PRESSEMWAP21March2015
MeetEuropeanMiddleWestArtsProject,anewperformancefestivalinIstanbul
KAYAGENÇ-ISTANBUL
Organizedbyfourinternationalartsinstitutions,Istanbul'snewperformancefestival
EuropeanMiddleWestArtsProjectexplores‘thehybridspacebetweeneastandwest'
FiveyearsagoItraveledtoAnvers,Belgiumtowatchperformancesat0090,afestival
devotedtopromotingcontemporaryTurkishartistsinEurope.OnmyfirstdaythereIsaw
MesutArslan,theartisticdirectorofthefestival.Determinedtopresentanalternative
visionofTurkishartandquestionprejudicesandpresumptionsofEuropeanaudiences,he
stoodoutsidetheMontyTheatreattheheartofAnvers,watchingwithpleasurecrowdsas
theyenteredthetheater.Arslanandhisvisionmakeanunexpectedcomebackthisweek
withabrandnewfestivaltitled"EMWAP"(EuropeanMiddleWestArtsProject).Featuring
sixproductionsthatfocuson"thehybridspacebetweeneastandwest,"EMWAPisa
welcomeadditiontoIstanbul'sperformingartsscenewhichseemstohavebecomesmaller
afteritspeakin2010whenthecitywastheEuropeanCapitalofCulture.Runninguntil
April5,EMWAP'sperformancevenuesincludeSaltBeyoğlu,ModaSahnesi,TiyatroD22and
TalimhaneTheater.Arslandescribestheterm"MiddleWest"inthefestival'stitleasan
"artisticallydefinedspace"whichhehopestheperformancesatEMWAPwillthoroughly
explore."Itisaspacebetweenstereotypicalspaces,"Arslansaid."Thankstoorientalism,
self-orientalismandauto-orientalism,mostcontemporaryarthaslostitsqualityand
weight.The‘MiddleWest'artisticspacewetalkaboutasksformorecontactandexchange
betweenartists.Wewanttofacilitateencountersbetweenthem."Arslanhopestoseethis
interactionresultin"artisticdialoguesandreflectionsontheconceptoftheMiddleWest,a
hybridspacebetweeneastandwest."EMWAP'sfirstperformance,whichtookplaceatSalt
Beyoğluattheendoftheweek,wasCuratingSpacebyErkiDeVries,PieterHuybrechtsand
KrisDelacourt."ThestartingpointofCuratingSpacewassomepicturesofIstanbul,"
Arslanexplained."ThiswastheresultofthefirstresidencieswehadinIstanbul.Youcan
findlotsofmaterialsfromIstanbulinCuratingSpace."DeVries,HuybrechtsandDelacourt
"connecttheboundariesofthreedifferentgeneratedworldstomergeinanengaging
journey,"accordingtothefestivalprogram."Throughtheirownindividualartisticlanguage,
ascenographer,aphotographerandamusicianmanipulatethespacesurroundingthe
audience.Thespectatormeetswithamyriadofimages,changingandchangeablespaces,
andanalteredreality.Whilemovingthroughaconstructedcity,itappearstodisintegrate
andbecomeabstract-aninwardmovementthroughamentalspace,pushingtothepresent
timeonstage."Thisweek'sperformancesatModaSahnesiincludeSchwalbeCheatsby
Schalbe(March23and24,at8:30p.m.)andAutonomousSceneographybyMeryem
Bayram(March25,at8:30p.m.)ThelatterisbasedonBayram'sfascinationwithpop-up
books."Shedevelopedaseriesofformsmadeofsheetcardboardwhichcanbeunfolded
fromanapparentlyemptyflatsurfacetoawholerepertoryofevocativescenicelements.
Differentartistswereinvitedtousetheirimaginationonthematerial.Inthisway,the
projectdemonstrateswhathappenswhenthescenographydoesnotrelyonastoryor
choreography,buttheotherwayaround.Howcantheperformanceartists,soundandlight
designerscontaminatethesevariousscenicelements?Inasensitiveyetevocativegameof
forms,spaces,objectsandworldsaresetup,revealingtowhatextentourperceptionof
realityisdeterminedbypersonalassociations."Arslanandthefestivalteamdiscovered
that"theartist"couldbethestartingpointofEMWAP."Wefoundthatweareinterestedin
producingsustainabledialoguesbetweenperformancearts,artists,environments,
managers,criticsandthepublic,"hesaid."Ourprojectfocusesonthecontemporary
Europeanartscene.Itexploresmigrationsandmovementsactivewithinthatscene.Our
mainfocusisthenomadicstatusoftheartist.Wewanttoinitiateartisticprocesses,witha
specialfocusonresearch,residenciesandperformances."FundedbytheEuropean
CulturalProgramEMWAPfeaturesworksbyartistswhoworkindifferentcountriesand
tackleissuesthatexistwithindifferentcountries."Howdoesthisinfluencetheirwork?"
Arslanasked."Doesbringingtogetherartistswithdifferentbackgroundsresultinahybrid
production?Isthereadifferenceinthewaythepublicreceivestheworkaccordingtothe
contextofthelocationoftheperformance?"Arslan'sPlatform0090isbasedinBelgiumand
hasadecade-longexperienceinworkingwithpartners,includingProductiehuisRotterdam
inNetherlands,ArcolaTheaterintheU.K.andTalimhaneTiyatrosuinIstanbul."Ididn't
selecttheEMWAPperformancesbymyself,"Arslansaid."Isuggestedtheideaandwe
workedwithourpartnersrightfromthebeginning.Wechosetheartistsandstruggledto
transformoursynergiesintoartisticprocesses."Oneofthepartnersofthefestivalisthe
ArcolaTheatre.Foundedin2000byMehmetErgenandLeylaNazlıinLondon,Arcolais
famousforitssoldoutperformancesandisacknowledgedasoneofthemostprestigious
artsvenuesintheU.K.TheArcolaisproducingAndersLustgarten's"Sharapnel:34
FragmentsofaMassacre"performance.TakingplaceinDecember2011,themonthwhen
TurkishArmedForcesdroppedbombsonagroupofunarmedsmugglerswithmules,killing
34civilians,theperformanceexploresoneofthemostcontroversialepisodesinthewaron
terror.Anotherhighlightofthefestivalis"Weneedtomoveurgently,"aperformanceby
Taldans.Offeringawayto"testnewartistic,social,scientificmodelsofactingtogetherinan
openspirit"theperformancewascreatedbyFilizSızanlı,MustafaKaplanandVaniaRovisco
andwillbepresentedonMarch31andApril1atModaSahnesi.AnIstanbulgraffitithathas
inspiredTaldansseemstoencapsulatethespiritofEMWAPfestival."Thereisabeautiful
messoutside,"itreads,"howcanyoustayin?"
LINK
http://www.dailysabah.com/arts-culture/2015/03/20/meet-european-middle-west-artsproject-a-new-performance-festival-in-istanbul