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CHRONICLE ON A PERFORMATIC TRIP TO THE OLD WORLD

Everything began in an afternoon of November, 2003, when I received a c=
all from Cardiff, Wales, Great Britain, by the Irish performer Andre Stit=
t. I remember that in that afternoon I was preparing my baggage to travel t=
he next day, for participating in "Contrato" (Contract), a performatic even=
t which was to be held in Cordoba, Argentine, an event organized by the Dan=
iel Acosta, artist and performer from Buenos Aires, and also by Ximena Nare=
a, curator of the well remembered events PROYECTO LIMES, in Montevideo and =
Buenos Aires, and by Luis Cuenca, Director of the La Casona, Centro Cultu=
ral Municipal del Cordoba (events already commented in later issues of Esc=
aner Cultural) (Cultural Scanner, an electronic magazine from Chile, Sout=
h America).
Still's call was to know whether I was inclined to accept an invitation to =
participate of an exchange program of artists and promotions of a culture c=
alled Visiting Arts, sponsored by British Council for the Arts and by Henry=
Moore Foundation, which provide funds in many parts of the world for excha=
nging experiences with local artists. Due to this resources, British artis=
ts are able to invite an foreign artist, during a week, to dialogue and kno=
w themselves and share common experiences. Of course I accepted under previ=
ous consult with some members of my Fan Club.
Andre Stitt, born in Belfast, North Ireland, in 1958, is considered one o=
f the most important performers in the world. He has done about 300 perform=
ances since 1976 in galleries, festivals and encounters in very good places=
. Stitt is identified for the tension and force of the execution of his per=
formances what resolves in a catharsis (what Stitt calls "akshun"). His wor=
ks center in political and social themes, oppression, freedom, subversion, =
alienation experiences, culture appropriation, ritual and transgressive act=
ions. His artistic work incarnates the contradictions of capitalism and the=
determination to the materialism processes of construction and desintegrat=
ion and the consequent via crucis of the redemption. On other hand he comma=
nds the National School of Fine Arts of Gales, in Cardiff, and the Trace Ga=
llery, only dedicated to the realization of performance and by which many =
world famous artists have been passed.
It is in such good ambience that I made the performance PUNTO FINAL, on Feb=
ruary 28th, at 6 p. m., in a very crowded room. I have already done this wo=
rk in Montevideo, in a kind of legality of human rights and the situation o=
f many parents of prisoners and disappeared for political objectives during=
the bad period of dictatory in my country. I also made some poetical perfo=
rmances and exchanges of impressions with the Stiff's students of School of=
Fine Arts.
An especial chapter was the escape to London for some days. It was good, fi=
rst, for knowing Stuart Brisley, one pioneer performer from 60's, one of th=
e first artists who gave the major impulse to the incipient artistic gender=
. Known worldwide not only for his performance, but also for his theoretica=
l works, he is now a living glory of United Kingdom and Europe. And, second=
, for unprecedented effect that assumed the encounter of mail artists or ne=
tworkers during my visit to London. All began for a call, via Internet, to =
the world artists and of the island for a meeting on February 26th in the e=
ntrance of Tate Gallery. So, until 14 p.m. we were meeting Martha Aitchinso=
n, Marisol Cavia, Pat Collins, Ed Wilson, Julia Tant, Alan Turner (from UK)=
; Guido Vermeulen, Don Jarvis, that is, Dawn Redwood, Vic Scott, Geert de D=
ecker, that is, Sztuka Fabrica (from Belgium); Roberto Scala (from Italy); =
Peter Kustermann, that is, Peter Netmail (from Germany); Erik the Viking (f=
rom Denmark); Diane Thorel (from USA) and Andre Stitt, the last who gath=
ered to the group. During the presentations and dialogues of surprise for m=
eeting each others in these circumstances, for we belonged to many differen=
t countries and languages, and after the exchange of magazines, postal card=
s (Martha prepared an excellent post card with my poem PAZ = PAN), addres=
ses, objects (Peter gave me a German post-box) and poses for our cameras, w=
e went to the fourth floor for having a coffee and keep on making our excha=
nge.
One time at the bar and after the soft drinks, PeterNetmail distributed one=
postcard in which there is a photo of mine with a vacuum cleaner on my bod=
y (it was a photo of a performance in the street during the homage to Edgar=
do Antonio Vigo, which I organized in the Centro de Arte Moderno de Quilmes=
, Buenos Aires, in 1998). On the high part of the postcard one reads: "We w=
ill take contamination out of Clemente Padin in Tate Gallery" (notice that =
the play of words between "descontaminaremos" (to take contamination out of=
) and "terminaremos" (to finish, to end), date and local and partial list =
of the participants. First the performers covered their faces with handkerc=
hiefs and put on yellow sterile gloves, dressed white tunics and covered th=
eir heads with nets. They put a t-shirt on me on which one reads "ANTRAX PO=
LIZEI" (Anthrax Police), for I, fictionally, was supposed to bring radiatio=
ns and all kinds of germs, including the virus of Anthrax, for the fact I c=
ame from Uruguay, 3rd World. Suddenly Peter started passing a vacuum cleane=
r in all my body, while the others verified other parts of my body. At the =
