Vivien Sansour conducting research. Photo John Halaka.
BIENNALE ARTE 2019: PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME
About
Vivien Sansour is an artist and conservationist who uses image, sketch, film, soil, seeds, and plants to enliven old cultural tales in contemporary presentations and to advocate for the protection of biodiversity as a cultural and political act. As the founder of Palestine Heirloom Seed Library and the Traveling Kitchen project, she works with farmers to promote seed conservation and crop diversity.
Vivien was in-residence at Delfina Foundation during spring 2019.
Performance
Autonomia (2019)
As a seed storyteller, Vivien Sansour takes us through a global journey of looking for and excavating bio-cultural heritage through stories of seed keepers, farmers, and natural elements across the world. A pollinator, Vivien weaves her own story with her work as someone who delivers old tales and gives them a contemporary twist. From the grasses of the American Prairies, the Milpas of Central America, and the hills of her home in Palestine, Autonomia (2019) is a tapestry of stories, both personal and universal that takes the audience on an audio-visual journey that ignites the senses to imagine the smells, textures, and tastes of an ever changing and dynamic world. This performance will include large images, sound, narration by the artist, and audience interaction.
Watch an excerpt of this performance here (from 04:41).
Interview
Read a conversation between the Vivian Sansour and Aaron Cezar, conducted in advance of the November programme, on My Art Guides.
Credits
Vivian Sansour’s participation in the performance programme of the 58th Venice Biennale of Art is supported by Nissreen Darawish.