Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (aka PICA) is kicking into gear once again for its 10-day late-summer festival, the Time-Based Art Festival (aka TBA. Know your Portland art abbreviations, folks). The following release from their pressroom includes such concise, informative summaries of the talent we can expect to see this year, that we wish we’d written it ourselves. Instead, we’ve highlighted names and categories, and tagged a few returning acts from TBA:2010 in red, so you can read Portland Monthly’s reviews of the work they brought last year. PICA was quick to express that there are more acts yet “to be announced”—also aka, TBA.
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Since ?1995, ?PICA ?has? built ?a ?citywide ?platform? for ?the ?creation ?and ?discovery ?of? contemporary? art,? through? artist ?residencies ?and? commissions,? talks ?and? workshops,? and? the? annual? Time?Based? Art Festival.??

This? September,? PICA’s? ninth? annual? Time?Based ?Art ?Festival ?takes ?over ?Portland,? Oregon,? for ?an ?all?hours,? city?wide ?happening ?of? contemporary ?performance? and? visual? art. ?TBA ?spans? disciplines,? ideas, ?histories,? and ?locales ?to ?present ?work ?that? distinctly? reflects? the ?here? and ?now.? The ?Festival? gathers ?artists ?for ?morning? workshops, ?expands? the? conversation ?with ?afternoon? talks? and ?salons, ?fills? pop?up ?galleries ?with? visual? installations,? and? takes ?the? stage ?until? late ?in? the ?night ?with ?experimental, ?genre?defying? live ?performances.?
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TBA? ON? STAGE ?presents ?performances ?by ?artists ?colliding ?the? genres ?of ?dance, ?music,? theatre, ?new?media, ?and? film? to? propel ?new? ideas ?and? new? forms.?ON?STAGE ?is ?curated? by ?TBA ?Festival? Artistic? Director ?Cathy ?Edwards,? in? collaboration? with ?Erin ?Boberg? Doughton,? Performing? Arts? Program? Director? for? PICA. ?In? curating ?this ?year’s? program,? Edwards ?has? said? that? she? was ?interested ?in ?exploring? the,? “continuums? of? community ?to? cult, ?of? mentor ?to ?demagogue,? and? of ?art ?to? propaganda.”??

Kyle ?Abraham,? The? Radio ?Show ?[NEW? YORK,? DANCE]? Hailed ?as ?"the? best? and? brightest ?creative ?talent ?to ?emerge ?in ?New ?York?City ?in? the? age? of? Obama"?by ?Out? Magazine, ?Abraham’s? choreography? investigates? the? effects? of ?the? abrupt? discontinuation ?of? a ?community ?radio ?station? and? the ?impact ?of ?Alzheimer’s ?on? a? family.? Abraham’s? score ?mixes ?recordings ?of? classic? soul? and ?hip?hop? with? contemporary? classical ?compositions? by ?Ryoji ?Ikeda ?and? Alva ?Noto.? ?

Kyle ?Abraham, ?Live!? The? Realest ?MC? (in?development) ?[NEW? YORK,? DANCE]? Abraham’s? newest? solo? performance? spins? off ?from? the? duality ?of ?Pinocchio’s ?plight ?to? be? a ?"real ?boy," ?investigating? gender ?roles ?in? the? black ?community ?and ?societal? perspectives? of? the? black ?man? through? hip?hop? and? celebrity? culture.??
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Andrew? Dinwiddie, ?Get ?Mad? at ?Sin?! ?[NEW? YORK,? THEATRE]? A ?one?man? performance ?reanimating? an? out?of?print ?vinyl? record ?of? a ?sermon? by ?the? evangelist? Jimmy ?Swaggart ,?recorded? live? in? 1971.? Dinwiddie? achieves? perfect? audio? fidelity ?to? the? original ?record ?while ?reincarnating? Swaggart’s ?carpet?pacing, ?pulpit?pounding ?performance.?
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Mike ?Daisey,? All ?the? Hours? in? the? Day? [NEW? YORK,? THEATRE,? ONE?DAY? ONLY]? For ?three? years ?Daisey? has? been ?working? on ?an ?insane ?project: ?a? live ?twenty–four ?hour? monologue,? on? the? scale ?of ?War? and? Peace.? Dreamed? of ?as? an? epic? story ?that ?shatters? the? framework ?of ?the ?theater, ?All? the? Hours ?in? the ?Day? will ?weave ?together ?massive? narrative ?threads ?into ?an? electric? story ?about ?our? humanity ?in ?this ?age…if ?all ?goes? well.?? ?

