Wild Card residency for Milan Loviska and Otto Krause (Territorium Kunstverein)
Milan Loviska (SK) and Otto Krause (AT) – Territorium Kunstverein took part in the artistic residency offered by the Workshop Foundation, in February 2018. The two-weeks residency (12. – 25.02.2018) was the first realization phase of their upcoming Furrious (working title) project. In the project the artists researched the role and function of furrification and pluishification in performative spaces, activities, objects, roles and events. The residency was closed by a work-in-progress presentation at Trafó Studio, in 24th of February 2018.
In 2018 Territorium Kunstverein with Furrious project received the H13 Lower Austria Prize for Performance awarded by Kunstraum Niederösterreich in Vienna.
Report: Residency at the Workshop Foundation in Budapest, 12 – 25 February 2018
Milan Loviška and Otto Krause working on “Furrious”
In our project “Furrious” we explore the materiality and sensuality of faux fur and juxtapose the cultural phenomenon of fursuiting with the aesthetic category of cute / kawaii. The residency at the Workshop Foundation in Budapest was our first deep dive into these topics and the project will continue in Autumn in collaboration with the Blitz Residency Programme in Valletta (MT) / European City of Culture 2018.
Looking back on the period of our two weeks long residency we still feel the nostalgia for both the hard work in the studio and also the gothic atmosphere of the magnificently beautiful city of Budapest. The experience and the inspiration we absorbed from wandering the city streets were even more amplified by our numerous and awe-inducing visits to the several local spas that are unique to the city itself. The time in Budapest was therefore well balanced between work and relaxation both equally importantly nurturing the creative process. The WF staff outgrew our expectations and definitions of hospitality, and also of commitment and professionalism. Amazing work from all the staff to support our project and us was always accompanied on one hand by effective problem solving and on the other hand by their genuine interest in our artistic practice. They were always concerned, attentive, curious and kind.
Due to the specific material and visual focus of our project, we had spent furious two weeks prior the residency making at home in Vienna the costumes and set design, or in other words fursuiting ourselves and the various objects we had imagined to use later in the project. Even though the project dramaturgy was based on our previous extensive research of cuteness and fursuiting, and that not only in the contemporary art practices but also in the fields of evolutionary biology, psychological research and current political propaganda, the creation process was to some extent very intuitive, but yet proven to be in the right direction. Besides many others, we have managed to explore and meaningfully incorporate the scenes that have dealt with insta-pornography, nurturing and infantilization, political subversion of puppies and also ASMR[1] art of the fur sound. All of that in a networked environment connecting in real-time on stage computer, iPad, smartphone, robotic ball, video projector and video game design into a performative interface for a physically present audience.
After the two weeks of studio rehearsals we presented the outcome in a 50 min. long work-in-progress performance at the Trafó Studio in Budapest, which was followed by a discussion with the spectators. Even though the presentation was humbly visited, it was an invaluable experience and a proof of concept for us. We are very grateful for this opportunity to all the residency partners and cannot wait to the next project transformation for the Blitz Gallery in Valletta, Malta.
References: http://www.loviska.com/, http://ottookrause.com/
[1] ASMR = Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response