end, Dawns put a stamp with gum arabic in the back of my hand on which ther=
e is a declaration that I deserve to belong to the First World. The perform=
ance had a dramatic close when a sentinel called for his supervisor. The su=
pervisor very politely explained that everything which has been done in the=
Gallery should be "curated" by it and that realizations as ours should be =
with copyright as the property of Gallery. We didn't go on and stopped the =
performance immediately because we intended to avoid problems with laws and=
British police.
Of course it was a bitter parody about the treatment received by travelers =
from dependent countries when they arrive in metropolitan countries (except=
in rare cases). In fact it starts with the ironic accent while were are be=
ing questioned by the immigration clerks until the complete nudeness search=
ing for drugs. On one side the tragedy of illegal immigrants looking for be=
tter levels of life, those one who suffer the hell of exploitation and humi=
liation until they find a nice place to live (sometimes only for survivence=
) and, on other side, disdain and loss of documents of identity to which th=
ey are submitted to be accpted.
But the reality always overcomes the fiction: nobody could imagine about th=
e implications of this jocose performance (which only inadvertent public wa=
s the parishioner in the pub) would have to do with one of the controverter=
institution of the system of arts and its market, the COPYRIGHT. It treats=
about one of most difficult themes which can be studied by the present jur=
isprudence about all questioning which has arose by the artistic activity i=
n networking (the net of artists which work in cyberspace) and, also, by th=
e postmodernism which ha done anything with the old concepts of plagarism a=
nd other concepts related to the old order.
Another chapter was open when, due to a kind invitation from my old friends=
Angel Pastor and Joan Casellas, I traveled to Barcelona taking the opportu=
nity of my travel to Europe. It was a very impressed meeting, not only with=
Angel and Joan (with whom I have shared performatic spaces in Montevideo, =
Buenos Aires and Cordoba one year later), but also with all people from Bar=
celona, for I left good friends when I was there in 1999, when invited by t=
he University, I offered a lecture in the Facultad de Filologia.
My first action was on March, 2nd: a lecture to a group of students in the =
Facultad de Bellas Artes of the University in charge of Prof. Pilar Bonet o=
n "Poetry and Political Action". In the same day, in Espal Jove Boca Nord, =
I performed my work PUNTO FINAL (with many changes, I should confess) in a =
journey organized by the collective Z. A. I. (Zona de Accion Itinerante =
= Itinerant Action Zone), which, among other things, the presentation of =
the book by Robert Filliou "El Arte es lo que Hace la Vida mas interessan=
te que el Arte" (Art is what makes the Life much more interesting than the =
Art) with Spanish translation by artist Nelo Vila, from Valencia; with the =
presentation of the book ART ACTION, in charge of its editor, the Canadian =
performer Richard Martel and, else, exhibition of audiovisuals of some of m=
y works in the street, what I call "social and artistic happenings" (for, =
in fact, I can call them "performances"). Later, a wide space opened up for=
the performance and the works were appearing one by one. First the hosts A=
ngel Pastor and Joan Casellas and, then, the invited artists: Richard Marte=
l, Nelo Vilar, Valentin Torren and me.
On March, 3rd, with Angel, we made a quick visit to the mail-artist Cesar=
Reglero in Tarragona, a person who manages a singular institution on the n=
etworking: the MUSEO DEL SOL, all for the exhibition of works of mail art. =
He alone edits a magazine and daily updates and maintains one of the most v=
isited websites of digital art in the world: BOEK861. We also enjoyed the c=
ompany of the artist Isabel Jover and of the poet Guillermo Marin.
The following stage was to face the Instituto Catalan de Cooperacion Ib=
eroamericana, on March 4th. There I gave a lecture on "The Latinamerican di=
gital poetry" illustrated by numerous examples taken from my colleagues Reg=
ina Celia Pinto, Jorge Luiz Antonio, Fabio Doctorovich, Ladislao Pablo Gy=
ori, Franklin Valverde, Roberto Keppler, Isabel Aranda, Lorenzo Facorro, =
Alcides Martinez, Alexandre Venera, Fernando Strano, Christian Diaz and S=
antiago Tavela.
Then the most touching part of the travel came for me to live. Even knowing=
by the program that "The act will be followed by the reading and actions o=
f the poets J. M. Calleja, Xavier Canals, Pere Sousa and Gustavo Vega", I h=
ave never imagined that their interventions were turned to parody my own ex=
perimental poem, which make me live moments of intense emotion. The same ha=
ppened on March 5th, in KABARET OPERT, a bar which offers performances show=
s each first Friday each month late evening. The interesting is that everyo=
ne who wants can go up to scenary and make what he or she wants. In that pl=
ace we give a lot of interviews to many artists and I had the opportunity t=
o enjoy an unforgettable overtime. I read one of my experimental poet and a=
poem of my friend, who was unfortunately dead, the North American Dick Hig=
gins. We finished the night in Stidna enjoying an excellent exhibition of i=
ts activities.
Finally on March 7th I returned to London for taking a flight to Montevideo=
, via Sao Paulo, sharing some hours of my flight with Martha Aitchison an=
d her husband, "Largo" John, a person who taught me to know the best of Lon=
don.