Dean ?&? Britta,? 13? Most ?Beautiful…?Songs ?for ?Andy? Warhol’s ?Screen ?Tests?? [NEW? YORK, ?MUSIC, ?FILM]?? Between ?1964 ?and? 1966,? Andy? Warhol ?shot ?nearly ?500 ?Screen? Tests—beautiful? and? revealing?16mm ?film? portraits ?of ?hundreds? of ?different? individuals, ?from ?the? famous? to? the? anonymous. ?Songwriters ?Dean ?Wareham? and ?Britta ?Phillips, ?formerly? of ?the? band? Luna,? will ?perform? a ?live ?score ?of? original ?compositions ?and ?covers ?for? 13? of ?the? films.?

Taylor ?Mac, ?Comparison ?is? Violence:? The? Ziggy? Stardust? Meets? Tiny? Tim? Songbook? [NEW? YORK,? CABARET ?THEATRE]? Combining ?dramatic ?flair,? searing ?satire,? poignant? honesty, ?and—of?course—plenty?of? glitter,?Mac? arrives ?in ?a ?flourish? of ?sequins ?with ?his? newest? show, ?in ?which ?he? dissects? the? darker ?side ?of ?comparison ?while ?singing? Tiny? Tim? songs ?and ?selections ?from? David? Bowie’s ?glam?rock ?classic, ?The? Rise? and? Fall? of ?Ziggy? Stardust.?

Offsite ?Dance ?Project ?[JAPAN,? DANCE,? NEW? COMMISSION]? For ?this ?site?specific ?project,? Offsite ?Dance ?returns ?to? Portland? and? embeds? three? dynamic ?Japanese choreographers ?in ?the? Central? Eastside ?Industrial ?District,? under? bridges,? off? of? loading? docks,? and? in? the? neighborhood’s ?rapidly ?developing? buildings. ? Featuring? Yoko ?Higashino,? Yukio? Suzuki, ?and? Ho?Ho?Do.? ?

Rachid ?Ouramdane,? World ?Fair ?[FRANCE,? EXPERIMENTAL? DANCE]? A ?French ?choreographer ?of ?Algerian? descent, ?Ouramdane’s? latest? solo ?asks, ?“What ?can? authorities ?expect ?from ?a ?work? of ?art? ?What ?are? the? marks ?left? by? political ?history? on ?the? body? ”?World ?Fair ?blends? movement ?and ?video ?to ?present ?the body ?as? a ?bank ?able ?to? record, ?erase,? or ?register? different? ingredients? of? modern ?reality? and? national ?identity.?

Rude? Mechs,? The ?Method? Gun? [AUSTIN,? TX,? THEATRE]? The? Method? Gun? explores? the? life ?and? techniques ?of ?Stella ?Burden,? the? actor?training? guru? of ?the? 60s? and? 70s,? and? creator? of? “The? Approach”? (often ?referred? to? as ?"the? most? dangerous ?acting ?technique ?in ?the? world"). ?A ?play ?about ?the ?ecstasy ?and ?excesses ?of? performing,? the? dangers? of? public ?intimacy, ?and ?the ?incompatibility ?of ?truth ?on? stage? and? sanity ?in ?real? life.?

