Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1968.
Lives and works in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Eleonora Fabião is an artist who performs actions. Since 2008 she performs in the streets. She is interested in the poetics and ethics of the strange, the encounter and the precarious. She works with diverse subjects: human and non-human, visible and invisible, light and heavy, aesthetic-political.
She is a postgraduate professor in Performance Arts(coordinator of the research line Experiences of the Scene: Artistic Training) and the Theatre Direction Course, School of Communication, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She holds a PhD in Performance Studies (New York University), a Master’s Degree in Performance Studies (New York University) and a Master’s Degree in Social History of Culture (PUC-RJ).
Eleonora Fabião is an artist who performs actions. Since 2008 she performs in the streets. She is interested in the poetics and ethics of the stranger, the encounter and the precarious. She works with diverse subjects: human and non-human, visible and invisible, light and heavy, aesthetic-political. She works with questions: what actions generate the cities in which we want to live? What to add to our world today? What acts? What images? What imaginary? What relational modes? What modes of production? The work asks itself and asks us: what we want that art is and what we want that art moves today?
She is a postgraduate teacher in the Arts of the Scene (coordinator of the research line Experiences of the Scene: Artistic Training) and the Theatre Direction Course, School of Communication, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. She holds a PhD in Performance Studies (New York University), a Master’s Degree in Performance Studies (New York University) and a Master’s Degree in Social History of Culture (PUC-RJ).
Fabião carries out actions in streets, exhibitions, publications, speeches and workshops in Brazil and abroad (Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, England, Spain, Portugal, USA, Canada, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Argentina and United Arab Emirates). Actions taken – with strangers on the streets, in their homes or with groups of invited collaborators – include:
“Prismatics” (New York, USA 2016), “MOVIMENTO HO” (Municipal Centre of Art Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro 2016; curatorship: Izabela Pucu and Tania Rivera), “azul azul azul e azul” (Exhibition “Das Virgens em Cardumes e a Cor das Auras”, Museum Bispo do Rosário, Rio de Janeiro 2016; curatorship: Daniela Labra), “Things That Must Be Done Series/Wall Street Actions” (Performa Biannual Residency, New York, USA 2015; curatorship: Adrienne Edwards); “Ações Andreenses” (Exhibtion A Experiência da Arte, SESC Santo André 2015; curatorship: Evandro Salles); “no meio da noite tinha um arco-íris, no meio do arco-íris tem uma noite” (Rio de Janeiro 2015); “Não compro lata velha” (Rio de Janeiro 2014-15); “Brasil…” (Rio de Janeiro 2014-15); Series “Precários” (IX Encontro do Instituto Hemisférico de Performance e Política, Montreal 2014); Series “Precários” (Rio de Janeiro 2012-13); “Manchas” (Rio de Janeiro 2013); “Quase Nada, Sempre Tudo” (Rio de Janeiro 2012-13); Ações Rio-Pretenses (FIT São José do Rio Preto 2012); “Line Piece New York” (streets and residency, New York 2010-11), “Ações Fortalezenses” (International Bienal of Dance of Ceará de Par em Par, Fortaleza 2010); “Acciones Bogotanas” (VII Encontro do Instituto Hemisférico de Performance e Política, Bogotá 2009); “Berliner Actions” (In Transit Festival’s Artist LAB, Berlin 2008); “Ações Cariocas” (Rio de Janeiro 2008).
Em 2011, Fabião was awarded the prize Funarte Artes na Rua to develop the project “25 Postais para o Rio”, A mail art work. In 2014, she received the support of Rumos Itaú Cultural Program to develop the “Mundano Project”, a series of street actions and the preparation of the book ACTIONS – also with English version, ACTIONS (Rio de Janeiro: Tamanduá Arte, 2015). Co-edited with André Lepecki and distributed free of charge, ACTIONS features extensive photographic material and performer’s writings plus unpublished texts by Barbara Browning, Pablo Assumpção B. Costa, Adrian Heathfield, André Lepecki, Felipe Ribeiro, Tania Rivera and Diana Taylor. There were actions to launch the book in 7 cities where copies were given to those present: São Paulo (Mostra Rumos Itaú Cultural, 2015), New York (Performa Biannual, 2015), Rio de Janeiro (Hélio Oiticica Municipal Art Center, 2015), Stockholm (Stockholm University of the Arts, 2016), Oslo (Oslo Pilot, 2016), Belo Horizonte (Headquarters of Grupo Espanca !, 2016) and Madrid (National Museum of Art Reina Sofia, 2016). The publication was sent to around 200 libraries and public reading spaces in 22 Brazilian states, the Federal District and 6 other countries. The list of addresses can be found at: http://www.eleonorafabiao.com.br/
In 2010 she was a fellow and currently serves on the board of the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics (New York). Between 2010 and 2012, she was a Latin American Performance Researcher on the project “Re.act.feminism: a performing archive” based in Berlin (curated by Bettina Knaup and Beatrice E. Stammer).
Fabião performs her activities – performance, research, writing and teaching – in an integrated way and understands all as dimensions of his artistic practice. She considers writing one of the most impressive psycho-physical experiences she knows, experiences the classroom as a privileged performative space, experiences actions on the streets as unique forms of knowledge and thought, and understands concepts and theories as sources of energy to further investigate and invent City, art, university and writing.
