Newsletter #10

September 26, 2011

#10

NEWSLETTERANGEL ORENSANZ FOUNDATION

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World Cultural NewsAngel OrensanzSculpture Award

At Orensanz Foundation 9/11 Anniversary Photographic Report

Hot from the ArchivesA Conversation withJudith Malina

Angel Orensanz“Paradigma” Photo Report

Hot from the ArchivesA Conversation with Judith MalinaInterviewed by Al Orensanz

On a wintry New York City afternoon in January (2010), Al Orensanz sat with Judith Malina and interviewed her about her life. She insisted that she not answer any questions about, “numbers, dates, how much, how many.” She proclaimed, “ I don’t know any of that!” So, Al proceeded to talk to her about more important things, such as, “feelings, ideas, and thoughts.” Judith and Al discussed her travels around the world with the Living Theater, her extraordinary encounters and experiences with some of the most influential intellectuals of the time, her successes, her tragedies, her philosophies and her passionate love affairs.

Judith Malina became a New Yorker when she was only two-years-old. She emigrated from Germany to New York with her parents in 1928, to escape the political oppression. She described life growing up as a German-Jew in the East and West Side—always longing to live on the Lower East Side. She finally got her wish after 50 years. Al asked Judith about what she considered were the most significant moments in her life—including tragic ones. She spoke about how, Nurse Edith Cavell, a B-rated movie from the 1930s, changed her life and way of thinking forever. She recited Cavell’s famous words with solemn fervor—in a slight British accent of course, Standing as I am before God and eternity, I realize that patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred no bitterness for anyone…

Judith Malina was only eleven-years-old when she first watched this movie. It was this quote that resonated with her throughout her life, and which she continues to staunchly believe in today. It was this quote that she told her father and announced that, “we must not hate the Nazis!” A brave and profound revelation that turned her life what it is today. She made this belief and philosophy as the basis of her pacifism, politics and theater. Judith later boasted about her many arrests in twelve different countries, all because she believed in the infamous Edith Cavell quote.

Judith Malina spoke to Al about her beloved, Living Theater, which she co-founded in 1947, with her first, late husband, Julian Beck. Judith Malina is best known for her work with this world-renowned theater. The Living Theater was and continues to be an experimental theater, dedicated to staging socially and politically driven poetic drama. It is the oldest experimental theater group in the U.S. She spoke about her many travels with the Theater around the world and her nomadic way of life. Judith studied the art of theater and political theater with her mentor Erwin Piscator--whom she recently wrote a book about. She described the two most important things she learned from Piscator, while she was attending the dramatic workshop in the New School for Social Research, “total theater and commitment.” She explained how Piscator taught her that theater means, “having something to say,” thus, her explanation for activism when Al asked her about her thoughts on it.

Aside from the Living Theater, Judith had two other lovers in her life—Julian Beck and Hanon Reznikov. Judith spoke passionately about her teenage love affair with Julian Beck. She was only seventeen-years-old when she met him and knew instantly that, “this is the person I want to work with, I want to be with, I want to love for the rest of my life.” Judith and Julian spent thirty happy years together. When Beck passed away, Judith fell into despair. However, Hanon Reznikov who worked with Judith and Julian at the Living Theater, and who was their partner and “lover,” was there to, “catch her,” and continue with Judith, the legacy of the Theater.

Al offered Judith another significant event during his interview, which she happily accepted. Judith spoke to Al about her extraordinary experience with Dorothy Day. Judith met Dorothy at a demonstration against the air raid drills. The poet, Jackson Mac Low, invited Judith to the protest while they were rehearsing for the play, Phedre. A few hours later, Judith and Dorothy found themselves arrested. They were imprisoned together for over thirty days. Despite the, “incredible hellhole of a prison,” she described, Judith spoke about the wonderful discussions she would have with Dorothy during their imprisonment together. She explained how she learned so much from her and the incredible feeling it was to be in the same room with 900 other women who were imprisoned for drug addiction and prostitution—“from our point of view, they were not criminals at all, but victims…”

Alongside the Piscator book, Malina has written and published over ten books. She explained to Al that, she is more of a diarist. She wrote in a diary from 1947-1957, which was published in 1984. She revealed that she usually writes in the middle of dark, “instead of sleeping, I write in my diary...” She continues to write in a diary and keeps it up to date and is also working on a new play, which she did not elaborate on.

Throughout the interview, Judith spoke about her views on the current generation of young people today. She discussed her future projects with Al-- The Beautiful- Non-Violent- Anarchist Revolution and her thoughts on the Angel Orensanz Foundation.

Al Orensanz’s interview with Judith Malina captured

an incredibly charming, exciting and passionate woman. Judith’s words are inspiring and profound. To watch her full interview with Al, click here.

Mary Paulyshum

Photos: Left: Judith Malina and Hanon Rexnikov © Geoff Smith

Right: Judith Malina and Al Orensanz, New Years Eve 2010 © Klara

World Cultural NewsAngel Orensanz Sculpture Award

The Angel Orensanz and Arts of the Serrablo Museum was established in 1979 in Sabinanigo (Huesca, Spain). The name comes from Serrablo, a Spanish/Aragonese region in Northern Spain, bordering France, between Catalonia and the Basque Country. Like in any great story, there are always several surprising characters and fortuitous circumstances.

