It’s Been A Long Time…

Since I wrote anything at all here, I’ve been to Berlin with 16 New Orleans Cohorts, wilded out in Costa Rica to put Berlin in a special memory hole, and traveled to NYC with my new pal Big Freedia and the tireless dancer Altercation!  There’s even more than that, but for now, let’s leave it there…

Berlin was really something…

Scotty and Billy Dance! at Bar 25

All the people we took we knew well.  This was an attempt to mitigate confusion and more precisely meet people’s expectations.  I would say, even in retrospect, that this was a good plan.  Didn’t always work, but it was a good plan anyway!

We had some hardships to be certain, but almost everyone got what they came to get, even if they didn’t know what they were coming for in the first place.  But I would caution that it is nearly impossible for people who haven’t done something before to intuit their expectations in advance.  So if you ever try something of this magnitude, dear friend, be sure to intuit as much as you can for the people you’re working with as possible.  No matter how little time you have for such an effort.

The shows were wonderful.  A little hit or miss as far as attendance was concerned but enthusiastically received nonetheless.  Ratty Scurvics held down the most shows I believe (about 12 in 10 days!) and killed every audience in every setting.  I was personally impressed with Chloris Flap’s unflappability.  She took new material over and really worked herself into the greater Berlin performance community by traversing the city for open stages and performing out at Fusion Fest in the Cabaret Tent!  Makin’ friends, y’all!  And seriously, MC Subzero Permafrost, are you kidding me with those dance moves?  I really feel like I’m made out of 2×4’s when I see you dance!  Of course I could do a line or two about everyone that came, but I’ve got a life to live too, so I wanna collectively thank everyone that came over to perform!

Special shout outs to Delaney Martin for everything Airlift related and Luke Brennan for holding down all our bike needs!  All those who housed us, loaned us gear, drove us around, helped us get paid, brought out their friends…THANKS!

I would definitely like to thank Berlin Lacht!, Cindy Wonderful & Scream Club, Romain Electrosexual, Everyone at Bar 25 (please don’t close!), White Trash, Les Haferflocken Swingers!, DJ Tommi Urban, Das Hotel, Room 77 (Joerg!!), Intersoap, Stella, EAT LIPSTICK! (love you Juan and Molly!), and lots of folks I forgot!

Cleanup at Bar 25!

In answer to the two questions I am asked, and ask myself, the most…

Did you accomplish what you set out to accomplish?

Certainly we did.  But certainly not to the degree I had hoped.  There were two other projects happening involving people I knew at this time.  Lizer’s is a conceptual artist and friend from Berlin.  She brought about 10 artists from the US (mainly) to collaborate on a collective performance piece at a gallery in Berlin.  And another friend Callie (aka Deitch Project artist “Swoon”) was marshaling the forces of a group of 20 or so to bring 3 artistically crafted rafts from Slovenia to Venice for the Biennale.

When I asked those involved in these projects this same question they answered in the affirmative, and related the stories of their pitfalls and successes.  I would say Callie’s success however is a beacon that draws me the most.  I felt that the parameters for the first major Airlift project simply weren’t ambitious enough.  But more importantly, not because they weren’t as huge as they could be, but because they didn’t have the same transcendence as an end result.  To do it again, I would undoubtedly alter the goals to reflect more of a possibility for wonder and beauty.

and…

Would you do it again?

No, not this particular project.  Ideas pop into my head and the heads of those I work with constantly, and more projects not UNlike this are forthcoming.  But I think to take advantage of exposing artists from New Orleans to concepts and audiences from the wider world we will most likely take on challenges that have more of a personal impact for the people involved.  A greater sense of investment in the outcome is something I would have to feel was evident in each participant in order to justify the often exhausting amount of labor, and the potential loss of resources (in the short term) that’s involved in creating events like this.

Would I go back to Berlin with New Orleans artists?  I’m sure that I will.  But until there’s enough support, tactically and financially, to warrant a group this size, I would sacrifice the amount of people for a more cohesive, collective vision…and greater diversity among the participants.

I’m gonna save info on the rest of my summer for the next post…thanks everyone…and if you’ve got any ideas yourself involving New Orleans artists and collaborations with them, please contact me through the New Orleans Airlift…or write me at foundnotfound@yahoo.com

Thanks again everyone!