Message from the Executive Director
Over a year ago when I started thinking about what the thematic threads would be for Visualeyez 2009 I was thinking of things that held us together and connected us with our environment – you might think that in Alberta that would be oil, but in fact the more I thought about things, water seemed to continually reoccur. Originally I was hoping to unite artists around the curatorial theme of water—our environment, the precious fluid and how we interact with it. I believe that the artists who make up Visualeyez 2009 will provide you great mental meals about this theme of water.
Step ahead to April 2009, a few months before the originally scheduled dates of Visualeyez and I become quite ill quite fast and while I lie in a hospital bed being pumped full of super drugs and fluids I begin to retain those fluids and my infections overtake my body and I become septic and I swell—the medical term is edema—I probably gained an additional 25 pounds, on top of the 20 I lost. Depending on body size the human body is anywhere from 55% to 78% water and the concept of the body as a significant vessel for water is a perfect analogy for the festival. Performance art can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time, space, the performer's body and a relationship between performer and audience as opposed to paintings or sculpture, for example, where an object constitutes the work. The invited artists of Visualeyez 2009 situate themselves as integral components of the work they present to you.
As Canada’s Annual Performance Arts Festival, Visualeyez 2009 presents ten artists who are responding in diverse, subtle and overt performances that comment on the theme of water. Edmonton-based artists Jason Fielding and IdeaAssassins situate themselves in unique site-specific water environments. Megan Morman presents the local water cooler or watering hole in a cyber-unique way that intervenes the festival in innovate ways: and Renato Vitic takes on tours of past waterways. National artists Reona Brass and Michael Fernandes present works that push us to consider our responsibilities as global citizens. Canadian based, international artist Naufus Ramirez-Figueroa explores the vastness of Canada and colonization of many things and Rita Kamacho quenches our thirsts for love and gratitude and forgiveness. Visualeyez has always been fertile grounds for taking risks and for trying new things – for audiences and artists, T.L. Cowan and a talented group of collaborators present the Twisted She project, a project developed and evolved over the past five festivals and I am so pleased to be able to present this complete work as part of this year’s festival. Finally, I am excited that Lori Weidenhammer comes to Visualeyez as our Animator for 2009 where she will document the festival and provide insights and illuminations.
I am so grateful to our festival sponsors, volunteers and artists and I would like to invite each of you to situate yourself as an audience member for Visualeyez 2009! Come out and engage in these performances, check out the blog at http://visualeyez2009.blogspot.com/ and Visualeyez!
— Todd Janes