Montevideo, Uruguay, March, 14th, 2004.

Translator: Jorge Luiz Antonio





Andre Stitt and Clemente Padin


At the Tate Gallery, Feb 26, 2004


Performing "We Deconterminated" at Tate Gallery


Commemorative Postcard

Clemente Padin
C. Correo Central 1211
11000 Montevideo, URUGUAY
7w1k4nc9@adinet.com.uy

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<DIV align=left>CHRONICLE&nbsp;ON A PERFORMATIC TRIP TO THE OLD WORLD</DI=
V>
<DIV align=left>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=left>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Everything began in an afternoon of No=
vember,
2003, when I received a call from Cardiff, Wales, Great Britain, by the Iri=
sh
performer Andre Stitt. I remember that in that afternoon I was preparing =
my
baggage to travel the next day, for participating in "Contrato" (Contract),=
a
performatic event which was to be held in Cordoba, Argentine, an event orga=
nized
by the Daniel Acosta, artist and performer from Buenos Aires, and also by X=
imena
Narea, curator of the well remembered events PROYECTO LIMES, in Montevideo =
and
Buenos Aires, and by Luis Cuenca, Director of the La Casona, Centro Cultu=
ral
Municipal del Cordoba (events already commented in later issues of Escane=
r
Cultural) (Cultural Scanner, an electronic magazine from Chile, South
America).</DIV>
<DIV align=left>Still's call was to know whether I was inclined to accept=
an
invitation to participate of an exchange program of artists and promotions =
of a
culture called Visiting Arts, sponsored by British Council for the Arts and=
by
Henry Moore Foundation, which provide funds in many parts of the world for=

