Cátedra Arte de Conducta (Behavior Art School)

Title: Behavior Art School (Cátedra Arte de Conducta)

Conception year: 1998

Founder and Director: Tania Bruguera

Implementation years: 2002-2009

Medium: Behavior Art (Arte de Conducta), Useful Art (Arte Útil)

Duration: Long-term project

Location: Havana, Cuba

Materials: Configuration of an Institution, Education Formats, Public Gathering, Study of the Relationship Between the Performative Arts and Politics and its implementation in Society.

Statement

Cátedra Arte de Conducta (Behavior Art Department – 2002-2009) emerged like a piece of public art intended to create a space of alternative training to the system of art studies in contemporary Cuban society. It is a Long Term Intervention focused in the discussion and analysis of sociopolitical behavior and the understanding of art as an instrument for the transformation of ideology through the activation of civic action on its environment. It was created as a space for the practice of Arte de Conducta1(Behavior Art). Actions aimed to transform some spaces in society through art, transcending symbolic representation or metaphor and meeting with their activity some deficits in reality, in life through ArteÚtil2(Useful Art), are prioritized. This site and political-timing specific3piece is displayed through the creation of a pedagogical model that makes up for the lack of civic discussion spaces on the function of art in present Cuban society and promotes new generations of artists and intellectuals. This work offers a political discourse stemming from art and promotes the exploration of relationships between art and context.

Members of the project come from various fields – architecture, theater, writing, engineering, set design, music, cinema, sociology, visual arts, history of art and even self-taught artists. All the activities of the Catedra Arte de Conducta are free of charge and open to every type of audience interested in participating. All workshops last for a week and, just like the members of the project, guest professors come from various areas of social life:lawyers, architects, visual artists, art dealers, curators, writers, scientists, dancers, former convicts, theater directors, scriptwriters, actors, anthropologists, mathematicians andso on. Because of the scarce access to sources of information in Cuba, the Cátedra Arte de Conducta took the first steps for the creation of a specialized archive in international contemporary art, giving special importance to performance and social issues, through subscriptions to magazines on art and contemporary sociology and buying books on theory of culture and art history. The project favored exchange among schools in various countries, art projects and international residences, as well as with important figures or Cuban art and criticism of various generations, thus establishing an interaction with diverse systems of thought. Members of the project manage a flow of information allowing them to understand and choose their position vis-à-vis art and society.

The Department had established to hold thematic exhibitions, generally having to do with the national sociopolitical context, that would be held every six months. Its members made pieces participating in events organized by guest curators. After six years of continuous exercise, these creative and critical experiences have given rise to one of the most experimental and radical guidelines in present Cuban art production.

Cátedra Arte de Conducta is the first work of art and, at the same time, the first institution focusing in creating a curriculum of Behavior Art and of Political Art. Thus it has become a model for educational projects of a social and artistic nature and for artistic projects focused in offering educational activities.

1,2, & 3 See Glossary Tab

Exhibited

2003

Performance in Reverse

Exchange between San Francisco Art Instituteand Cátedra Arte de Conducta (Behavior Art School). The ruins of the Circus School of the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), Havana, Cuba. Curated by Tania Bruguera and Tony Labatt.

Paladar

First exhibition at Cátedra Arte de Conducta’s headquarters. Tejadillo 214, home of Tania Bruguera, Havana, Cuba. Curated by Tania Bruguera.

Exposición de sonido (Sound Exhibition)

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Center for the Development of the Visual Arts (Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales), CDAV, Havana, Cuba. Curated by Tania Bruguera.

Lighting

Collective action and exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Pabellón Cuba, Eighth Havana Biennial, Havana, Cuba. 2003. Curated by RAIN and Eugenio Valdés Figueroa.

2004

Centrífuga

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Center for the Development of the Visual Arts (Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales), CDAV, Havana, Cuba. Curated by Tania Bruguera, Magaly Espinosa and Eugenio Valdés.

Tercera Jornada de Performance de Cienfuegos-Cayo Carenas

Performances Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Third Conference on Performance of Cienfuegos, Cienfuegos, Cuba.

2005

Hueco

Hueco exhibition did not materialize as an event, although some individual projects were made and shown at later exhibitions. El Hueco, precarious population settlement located in the Havana municipality of La Lisa, was chosen by the participants and guest curator, Yuneikys Villalonga.

