embodied
embodied was my first curatorial pursuit for the NYC chapter of the Common Ground Collective. working in collaboration with a choreographer, Polina Mankova, embodied became a night dedicated to the human body. through live jazz musicians and interactive improvisational dance pieces, the art on the walls became animated and further evocative of the human experience. i was responsible for acquiring the venue, holding an open call for artists, leading communications, handling all art work, marketing, and installing the work day-of.
“embodied is an immersive art event focusing on the human body. The show is a collaboration between movement— the body physically in space— and visual art— representations of the body through the eye of the mind. Art on the walls create an environment for dancers who encourage audience participation, creating dialogue between the art and one's body. Think about the way we take up space in this world and interact with one another. What does it mean to embody your own body? How does the way we feel manifest in our body? Take inspiration from contemporary artist Janine Antoni: ‘If you reside primarily in your head, you exploit your body for the sake of where your ideas are taking you. If we exploit our own bodies, then it stands to reason, we have no problem exploiting other bodies and exploiting our environment. Being present and aware is being embodied.’”
Bringing together 15 visual artists, 5 dancers, and 2 musicians, embodied culminated in a night of genuine connection and spontaneity. every 45 minutes, the dancers performed with no warning all throughout the space, feeding off the energy of the art work and audience, encouraging them to more than just watch. everyone that came also contributed to a collaborative art piece that was then auctioned off.
