Jumbie Camp !

Don't miss artist Laura Barbata Anderson's project Jumbie camp ! at the Galeria Ramis Barquet in Chelsea. And look out for the ad (above) in the September issue of Artforum. I shot the image of this Moko Jumbie at the African Festival in Brooklyn a few month ago. He wears a costume designed by Laura and is a member of the Brooklyn Jumbies. Unfortunately I will miss the whole action, I can't get away from a long term job in Germany.
To better explain what is going on, here is the official press release:

Jumbie Camp
a mx-lab project
By Laura Anderson Barbata
Featuring the Brooklyn Jumbies and Stefan Falke

Street performance: Saturday, September 15th at 3 pm

Galeria Ramis Barquet is pleased to announce Jumbie Camp by Laura Anderson Barbata.

For the duration of Jumbie Camp the gallery space will be transformed into a workshop and rehearsal space where costumes and masks for a number of street performances featuring the Brooklyn Jumbies will be created or restored. The artist hopes to challenge the dynamics of the gallery space and its normal activities by making it a part of the creative process and by bringing about a greater engagement with the surrounding community. By shifting its environment as different activities progress, the gallery audience will have an opportunity to participate in the project in a number of capacities. Gallery visitors are encouraged to immerse themselves in the workshop space and help in any way they can. Additionally, there will also be weekly workshops that will teach participants various aspects of the Jumbie experience, for example, a stilt-walking session will be offered.

Laura Anderson Barbata has been working in the social realm since 1992. In 2002 she began working with Dragon Keylemanjahro School of Arts and Culture in Trinidad, a community center completely operated through volunteer participation from residents of the neighborhood. The project focuses on providing free of charge extracurricular activities to youth of a low-income area of Port of Spain, as well as reviving the art and tradition of West African stilt walking in Trinidad. Through artistic interventions during special events, carnival competitions, workshops and outreach programs, the group reinforces social ideals such as healthy life choices and respect for cultural heritage. Today, Laura is working under the same concept with the Brooklyn Jumbies.

In addition to the workshop, the gallery will be exhibiting Anderson Barbata’s costume work, as well as three lenticular prints made as a collaboration between the artist and photographer Stefan Falke. There will also be video projections of the group’s performances in Trinidad and Tobago.

Laura Anderson Barbata was born in Mexico City. She lives and works in New York City. Recent solo exhibitions include Dos Vírgenes at Galería La Refaccionaria in Mexico City. Her recent group exhibitions include Vestige/Vestigio: Laura Anderson Barbata, Oscar Muñoz, Betsabeé Romero at the CU Art Museum in Boulder, Colorado and BALANCE! Heiligendamm, in Bad Doberan, Germany.

Laura Barbata Anderson Art Artists Carnival Trinidad and Tobago Costumes Moko Jumbies Photography Stefan Falke