2006

Parallel to IX Bienal de La Habana

Public presentation of the work of the participants of Cátedra Arte de Conducta at Tejadillo 214, project’s headquarters during the IX Havana Biennial, Havana, Cuba. Organized by Tania Bruguera.

Rescribible

Exhibition–Public presentation Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Tejadillo 214. Curated by Luis Gárciga.

Salón Provincial “Oscar Morera”

Presentación Cátedra Arte de Conducta.Salón Provincial “Oscar Morera”, Sancti Spíritus, Cuba.

2007

INTERMEDIAE-Minbak

Exchange Cátedra Arte de Conducta, ARCO 07, Madrid, Spain. Curated by Suset Sánchez.

Ni a favor ni en contra, todo lo contrario

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. School for Arts and Letters, University of Havana, Havana, Cuba. Curated by Mailyn Machado.

Masa crítica

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Center for the Development of the Visual Arts (Centro de Desarrollo de las Artes Visuales), CDAV, Havana, Cuba. Curated by Sandra Sosa.

2008

USB

Exhibition. Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Park of the G Street and 23 Street, Havana, Cuba. Curated by Rosa Hermida.

Le Fresnoy/Habana Remix

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. National Museum of Fine Arts. Havana, Cuba. Curated by Mailyn Machado.

Defensa eslava

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Mall “Carlos III”, Havana, Cuba. Curated by Frency Fernández.

Bomba Lógica

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Seventh Biennial of Gwangju, South Korea. Curated by Okwui Enwezor.

Esto no es lo que parece

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. University Student House. Havana, Cuba. Curated by Darys Vasquez.

2009

Estado de excepción

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Galería Habana,TenthHavana Biennial, Havana Cuba. Curated by Tania Bruguera and Mailyn Machado.

Per Diem

Residency-Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. in Bétonsalon Centred’art et de recherche, Paris, France. Curated by Melanie Bouteloup and Tania Bruguera.

2010

Touched

Exhibition Cátedra Arte de Conducta. Tenth International Biennial of Liverpool, Liverpool, England. Curated by Lorenzo Fusi.

Documentation

(By alphabetical order)

Alumni works  

Guests 

 

Amat, Rosa Elena

Year: 2009 
Medium: Installation
Materials: Table, tablecloth,
Bithday Cake, refreshment
Medium: Performance
photos.
@Rosa Elena Amat

Amaya, Analía /

Díaz, Humberto

Title:Calentamiento (Warm-up)

Year: 2007
Medium: Video
@Analía Amaya/Humberto Díaz

Bonachea, James

Title: Orden Público (Public Order)

Year:  2010

Medium: Intervention in public
Space at Liverpool‘s Anglican
Cathedral.
Materials:Lightsofsirensusedin
Britishpolice patrols.
@James Bonachea

Delahante, Susana Pilar

Title:El escándalo de lo Real

(The Scandal of the Real)

Year:  2006-2007

Medium: Artificial Manipulation
Materials: Semen, Insemination
@Susana Pilar Delahante

García, Fidel (T10)

Title: Auto Organization
Year: 2008
Medium: Installation
Materials: Ideological Information

of North Corea and South Corea,

Cultive of 2000 Worms, two PCs,

Organic Matter,two Radio receiver

cards, Electrical Circuits, Scaffolds

@Fidel García

García, Fidel (T10)
Title: State
Year: 2006
Medium: Installation
Materials: Software (virus) STATE,

three Laptop and Monitor LCD,

Router, Internet, Modular structures

@Fidel García

Güell, Nuria

Title:Aportación de agentes del orden

(Police Officers Contribution)

Year:  2009, Havana

Medium: Action

Experience: material of espionage
exhibition of documentation of the work:
Blackboard with documentation
@Nuria Güell

Güell, Nuria

Title:Acceso a lo denegado

(Access to what is denied)

Year: 2008, Havana

Medium: Public Service
Experience: Internet service,
Etecsa contracts, information
exchange, the town crier,
advertising, computers
@Nuria Güell

Márquez, Marcel

Title:Pinkgun -Vol.2 (+Turbo)

Year: 2008

Medium: Performance
Materials:Video, House Music,
audience, Djs, disco.
@Marcel Márquez

Martiel, Carlos

Title:Sabiduría (Wisdom)

