[microsound-announce] Ghetto Biennale, Port-au-Prince, Haiti

[robert peterson]

I have been invited to participate in a residency/exhibition in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti called "The 1st Ghetto Biennale". The name is a
somewhat ironic play on the term "biennale" which, in cultural terms, has
come to mean the same thing as "art fair". Tons of money being thrown after
bogus commodities that mean little to nothing beyond their applied or
invented value. I know the name sounds strange, but put into context its
effect is positive. The Ghetto Biennale is being organized by an
international group with members in the United States, UK, and Haiti. The
reason that they are organizing this residency/exhibition is to, among many
reasons, turn the tables on the perceived economic and professional
discrimination that the artists in Haiti are victims of today. From my
research into the organizers, other international artists who are
participating and into Haiti itself, my sense is that this event is a new
step toward redefining the nature and structure of the biennale from
meaningless investment frenzy into meaningful cultural event. Below please
find my proposal for inclusion into the exhibition and also links to the
event site and my fundraising page.

As this is a brand new and totally radical experiment in cultural cross
pollination there is no internal funding from the organizers to help the
artists get to Haiti, live and eat while there or produce any work. As such
I have begun the necessary fundraising drive for myself to get there and
live safely while there. I need to spread the word to people that might be
interested in helping fund this sort of knowledge building venture. Please
take a minute to look over the links and spread the word to folks you think
might be interested. Thanks so much!

Links:
fundraising platform
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/danholepond/the-1st-ghetto-biennale-in-port-au-prince-haiti

event main site
http://ghettobiennale.com/

Proposal:

Rob Peterson
*The Apprenticeship System*

Firsthand accounts of the apprenticeship system and the Grand Rue artists’
relationship to materials are at the core of this project. Using sound
recording technology and displaying the finished work as a four channel
audio sculpture the goal is to engender a dialog from which both cultures
can take away something meaningful. My approach will encompass documentary,
deep listening, recording that focuses on the sounds that are often caught
between the labels of ‘background’ and ‘foreground’ in our consciousness,
and environmental sound recording.

Thanks so much again for helping me spread the word.

Rob

-- 
Robert August Peterson
MFA Candidate, Studio Art
University of Georgia
http://www.danholepond.com
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