The characters are: Julio Gavin-- a self educated historian of rural architecture from the locality, Don Damian Iguacen-- an expert in Medieval art and architecture and canon of the Cathedral of Huesca, and sculptor, Angel Orensanz-- born in the region and frequent traveler of the area who is familiar with the British love for the rural design and the countryside. Orensanz discovered an unusually vast roofed farmhouse built possibly in the early 1800’s. It was just a stone throw away from Sabinanigo, an industrial enclave among the Pre-Pyrenees Mountains.

In the late 1970’s, Angel Orensanz found the owner who treated him to a walk through the entire house--the vast granaries, the kitchen with a huge open fire and gigantic chimney, two floors of ample bedrooms with oak floors and ceilings, a walled patio surrounding the building. Angel Orensanz expected to see in the patio, Rocinante, Don Quijote de la Mancha’s horse, waiting and tied up to one of the

oak trees of the open patio. The old owner of the farmhouse knew Orensanz’s name as, an artist from Aragonese or Catalan. Orensanz drew an agreement with the owner of the farmhouse and fulfilled all the basics of a legal transaction. The founder of, “Amigos del Serrablo,” heard about the transaction and searched for Orensanz, the local councilman of cultural affairs of Sabinanigo area. Angel Orensanz, “Amigos del Serrablo,” and the local City Council established a joint partnership that shares concepts, art and means between the three entities.

Thity years later, The Museo Angel Orensanz y Artes de Serrablo, is a vibrant cultural institution that shows the work of Angel Orensanz and the wealth of regional crafts housed in the same imposing building. This museum has become one of the oldest museums of contemporary arts and crafts in Spain, and one of the most respected in Europe.

One of the original ingredients of this establishment is a biannual international sculpture award. The 12 prior celebrations have brought to Sabiñánigo, a wealth of contemporary sculptures. At the end of each of the convocations, a significant sculptural piece was installed throughout the locality and its environments. The rules for this coming 2012 are out. Find them here

Derek Bentley

Diedro Abierto Puerta by Iñaki Ruiz de Eguino, Winner of the XIII Edition © wordpress.com

At Orensanz Foundation9-11 AnniversaryPhotographic ReportPhotos by Felix and Dexter Ciprian

3,000 Pebbles In Memoriam was a tribute event and installation, held at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on September 11, 2011,

The Government of Spain - through the Cultural Department of the Consulate General of Spain in New York City, and the network of organizations supporting Spain’s culture and language promotes culture and art, and strives to strengthen bilateral cultural, artistic and academic exchanges.

Spanish-American cultural cooperation aims to create multiple links between the creative sectors of both countries and promote Spain’s contemporary creative and artistic expressions. This cultural network also presents many art programs - featuring dance, music, visual arts, literature, humanities, architecture, and design - in a variety of venues, also in collaboration with relevant American entities throughout New York City.

All cultural and artistic activities are supported by the Spanish Government in the US aiming to emphasize on diverse opinions and multiple forms of expression in line with Spain’s own diversity in language, creativity and

Be Aware to Smile by Juanli Carrion, © spainculturenewyork

Angel Orensanz“Paradigma” Photo ReportPhotos by Andrea Ramos Rodriguez

El Museo del Traje Wears a Colored Spots DressRAFAEL FRAGUAS - EL PAIS- Madrid - 27/07/2011

El Museo del Traje unveils new outfit in its Ciudad Universitaria location in Madrid. Its lush gardens, meadows and fresh upholstery trees, enjoy the splendor provided by the nearby groundwater plus heavy rains last winter. The sleek canopies receive these days the visit of a unique guest, sculptor Angel Orensanz Huesca (Larues, 1941). It was convened by the General Department of Promotion of Fine Arts to establish a dialogue between Orensanz’s artwork and the museum.

Expert in thousands of artistic avatars, Orensanz has placed his installations in Holland Park in London, Moscow’s Red Square or Central Park in New York City, in which Norfolk Street acquired the building of a synagogue. “Its plan coincides with the Sistine Chapel’s”, says the creator for which “artists have been making a fool of himself since the Renaissance.” According to the critics, such is his fascination for the great art, that he has stamped his personality with rebellion and originality. However, Orensanz has not brought to Madrid a powerful installation, as he use to; this time he carries another apparently labile, fleeting, flying between the dense branches of the pines. The aim is to “pay tribute to the creative silence of nature that draws its immense potential, its passive anarchy”.

The installation consists of a range of vivid hues of colored circles; spheres filled with drawings outlining nervous hands, questions and stares. Each element

is linked to another nearby and, in color transitions; all of them interact with the water from a 100 jets fountain in rare geometry. The whole composition seems to encourage nature to a dialogue that release itself from the absorbed gravity.

From childhood, Orensanz discovered thousands of different colors in the prodigious nest eggs of prey birds that ply the Aragonese Pyrenean skies; the sculptor learned to tame a strong a chromatic of his own because he knows the grasslands, cliffs and screes backgrounds from which he projects his art. Back in 1978 and not far from El Museo del Traje, Orensanz created an enigmatic outdoor installation in front of the Rector’s Pavillion of Complutense University.

That string silent totems, filled with color and cavities drilled by hissing, announced the future of his art: a perpetual dialogue and passion paying homage to the trees and rocks, to the mysterious power of water and the fearsome wind. Precursor of the Spanish land art, few places are left without his works showed. Now in St. Petersburg, yesterday morning in Beijing and Sydney, Orensanz reserved this sample for Madrid, a prelude to a rhythmic swing with the changes in our time, a compromise with those seeking new artists to engage against the noise, the banality and uncertainty.

Paradigma. Until October 30. Museo del Traje. Avenida Juan de Herrera, s / n. Madrid, Spain. From 9.00 to 19.00.

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