poetic choreographer, performance maker, curator of experiences
VALA TANZ
poetic choreography making as well as the practice of oral pleasures such as talking, whispering, eating, kissing, sucking could potentially become the resource and tool for a change. the choreography of soft resistance and reality queering ( those two i named as my practices of empowerment) are ways of undoing and remaking the social and political realm, in which i was given a chance to be.
i call the world for a soft transformation, for gentle touch, a wave of weightless resistance. i call for love and mutual affection. i wanna live in a world where there are no borders, where we speak poetry, where geopolitics are geopoetics, where maps are no ends, where imagination is limitless, where the time is in its lessness form, where body is one yet differ from one another. i call the world for care and generosity where love is not a fear, where we gather in togetherness yet we are individuals. i wanna live and i do, where this imagined love, a man, a partner, companion are corporeal.
Valentine Tanz / Vala Tomasz Foltyn
ABOUT
Vala is poetic choreographer, performance maker, physical thinker, feeler, improvising artist, as well as community leader, art curator, host and producer based in Krakow, Poland.
He/She/They gained his master's degree in cultural anthropology at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. He also graduated from "Performers House" school in Silkeborg, Denmark - a dance training with Alyssa Joy Stith, as well as a training from "Artness - Home and School for Movement” in Israel - directed by Shahar Dar. In 2011 he received a dance grant to study with Anna Halprin at the Mountain Studio in California, which evolved into a long term research on her choreographic heritage. Since 2008 he's been working with Slovenian art collective Kud Ljud, their works were presented at many art festivals worldwide: South Korea Seoul Gwacheon Festival, Imaginarius in Portugal, Norwich & Norfolk Theatre Festival, Oerol Festival in Holland, Les Tombées de la nuit and Chalon dans la rue in France, La Strada Graz in Austria, ,In situ network.
His works were also presented at Sophien Seale at Tanz Tage festival in Berlin, Zachęta Art Museum in Warsaw, Zamek Ujazdowski CSW in Warsaw, Bunkier Sztuki - contemporary art gallery in Krakow, MOCAK museum of modern art in Krakow, Galerija Moderna in Ljubljana. He also worked with Isabelle Shad, Paulina Ołowska, Anna Bella Geiger, Ivo Dimchev, Christine de Smedt, Iwona Olszowska, Magda Ptasznik, Justyna Stasiowska, Agata Siniarska, Kaya Kołodziejczyk, Roni Katz, Magda Szpecht. In 2017 he held the panel "Empowerment in dance practices" as part of Inventur #2 in Dusseldorf - Contemporary Dance & Performance Conference. He also co-curated 40th and 41st edition of Krakow Theatrical Reminiscences - KRT.
Vala is also a co-creator of Krakow Art House - an art space in Krakow - 110 years old villa, where art and urban activism is being sheltered. In Kraków, he also collaborates with local artists in the frame of protest art and activism with Water Critical Mass, Modraszek Kolektyw, Obrona Zakrzówka, kolektyw niedzielni. In 2016, he founded Lamella the house of queer arts, which is is a nonstationary house of queer arts. Lamella is an artist-run independent collective that fertilizes the artistic, social and cultural development of Kraków's LGBTQ community. It applies its mission by presenting, exhibiting, screening and documenting queer artists' works. Lamella supports the growth of culturally diverse queer art events in Kraków. Lamella is creating a safe space for reflecting queer identity and engages in the process of political, cultural and sexual liberation.
WORKS
Teatr Łaźnia Nowa
LAST ANIMALS
This work was created for a performance piece "Last animals" directed by Magda Szpecht in Theatre Łaźnia Nowa in Krakow. The research on my piece was inspired by the discussion on crisis regarding the nature and its complex relationship with humans. During my research period I worked on the notions of love and death, loss and solitude, sexuality and sensuality of other species, as well as their structures for social behaviour, hierarchy, bonding, mating, parenthood and shapeshifting of identities. I questioned the possibilies/impossibilies of communication through sonic and haptic strategies of art making. The space was designed as a sacred space for intimacy that addressed mourning and grieving, calling for love and affection as a poetic ritual of resurrection.
Authors/creators of the performance "Last animals": Marcin Cecko, Jakub Falkowski, Vala Tomasz Foltyn, Zuza Golińska, Konrad Hetel, Kajtek, Ramona Nagabczyńska, Ewa Nowakowska-Włodek, Paweł Sakowicz, Magda Szpecht, Toffi, Izabela Warykiewicz
Vala Tanz & Lamella the house of queer arts
NOTES ON LOVE, NESS AND OTHER STUFF.
