Performa 13
November 1 – 24, 2013

Pavilion Without Walls™

Performa 13 will partner with countries from all over the world to establish Performa Pavilions, international “pavilions without walls” that will function in much the same way that pavilions do at the Venice Biennial, but without the expense of built structures. Instead these pavilions without walls will incorporate Performa’s vision of the city as a vibrant urban landscape, utilizing spaces throughout the five boroughs as part of its distinguished commissioning program.

The Performa Pavilions will showcase the most vibrant and significant art from each country. The Performa Pavilion program will foster cultural exchange initiatives, and, connect international artists with global audiences and the NYC arts community through participation in the Performa biennial and international touring opportunities. Performa Pavilions are motivated by our strong belief that the arts foster tolerance and a deeper understanding among world cultures. International cultural partners will provide funding to ensure that their national artists have the opportunity to participate in the United States’ sole international biennial and in its cultural capital.

Performa Pavilions cultural partners will collaborate with Performa over two years to develop biennial programming. We envision this new initiative as a long-term partnership and as a collective effort to develop, present, and disseminate the most innovative art and culture of our time around the world.
The Performa Pavilion is an entirely new and innovative platform for forging cultural exchange between New York City, the United States, and other nations to present a unique journey through the most recent artistic production from different parts of the world, and to showcase an exciting array of country-focused programming, including:

• Co-Commission remarkable new live works of art with artists from international partner countries to enable them to develop their work in an international context, and to support those at the intersection of culture and social change in this moment of global transformation;

• Participate in Performa’s new initiative for Performa 13, which will be an exhibition about performance and its impact on the “solid arts” of painting, sculpture, photography and film, making direct connections between artists’ interest in live performance and more traditional object-based works. The exhibition would be divided between venues around NYC, including at consulates, and will show the city and our partner countries as places of invention and reinvention;

• Extend our Consortium of collaborating cultural organizations to include arts presenters and museums in partnering international countries to tour live performances and the exhibition beyond Performa 13 to extend the life of projects and present them to audiences outside of NYC;

• Build a pipeline of emerging cultural scholars and producers through year-round fellowships and exchange opportunities;

• Organize a conference and other public programming during the biennial through the Performa Institute about international cultural exchange with artists at the core;

• Publish a lush and informative book and online portal about the Performa Pavilions; and

• Co-host an array of highly curated, exclusive special events to heighten awareness of the Performa Pavilions and the Cultural Departments which support them and to entertain international visitors.

Norway and Poland will be the inaugural participating nations. Each of the pavilions will include a major new performance by an artist, co-commissioned by Performa; a collaborative project featuring several international artists, co-produced by Performa; 2 to 3 additional, smaller performance projects; invitations to curators, scholars and artists from participating countries to participate in the Performa Institute; and six to 18 months’ professional training for two emerging artists from each nation.

Photo: Roselee Goldberg, Director of Performa