A uniqe retrospective (1970 — 2000) of Performance Artist / Photographer Ulay, at DE APPEL
From 9 September through 22 October 2000, De Appel will present 'Performing Light', a unique retrospective of the work of performance artist and photographer Ulay. During the exhibition, foreign guest curators will present their personal selections from Ulay's oeuvre, and the artist himself will document the many nationalities living in district of Amsterdam known as 'De Pijp' using an unusually large Polaroid camera. Satellite events are being organized in Amsterdam, Sittard and Tilburg to take place parallel to Performing Light'. Far from a static retrospective, Performing Light' will be an exhibition in motion. Form and content will undergo constant change due to the performances of the artist himself and to the dynamic contributions of the guest curators, who will be making personal selections from Ulay's archive throughout the exhibition. At the same time, a CD ROM and a book will be produced and Ulay will be making hand enlargements in his dark room, turning De Appel into a living and productive laboratory. Performing Light' will be characterized by broad diversity: Polaroid portraits of judges and condemned people in New York, life-size photograms of ritual Aboriginal dances in Australia, a large file of travel photos from places like India and China, and snapshots from the artist's personal home environment. At the end of September, Ulay will take Polaroid portraits of the many nationalities living in the Amsterdam district 'De Pijp' as part of Performing Light', using a camera with an exceptionally large print size (60 x 50 cm).
The Performing Light' programme:
: 3 September – 22 October: what is that thing called photography' (Municipal Museum het Domein, Sittard)
: 6 – 12 September: guest curator Thomas McEvilley (from New York)
: 9 September – 14 October: - 'Cursives & Radicals' (Art Affairs gallery Lijnbaansgracht, Amsterdam) Ulay/Abramovic photographic works' (Art Affairs gallery Wittenburgergracht, Amsterdam)
: 12 September (Tuesday evening): performance by Ulay / production of life-sized photogram
: 12 – 27 September: 'Ulay life-sized' (production of life-sized book in cooperation with Willem van Zoetendaal)
: 16 – 18 September: guest curator Maaretta Jaukkuri (from Helsinki)
: As from September 27: photo tableau Monument of the future' in public space, produced by children aged 6 - 12 years (Veemarktkwartier, Tilburg)
: 28 – 30 September: Polaroid project (De Pijp / Albert Cuyp market)
: 6 – 10 October: guest curator Hans Ulrich Obrist (from Paris)
: 13 – 17 October: guest curator Judy Annear (from Sidney)
De Appel is a centre for contemporary art and is supported by the Ministry of Education and Science, the City of Amsterdam and the Artimo Foundation. Performing Light is also made possible by Ute & Michael Berger, Bloomberg, Ted Lensen Films, luna X / vbf, "S" Color, Souverein B.V. and Bureau Vlasblom & Partners. De Appel is open from Tuesday through Sunday, from 12.00 noon to 5.00 p.m. Admission is fl. 2.50.
For more information, please contact Martijn Kramer at the following address.
Stichting De Appel
Nieuwe Spiegelstraat 10
1017 DE Amsterdam
The Netherlands
t. +31 20 625 5651
f. +31 20 622 5215
e. press@deappel.nl / www.deappel.nl