MAIN LIBRARY TO HOST “CHANCE” MIAMI WITH ARTIST ROBERT LADISLAS DERR – NOVEMBER 16
Artist Robert Ladislas Derr brings Chance, an ongoing “psychogeographical” walk performance project, to the Miami-Dade Public Library, 101 W Flagler St., on Monday, November 16. At 12:30 p.m. Derr will ask viewers to roll a dice to determine the course of his walk from the Main Library through the streets of downtown Miami, wearing a mirrored suit and four video cameras that will capture scenes from his front, back and sides.
Derr’s project, which began in late 2005 - and has been completed in cities throughout the world , redefines conventional methods of mapmaking and walking through a city, while creating a contemporary document of each city with four-channel video and photographs. The intent of this “chance” operation is to allow himself—and, in turn, the viewers—to discover and observe each city from a “pure,” non-commercial perspective.
The results of the die rolls will determine if Derr goes forward, right, left, or back down a street, spins or stands in place. Derr will move through the streets with his cameras in silence, capturing an unedited glimpse of the architecture and ephemeral characters that construct the ambiance of place and time.
The footage collected during this performance will be the basis for a four-channel video installation that will be on view, in the 2nd floor exhibition space, at the Main Library from November 19, through January 31, 2010. Derr, who is also an assistant professor of art at Ohio Sate University, will give a talk about his work on Thursday, November 19, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. For more informatione-mail art@mdpls.org or call 305-375-5048.
About the artist:
Robert Ladislas Derr uses video, photography, performance, and installation as he puts himself literally in the center of a barrage of questions about life and making art. He has exhibited and performed worldwide at such venues as the Schirn Kunsthalle (Frankfurt, Germany), LIVE Performance Art Biennale (Vancouver, BC, Canada), Wexner Center for the Arts (Columbus, OH), Athens Video Art Festival (Athens, Greece), Photographic Resource Center (Boston, MA), American Academy in Rome (Rome, Italy), Independent Museum of Contemporary Art (Limassol, Cyprus), Irish Film Institute (Dublin, Ireland), Art Interactive (Cambridge, MA), DiVA Festival (New York, NY), and Jack the Pelican Presents (Brooklyn, NY). Derr has an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, and he is an assistant professor of art at The Ohio State University.
