INDIVIDUAL ARTISTs/ACTIVISTs COLLABORATION

facilitated by Joao Victor Perillo Andriani

Vesterbro
Torv
Cultural
Festival

A series of public art/activism events including a workshop, performance, interactive installation and an event, all happening in August 2021 on Vesterbro Torv in the heart of Aarhus during a temporary transformation of Vesterbro Torv within the project “Vesterbro C”.

 

"Vesterbro torv is a central meeting point for Vesterbro district, from which several main streets run out to the surrounding urban areas, Øgaderne, Aarhus C, Aros, Godsbanen, Ceres and Botanisk Have. With the concept Vesterbro C we want to make a public meeting point. We want to take the urban space back from car traffic and create a space for people who can lift everyday life, the community and the identity of the neighborhood - a Center for Vesterbro. A center where everyday magic can occur, like the locals residents and shops can use and benefit from. Therefore we also want with Vesterbro C to create dialogue and space for locals to participate and gain ownership so that formation can take place a place with its own identity."

Below you can find the events:

Interactive installation

by Anna Kelly Jørgensen

A Turmoil Of Emotion

Expressing your inner struggles and the state of your mental health, is still a taboo today. I want to break this barrier and find a medium that can help the public to communicate what can’t be seen. Throughout the years, I’ve seen that painting has helped many who cannot express how they are feeling verbally. I see painting as a therapeutic practise that almost anyone can do. I want to give people the opportunity to open up about their inner struggles and create a safe space where having a conversation about your struggles is soothing. The entire piece aims to spread awareness about mental and physical health problems that cannot always be seen at first glance. My intention is to start a conversation and hopefully others will continue it. 

The viewer enters the room and is encouraged to express their inner pain, by painting on the linen. There is no set time, they can stay as long as they want. There was a title included on the wall to spark inspiration. 

The first exhibition day started with an opening where a finished linen piece was shown that Anna’s created. Then the participators began to work on a new linen piece to encourage people to join and invite people for a conversation about each other’s struggles. During the rest of the week, the linen was be accessible to anyone who walks through the box.

performance by Beatriz Gijon

The
Animal
Gaze

“The animal gaze” wants to be a performance in transformation, where body movement,

improvised music and soundscape field recordings are included and share it as a process to an audience, not as a product. It is inspired by daily life during corona quarantine, where I could take walks to a nearby forest and find new animals every day. I started getting more influenced by it, incorporating sound recordings of the animals in some of my piano improvisations, and some animal movements to my own movements, in some homemade laboratory sessions. Just the mere act of observing animals in their environment has been key for me to relax, and intuitively incorporate those emotions and sensorial memories to my artistic practice. 

That is why I wanted to deepen and research this gaze communication between animals and humans, and its effects on this special period of isolation and quarantine. For this occasion, Vesterbro Torv was be the space that shaped the performance, as site-specific. 

Sound-Movement Installation
by Luzie Ahrens and Signe Søjberg Højlt

Too Much, Too Little

Making use of sensors, this interactive sound installation aims to spread awareness for flood victims. As a part of the installation, a constant water flow can be manipulated by the participants, to change the environment. With the use of sensors, these changes are measured and made audible, resulting in a soundscape that reflects the current water flow. 
 

As part of her studies in audio technology, Luzie Ahrens, Berlin based, is experimenting with sounds and audio systems. By creating this interactive arts installations she offers an immersive space to the participants, motivating them to actively think about human actions and their consequences.

immersive exhibition

by Anthéa Paitel

The Doors of Perception

More than never, we live in a momentum that requires a massive engagement from people in order to improve social justice. Although people might be aware of the issues, they might feel emotionally disconnected. Thus, by using artivism, I aim to propose an experience that aims to touch peoples’ heart and empower them to build a better future together.

Therefore, I proposed an immersive exhibition presenting the work of my photograph activist friend, Ronan
(@unwisemonkey). The audience was welcomed to walk through the installation and become a part of the picture, as if they already bodily experienced the space.

The first 4 pictures were presenting the journey of Ronan throughout the actual Kurdistan, and the 5th one will present activists acting here in Denmark. This ending invites the Danish audience to question their practices and hopefully inspire them to take action on their own land and become more aware of the interconnectivity of struggles.

The project curated photographs illustrating a personal journey that helped the audience to create empathy with political and social challenges of our era. By using both pictures of Kurdistan and Denmark, the exhibition aimed in touching, moving and engaging the audience in increasing a feeling of connection with world
social justice and aimed to inspire people to take actions in their local environment and political agenda.

In addition to that, the exhibition included a series of performances and talks to help facilitating a local discussion and support ideation processes that aimed towards an increase of civilians responsiveness towards social justice.

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