Voluptuous Silence and Sociality in Poetry
Poet Gabeba Baderoon will further accompany Chilean-Canadian writer Marcela Huerta as they create an intimate, poetic portrait of the author’s mother, Yolanda Huerta, a refugee of the 1973 Chilean coup in a collection entitled White Horses Always Run Home. Their work-stay will take place in Santiagio de Chile und Valdivia, Chile. Baderoon said: “In December 2022, Forecast issued a call for applications for projects that engage with Voluptuous Silence and Sociality in Poetry, the first time verse was included among its mentorships. From 268 applicants came three brilliant finalists: Suji Kwock Kim, Juliana Sokolova and Marcela Huerta. Over the course of three months of calls, texts, emails, and video conversations, I came to know their work deeply and intimately. Since they were at different stages of writing, they needed different forms of listening. I felt nourished by our exchanges—discussing new versions of poems and sometimes working line-by-line on revised work. Because the process demanded it, I have made the choice of continuing to mentor only one of the finalists, though I retain the highest regard for all three. In the next eight months, I will work with Marcela Huerta on her evocative experiential poetic collaboration.”
Rhythmic Excavation
Musician Greg Fox will accompany Bolivian composer and researcher Carlos Gutiérrez as he further develops Infinite Warp and Weft, an expandable and collapsible notational space that can generate elastic music structures. The two will meet in Tokyo, Japan for their work-stay. Fox said: “Carlos Gutiérrez’s particular ethnomusicological and compositional interests, and the multidimensionality of the ways in which they can be conveyed speak directly to the (admittedly somewhat cryptic) theme of Rhythmic Excavation. I feel that working together we will be able to exponentially expand the scope of the work Gutiérrez is doing by many degrees, and I am excited by all of the possibilities that seem inevitably emergent along this path. I was particularly impressed by the work of my other nominees, and they are worth mentioning. Alex Grübler’s performance, which was but an indication of the full scope of the Chrysalis oratorio in development, spotlit her extreme talent as a composer, vocalist, and choreographer. Whitney Johnson’s FIAT installation was an utter success, and was wholly affective in all of the ways it aimed to be. I would very happily continue to support these two artists, in whatever ways I could be of service to their work.”
Troubled Humor and Tainted Beauty
Artist Roee Rosen will continue to work with German-Brazilian choreographer Gustavo Gomes on the development of his first-ever docufiction, entitled Blue Shoe–Theater of Apophenia. Their work-stay will take place in Saõ Paulo, Brazil. Rosen said: “With Blue Shoe Gomes boldly tackles the oft-repressed topic of sexual abuse of men by men, and he does so with emotional complexity, sensuality, and humor. Gomes‘s aesthetic approach fuses the flamboyance of Camp and the subtlety of Butoh, the impactfulness of Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater, and the palpable presence of Mario Bros. and mashed-up pop tunes. These qualities converge in a choreography wherein verbal testimonies are juxtaposed with a dance that is radical, erotic, and disturbing, physically taxing, and breathtakingly beautiful. Blue Shoe appeared on the Forecast Forum stage as a dance duet. Gomes plans not only to expand its scope but also to shift from the stage to the screen. This task of not merely shooting a dance documentary but reinventing the work cinematically, is one with which I hope to be able to offer this wonderful artist a collegial dialogue and the level of collaboration he would wish for.”
Sartorial Identities
Fashion designer Irakli Rusadze has chosen to work with South-African designer Aidan Jayson Peters on his project Life of a Garment, which underscores the environmental impact of the garment industry while celebrating the ingenuity of reinvention. They will meet for a work-stay in Mexico City, Mexico. Rusadze said: “I’m happy to have had the opportunity to work with my three nominees, who all have such different and unique visions of the world, and art and fashion in general. Itala Aguilera has a touching sensitivity to her surrounding, which she expresses it in her projects. Tim Van Der Loo has an innovative mind and relevant concerns about the future fashion, which he translates into forward-thinking propositions. Aidan Jayson Peters is sharing the culture of his home country through a sustainable and socially engaged approach. I was so glad to meet each of them, and am certain they will continue to pursue their projects successfully. I have chosen to keep working with Peters as he‘s the one I might be able to guide the most with my knowledge. I’m touched by the energy he puts into his project and the vision he has for his future. It will be my pleasure to support him with my time and advice in the next steps of his project.”
From Questions to Images
Photographer and documentary filmmaker Mila Teshaieva will continue to work with Goergian artist Mari Kalabegashvili on her photography project If You Catch My Drift, which looks the political roles sub- and countercultures play in Tbilisi, Georgia. Their work-stay will take place in Beirut, Lebanon. Teshaieva said: “Each of the projects presented at the Forum offers possibility for deep and sensitive exploration of timeless, global questions. I chose the project that I feel has the potential to progress and elevate into an insightful, relevant, and visually compelling body of work over the next eight months. Kalabegashvili will continue her exploration of urban environments as extreme playgrounds in her hometown, Tbilisi, while focusing more closely on the protests against the growing autocratic position of Georgian government. As a mentor I find myself especially helpful with this topic, as I have a longstanding connection to Georgia through my own history and fascination. I witnessed the Rose Revolution in 2003, the hopes for radical reforms, the young democracy, and then watched those hopes falling into different degrees of autocracy. Kalabegashvili’s unique access to Georgia’s underground culture can bring us understanding about its future.”
Post Punk Performance
Experimental theater director Yuya Tsukahara will continue the mentoring process with El Salvadorian interdisciplinary artist Victor Artiga Rodriguez, who’s developing a performance entitled Thoughts on Fluid Assemblages. They will meet in Kyoto, Japan for their work-stay. Tsukahara said: “Forecast has been a very inspiring project for me so far and it will be for the coming months. After seeing all the presentations of the nominees, I have decided to work further with Victor Artiga Rodriguez, who tries to connect his own body with his roots and the history of the land he comes from—and the reality in which we live—in a playful way. Together, we seek to discover in more detail what our bodies can carry and share that in a way we‘ve never tried before. May the spirit of ‘Post Punk Performance’ (whatever that may be) be with us all.”
