chashama will present Cilla Vee, a free, 5-day festival of motion sculpture installations, from August 1st to August 5 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM in the storefront space of chashama located on East 42nd Street (217 East 42nd St., between 2nd and 3rd Avenues).
Each day, for one week, Cilla Vee will feature a different performance installation, featuring "Motion Sculpture" performances and consisting of original set design, costumes, live music/sound and visual art. Some installations also contain video projection and live gesture drawing. Spectators can enjoy the performances from the street and are also invited inside the space where seating and refreshments will be available. All installations are created and designed by Cilla Vee Movement Projects director Claire Elizabeth Barratt and performed by the company's members.The schedule of performances is as follows: Monday, August 1 – "Between Ma and a Soft Space""MA, Japanese for "in between," refers to the silence between sounds, the space between shapes and the stillness between movements." This installation will feature microtonal guitar by David Beardsley and live gesture drawing & video projection by Lara Hanson.Tuesday, August 2 – "Gold Leaf" "Gradually spinning a web of gold thread, punctuated with gold leaves, this South Asian influenced mystical journey will feature sound by Joyful Sonic Wash (featuring Megumi Matsuzaki on sitar)."
Wednesday, August 3 – "Carmen Miranda Tropical Installation" "Vibrant, lush, and exotic this motion sculpture will feature plants, flowers & baskets brimming with fruit." Sound is by Yukijurushi Bossa Nova Band, with visual art (live gesture drawing and paintings) by Wanda Raimundi-OrtizThursday, August 4 – "Human Clay" "Sculptor Hisayasu Takashio passionately constructs a constant shifting of landscapes composed of human bodies, rope and twisted tree branch sculptures." Multi-instrumental & vocal accompaniment by Sabine Arnaud and Marianne Giosa, sound (multi-instrumental and vocal) are by Arnaud and Giosa with live gesture drawing by Fred HattFriday, August 5 – "From the Deep" "A whirlpool of water-sprites and sea-creatures, this mystical piece will feature jazz improv by Daniel Carter and Marianne Giosa." Video Art is by Peter Shapiro.chashama is a non-profit New York City arts organization with a -year history of supporting artists of all genres and experience levels by offering them access to space and major support resources. chashama provides opportunities for artists by transforming vacant real estate into multi-arts complexes and animating them with innovative and challenging art. In 2004, chashama donated over 2,000 hours of rehearsal space to its guest companies and artists, gave major space grants to several performing arts groups, presented over 120 shows and events, provided free gallery space to more than 100 visual artists and provided 45 highly subsidized studios for visual artists and theater companies. Additionally, through low and no-cost admissions, chashama provides more opportunities for audiences as well as artists.
Established in October of 2002 by director Claire Elizabeth Barratt and consisting of a core group of members, Cilla Vee Movement Projects is a multidisciplinary performing arts company designed to explore ways in which movement, as a performance art form, can go beyond the anticipated format of standard dance choreography. Cilla Vee Movement Projects challenges the common concepts of venue, duration, collaboration and audience relationship considered appropriate for dance, while maintaining artistic integrity as priority over experimentation. Cilla Vee Movement Projects has performed publicly throughout New York City as well as Art Basel Miami and the Fiesta de Flores at the New York Botanical Gardens. For more information visit www.chashama.org.