CLOAK AND SWAGGER EXCLUSIVE: MODERN PANIC IV
Modern Panic by Guerrilla Zoo is an exhibition of the surreal, shocking and awe inspiring art contemporary artists around the world produce today. As it’s fourth instalment opens in Hackney’s Apiary studios, Cloak and Swagger sat down to chat with the curator, James Elphick.
First of all, thanks for taking the time to speak to Cloak & Swagger. Could you start by telling us a bit about what Guerrilla Zoo is and how the idea came about?
Guerrilla Zoo started off as a way all my talented friends could show off their work, from music, performance and art. We started doing parties where all this creativity was under one roof, like a wild indoor festival and you could get your cultural fix for a fiver. As the parties evolved and progressed we expanded to art shows, theatre, live concerts, entire multi-venued seasons and always trying to push the envelope, do something different and exciting, and create an experience that our audience would never forget.
Guerrilla Zoo’s ‘Modern Panic’ includes a lot of live art – why do you think audiences are so excited by ‘real experiences’ at the moment, from immersive theatre to live art?
Live art is having a renaissance as artists such as Marina Abramović hit the mainstream with her collaboration with Jay-Z, and the crowd funded forthcoming Abramović Institute for developing live art performances. Immersive theatre is increasingly popular with companies such as Punchdrunk, You Me Bum Bum Train and Secret Cinema’s recent shows. Engaging the audience, taking them on a journey, removing them from their comfort zones are ways in which we can connect directly to them personally, in which other mediums can’t even get close too. At Modern Panic, I explore and encourage live art and it’s development; The Panic Sermons’ are our riotous live art events which feature six live arts practitioners on each evening from around the world in an intimate setting. Each artist explores different material from movement based time work to powerful visceral imagery.
Some artists featured in Modern Panic use their work to highlight social injustice e.g. Erik Ravelo, is Guerrilla Zoo about education as much as enjoyment? Whose work in this collection do you think will shock the audience the most?
Modern Panic finds it’s roots in the 1960′s Panic Movement, in which the work was designed to be chaotic and powerful, to connect to the emotional core, to help you find yourself. Modern Panic for me is discovering the personal balance of what you find socially, politically and morally acceptable. There are many artists whose work highlights various of provocative causes, but I leave this up to the viewers to make their view points on and how the work speaks to them, its meaning and significance. It’s important for each person to explore the work for themselves and see what really resonates and what they can’t get out of their heads. There is so much to see at this show it’s difficult to choose! I’m very excited about premièring a number of artists work in London for the first time.
Will there be more Guerilla Zoo projects for fans to look forward to in the New Year?
We have our regular sister event ‘It’s Your Funeral‘ a mix of dark and twisted performance, next year we doing an extra special event connected to writer William S Burroughs and working on our next Make Believe Festival for May. Lot’s of exciting things ahead!
Modern Panic IV 8 – 17 November, Apiary Studios, Hackney. For more information, please visit guerrillazoo.com
First of all, thanks for taking the time to speak to Cloak & Swagger. Could you start by telling us a bit about what Guerrilla Zoo is and how the idea came about?
Guerrilla Zoo started off as a way all my talented friends could show off their work, from music, performance and art. We started doing parties where all this creativity was under one roof, like a wild indoor festival and you could get your cultural fix for a fiver. As the parties evolved and progressed we expanded to art shows, theatre, live concerts, entire multi-venued seasons and always trying to push the envelope, do something different and exciting, and create an experience that our audience would never forget.
Guerrilla Zoo’s ‘Modern Panic’ includes a lot of live art – why do you think audiences are so excited by ‘real experiences’ at the moment, from immersive theatre to live art?
Live art is having a renaissance as artists such as Marina Abramović hit the mainstream with her collaboration with Jay-Z, and the crowd funded forthcoming Abramović Institute for developing live art performances. Immersive theatre is increasingly popular with companies such as Punchdrunk, You Me Bum Bum Train and Secret Cinema’s recent shows. Engaging the audience, taking them on a journey, removing them from their comfort zones are ways in which we can connect directly to them personally, in which other mediums can’t even get close too. At Modern Panic, I explore and encourage live art and it’s development; The Panic Sermons’ are our riotous live art events which feature six live arts practitioners on each evening from around the world in an intimate setting. Each artist explores different material from movement based time work to powerful visceral imagery.
Some artists featured in Modern Panic use their work to highlight social injustice e.g. Erik Ravelo, is Guerrilla Zoo about education as much as enjoyment? Whose work in this collection do you think will shock the audience the most?
Modern Panic finds it’s roots in the 1960′s Panic Movement, in which the work was designed to be chaotic and powerful, to connect to the emotional core, to help you find yourself. Modern Panic for me is discovering the personal balance of what you find socially, politically and morally acceptable. There are many artists whose work highlights various of provocative causes, but I leave this up to the viewers to make their view points on and how the work speaks to them, its meaning and significance. It’s important for each person to explore the work for themselves and see what really resonates and what they can’t get out of their heads. There is so much to see at this show it’s difficult to choose! I’m very excited about premièring a number of artists work in London for the first time.
Will there be more Guerilla Zoo projects for fans to look forward to in the New Year?
We have our regular sister event ‘It’s Your Funeral‘ a mix of dark and twisted performance, next year we doing an extra special event connected to writer William S Burroughs and working on our next Make Believe Festival for May. Lot’s of exciting things ahead!
Modern Panic IV 8 – 17 November, Apiary Studios, Hackney. For more information, please visit guerrillazoo.com
