The Southern Theater and BodyCartography Project Present 1/2 LIFE, 1/28-1/30

1/2 Life by BodyCartography Project investigates the survival of the body amidst a world of scientific research, data and control. The performance hovers geographically at The Edges of the Pacific Ocean - connecting nuclear super power U.S.A., atomic survivor Japan and nuclear free New Zealand. We will construct a contemporary ritual to address our dormant nuclear nightmares. Dance and video artists Olive Bieringa and Otto Ramstad bring together an extraordinary collaborative team including composer and harpist Zeena Parkins, visual artist Emmett Ramstad, physicist Bryce Beverlin II and performer Tamami Yamada. Performances are from January 38-30, 2010.

Performances run from January 28-30, 2010. Thurs. at 7:30pm, Fri. & Sat. at 8pm. Tickets cost $18 and can be purchased by calling the Southern Theater box office at 612.340.1725. The theatre is located at 1420 Washington Ave. S., Minneapolis.

Artist Workshop

The artists from ½ Life will be holding a dance workshop on Jan. 30 at 10am at the Southern Theater.  $15 drop-in. Cash or checks accepted.

This workshop will uncover and investigate some of the physics and physical layers from the work 1/2 Life with workshop facilitators Olive Bieringa, Otto Ramstad and Bryce Beverlin. Short nuclear physics lectures will feed into scores for solo and group dancing. We will attempt to unravel how science and movement practices come together in our art making and dive into discussion regarding making work in collaborative, cross cultural and interdisciplinary contexts. 

Installation

In this exhibition taking place December 9-19, 2009, BodyCartograhy Project is probing the invisibility of radioactivity and the immortality of plastic by creating a large amorphous plastic "ocean" from collected plastics. The work will be sewn in the gallery over the course of the installation and live events with 1/2 Life collaborators Zeena Parkins, Tamami Yamada, Bruce Beverlin, Olive Bieringa and Otto Ramstad will be programmed for the evenings.  
More information about the installation and events will be listed at http://artofthis.net/ 

Artist Bios

Otto Ramstad and Olive Bieringa co-direct The BodyCartography Project. Through dance, video, installation and curation their work addresses issues of body, perception, place and time. They were named Artists of the Year by Minneapolis City Pages and Public Art St Paul Sustainable Arts Fellows in 2008. They have received Minnesota Sage dance awards and New Zealand International Fringe Festival awards. There work is supported by the Jerome Foundation, Map Fund/Rockefeller, Bush Foundation amongst others. Recent highlights include European tours of works Hello Nervous System and GO. Upcoming commissions include a new work with the Lyon Opera Ballet in 2010.  
Zeena Parkins is sound artist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, improviser, well-known as a pioneer of the electric harp, has also extended the language of the acoustic harp. She has received numerous awards and commissions to provide scores for film, video, chamber orchestras, theater and dance. She has collaborated and/or performed with Fred Frith, Christian Marclay, Pauline Oliveras, Bjork, John Zorn, and Yoko Ono amongst others.

Bryce Beverlin II is a multidisciplinary artist and scientist residing in Minneapolis where he explores various forms of art, primarily music.  Bryce is also currently pursuing a PhD in Physics at the U of M conducting research on neural network behavior.

Tamami Yamada is a choreographer, director and performer based in Kyoto, Japan. She develops work in collaboration with visual artists and musicians as well as making community based dance works with the elderly, immigrants, children and people with disabilities. She has performed in the work of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Stephanie Skura and Yolanda Snaith amongst others. 
Emmett Ramstad, a Minnesota native, makes visual art and collaborates as a writer, set and costume designer and performer with Morgan Thorson, The BodyCartography Project and others in addition to installing art shows at Yerba Buena and SFMOMA.

The Southern Theater cultivates artistic exploration by providing a vibrant home for performance, fostering a multiplicity of voices and catalyzing connections among artists and audience. The Southern presents and produces performances characterized by innovation and originality.  We value connections to the local community and celebrate artwork that holds potential for transformative exchange.  On stage, we are unyielding in our commitment to the highest levels of professionalism and artistic integrity.
 
For more information on the Southern Theatre, please visit www.southerntheater.org or call 612.340.0155.