exchanging experiences with local artists.&nbsp; Due to this resources, Bri=
tish
artists are able to invite an foreign artist, during a week, to dialogue an=
d
know themselves and share common experiences. Of course I accepted under
previous consult with some members of my Fan Club.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>Andre Stitt, born in Belfast, North Ireland, in 1958, i=
s
considered one of the most important performers in the world. He has done a=
bout
300 performances since 1976 in galleries, festivals and encounters in very =
good
places. Stitt is identified for the tension and force of the execution of h=
is
performances what resolves in a catharsis (what Stitt calls "akshun"). His =
works
center in political and social themes, oppression, freedom, subversion,
alienation experiences, culture appropriation, ritual and transgressive act=
ions.
His artistic work incarnates the contradictions of capitalism and the
determination to the materialism processes of construction and desintegrati=
on
and the consequent via crucis of the redemption. On other hand he commands =
the
National School of Fine Arts of Gales, in Cardiff, and the Trace Gallery, o=
nly
dedicated to the realization of performance and by which many&nbsp; world f=
amous
artists have been passed.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>It is in such good ambience that I made the performance P=
UNTO
FINAL, on February 28th, at 6 p. m., in a very crowded room. I have already=
done
this work in Montevideo, in a kind of legality of human rights and the situ=
ation
of many parents of prisoners and disappeared for political objectives durin=
g
the&nbsp;bad period of dictatory in my country. I also made some poetical=

performances and exchanges of impressions with the Stiff's students of Scho=
ol of
Fine Arts.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>An especial chapter was the escape to London for some day=
s. It
was good, first, for knowing Stuart Brisley, one&nbsp;pioneer performer fro=
m
60's, one of the first artists who gave the major impulse to the incipient=

artistic gender. Known worldwide not only for his performance, but also for=
his
theoretical works, he is now a living glory of United Kingdom and Europe. A=
nd,
second, for unprecedented effect that assumed the encounter of mail artists=
or
networkers during my visit to London. All began for a call, via Internet, t=
o the
world artists and of the island for a meeting on February 26th in the entra=
nce
of Tate Gallery. So, until 14 p.m. we were meeting Martha Aitchinson, Maris=
ol
Cavia, Pat Collins, Ed Wilson, Julia Tant, Alan Turner (from UK); Guido
Vermeulen, Don Jarvis, that is, Dawn Redwood, Vic Scott, Geert de Decker, t=
hat
is, Sztuka Fabrica (from Belgium); Roberto Scala (from Italy); Peter Kuster=
mann,
that is, Peter Netmail (from Germany); Erik the Viking (from Denmark); Dian=
e
Thorel (from USA) and&nbsp; Andre Stitt, the last who gathered to the gro=
up.
During the presentations and dialogues of surprise for meeting each others =
in
these circumstances, for we belonged to many different countries and langua=
ges,
and after the exchange of magazines, postal cards (Martha prepared an excel=
lent
post card with my poem PAZ = PAN), addresses, objects (Peter gave me a Ge=
rman
post-box) and poses for our cameras, we went to the fourth floor for having=
a
coffee and keep on making our exchange.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>One time at the bar and after the soft drinks, PeterNetma=
il
distributed one postcard in which there is a photo of mine with a vacuum cl=
eaner
on my body (it was a photo of a performance in the street during the homage=
to
Edgardo Antonio Vigo, which I organized in the Centro de Arte Moderno de
Quilmes, Buenos Aires, in 1998). On the&nbsp;high part of the postcard one=

reads: "We will take contamination out of Clemente Padin in Tate Gallery"=

(notice that the play of words between "descontaminaremos" (to take
contamination out of ) and "terminaremos" (to finish, to end), date and loc=
al
and partial list of the participants. First the performers covered their fa=
ces
with handkerchiefs and put on yellow sterile gloves, dressed white tunics a=
nd
covered their heads with nets. They put a t-shirt on me on which one reads=

