THE BANGKOK PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE
as preparation for the
PAN ASIAN PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE

Institutions

The frame for the conference in Bangkok is the project concept Golden Tuk Tuks and Fluxus Quarks", a project linked with the Ultimate Akademie and supported by the Goethe Institut. The institute has announced some support for the independent conference.

Two artist association are involved in the organization of the conference are, ASA-European (Art Service Association), with Boris Nieslony and the Ultimate Akademie with Rolf Hinterecker and Volker Hamann.

The conference becomes possible with the support of the Chulalongkorn University Bangkok. We are glad, when the University provides material and immaterial space for the conference. The formal proposal and concept material will be sent to the to the University soon. The Conference will also offer artists and activists at the Silapakorn University tp participate.

The conference conceptually is one part of the Permanent Performance Conference" which began in Cologne.

Material of the former conference is present in the internet http://www.asa.de

We will try to make it accesible in an Internet Performance Room at the university.

We will ask the artists and artists institution from Thailand and Japan to participate in this first conference.

The base contact set up with:

1. Champon Apisuk - Concret House in Nontaburi - Thailand

2. Goethe Institut Bangkok

3. Marsi Gallery - Suan Pakkad Palace

4. Chulalongkorn University

5. Shozo Shimamoto - Nishinomiya - Japan

6. Seiji Shimoda - NIPAF - Nagano and Tokyo - Japan

7. Hong o-Bong - Korea, Amanda Heng - Singapore, Lee Wen - Singapore, Chen Chieh-Jen - Taiwan, u.o.

An event with different performances long for an own form which can be called Metaperformance" (some other equivalent expressions are common in the artworld). In this sense, when the organizers and activists are conscious about, the conference can be a metaperformance, in a certain sense an extended performance, a performance in itself.

Start of the Conference is the seventh of December 1997.

I wait of kindfull replay from you and as soon as possible. Also, can you send me some addresses from some performance-artists, other artists and so theorizers which are interested in this kind of work and in the development for the PAN ASIAN PERFORMANCE CONFERENCE ?

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Draft title and concept

10.6.97

The "Bangkok Performance Conference"

The conference is a part of intercultural communication and exchange among artists. A free intercultural exchange is based on the idea that the (cultural) difference of the other human being is acceptable and a part of the cultural wealth of mankind. The conference can offer to serve as a forum for artists in Thailand to prepare their own projects.

Institutions

In Cologne (Köln) two artist associations are involved in the organization: ASA European (ASA = Art Service Association) with Boris Nieslony and the Ultimate Akademie with Rolf Hinterecker and Volker Hamann. Important partners among artist institutions in asia are the Concrete House" (Chumpon Apisuk in Nontaburi) and NIPAF, the Nippon Performance Art Festival (Seji Shimoda in Tokyo and Nagano). In Bangkok the conference is prepared by Prof. Apinan Posyananda and Surachai Ekphalakorn at the Chulalongkorn University. The wider frame for the conference in Bangkok is the project Golden Tuk Tuks and Fluxus Quarks", realized by the Ultimate Akademie, supported by the Goethe -Institute in Bangkok.

History

Since some years a certain kind of exchange between artists institutions and cultural institutions in germany and in thailand has become possible. It is different of the export/import of prefabricated representative art. It is artistic experience and artistic research in and about different cultural situations. A mutual understanding about cultural strategies develops among artists in different parts of the world. The conference conceptually is one part of the Permanent Performance Conference", started in Nov. 1995 in Cologne as a collective event open for all art performers. Since this time several subconferences took place. Chulalongkorn University The conference becomes possible with the material and immaterial space contributed by the Chulalongkorn University Bangkok. Artists and interested people from the Silapakorn University are welcomed to participate. The help of the Chulalongkorn University allows us also to keep materials about performance, performers and the Performance Conference accessible in the internet.The connection is important for the e-mail communication with artists on other continents, who will be included in the conference virtually. The conference is able to carry the cost for its communication at this internet account, or to thank the University in annother way.

Organizing and Internal Concept

Although the conference can be humorous and much alive, it shall not be like a Festival" where simply different acts are presented to amuse the audience. Artperformance is no theatre and no clay which can be pressed in form for standard-entertainment. An event with different performances longs for an own form which can be called MetaPerformance" (some other equivalent expressions are common in the artworld). In this sense, as far as the organizers and activists are conscious about, the conference can be a metaperformance. The event then is a performance in itself, and it follows an artistic sense of form and content. Some of the organizers will be guests in Thailand, others will be at home there. The Conference as a whole will be guest at the university. The organizers together will be the hosts for the performers. They deliver the setting, the table and the food, not only in an immaterial sense. They invite the artists and they are responsible for the structure of the metaperformance.

Timetable

Start of the conference at a date after the fifth of december, for a time in which in Thailand it is good to invite audience. Some intense days of program, some days around for arrival, preparation and rest. Organizers should be ready and present a week before, because arriving artists might need organisational help for the preparation of performances, housing, etc.

Draft Program

The conference shall last some days, but less than a week. If our financial resources are short, we should take in account, to concentrate it as an intense 48 hours event.

First night

After the evening has just been the private party of the participants, a suggested time to start the first event in the new day is 0.00. We will try to begin with an open, intense and direct experience among the artists. This event shall be collective and art in itself. It can be chaotic and shall be peaceful. Everyone is performer, everyone is audience. The event shall build up on consequences of former work in this direction. In Europe we can refer to forms which for example an artist groups like Reindeer Werk" and others developed. Whether this part can be communicated enough to be realized, is open.

First morning

Good for recovery and clearing with the organizers. Appropriate events and performances only.

First afternoon

The formal opening with contributions who are in the direction of presented papers and conventional conference. Performers who want to prepare a later and greater all-asean performance conference in thailand are welcomed to set up their own independent forum. Maybe that ideas about financial resources and manpower among asean artists and institutions can be exchanged there.

First evening/ Second night

In the evening starts the program for the general audience, a row of performances on different places on the same small area on the campus of the Chulalongkorn University, which can serve as a multiple outside stage. The tendency is single performance and concentration.

Second morning

A gathering among the artists, breakfast, free discussion, private talks. Appropriate events and performances only.

Second afternoon

Preparation for an intense and long night.

Second evening

Collective performances, events with audience, art-music at last (under professional control, no punishment for the audience).

One idea, the concept of the Bangkok performance conference?

The German term Gabe, translated in English means more than a gift, a present or to have a talent, it means the substantial character of giving, to give you, to give with your soul. To be present in the way to bring a present. In Bangkok, the host will prepare a table. On this table, around this table will take up the guests, the performer and the audience in same legitimation. Each person have the right to bring his gift on this table and give it to all. It can be in any kind of performances, lectures or speeches, it can be an intervention or any form of communication. The gift, the present is you, is everyone. It´s also possible to hold you free of any presentation, to be guest, hear and see. The interest is to be free of the pression to make art in the way of hierarchical values, in the way of entertaining and in the pression of concurrence. What it means, you are on the table, to be guest and host in the same time. In the same time you have, each other have responsibilities and you, each one, get attention. In this way we don´t fix a kind of program or timetable. We don´t want to schedule this meeting   Boris Nieslony