiring to actively transport ideas and experiences by enabling a constant flow of exchange amongst individual artists involved in the project.
ZENSORS wishes to create layers of encounters and establish a platform where artists can find a common ground to work together regardless of their individual and artistic orientation.
ZENSORS is curated with a conscious goal of pulling together professional artists engaged in a variety of artistic practices. Artists chosen have demonstrated: an open-mindness for a process-oriented approach and are brave enough to engage in a performative experimental platform, which means committing to an outcome that is unknown.
It seeks to encourage artists to work outside their comfort zone and collectively develop an artistic process across different practices; all speaking from within to the outside audience.
It is ZENSORS intention to highlight the artistic strengths in both regions: match artists who hold strong creative/artistic backgrounds and have the capacity to influence the thoughts of others via their work.
Travelling East & West With a rotating pool of artists coming from highly diverse fields of practice — dance, music, performance art, visual and installation art, film, fashion, new media, photography, among others — ZENSORS envisions travelling to the Baguio City, Manila, Berlin, New York and Tokyo in three years. The aim is to encourage artists to brave confrontations with oneself and expose themselves to different ways of thinking and approaches triggered by shifting environments. ZENSORS wants to generate inspiration from creative instincts as the starting point for action, and be present and connected to the place and people where the project is happening.
ENCOURAGING NEW ENERGY & INSPIRATION ZENSORS anticipates that with the change of environment, there will emerge different types of energy and fresh inspirations. The shifting roles amongst the creative collaborators as the momentary “host†and/or “visitor†depending on where the project is taking place serves as another avenue to regenerate the work process and stir new impulses. Experiences that were gathered from the implementation of ZENSORS in Berlin will be the reference point for the work in Baguio City/dManila.
MOVING FROM THE FIRST TO SECOND LEG OF ZENSORS The inaugural project in Berlin brought together Japanese new media technology performance artists together with artists from Germany. The second leg of ZENSORS intends to bring Japanese and French artists to Manila/Baguiio City to continue the exploratory process.
ZENSORS will be joined by a fresh set of artists in the Philippines. The result of this exchange will be presented to the general public on 21 August 2009 at the Bencab Museum in Baguio City.
THE QUEST FOR BALANCE The quest for balance is one of the main challenges for ZENSORS. Balance emanating from multiple sources, different inviduals, varied expectations, perspectives and approaches geared towards a parallel direction.
Artists Involved
ZENSORS will invite these artists to work together in the Philippines:
• Aureus Solito (Philippines), Filmmaker/Director • Benedicto “Bencab†Cabrera (Philippines), National Artist for Visual Arts • Chiyo Ogino (Japan), Choreographer/Dancer • Diwa De Leon (Philippines), Composer/Musician • Grace Nono (Philippines), Vocal Singer • Lirio Salvador (Philippines), New Media Installation Artist/Musician • Mayumi Okabayashi (Japan/Germany), Visual and Installation Artist • Nine Yamamoto-Masson (Japan/France), Filmmaker/Curator • Shunsuke Francois Nanjo (Japan/France), Visual and Installation Artist
ZENSORS aspires to host a series of sustainable exchanges and encounters, provide the opportunity for artists to meet and work together; open doors, enable people to see beyond the so called “exotic†and stereotypes. Finally, to engage and involve spectators who may not normally have exposure to these types of art forms.
This project is presented in cooperation with the Bencab Museum, Cultural Center of the Philippines and Japan Foundation Manila.
ZENSORS Performance Jam is scheduled at the Bencab Museum, Asin Road, KM 6, Benguet, 21 August 2009, 5:00 p.m.