Performance Art in New York

Opening of Effigies: Saturday, November 7, 6 – 9 p.m.
at Art Since the Summer of ‘69

Look Back 1: Saturday, November 7, 7 p.m.
at Art Since the Summer of ‘69

Art Since the Summer of ’69 and Performa 09 presents: Look Back 2:
Sunday, November 8, 7:15 p.m.
Performance Project @ University Settlement
184 Eldridge Street
New York

Grønli is interested in semiotic sculpture and collage techniques that deconstruct language as a narrative form. With wicked wit, her sculptures grapple with the algebra of verbal codes, linguistic terms, and the construction of meaning. In her work, she is exploring art as an alternative strategy, and as a tool within alienation. Effigies brings together works channeling the likes of Isadora Duncan and Joan Armatrading. In the sculpture Armatrading, history is repeated twice, when a mock-up of Gerrit Rietvelds famous zig-zag chair act not only as a reference to him, but also to Joan Armatrading’s iconic 1980 album cover Me, Myself I, where it is depicted. Viste Grønli similarly tackled Grace Jones, from memory, in a repetitive series of triangular forms of abstract representation, entitled The Grace Jones Sculpture Project. The sculptures included in Effigies have been meticulously picked to coincide with Nils Bech and Bendik Giske’s performance Look Back, as part of the Performa 09 Lust Weekend. Look Back is a performance in two parts, co-presented by Art Since the Summer of ’69 and Performa 09. Performing alongside Viste Grønli’s sculptures, including an oversize pea and a Helvetica slash, Nils Bech will combine sparse acapella versions of contemporary and classical music and well-crafted electronica in a conceptual stage show laced with cabaret and contemporary dance, in collaboration with saxofonist Bendik Giske. Look Back 1 will be an intimate event at the opening of Viste Grønli’s exhibition at Art Since the Summer of ’69. Look Back 2 will take place at Performance Project at University Settlement as part of a lineup of performances presented by Performa 09 as part of the Lust weekend. Both events are free. Lina Viste Grønli (b. 1976) lives and works in Oslo, Norway. She has exhibited at Gaudel de Stampa in Paris, Gallery Micky Schubert in Berlin, Jones Gallery in Cologne, Karma International in Zurich, Astrup Fearnley Museum in Oslo, UKS in Oslo, Johan Berggren Gallery in Malmo,, among many others. Effigies is Lina Viste Grønli ‘s first solo show in New York.

Nils Bech (b. Oslo, Norway, 1981) is a classically trained singer with a focus on performance. An integral part of the Norwegian art and music scenes, he has taken part in exhibitions in New York, Zürich, Basel, Berlin, London, Vienna, and Oslo, as well as performing with his own band, Nils Bech. 

Bendik Giske (b. Oslo, Norway 1982) holds higher education in performing jazz-saxophone from Trondheim, Copenhagen and Oslo. He has worked as a producer and co-composer alongside Nils Bech, and his list of performances includes playing alongside musicians such as Arve Henriksen, Pat Metheny and Kleerup. He has performed worldwide with the award-winning trio Listen, on stages such as the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. His jazz quintet BG-5 (Bendik Giske Quintet) recently toured all of the Nordic countries. 

Performa 09, the third edition of the internationally acclaimed biennial of new visual art performance, will be held in New York City from November 1–22, 2009. The three-week festival will showcase new work by more than 80 of the most exciting artists working today, in an innovative program breaking down the boundaries between visual art, music, dance, poetry, fashion, architecture, graphic design, and the culinary arts. Presented in collaboration with a consortium of more than 60 arts institutions and 25 curators, as well as a network of public spaces and private venues across the city, Performa 09 will ignite New York City with energy and ideas, acting as a vital “think tank” linking minds across the five boroughs and bringing audiences together for brilliant new performances in all disciplines.

For more information and image requests, please visit www.artsince69.com or contact the gallery.

These events were made possible by the generous support of Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) and the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York.