An Acrobats
We must build an unstable, shifting, creative, fragile personality at the crossroads of self and others. An Identity-relationship. This is a very interesting experience, because we usually think we are allowed to talk to others from the point of view of a fixed identity. Well-defined. Pure. Atavistic. … And it fills us with fear and trembling to speak without certainty, but this enriches us considerably.
—Édouard Glissant
An Acrobats, in order of appearance, is the sixth character encountered in Yasmine’s quest for the Heptahedron.
“Who are two but together as one character.” The author Thomas Clerc introduces the character an Acrobats with this unusual comment at the beginning of the manuscript for his play, The Heptahedron. So, two in one. Some people will surely view this as pathology, but I prefer to think of it as the promise of a self, freed from the deadening game of immutable and closed identities. An Acrobats has a wandering selfhood. In the beautiful and fertile jungle of human diversity, they provide us with the balance, agility, and self-control that we need to overcome the fear of letting our inner multiplicity run free.
“I is another,” says the poet Arthur Rimbaud. “Why not two others, three others … ten others,” says an Acrobats, throwing their body into the void to assume an innumerable variety of positions. Walking on their hands, head down, feet in the air, denying gravity, does this character not invite us to consider a reversal of the established order? Do they not enjoin us to doubt common positions, to give rise to another degree of awareness—of ourselves and others?
To bring an Acrobats’ character to life, and to explore our possible other selves, this exhibition assembles Protektorama, Schwarmwesen, and Transformella (fed and cared for by J P Raether).
Rendez-vous at Kunsthall 3.14, and to find out more about what goes on in the head of this character, read Side Magazine: An Acrobats.
—Yasmine d’O.
Artists
Protektorama →
Schwarmwesen →
Transformella →
Venue
Kunsthall 3, 14
2nd floor
Vaagsallmenningen 12
Bergen 5014
Upcoming events
Exhibition
Side Venues
Exhibitions
Side venues
Date
Time
Event
Venue
Sep 9, Friday
14:00–16:30
An Acrobats
Join Transformella malor [4.4.6.18] (fed and cared for by JP Raether) on a performative research trip to a big warehouse
Join Transformella malor (fed and cared for by JP Raether) on a performative research trip to a big warehouse!
Constructed aLifveForm Transformalor (Transformella malor) follows their prescribed algorithmical path around the world in a series of psycho-real research trips.
Conceived out of repeated actions, linguistic interventions and condensations on various platforms, the journey functions as a foray into reprovolutionary territory.
The capacity of this appearance is limited to 50 guests, seats will be given on a first come first serve basis (meet at 13:30)
Participation is free of charge but requires pre-registration via email.
Meeting point
Kunsthall 3,14
Vågsallmenningen 12
5014 Bergen
Language: English
at
Kunsthall 3, 14
Sep 10, Saturday
14:00–15:30
An Acrobats
Schwarmwesen geopathologos [6.1.7] Bryggens Beifang
Join Schwarmwesen (fed and cared for by JP Raether) as it guides you on a performative walking tour of Bryggen.
Emerging in sites of cultural and economic significance, toxic swales of tourism and trade, Schwarmwesen’s appearances make visible flows of humans and capital.
It traces the infrastructural unconscious that’s rooted in the corridor of Belt and Road ending on a Karachi Beach or Vasari’s bridged palace escape route for the Florence kings.
In Bryggen, the quarter around Vågen bay in Bergen’s historical city center and main port, the swarm without a swarm traces the Hanseatic roots and medieval routes of European trade, collecting you-as-body-parts and souvenir and them-as-particles of language, coalescing into our own dreamed up infrastructure. This performance is part of the opening weekend of Bergen Assembly 2022.
The appearance is limited to 20 guests, on a first come first serve basis.
September 10th, 14:00-15:30 is now fully booked.
September 10th, 16:00-17:30 is still available for booking.
Participation is free of charge but requires pre-registration via email.