Year: 2007
Medium: Performance
©Photo:Rolando Vázquez
@Carlos Martiel

Martiel, Carlos

Title:Integración (Integration)

Year:  2009
Medium: Performance
©Photo: Francisco Mazo
@Carlos Martiel

Matute, Andrés

Title:Cebra de cal (zebra’s lime)

Year:  2009
Medium: Intervention in public Space
at Fifth Ave. Havana.
Materials: Video, Cardboard template,
powdered lime. 
@Andrés Matute

Olema, Ana

Year:  2009
Medium: Performance
@Ana Olema

Orta, Levi

Title:Bajo la piel (Skin Deep)
Year:  2008
Medium: Performance,
Multimedia
@Levi Orta

Orta, Levi

Title: Modelos (Models)
Year:  2007
Medium: Video
Materials: Video Color
DVCAM, PAL, 16:9,
Stereo Sound,
02:27 min.
@Levi Orta
Orta, Levi
Title: Trinchera (Trench)
Year:  2007
Medium: Video
Materials: Video Color,
DVCAM, PAL,  16:9,
Stereo Sound,
04:11 min.
@Levi Orta

Romagoza, Yali

Title: Normal is Good

(Tuxedo Sonorous.
Tribute to Laurie Anderson)
Year:  2009
Medium: Art Fashion
Materials: Models
@Yali Romagoza

Arrechea, Alexandre

Guest 2006

Bishop, Claire

Guest 2007

Bourriaud, Nicolas

Guest 2007

Bruguera, Tania

Guest from 2003 – 2008

Büchel, Christoph

Guest 2008 

Castro, Elvia Rosa

Guest 2004 and 2006

Chang, Patty

Guest 2007

Díaz, Humberto

Guest 2004 and 2005

Dubois, David

Guest 2007

Emlgreen, Michael

& Dragset, Ingar

Guests 2006

García, Dora

Guest 2008

Hernández, Abdel

Guest 2006

Hirschhorn, Thomas

Guest 2007

Hoffman, Jeff

Guest 2006

López, Aníbal  

Guest 2007

Paci, Adrian

Guest 2007

Sala, Anri

Guest 2005

Tiravanija, Rirkrit

Guest 2008

Alumni / Guests

ALUMNI

(By alphabetical order)

1.   Yunior Aguiar 

2.   Dayanira Alberdi 

3.   Rosa Elena Amat 

4.   Analía Amaya

5.   Luis Amigo 

6.   Glauber Ballestero

7.   Damián Bandín 

8.  La Vaughn Belle 

9.   Jimmy Bonachea

10. Leandro Bonachea

11.  Marta María Borrás 

12.  Yorjander Capetillo 

13.  Yaima Carrazana 

14.  Raychel Carrión

15.  Luis Casas 

16.  Javier Castro 

17.  Jeanette Chavez

18.  Susana Pilar Delahante 

19.  Yohana Depestre

20.  Ernesto Domecq 

21.  Humberto Díaz

22.  Ernesto Gallardo

23.  Maikel Galindo

24.  Luis Gárciga 

25.  Omar Gómez 

26.  Celia González 

27.  Núria Güell  

28.  Onaidy Gutiérrez 

29.  Ana Olema Hernández

30.  Jesús Hernández Güero 

31.  Ayleé Ibáñez 

32.  Jesús Jacomino 

33.  Hamlet Lavastida

34.  Reynier Leyva Novo 

35.  Carlos González (MAKINAH)

36.  Yorky Mencía (MAKINAH)

37.  René Pedroso (MAKINAH)

38.  Jean Pérez

39.  Marcel Márquez (Vjs)

40. Carlos Martiel

41.  Patricia Martínez

  Chiroles

42.  Nancy Martínez

43.  Francisco Masó 

44.  Andrés Matute

45.  Yanahara Mauri 

46.  Ricardo Miguel

47.  Adrián Melis 

48.  Mauricio Miranda 

49.  Osdany Morales 

50.  Daleysi Moya 

51.  Miguel Moya

52.  Frank Mujika

53.  Ariel Orozco

54.  Yuri Obregón 

55.  Levi Orta

56.  Amaury Pacheco (OMNI)

57.  Dinorah Pérez

58.  Wilfredo Prieto

59.  Renier Quer 

60.  Lisandra Ramírez 

61.  Yimit Ramírez 

62.  Grethell Rasúa 

63.  Yosuán Remolina 

64.  Yalí Romagoza 

65.  Ana María Socarrás 

66.  José Antonio Tamayo

67. Fidel García (T10

  -Territorio Transfuncional-)