?tEEth,? Home ?Made ?[PORTLAND,? EXPERIMENTAL? DANCE] Home ?Made ?mounts ?a ?daring ?exploration ?of? the ?awkwardness ?of? human? beauty? and? the? struggles ?of ?intimate ?negotiation. ?Choreographed? by? Angelle ?Hebert? and? scored ?by? Phillip ?Kraft, ?Home? Made? explores ?the ?fine? balance? between ?tenderness ?and ?hostility,? where ?playfulness? becomes? manipulation ?and? exploration? shades? into ?aggression.? ?

zoe ?|? juniper,? A ?Crack ?in ?Everything? [SEATTLE,? DANCE,? COMMISSION]? Through? 3?D? animation ?projections,? atmospheric ?installations ?and ?lighting, ?and? Scofield’s? compelling? choreography,? the ?piece ?meditates ?on? the? moments ?that ?divide ?people’s? lives ?into ?linear ?experiences ?of? time.? Scofield ?creates ?a ?unique ?and? intense? contemporary ?dance ?language? from? a? range ?of ?movement ?styles, ?performed? by ?an? ensemble? of ?top?notch? dancers.
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?TBA ?ON? SIGHT ?is ?a? collection ?of ?installations,? exhibitions, ?projections, ?and? gatherings ?by? visual ?artists, ?curated ?and ?organized ?by? Kristan ?Kennedy,? Visual ?Art ?Curator ?for ?PICA.? Evidence? of? Bricks:? The? building ?up,? but ?mostly ?tearing ?down,? of ?institutions, ?societies,? structures? and? ideas.? ?

Claire? Fontaine?[FRANCE]? Claire? Fontaine ?is ?a ?Paris?based? collective, ?founded? in ?2004.? After ?lifting? her? name? from? a? popular ?brand? of ?school ?notebooks, ?Claire ?Fontaine? declared? herself ?a? “ready made? artist”? and? began ?to ?elaborate ?a ?version ?of? neo?conceptual ?art ?that ?often ?looks ?like ?other? people’s ?work. Working ?in? neon,? video,? sculpture, ?painting? and? text, ?her? practice ?can? be? described? as ?an? ongoing ?interrogation ?of? the? political? impotence? and? the? crisis ?of ? singularity? that? seem? to? define? contemporary ?art ?today.?

?Kate ?Gilmore ?[NEW ?YORK]? In ?Kate ?Gilmore’s ?art, ?she? devises ?strenuous, ?physical ?propositions? without ?clear,? purposeful ?outcomes. ?Whether ?kicking ?and ?climbing? out ?of ?a? drywall ?column,? stacking? shelves? with ?paint?filled? pots, ?or ?maintaining ?her? balance ?atop? a ?pile ?of ?marble ?being? sledge?hammered? from ?beneath ?her, ?Gilmore’s? actions? assert ?a? dogged ?persistence,? dark ?humor, ?and ?a? stark ?sense ?of ?risk.?

?*Anna ?Gray ?& ?Ryan? Wilson? Paulsen, ?Don’t ?Worry ?We’ll ?Fix ?It ?[PORTLAND]*? The? Fix? It ?office? will ?both? produce ?the ?publication ?September, ?a? daily? art? historical? broadside? specially ?produced? for? TBA:11, ?and ?be? an ?active ?space? where ?the ?artists ?will? work ?on site ?to ?correct, ?revise? and? compile? errata ?from? previous ?editions ?of? the? paper.? ?

Cristina? Lucas,? Europleasure ?International? LTD.? TOUCH ?AND? GO? [SPAIN]? Incorporating ?irony? and? humor ?into? her ?work,? Cristina ?Lucas? focuses? on ?the? irrationality? of ?human ?actions? and? ethics ?within ?contemporary ?aesthetics. ?Lucas’ ?video ?makes sly? commentary ?on ?the ?diaspora ?of ?Western ?factories ?to ?the ?Third ?World, ?through? an? encounter ?with ?one? such? British ?company, ?Europleasure ?International ?LTD.?

