Lone Star Explosion 2014, Houston's International Performance Art Biennale

Lone Star Explosion is proud to present Houston’s International Performance Art Biennale: Lone Star Explosion 2014, Houston’s second Performance Art Biennale beginning Wednesday, February 19th – Saturday, February 22nd. Bringing together a host of local, national and international artists, Lone Star Explosion 2014 will showcase evocative performances questioning cultural and societal norms that will challenge both the artists and the viewers alike. Curated by local artists Jonatan Lopez and Julia Wallace, each visiting participant has been carefully selected based on works that offer insight and expansion on themes and practices currently explored by Houston’s top performance artists. Lone Star Explosion 2014 was created as both a learning environment for performance artists and viewers, as well as an exhibition like no other in Houston. Utilizing some of the most important and interesting art spaces in Houston, such as Box 13 Artspace, Art League Houston, and notsuoH, performances will be highlighted at each venue on rotating nights. The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston will be hosting a symposium on Saturday, February 22nd from 2:00 – 4:00 pm featuring Marcel Sparmann, Autumn Hays, Autumn Knight, Jill McDermid, Erik Hokanson and Ryan Hawk, among others. Lone Star Explosion 2014 participating artists are: Carlos Martiel (Cuba), Abel Azcona (Spain), Miao Jiaxin (China/US), Elia Arce (Costa Rica), La Pocha Nostra, featuring Roberto Sifuentes and Erica Mott (US/Mex) Marcel Sparmann (Germany), Aisen Caro Chacin (Venezuela/US), Fito Segrera (Colombia), Emilio Rojas (Mexico) Autumn Hays (Chicago), Jill McDermid (NYC), Erik Hokanson (NYC) Emaes Armstrong (DC) J. Morrison (NYC), Jim Pirtle (Houston) Justus Harris (Chicago), David Graeve (Houston), Michael Anthony Garcia (Austin), Emily Sloan (Houston) Daniel Adame (Houston), Nestor Topchy (Houston), Ryan Hawk (Houston), and Autumn Knight (Houston), Daniel Bertalot (Houston), Joshua Yates (Houston), Hilary Scullane (Houston), Unna Bettie (Houston), Josh Urban Davis (Houston), Robert Rosenberg (Houston), Countercollectivecollectivecollective (Houston), Southmorehouse (Houston). Performance SW, featuring Courtney Brown and Alison Star (Dallas), Continuum, featuring Evan Mc Carley, Emmanuel Nuno Arambula, Nikki Thornton, David McClain, Emily Sloan, Kristen Keilman, Jana Whatley, Raindawg, Manola Maldonado, Koomah and Neil Ellis Orts. When: February 19thth-22nd Where: Kick Off Party, Feb 19th 8:00pm – 11:00 pm at AvantGarden hosted by Southmorehouse, featuring live performances by Ak'chamel, Good Spear, David Tyson Moore and Jet and Linda. 411 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006 832) 519-1429, (Free Admission) Thursday, February 20th 7:00 pm -11:00 pm at Box 13 ArtSpace 6700 Harrisburg Blvd. Houston, TX 77017 Friday, February 21st 7:00 pm -11:00 pm The Art League Houston 1953 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX 77006 (713)-523-9530 Saturday, February 22nd 12:00pm - 1:30pm End of The World Potluck at Menil Park, (bring your bike and your last meal) hosted by Countercollectivecollectivecollective. Saturday, February 22nd 2:00 – 4 :00 pm The Symposium will be held at The Contemporary Arts Museum 5216 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006 (713) 284-8250, (Free Admission) Saturday, February 22nd 4:30pm, 'food mandala for native immigrants' performance at Hermann Park, facilitated by Alex Tu, featuring soundtracks by Nomadic Sounds, hosted by Countercollectivecolectivecollective. Saturday, February 22nd 8:00 pm – midnight, notsuoH 314 Main St, Houston, Texas 77002 (713) 409-4750 Official after party hosted by the Countercollectivecollectivecollective at Notsuoh, Midnight-Sunrise Confinement, In Search for Identity. A one week log performance by Abel Azcona in collaboration with Continuum. Monday February 24th - Monday March 3rd Secret Location (streamed online, link TBA) About Lone Star Explosion: Lone Star Explosion 2014 seeks to showcase performance art that pushes the artists and audience in new ways, especially performance art that questions fundamental assumptions about the way we experience time, space, relationships, the self, society, and sexuality. Visiting artists from around the world have been hand picked because their work offers insight and expansion on themes and practices currently explored by Houston Performance Artists. Houston’s rich and diverse performance art scene will also be featured in the Biennale. The unique, rebellious, beauty of Houston’s own performance art will join with the brilliant expression of our visiting artists, creating an exchange of epic proportion. We intend for every participant to leave the festival full of new inspiration and greater possibility. Lone Star Explosion 2014 is curated and directed by Jonatan Lopez and Julia Wallace. Ryan Hawk is serving as the Education Opportunity Coordinator and the artist board consists of Kelly Alison, Emily Sloan, Ryan Hawk, David L Davis, Koomah, Y. E. Torres, Jonathan Jindra, Hilary Scullane, David McClain, Daniel Bertalot, Evan McCarley and Unna Bettie.. Lone Star Explosion is fiscally sponsored by HIVE Houston and a 501(c)(3) non-profit. In 2012 the Biennale brought in over twenty artists from South Korea, Estonia, Ireland, Berlin, France, Canada and Venezuela. Biennale Founders are Nestor Topchy, Mariana Lemesoff and Myk Henry. www.lonestarlive.org About Art League Houston: Art League Houston (ALH) Art League Houston (ALH) The mission of Art League Houston is to cultivate awareness, appreciation and accessibility of contemporary visual art within the community for its cultural enrichment. Art League Houston presents contemporary exhibitions and programs that are aesthetically strong, and that provide the community with the opportunity to explore topics of cultural, humanistic, and social relevance. www.artleaguehouston.org About Box 13 ArtSpace: BOX 13 ArtSpace is an artist run nonprofit innovative environment for the creation and advancement of experimental contemporary art in Houston. BOX 13 artists create this environment through the offering of affordable workspaces for emerging and established artists, dedicating five interior spaces to the exhibition of artistic explorations, a window gallery for installations and an outdoor courtyard space. www.box13artspace.com About CAMH: The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is a non-collecting institution dedicated to presenting the best and most exciting international, national, and regional art. Through dynamic exhibitions accompanied by scholarly publications and accessible educational programs, the Museum reaches out to local, regional, national, and international audiences of various ages. www.camh.org About AvantGarden: AvantGarden is an artist collective, a Houston bar, lounge and social patio on lower Westheimer in Montrose, which draws patrons both from surrounding Montrose and Museum District neighborhoods and from afar with its plethora of nightly events. www.avantgardenhouston.com About Notsuoh: notsuoH is one of Houston’s most eclectic venues which functions as a bar as well as an art, music, and poetry venue. A popular spot among artists and art lovers alike, notsuoH has proudly been a supporter of the Houston art scene for over a decade. www.notsuoh.com There is still time to support Lone Star Explosion, follow the link below to contribute: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lonestar-explosion-2014/x/5903678 Thank you, The Lone Star Explosion Team Above Image: My Body, My Rules, Abel Azcona, 2012.