"ANTRAX POLIZEI" (Anthrax Police), for I, fictionally, was supposed to brin=
g
radiations and all kinds of germs, including the virus of Anthrax, for the =
fact
I came from Uruguay, 3rd World. Suddenly Peter started passing a vacuum cle=
aner
in all my body, while the others verified other parts of my body. At the en=
d,
Dawns put a stamp with gum arabic in the back of my hand on which there is =
a
declaration that I deserve to belong to the First World. The performance ha=
d a
dramatic close when a sentinel&nbsp;called for his supervisor. The supervis=
or
very politely explained that everything which has been done in the Gallery=

should be "curated" by it and that realizations as ours should be with copy=
right
as the&nbsp;property of Gallery. We didn't go on and stopped the performanc=
e
immediately because we intended to avoid problems with laws and British
police.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>Of course it was a bitter parody&nbsp;about the treatment=

received by travelers from dependent countries when they arrive in metropol=
itan
countries (except in rare cases). In fact it starts with the ironic accent =
while
were are being questioned by the&nbsp;immigration clerks until the complete=

nudeness&nbsp;searching&nbsp;for drugs. On one side the tragedy of illegal=

immigrants&nbsp;looking for better levels of life, those one who suffer the=
hell
of exploitation and humiliation until they find a nice place to live (somet=
imes
only for survivence) and, on other side, disdain and loss of documents of=

identity to which they are submitted to be accpted.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>But the reality always overcomes the fiction: nobody coul=
d
imagine about the implications of this jocose performance (which only
inadvertent public was the parishioner in the pub) would have to do with on=
e of
the controverter institution of the system of arts and its market, the
COPYRIGHT. It treats about one of most difficult themes which can be studie=
d by
the present jurisprudence about all questioning which has arose by the arti=
stic
activity in networking (the net of artists which work in cyberspace) and, a=
lso,
by the postmodernism which ha done anything with the old concepts of plagar=
ism
and other concepts related to the old order.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>Another chapter was open when, due to a kind invitation f=
rom my
old friends Angel Pastor and Joan Casellas, I traveled to Barcelona taking =
the
opportunity of my travel to Europe. It was a very impressed meeting, not on=
ly
with Angel and Joan (with whom I have shared performatic spaces in Montevid=
eo,
Buenos Aires and Cordoba one year later), but also with all people from
Barcelona, for I left good friends when I was there in 1999, when invited b=
y the
University, I offered a lecture in the Facultad de Filologia.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>My first action was on March, 2nd: a lecture to a group o=
f
students in the Facultad de Bellas Artes of the University in charge of Pro=
f.
Pilar Bonet on "Poetry and Political Action". In the same day, in Espal Jov=
e
Boca Nord, I performed my work PUNTO FINAL (with many changes, I should con=
fess)
in&nbsp;a journey organized by the collective Z. A. I. (Zona de Accion
Itinerante = Itinerant Action Zone), which, among other things, the prese=
ntation
of the book by Robert Filliou "El Arte es lo que Hace la Vida mas interes=
sante
que el Arte" (Art is what makes the Life much more interesting than the Art=
)
with Spanish translation by artist Nelo Vila, from Valencia; with the
presentation of the book ART ACTION, in charge of its editor, the Canadian=

performer Richard Martel and, else, exhibition of audiovisuals of some of m=
y
works in the street,&nbsp;what I call &nbsp;"social and artistic happenings=
"
(for, in fact, I can call them "performances"). Later, a wide space opened =
up
for the performance and the&nbsp;works were appearing one by one. First the=

