Programming

VIVA! presents a highly textured view of today’s most vibrant action art practices including- but not limited to- performance, public intervention, social practice, and infiltration. In the context of our seventh edition, over twenty local, Canadian, and international artists will present their work during scheduled performances that will take place daily at les Ateliers Jean Brilllant, our 2019 headquarters, as well as furtively, online, and in public space throughout the duration of the festival. Be sure to check the schedule for up to date information. From the subtle to spectacular, the political to the poetic, there is something for everyone.

Join us each evening for a delicious performative meal prepared by David Sebastian Lopez Restrepo, the 2019 artist in residence in the VIVA! kitchen. A much-loved staple of our artistic programming, the VIVA! Kitchen offers the public the opportunity to encounter an artwork that is experienced during daily communal dinners. Well-balanced and delicious, the meals are offered to the public for a modest price ($7–$10). 

Building on his previous artistic research around the repetition and sharing of gestures, David Sebastian proposes a series of performative works that invite the public to execute a simple action in exchange for their meal. The daily menu and ingredients will be announced on-site, as well as in our daily newsletter.

As a compliment to VIVA!’s artistic programming, the festival also offers a number of activities aimed at providing more engaged encounters with artists and their work. These initiatives include satellite talks and professional workshops occurring off-site, as well as two open workshop sessions with auto-workshops, a collective that invites the general public to explore action through collaborative exercises in a vacant lot. 

Marita Bullmann, Liina Kuitinen, Ignacio Pérez Pérez
September 20, 7:30pm
TMAC (Toronto Media Arts Centre)
36 Lisgar St., Toronto
Presended by FADO

Nezaket Ekici 
October 3, 7pm (presentation)
October 9, 7pm (performance)
La Filature
80 Hanson St., Gatineau
Presented by AXENÉO7

Seiji Shimoda
October 3-6
Le Lobe
114 Bossé St., Chicoutimi
Presented by Art Nomade