Slapstick and Seduction
Artist Ana Prvački will work together with artist Mia Štark on her performative piece An Anthology of Glances, which probes, using humor and a taste for the absurd, the importance of changing perspectives. Prvački said: “Mia’s project is about developing an anthology of glances; she plays with ways of seeing the world and oneself. Her background in fine arts and dance enables her to communicate how the body functions in relation to nature and the built environment. We share a language and the sociopolitical context of former Yugoslavia as well as a sense of humor and play. Because of this, I am confident that I can communicate and support her development in a deep way.”
Humor and Storytelling
Author and comedian Daliso Chaponda will continue to work with Hamza Baig, who is developing a web series centered on an unlikely superhero in a Pakistani village. Chaponda said: “It was great fun and challenging to work with my three mentees who are all very gifted storytellers who communicate in very different ways. Each piece had power and I look forward to each complete piece someday. I have chosen to keep working with Hamza Baig because his project The Marblous Four captivates me—it’s so ambitious and unique. I also think his piece will benefit from a mentorship because he is able to accept criticism in a way that a lot of artists (including me!) struggle with. Each draft of his script was a step forward and he showed a singular talent in getting charming performances from non-actors. We also have a similar ethos of art; both of us want to share elements of our culture while entertaining. I think collaborating will enrich us both.”
Bodies in Action
Choreographer Florentina Holzinger has selected performer Tom Cassani, who is expanding the limits of magic as an embodied performance. Holzinger said: “It was a pleasure to meet all three nominees and take part in their artistic processes. I am deeply in awe of the sincerity that accompanied everyone’s steps, and am excited to follow all of their future journeys. I‘ve decided to continue with Cassani as mentee. In his unique style—informed by years of practice as an entertainer—I particularly enjoy an interesting combination in which a very analytical and anatomical approach meets the mysterious and deceptive to create an almost mystical event for a thinking audience. I am curious to see how he can further the research on the body as a site of deception and develop this into a thought-provoking event that can both amaze but also challenge people’s perception of physical possibilities, entertainment, and staged magic.”
Your Voice Is Your Sound
Rully Shabara has selected performer Peny Chan, who’s project seeks to experiment with and deconstruct the style of the Peking Opera. Shabara said: “The three nominees I selected are exploring human voice as a medium to create performative pieces with very different approaches and themes. Pratyay Raha uses poetry and languages to discover more about how different voices can transcend the stories of everyday life in West Bengal. Peny Chan is inspired by singing techniques and styles of Peking Opera to create a modern piece that is more fitting to her new path as an experimental solo vocalist. Agustina Crespo explores abstract language and expressions through the use of voice, technology, and the human body. All three have great potential to be taken further. It has been a great experience to be working with all of them over the last two months and especially last week. However, for the context of Forecast, I choose to further my mentorship with Chan and accompany her explorations for a piece that would be more focused on developing and crafting a voice which is uniquely hers.”
Reworlding Stories
Artist and filmmaker Laura Huertas Millán will further accompany Luciana Decker Orozco, who is exploring storytelling about deities, sacred objects, and spaces in the Andes with a film project titled What Humans See as Blood, Jaguars See as Chicha. Millán said: “I was blown away by the three nominees’ commitment, and felt extremely inspired during the week that we spent together. I hope to follow their future endeavors, and that the Forum was one of many conversations to come. I have chosen to accompany Luciana Decker Orozco in the development and production of her new film. Working with and through notions of expanded kinship, indigeneity, mestizaje, and anti-colonialism, Orozco raises crucial matters of sovereignty, ecological sustainability, political resistance and worldmaking in a context marked by inequality and violence. Her work embodies, in ways that I relate to, the links between art and research, pushing the limits of discursive language through filmmaking’s craftsmanship. I‘m looking forward to developing a longterm conversation with her on the urgent topics that her project raises, while accompanying her riveting artistic process.”
A Dance with Reality
Investigative journalist Alia Ibrahim will further the mentoring process with Alexis Guillier, who is researching a deadly accident on a 1968 Lebanese film set. Ibrahim said: “Despite their differences, all three nominees’ projects share a sense of temporality and even urgency in the timeless themes they address. Yurika Higashikawa’s work raises questions about the aspirations and limitations of technology and proposes a debate on where we, as individuals and societies, should draw the line. Siu Hei’s work evolves around one of the most urgent challenges of our times: the fight for democracy and freedom of expression. Alexis Guillier‘s work delves into the world of cinema and documents eye-opening facts exposing the layered costs of creative independence. My decision to select Guillier’s project was driven by a personal curiosity to enter a fascinating world that looks at issues that are very important to me but from completely different perspectives. I am also intrigued by all the contradictions the work brings together and its fascinating melange of genres and spaces, from global to hyperlocal, from glossy to film noir, and from nostalgic to contemporary.”