?*Ohad ?Meromi,? Rehearsal? Sculpture,? Act ?II:? Consumption? [NEW? YORK]?* Inspired ?by ?the ?pragmatic ?idealism? of ?the ?Kibbutz ?and ?Russian ?avant?garde? theatre,? Meromi ?creates ?an ?architecture ?for ?action,? in? which ?visitors ?are? invited ?to ?form? their? own ?troupe ?to? interpret ?and ?perform ?scenes ?from ?his ?Stage ?Exercises ?for ?Smokers ?and? Non?Smokers.?

?Patrick? Rock, ?Oscar’s ?Delirium? Tremens ?[PORTLAND]? A ?hot ?pink, ?elephant?shaped, ?forced?air?inflated, ?viewer?interactive? jump?room ?of ?the? monumental ?scale ?usually ?reserved? for? historical ?statues? and? public ?art. ?Oscar’s ?Delirium? Tremens ?disrupts ?our ?balance, ?implicating ?everyone? in ?its ?experiential ?abandon ?and? the? woozy? sense? that? the? world? continues? spinning? out? of? control,? even? after ?stepping? off? the? ride.? ?

Halsey ?Rodman ?[NEW? YORK]? A? sculptor ?and? painter,? Rodman’s ?installations? use? different? forms? of ?near?identical? objects, ?creating ?a ?sense ?that ?despite ?their ?concrete ?physicality, ?something ?about? them? remains ?unresolved? and? unfixed. ?While ?the ?elements ?exist ?simultaneously ?in? space, ?their? differences? expose ?the ?passage ?of ?time ?in ?their ?creation ?and ?in ?the ?audience’s ?regard.?

?Jesse ?Sugarmann, ?Lido ?(The? Pride ?is ?Back)? [SPRINGFIELD, ?OR]? Sugarmann’s ?automotive ?performances ?are ?elegant ?pile?ups. ?His ?vehicular ?actions ? engage ?the ?car ?accident ?as ?an ?inadvertent ?monument, ?a? spectacle ?of ?trauma,? and ?a? point ?of ?social ?exchange. ?Positioning? three ?Chrysler ?minivans ?atop ?42? inflatable ?airbeds,? Sugarmann? creates? a ?slow?motion ?wreck.?

?*Mona ?Vatamanu? & ?Florin ?Tudor, ?Rite ?of ?Spring ?[ROMANIA/SWITZERLAND]*? Living ?in ?Bucharest, ?Romania, ?Vatamanu? &? Tudor ?examine ?the? sea? change ?in? social ?and? economic ?systems? following ?the ?decline ?of ?Communism ?in ?Eastern ?Europe. ?In ?Rite ?of?
Spring, ?as ?children? set? drifts ?of ?poplar ?fluff ?aflame ?in ?the ?street ?gutters,? the ?artists ?create? a ?symbol ?of ?“Lost? Boys”? innocence ?in ?the ?face ?of? Capitalism’s? failed ?promise.?

?Young?hae ?Chang ?Heavy ?Industries ?[SOUTH? KOREA]? YOUNG?HAE? CHANG ?HEAVY? INDUSTRIES ?was? founded ?in? Seoul ?by ?Young?hae ?Chang,? C.E.O.,? and ?Marc ?Voge,? C.I.O.? Their? quick?cut, ?text?based? flash ?animations ?pair? catchy,? percussive ?scores? with ?original? narratives ?that? tell? sharp, ?captivating, ?and? politically?charged? stories? of ?modern ?urban ?life ?and? society? on? the? web.
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?Whoop ?Dee? Doo? [KANSAS? CITY,? MISSOURI] Whoop? Dee ?Doo? is ?a? kid?friendly ?faux ?public ?access ?television? show ?featuring? performances? and ?live ?audience ?participation. ?With ?skits, ?contests, ?musicians, ?and? local? talent,? the? program? is? inspired? by? television? shows? such ?as ?The ?Carol ?Burnett ?Show,? Pee? Wee’s ?Playhouse, ?Mr.? Wizard, ?The? Gong? Show,? American ?Bandstand, ?Soul ?Train, ?Double? Dare, ?and? You ?Can’t ?Do ?that ?on? Television.?

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