the Abramović Studio for Performance Art

presents VIRES
new work by Maria José Arjona
October 14, 2010, 5-9 pm
Curated by Jovana Stokić

 

VIRES: Latin word meaning force, power, strength (BODILY), might, violence, influence.

Political, social and economic forces have been molding society from the origin of Western civilization to the present day. History has forced more complex and subtle structures from which institutions, individuals or complete societies often dominate others as a form of control. Within domination and control a great amount of new articulations arise, as the body being controlled must translate the latest structure imposed upon it in order to understand and function within the new regime. VIRES is a cycle of six performances analyzing and addressing diverse systems of power but most of all, addressing CHOICE as the most relevant exercise of freedom.

[Show as slideshow]

Maria José Arjona is a performance artist focused on affirming the body through long durational exercises addressing process, time, memory and power. Her performances have been exhibited in Museums and galleries in South America, Europe, China and the Unites States and have been reviewed by Art Nexus, Arte Al Dia, The New York Times, The Guardian (UK), Whitewall Magazine, The Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald and many others. She participated as a re-performer at Marina Abramovic’s retrospective at The Museum Of Modern Art in New York and started touring with her own work at The Madre Museum in Naples (Italy) as part of the program “Corpus, Arte In Azione”.  The itineration of this project includes locations in Bologna (Italy), Bergen and Oslo (Norway), New York (US), Vienna (Austria) and will end in 2010 in Colombia as part of the National Salon sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of Colombia. VIRES, Arjona’s recent performance cycle will be exhibited for the first time in New York at LOCATION ONE.