68.  Alejandro Ulloa

69.  Maibet Valdés 

70.  Sergio Valdés 

71.  Reinier Valdés  

GUESTS

(By year and alphabetical order)

2003

1. Arturo

 Arango

2. Marianela

  Boán

3. Tania

  Bruguera

4. Nao

  Busta-

  mante

5. Stan

  Douglas

6. Magaly

  Espinosa

7. Carlos

  Garaicoa 

8. Tony

  Labat

9. Mike

  Osterout

10.Larry

  Rinder

11.Eugenio

  Valdés

12.Hans

  Winkler

2004

1. Arturo

  Arango

2. Gustavo

  Arcos

3. La Vaughn

  Belle

4. Tania

  Bruguera

5. Elvia Rosa

  Castro

6. Humberto

  Díaz

7. Stan

  Douglas

8. Colectivo:

  El Perro

9. Magaly

  Espinosa

10.Aleš

  Erjavec

11.Mailyn

  Machado

12.Corina

  Matamoros

13.Jeff 

  McMahon

14.Adrián

  Monzón

15.Gerardo

  Mosquera

16.Fernando

  Sáez

17.Suset

  Sánchez

18.Eugenio

  Valdés F.

19.Humberto

  Vélez

20.Cristina

  Vives

2005

1. Gustavo

  Arcos

2. Yana Elsa

  Brugal

3. Tania

  Bruguera

4. Humberto

  Díaz

5. Thierry de

  Duve

6. Irmgard

  Emmelhainz

7. Magaly

  Espinosa

8. Jacob

  Fabricius

9. Frency

  Fernández

10.Orlando

  Hernández

11.Nelson

  Herrera

  Ysla

12.Danny

  Hoch

13.Rogelio

  López

  Cuenca

14.Mario

  Masvidal

15.Dannys

  Montes

  de Oca

16.Laura de

  la Mora

17.Laura

  Nevares

  Hernández

RAIN

19.Siggi

  Hofer,

20.Susi

  Jirkuff,

21.Lisa

  Schmidt

22.Alex

 Schmoeger

 and

23.Florian

  Zeyfang)

24.Yordanka

  Ramírez

  Pastor

25.Anne

  Rikke

  Luther

26.Fernando

  Sáez

27.Anri

  Sala

28.Ezequiel

  Suárez

29.Jacqueline

  Venet

30.Yuneikys

  Villalonga

31.Cristina

  Vives 

2006

1. Jennifer

  Allora

2. Arturo

  Arango

3. Alexandre

  Arrechea

4. Tania

  Bruguera

5. Elvia Rosa

  Castro

6. Dj Rasiel

7. Dj Capitán

9. Michael

  Emlgreen

10.Ingar

  Dragset

11.Magaly

  Espinosa

12.Jorge

  Estrada

13.Luis

  Gárciga

14.Abdel

  Hernández

15.Jens

  Hoffmann

16.Mailyn

  Machado

17.Mario

  Masvidal

18.Aldo

  Menéndez

19.Antoni

  Muntadas

20.Santiago

  Olmos

21.Martha

  Perera

22.Manfred

  Pfister

23.Cecilia

  Vaisman

24.Jacqueline

  Venet

2007

1. Alessio

  Antoniolli

2. Bill

  Ayers

3. Daniel

  Bejerano

4. Claire

  Bishop

5. Nicolas

  Bourriaud

6. Tania

  Bruguera

7. Patty

  Chang

8. Lucrezia

  Cippitelli

9. Raúl

  Cordero

10.Bernardine

  Dohrn

11.Christoph

  Draeger

12.David

  Dubois

13.Magaly

  Espinosa

14.Borís

  Groys

15.Erla  

Haraldsdottir

16.Ana Rosa

  Hermida

17.Thomas

  Hirschhorn

18.Rogelio

  López 

19.Aníbal

  López

20.Mailyn

  Machado

21.Edoardo

  Malagigi

22.Mario

  Masvidal

23.Lázara

  Menéndez

24.W.T.J.