Drag queen is not a theatrical convention, but a turbulent response of embodied mercy. Queer is a continuous redefinition of one's identity, not only as sexuality, but also - in the artistic choice making and thinking strategies. Androgyny is a political statement, rather than a style. Vulnerability is a force, rather than a weakness. Choreography making practice determines the trajectory of soft resistance and poetic rebellion. The art of performance making is a state of urgency. Sharing the story is an act of intimacy. The ritual is a process that offers a possibility for unity and participation. Love and art making in the invisible area of darkness become lightness. Talking sadness becomes joy, shade becomes support, anger is emotional intelligence, and anger is fire, and fire transforms things. The world is such a lovely nothingness, yet becomes everythingness.
Valentine Tanz is an experimental choreographic project created by Vala Tomasz Foltyn. Valentine talked about love and other matters already in Warsaw, Krakow, Ljubljana, Berlin, Graz, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Portland, Berlin, Paris, Tel Aviv, Sokołowsko, Cerkno.
Concept and choreography: Vala Tomasz Foltyn
Sound: Justyna Stasiowska
Video art: Bartolomeo Koczenasz, Agata Stańczak
Costumes in collaboration with Marta Sala
Production: Lamella the house of queer arts
Magda Ptasznik
UNCANNINGS
“Uncannings” is a practice choreographed by Magda Ptasznik. It is part of a research project that is also a performative activity. By engaging in Uncannings, we give ourselves time to look at another body and observe ourselves. We let the attention drift loosely, and sometimes we manipulate it, watching how it affects what we see. Starting from looking, our actions follow everything that triggers it: sensual sensation, association, imagination, information, desire, impulse. By materializing impressions and imaginations, we generate smooth images of corporeality. Playing with the possibilities of visual and sensorial transformation, we are introducing changes. We operate in a temporary suspension, in a space extracted from objective time and distance.
This work was presented in Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, as part of the presentation with André Lepecki tittled “Performance as the paradigm of Art” and in Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw as part of SPA - Summer Performing Arts.
Choreography: Magda Ptasznik
Creators: Vala Tomasz Foltyn, Natalia Oniśk, Aleksandra Osowicz, Justyna Stasiowska
Support: Centrum w ruchu, Wawer, Warszawa
Anna Bella Geiger, Księgarnia|Wystawa, Lamella the house of queer arts
WHAT WAS INSIDE THAT LEATHER CASE?
Księgarnia | Wystawa
RAZEM PAMOJA FOUNDATION
WHAT WAS INSIDE THAT LEATHER CASE? / O QUE HAVIA NAQUELA MALA DE COURO?
Exhibition, performance and workshop series.
Anna Bella Geiger’s artworks combine geometric abstraction and informal, and belongs to the tradition of the Brazilian Avant Garde of Abstractionism of the 50es. The artist was invited to Poland by Paulina Ołowska during the third edition of “Mycorial Theatre”, which took place last year at the PIVÔ Institute, São Paulo. The figure of Anna Bella Geiger, a Jewish woman of Polish origin, has been interpreted by Paulina Ołowska to be one of many genuine female refugees in history. Anna Bella Geiger’s father was a craftsman producing women’s handbags. Her father’s handbags have been recurring in works by Anna Bella Geiger, and they have provided the subject for the exhibition, WHAT WAS INSIDE THAT LEATHER CASE? / O QUE HAVIA NAQUELA MALA DE COURO?, and the pre-exhibition workshops held at the Bookstore | Exhibition – the Razem Pamoja Foundation gallery in Krakow.
One week long workshop/laboratory with local artists was guided by Vala Tomasz Foltyn, together with Lamella collective. The format of the workshop was thought as an open and organic process of sharing knowledge, art-crafts and queer/feminist strategies of producing, making and thinking art, activism and togetherness. The workshop was an offering to the local artists as an encounter with Anna Bella Geiger and her heritage. The method of working was suggested as ‘queer camping’ where ideas, thoughts, archives, personal histories, desires and crafts are morphing together and lead into unknown territories of geopoetics. The material from the workshop was choreographed, and organically resulted as installation, performance and community gathering on the day of the opening of Anna Bella Geiger’s exhibition in Księgarnia|Wystawa gallery in Krakow, Poland.
The artists participating in pre-exhibition workshop included: Martyna Borowiecka, Robert Kuta, Marta Sala, Lamella – the house of queer arts - Justyna Stasiowska, Gustavo C. Nogueira, Vala Tomasz Foltyn.
