WHAT'S YOUR FIGHT?

CLIO ART FAIR CALL FOR PERFORMANCES

Clio Art Fair is a contemporary art fair that focuses on showcasing independent artists without exclusive gallery representation in NYC. It is held biannually in May and September. The fair is known for its democratic approach to art and its emphasis on showcasing artists from a wide range of backgrounds and styles. The fair is named after Clio, the Greek Muse of History and Poetry, and is intended to give artists a platform to create a legacy through their work.

Clio Art Fair aims to create an intimate and approachable environment where artists and collectors interact directly. Unlike traditional art fairs, the Clio Art Fair does not have large booths or commercial galleries. Instead, each artist is given their own exhibition space to display their work.

For the upcoming edition (May 18-21, 2023, Thursday to Sunday) Clio Art Fair is featuring a special section titled: “What's Your Fight?”, hosting a series of performances that urge us to ask ourselves:

"Why is the life of most human beings dominated by discontent, by anguish, by fear of war, by war?"

With this set of questions, the intellectual Pier Paolo Pasolini invites us to reflect on how our daily lives are impacted by conflicts.

War has accompanied human beings since the beginning of their existence. From ancient times to the present, men have tried to justify, control, and even codify war in various ways, sacralizing the methods by which it was conducted or the ends for which it was induced. The contemporary era does not escape the permanence of war: conflicts have multiplied and penetrated into every aspect of our lives.

When we read the word “war”, the first example we think of is the one between Nations or entire populations. But war can take on various different forms, and happen on several fronts: identitarian, intimate, familiar, sexual, financial, as much as racial, religious, and political. War could be in the intimacy of our bedrooms, our dining rooms, in the workplace, in restaurants, on public transportation, and along the streets. Among neighborhoods, between colleagues, with parents, children, between a couple, and with oneself.

But conflicts are not always something negative. As the philosopher and pedagogist John Dewey argued:

“Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates invention. It shocks us out of sheep-like passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving… conflict is a sine qua non of reflection and ingenuity.”

One can agree or disagree, but it can certainly not be denied that conflict is something we have to deal with. It is our choice whether to do it constructively or destructively.

Whether we approachthe question in a more critical and alarming way, like Pasolini does, or with a more pragmatical and hopeful perspective, as Dewey suggests, it is inevitable to recognize that:

We all face conflicts. We are all unresolved. We are all puzzles under construction looking for the next key piece to be placed.

And you? What’s your fight? What are you fighting for? What are you doing today for and/or against your fight?

Let everybody know, submitting your performance at https://www.clioartfair.com/call-for-perfomances. by April 27th 2023.