Meeting point
Kunsthall 3,14
Vågsallmenningen 12
5014 Bergen
Language: English
at
Kunsthall 3, 14
Sep 10, Saturday
16:00–17:30
An Acrobats
Schwarmwesen geopathologos [6.1.7] Bryggens Beifang
Join Schwarmwesen (fed and cared for by JP Raether) as it guides you on a performative walking tour of Bryggen.
Emerging in sites of cultural and economic significance, toxic swales of tourism and trade, Schwarmwesen’s appearances make visible flows of humans and capital.
It traces the infrastructural unconscious that’s rooted in the corridor of Belt and Road ending on a Karachi Beach or Vasari’s bridged palace escape route for the Florence kings.
In Bryggen, the quarter around Vågen bay in Bergen’s historical city center and main port, the swarm without a swarm traces the Hanseatic roots and medieval routes of European trade, collecting you-as-body-parts and souvenir and them-as-particles of language, coalescing into our own dreamed up infrastructure. This performance is part of the opening weekend of Bergen Assembly 2022.
The appearance is limited to 20 guests, on a first come first serve basis.
September 10th, 14:00-15:30 is now fully booked.
September 10th, 16:00-17:30 is still available for booking.
Participation is free of charge but requires pre-registration via email.
Meeting point
Kunsthall 3,14
Vågsallmenningen 12
5014 Bergen
Language: English
at
Kunsthall 3, 14
Join us on an exhibition walk with artist Johannes Paul Raether as we go deeper into the concepts behind this exhibition and the beings involved.
JP Raether’s artistic work includes caring for and switching between a group of constructed identities, or alter-egos, called aLifveForms.
at
Kunsthall 3, 14
Sep 17, Saturday
13:00–17:00
An Acrobats
Protektorama globalis toxicae [5.5.5.7]
Hike to the top of Lyderhorn with Protektorama.
Hike to the top of Lyderhorn with Protektorama (fed and cared for by JP Raether)!
As one of the Seven Mountains around the city centre of Bergen, Lyderhorn, the popular hiking destination and primal gathering spot for witch festivities such as Midsummer and Valborg will become site and destination of the WorldWideWitches Protektorama globalis toxicae’s unfolding Lifeline.
On a hike to the geomantically potent summit, the coven of the Unholdenschar, Mountaineering Witch and Rare Earth Occultist will thus invoke the residual spiritual energies of their witch ancestry in a journey along their many years of techno-mantic witchcraft practices.
The day-long excursion culminates with you as the witch’s novices connecting with one another in celebratory ritual immersegainst the prevailing smartphone fetish.
The capacity of this performance is limited to 50 guests, seats will be given on a first come first serve basis. This performance is part of Bergen Assembly 2022.
Participation is free of charge but requires pre-registration via email.
Language: English
Meeting point
Kunsthall 3,14
Vågsallmenningen 12
5014 Bergen
Time
Meet at 12:30. Protektorama will appear at 13:00. The walk will last until approximately 17:00.
at
Kunsthall 3, 14
An avatar is typically found in digital worlds as a character representing a particular person or even oneself. We invite you to build your own avatar with us, creating a different version of yourself in this world or another world altogether.
What would you look like? How would you walk? What would you want, need, and like? Materials will be provided.
Participation is free of charge but requires pre-registration via email.
at
Kunsthall 3, 14
Sep 18, Sunday
15:00–17:00
An Acrobats
Gathering: Writing workshop with Ruby Eleftheriotis
Join us for a writing workshop and informal discussion responding to An Acrobats at Kunsthall 3, 14.
Together we will explore what it means to be a collective body: physically, mentally, emotionally.
We will attempt to form a voice for our collective body through casual discussion, reading and writing exercises.
Bergen Assembly will provide you with writing equipment.
The workshop will be led by curator, writer and member of the mediation team for Bergen Assembly 2022, Ruby Eleftheriotis.
Language: English
at
Kunsthall 3, 14
Bergen Assembly
Halfdan Kjerulfs Gate 4
5017 Bergen
open 10am–5pm on weekdays
post@bergenassembly.no
www.bergenassembly.com
