Holly Bass, Siren Arts presenter (2022).
Holly Bass, Siren Arts presenter (2022).
Courtesy of Transformer Gallery DC
Washington-based Transformer Gallery brings emerging artists to perform in an unusual location since 2017: the beaches of Asbury Park, NJ.
During July and August, the Mermaid Art Festival will feature six nights of debut performances taking place right on the sand, off the boardwalk and in full view of Madame Marie’s auspicious empire, the Stone Pony, and other well-worn Jersey Shore landmarks. .
Transformer Gallery founder Victoria Reis hails from the Asbury Park area, and said she grew up loving the Jersey Shore, calling the area to have “tangible creative energy that has been very influential to me.”
While she started her brick gallery in DC two decades ago, Reis always wanted to find a way to bring art back to her home territory. When she and her husband moved back to the area a few years ago, she continued to work with the local city government and real estate owners to get funding for this unusual project. Together, they devised an innovative response to the place that invites artistic crowds and curious beachgoers.
Armando Lopez-Bircann in performance at the 2021 Siren Arts Festival
Armando Lopez-Bircann in performance at the 2021 Siren Arts Festival
Courtesy of the Transformer Gallery DC
The Mermaid Art Festival provides guest artists and collectives with “micro-accommodation” – a few days at the nearby Asbury Hotel to brainstorm and be inspired by the city as well as the ocean, rather than the usual week- or month-long engagement. many residencies require artists to join. This is key to the success of the program, as it opens up the possibility of participation to artists who might otherwise juggle full-time jobs or family commitments, and it keeps the resulting performances fluid and moving and truly experimental. A mix of funding from the City of Asbury Park and the Andy Warhol Foundation, along with support from local developers and businesses, not only supports the artists on their residency but also allows the festival to provide completely free performances to the public.
As part of the residency, artists are expected to give a talk on their work at the nearby Transparent Clinch Gallery on Wednesday evening during their stay, and then perform on the beach on Thursday evening. For that show, there is no stage nor are there tickets – the performers go to the beach just like a family looking for some sun could, and there is no physical barrier between performers and audience. A small crowd of fans of the festival will gather to watch, but also confused tourists, curious spectators and stray children chasing lost frisbees or volleyballs. The effect is relaxing and welcoming, but also challenging for both the performers and the audience.
The thing about art is that it’s usually framed in some way. Whether it is a literal frame or pedestal, or the institutional “frame” of a gallery or museum space, there is usually something that surrounds an object and declares it to be “art”.
With these ocean-side performances, that framework is abandoned. To the casual man who passes by, there is nothing to immediately distinguish the works of a street performer or a local eccentric or a brand trying to make a name through male marketing (all of which abound in Asbury Park).
Most spectators – probably beach tourists who happen to be passing through the festival on the way to get a slice of pizza or soda on the boardwalk – will watch the event on the beach and never even realize it’s art. And that’s exactly what makes the festival so experimental, and such a possible website for something really exciting to happen.
Alexander D’Agostino / Glitterwitch in performance
Alexander D’Agostino / Glitterwitch in performance
Courtesy of the Transformer Gallery DC
The work at the festival always responds in some way to the website and to a general theme – this year, the theme is “salt”. Reis’s selected artists react to this theme in a variety of ways – through the lens of work, cultivation, immigration, emotion, and other interpretations. One artist, Alexander D’Agostino, will mix salt extracted from the ocean with lavender, presenting it on an altar to the public as a kind of pseudo-religious sacrifice; for Arien Wilkerson with Nicholas Serrambana and Karim Rome’s performance, the artists will be “flying, dart, digging, jogging, sliding, throwing, rocking, linking movement phrases, live sound experimentation, and long choreographically structured improvisations” in response to the substance.
All presentations are free and open to all. According to the organizers, they will take place around the 19th. on 2nd Avenue Beach in Asbury Park. Performances last approximately 30-40 minutes. People are encouraged to arrive at 6:45 p.m., with beach towels or chairs. In case of rain, alternative sites will be announced until the 18th. the day of the presentation. Check out the Siren Arts Instagram, @sirenartsap for those updates.