Anna Bella Geiger (Waldman) (b. 1933) is a painter, graphic artist, illustrator, sculptor and a professor at Rio de Janeiro and Antwerp. She began her career in 1950s, taking part in “Petropolis”, the first exhibition of abstract art to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 1953. She lives and works in Rio de Janeiro.
Special thanks to Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Mendes Wood DM
SUPPORT THE EROS
WSPIERAJ EROSA
crowdfunding campaign
I'm throwing a campaign to gather funds for my education in Berlin. "Authentic" Eros is one year training designed for gay, bi, trans & queer man to explore sensuality, sexuality and spirituality. Participants of the program will come together five times this year in order to share, learn and heal each other. This training also gives an insight on healing practices from somatic, therapeutic and shamanic perspectives. At the end of the year the participants will be given “Sacred Intimacy Certification” in order to translate this knowledge and experience into professional or relational contexts. I will be honoured to share this knowledge with my local community and people around the world.
I’ve been dreaming to join this training for couple of years already. In 2018 the dream became reality and I committed to this journey and will travel to Berlin five times during this year. The cost of the training is beyond my budget at this moment, and I am asking friends, lovers and companions to help me finance this training.
More about the training you can read here:
You can send a bank transfer in Poland or click the botton below for paypall transfers.
Możesz wysłać przelew na konto w BZWBK z dopiskiem 'eros'
08 1090 1506 0000 0001 0481 0086
Thank you for your love and support.
truly yours
Vala
CZUŁOŚĆ
powered by
vala, lamella, krakow art house,
friends & lovers
The event “Valantynki - Tanz mit Vala. Support the Eros” is part of crowdfunding campaign to gather funds for Vala’s training “Authentic Eros” in Berlin. Vala choreographed a “love ritual” and invited guest artists to share their talents and affection in order to provide art for the guests of the event. Vala offered the space of her home for art making and community ritual. She believes that ritual can provide space for people to come together in the process of art making in order to challenge, support and question their existence. The series of performances and installations (cuddle room, vagina room, tarrot room, crystal ancestors exhibit, poetic choreography exhibit) were affectionately contributed by Maque Pereyra, Śominika Dniegocka, Pauline Peyen, Agata Siniarska, Maja Chiara Faber, Monika Bąkowska, Adam Kovalcsik, Leona Jacewska aka Charlie, Spajder, Adam Gruba & Sesama, Bartolomeo Koczenasz, Klaudyna Schubert and all friends & lovers who helped produce, host and safeguard the event. Thank you. More crowdfunding Eros events are coming soon.
LAMELLA
THE HOUSE OF QUEER ARTS
Lamella is a nonstationary house of queer arts based in Cracow, Poland. It is an artist-run, friendship-based collective that fertilizes the artistic, social and cultural growth of Cracow's LGBTQAI+++ community, founded in 2016 by Vala Tomasz Foltyn. It performs its mission by presenting, exhibiting, producing and documenting works of queer/feminist artists, activists and makers. Lamella supports the growth of culturally diverse queer art events in Cracow. Lamella seeks to safeguard spaces for reflecting on queer identity and engages in the process of political, cultural and sexual liberation. As a friendship-based collective/enviroment they are interested in developing alternative forms of feminist and queer practices, as well as international tools for art and community making, as a response to hyper capitalistic notions of exclusion, productivity and labour.
KRAKÓW ART HOUSE
Artist-run space in the heart of Cracow
Kraków Art House is an artist-run independent art/cultural space located in the heart of Cracow. The house was built in 1907, and to this date maintaining its original shape once protected by a legal heritage status. Nowadays it functions as the home for local and international artists and activists involved in diverse activities. It is a shared space for living and art making, it makes room for cultural productions that bridge the building to the surrounding city areas. And as such it acts as a basis for alternative possibilities to dominant social, cultural and political consensus.
This original red-bricks villa is over a century old and for the past five years it's being filled with artistic and friendship-making events. It shelters the development of self-creating independent culture in the city of Cracow. So far it has enabled the creation and development of initiatives such as: Modraszek Collective, The Water Critical Mass‚ the defense of Bialowieza Forest, Association To.pole, Sauna Social the Goat, Lamella – the house of queer arts, VALA Land. It also hosted artists and travellers from around the world who paid it a visit. This project was initiated by Vala Tomasz Foltyn and Bartolomeo Koczenasz, it was thought as an open platform where people can share, make and present their art to the local community. It provides independent environment for experiments in the frame of collective think tank, as well as serving its space for more established cultural events and festivals, such as: Unsound Festival, KRAKERS Gallery Weekend, Water Critical Mass.