THE BODY IS (NOT) HERE - Photos of the exhibition of Franko B's Archive, University of Bristol Theatre Collection

The Body Is (Not) Here - Franko B's Archive
14th February - 1st May 2020. University of Bristol Theatre Collection
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/theatre-collection/events/exhibitions/
Photographs by Alice Hendy © University of Bristol



SCREENING: MOVING BODIES - FRANKO B's ARCHIVE - Arnolfini, Bristol


Friday, 6th March 2020 to Sunday, 8th March 2020, 11:00 to 18:00
Free Drop In
Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA

Moving Bodies: Franko B’s Archive celebrates the archive of artist, curator and teacher Franko B, who rose to prominence in the 1990s due to his extraordinary body-based performances often involving the practice of bloodletting.

Featuring iconic performances such as I Miss You, Still Life and Oh Lover Boy along with archival footage, this 45 minute screening of newly digitised material filmed over Franko’s extensive career can be viewed throughout the weekend, coinciding with the symposium ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ at Arnolfini (6 March), and an archival exhibition The Body is (not) Here at the Theatre Collection (14 February – 1st May), where Franko’s archive is now held.

Organised with the University of Bristol Theatre Collection Moving Bodies: Franko B’s Archive is part of a series of events funded by the Wellcome Trust, forming a larger project to catalogue, conserve, digitise and widen access to Franko’s archive, which was donated by the artist to the Collection in 2008.

More information: arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/screening-dont-leave-me-this-way-films-from-the-franko-b-archive/


VALENTINE'S DAY PROMOTION IN FRANKO B'S ETSY SHOP


Visit etsy.com/uk/shop/FrankoBStudio to view a range of small works by Franko B, including stitched drawings on paper and ceramics. 20% off selected items until 16th February.

Symposium: DON'T LEAVE ME THIS WAY; Accessing and Activating the Franko B Archive

6 March 2020, 10.15 AM - 6.00 PM
Arnolfini, 16 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA
arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/symposium-dont-leave-me-this-way-accessing-and-activating-the-franko-b-archive/

Framed around the archive of artist, curator, and teacher Franko B, this one-day symposium of talks, performance and discussion, featuring artists, archivists, writers, curators and researchers, looks at the multitude of different ways in which archives can be accessed, activated and animated.

The day will open with an 'in conversation' between Franko B and Lois Keidan, Director of the Live Art Development Agency, and will also include a performance from the project’s writers-in-residence Mary Paterson and Maddy Costa, as well as discussing a variety of challenging archives from Franko's own to the Bishopsgate Institute's LGBTQ Erotica and Pornography Collection.

A full itinerary for the day will be published soon.

Organised with the University of Bristol Theatre Collection the symposium is part of a wider series of public events including an exhibition, talks and workshops, funded by the Wellcome Trust, that marks the end of a larger project to catalogue, conserve and widen access to Franko B's Archive, donated by the artist to the Theatre Collection in 2008 where it is now fully accessible. Please be aware that the event will explore adult themes and content, which may not be suitable for all audiences.

Free, booking essential.

THE BODY IS (NOT) HERE - Exhibition of Franko B's Archive, University of Bristol


14th February - 1st May 2020;
Tues - Fri 9.30am - 5pm (closed 10th and 14th April)

The Body is (not) Here explores the archive of visual artist, curator and teacher Franko B through representations of the human body, which loom large throughout the collection.

Coming to recognition during the rise of performance and live art in the 1990s, Franko’s deeply autobiographical work presents the body as both a site and a material. His body is visible throughout the exhibition via documentation of performances and exhibitions, captured in personal photographs, described in vivid detail within publicity material and press cuttings, or hinted at by its absence through objects, traces and the residue of performances.

Interweaving personal stories and universal themes – of pain, suffering, protest, life and love – The Body is (not) Here provides audiences with multiple encounters with Franko’s body and the body of his archive, which like Franko’s work, challenge the way we see, feel and experience the world around us; asking us to consider ‘what it is to be human’.

The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of free public events, including an 'in conversation' with the artist, a symposium on 'challenging' archives, a writing workshop, and a series of exhibition tours.

More information here: bristol.ac.uk/theatre-collection/events/exhibitions/


Franko B and Dr Maria Fannin In Conversation

4 March 2020, 6.00 PM - 4 March 2020, 7.30
University of Bristol Theatre Collection, 21 Park Row, BS8 1UP (Lecture Room 3.13)

Visual artist, curator and teacher Franko B will be joined in conversation by human geographer Dr Maria Fannin, whose research delves into the ‘tissue economies’ of blood and other substances, drawing on feminist approaches to health and medical technology.

This event is part of a wider series of public events including an exhibition, symposium and workshop, funded by the Wellcome Trust, that marks the end of a larger project to catalogue, conserve and widen access to Franko B's Archive, donated by the artist to the Theatre Collection in 2008 where it is now fully accessible.

More information here: bristol.ac.uk/theatre-collection/events/2020/content---franko-and-maria-in-conversation.html