  Mitchell

25.Janice

  Mitsurell 

26.Alexander

  Nicolic

27.Adrian

  Paci

28.Pablo

  Rodríguez

29.Lázaro

  Saavedra

30.Suset

  Sánchez

31.Sandra

  Sosa

32.Sislej

  Xhafa  

2008

1. Gustavo

  Arcos

2. Christine

  van Assche

3. Tania

  Bruguera

4. Christoph

  Büchel

5. Miguel

  Calderón

6. Guillaume

  Desanges

7. Humberto

  Díaz

8. Magaly

  Espinosa

9. Lillebit

  Fadraga

10.Frency

  Fernández

11.Hamlet

  Fernández

12.Dora

  García

13.Rocío

  Gracía

  Ipiña

14.Ana Rosa

  Hermida

15.Mailyn

  Machado

16.Colectivo

  MATRAKA (vjs)

17.Lázara

  Menéndez

18.Píter

  Ortega

19.Dan

  Perjosvchi

20.Yordanka

  Ramírez

21.Fernando

  Sáez

22.Fernando

  Sánchez

  Castillo

23.Christian

  Schwarzwald

24.Rirkrit

  Tiravanija

25.Darys

  Vázquez

26.Jacqueline

  Venet

27.Artur

  Zmijewski 

      Glossary

      Reference

      Behavior
       School
      In Cuba, institutions which intend to reform or rehabilitate minors with social conduct problems, that is, disability to respect and obey the norms and rules established by the social system.

      The following concepts were generated by the artist to define her practice

      Arte de
       Conducta [Behavior Art]

      It is expressed in the use of social behavior (the language through which society communicates) taken by art as its work material for public and social art. Behavior Art has its roots in conceptual art and performance, but instead of focusing on the limits of language and the physical body it works with the reaction and behavior created in those who witness the work and participate in it, thus giving rise to a process where the audience transforms into citizenship. Just as behavior enters into social life from one generation to another through memory based on experiences, oral tradition or rumors, the documentation of Behavior Art pieces, although using the traditional means of documentation, tries to incorporate to collective memory as a form of long term social permanence and dialogue. Social beings are aware of symbolic meanings, also the result of experience, expressing through behavior and the exercise modeling its meanings to transform praxis. That is why Behavior Art focuses on the civil aspect of society.


      Behavior Art
       is not concerned by forms. It uses behavior as a linguistic tool and cancels aesthetic purposes not stemming from a relationship with ethics. It is interested in the possibility of functioning and not of showing off. It moves away from the allegoric representations of the piece and tries to understand and manage elements from within society to provide moments and found institutional structures or systems which will contribute to the modification of some given aspects of society.

      Arte Útil [Useful Art]

      Useful Art aims to transform some aspects of society through the implementation of art, transcending symbolic representation or metaphor and proposing with their activity some solutions for deficits in reality. Most Useful Artis structured as a long-term project and the way it operates is dictated by the practical impact of their strategies. Useful Art practices try to address the levels of disparities of engagement between informed audiences and the general public, as well as the historical gap between the language used in what is considered avant-garde and the language of urgent politics, science and other disciplines.

      Bruguera created the Useful Art Association in January 2011 to provide a platform to meet, exchange ideas, and share strategies on how to deal with the issues of implementing the merger of art into society. The association will work in an open manner through discussions, printed texts, actions groups, and public events examining what it means to create Useful Art.

      Long-Term  Project
      A long-term project is a work method that tries to fall within social dynamics and, therefore,makes use of social tempo for production and for the implementation of the project.

      Long-term projects are best experienced when the audience incorporates into the process and the dynamics generated by the project, demanding a larger commitment from them than when experiencing art works on a more passive and purely artistic context. Very frequently these works are experienced in a fragmented way when the project is larger than the commitment from the audience or because of the natural progressive evolution of the project. They may also be seeing it out of context due to inaccessibility of the project or if seeing a posteriori.

      Political
       Timing Specific
      A work method in which the piece is linked to and depends of the political circumstances existing in the moment it is made or exhibited. It is a type of work created to exist at a specific political moment and, therefore, once the moment goes by, the piece loses its potential political impact and tends to become a document of a specific political moment. The political moment informs the piece making it a structure that must adapt to the evolution of the political events and their interpretations.