Today…
Due to various factors, such as the overexposure of visual and sound stimuli, such as publicity or transit, we have distanced ourselves from the people around us. The excess of consumerism, of work, of culture as merchandise, among other factors, act as mechanisms that make it difficult to stop along the way, a pause to reflect, look and listen to our surroundings.

In a society where competition, exploitation, and the pursuit of the greatest personal benefit, the indifference towards other people has been institutionalized and even normalized in the act / thinking of many people, how can we become indignant, stand up and change things, for the betterment of the common people? Although I do not have conclusive answers, I think it is necessary to stop to talk (us) and listen (us), to give us time to reflect, question, fight and create.

I think that listening is a key act for this process of change. Listening is a political and social act, it is a vehicle of communication, dialogue, understanding, and approach to people, an indispensable means of understanding and transforming our realities.

Actions
I would like to carry out actions that start from the corporal and / or vocal presence in public spaces, to invite people to listen, to listen to each other, and reflect on our ways of inhabiting, experiencing and appropriating public space, to reflect on our contexts, our relationships, our lives. Carry out actions that address the everyday and propose the public space as an area of ​​revival between art, society and politics. Actions that make us think about and with people, in our relationships, in our interdependence. Actions that conceive and propose art as part of the experience of daily life, that help the reappropriation of our lives.

I want that through actions we look for ourselves, we distinguish ourselves, we see each other and listen, we reflect in our common contexts and we look for ways to do where we all fit, and we benefit.

I think that art is a form of social consciousness, and in that sense, it is an instrument of communication, of knowledge, of exchange of ideas, an instrument of change and transformation. I think that art can affect reality, and even transform it.

Action no. 1
In the walkway 16 de Septiembre, in the Historical Center of Queretaro, Mexico, a performance was made that consisted of writing on the floor with water and a brush over and over again the question: Are you listening to the people around you?

 

Action no. 2

 

Action no. 3

 

Action no. 4
In the neighborhoods of Cruz de Fuego, Magisterial and Magisterial Union, in the city of Queretaro, Mexico, a sound action was carried out, in which questions were asked through a megaphone that invited people to listen.

 

Action no. 5 *
In the Madero walkway, in the Historical Center of Queretaro, Mexico, a performance was performed, which consisted of writing on the body and clothes the sounds that were being heard at that moment.

 

Action no. 6 *
In the Zenea Garden, in the Historical Center of Queretaro, Mexico, a sound action was performed, in which megaphones were used to mention and / or describe the sounds that were being heard at that moment.

 

* Action carried out in collaboration with Ambar Luna and Jean-Paul Carstensen, through the project [Re] Post of Astrolabio I Scenic Research – http://astrolabio.mx/ and beneficiary of the Support Program for Artistic Production “Apoyarte” 2015 of the Queretano Institute of Culture and the Arts.

 

Bibliography
– De Gracia, Silvio. Urban insurgencies: Subversive artistic strategies and public space in the South American context. Obtained in the link: http://www.artishock.cl/2013/11/insurgencias-urbanas-estrategias-artisticas-subversivas-y-espacio-publico-en-el-contexto-sudamericano/ (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– G. Rubio, Irene. We will not save ourselves: Interview with the philosopher Marina Garcés. Diagonal Periódico, Spain, 2014. Obtained in the link: https://www.diagonalperiodico.net/culturas/22160-no-nos-salvaremos-solos.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Garcés, Marina. The distance between power and dignity. El País, Spain, 2014. Obtained in the link: http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/04/22/opinion/1398159358_690481.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Garcés, Marina. That we can? From consciousness to incarnation in current critical thinking. European Institute for Progressive Cultural Policies, 2008. Obtained in the link: http://eipcp.net/transversal/0808/garces/es (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Gibler, John. Testimony of the journalist Jhon Gibler about the attacks on the Normalistas of Ayotzinapa. Obtained in the link: https://soundcloud.com/ejekatl1942/testimonio-del-periodista-jhon-gibler (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Gonzalez, Leonardo. The implications of psychology in performance art. A relational look between the organism and the world of objects. Obtained in the link: http://performancelogia.blogspot.mx/2007/09/las-implicancias-de-la-psicologa-en-el.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– González Serrano, Carlos Javier. Byung-Chul Han: think (in) capitalism. Obtained in the link: https://apuntesdelechuza.wordpress.com/2014/04/10/byung-chul-han-pensar-en-el-capitalismo/ (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Lladó, Albert. Marina Garcés: “There is a little identity independence.” La Vanguardia, Spain, 2013. Obtained in the link: http://www.lavanguardia.com/libros/20131218/54398299988/marina-garces-independentismo-poco-identitario.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Padín, Clemente. Contextual art and performance. Obtained in the link: http://performancelogia.blogspot.mx/2007/02/arte-contextual-y-la-performance.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Padín, Clemente. Art of action. Obtained in the link: http://performancelogia.blogspot.mx/2006/11/arte-de-la-accion-clemente-padn.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Padín, Clemente. Towards a language of action. Obtained in the link: http://performancelogia.blogspot.mx/2007/08/hacia-un-lenguaje-de-la-accin-clemente.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Padín, Clemente. Performance from the Latin American perspective. Obtained in the link: http://performancelogia.blogspot.mx/2006/11/la-performance-desde-la-perspectiva.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Padín, Clemente. Ritual or performance, always utopia. Obtained in the link: http://performancelogia.blogspot.mx/2007/05/ritual-o-performance-siempre-utopa.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).
– Rodríguez Mortellaro, Itzel. Action art. Obtained in the link: http://performancelogia.blogspot.mx/2007/01/arte-de-accin-itzel-rodrguez-mortellaro.html (Consulted the 11/17/2014).

Photographies by: Fausto Gracia, Yaritza Ordaz y Armando F. Villavicencio.

 

 

Presence – Listen – Presence’ by Balam Ronan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.