hosts Angel Pastor and Joan Casellas and, then, the invited artists: Richar=
d
Martel, Nelo Vilar, Valentin Torren and me.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>On March, 3rd, with Angel, we made a quick visit to
the&nbsp;mail-artist Cesar Reglero in Tarragona, a person who manages&nbs=
p;a
singular institution on the networking: the MUSEO DEL SOL, all&nbsp;for the=

exhibition of works of mail art. He alone edits a magazine and daily update=
s and
maintains one of the most visited websites of digital art in the world: BOE=
K861.
We also enjoyed the company of the artist Isabel Jover and of the poet Guil=
lermo
Marin.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>The following stage was to face the Instituto Catalan d=
e
Cooperacion Iberoamericana, on March 4th. There I gave a lecture on "The=

Latinamerican digital poetry" illustrated by numerous examples taken from m=
y
colleagues Regina Celia Pinto, Jorge Luiz Antonio, Fabio Doctorovich, Lad=
islao
Pablo Gyori, Franklin Valverde, Roberto Keppler, Isabel Aranda, Lorenzo F=
acorro,
Alcides Martinez, Alexandre Venera, Fernando Strano, Christian Diaz and S=
antiago
Tavela.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>Then the most touching part of the travel&nbsp;came for m=
e to
live. Even knowing by the program that "The act will be followed by the rea=
ding
and actions of the poets J. M. Calleja, Xavier Canals, Pere Sousa and Gusta=
vo
Vega", I have never imagined that their interventions were turned to parody=
my
own experimental poem, which make me live moments of intense emotion. The s=
ame
happened on March 5th, in KABARET OPERT, a bar which offers performances sh=
ows
each first Friday each month late evening. The interesting is that everyone=
who
wants can go up to scenary and make what he or she wants. In that place we =
give
a lot of interviews to many artists and I had the opportunity to enjoy an=

unforgettable overtime. I read one of my experimental poet and a poem of my=

friend, who was unfortunately dead,&nbsp;the North American Dick Higgins. W=
e
finished the night in Stidna enjoying an excellent exhibition of its
activities.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>Finally on March 7th I returned to London for taking a fl=
ight to
Montevideo, via Sao Paulo, sharing some hours of my flight with Martha Ai=
tchison
and her husband, "Largo" John, a person who taught me to know the best of=

London.</DIV>
<DIV align=left>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=left>Montevideo, Uruguay, March, 14th, 2004.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Translator: Jorge Luiz Antonio</DIV>
<DIV align=left><BR><BR></DIV>
<DIV align=center><IMG alt="" hspace=0
src="cid:00be01c4430e$de8e08f0$0100007f@partm5fti5vfvi" align=baseline=

border=0></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial>Andre Stitt and Clemente Padin</FONT=
></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial><IMG alt="" hspace=0
src="cid:00bf01c4430e$de8e08f0$0100007f@partm5fti5vfvi" align=baseline=

border=0></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial>At the Tate Gallery, Feb 26,
2004</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial><IMG alt="" hspace=0
src="cid:00c001c4430e$de8e08f0$0100007f@partm5fti5vfvi" align=baseline=

border=0></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial>Performing "We Deconterminated" at T=
ate
Gallery</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial><IMG alt="" hspace=0
src="cid:00c101c4430e$de8e08f0$0100007f@partm5fti5vfvi" align=baseline=

border=0></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial>Commemorative Postcard</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=center><FONT face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial>Clemente Padin<BR>C. Correo Central=

1211<BR>11000 Montevideo, URUGUAY<BR><A
href="mailto:7w1k4nc9@adinet.com.uy">7w1k4nc9@adinet.com.uy</A><BR></DIV>=
</FONT></BODY></HTML>

——=_NextPart_001_00C3_01C442F5.B95199D0–