Film Performance with Visiting Artist Paola Fernanda Guzmán Figueroa
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February 19, 2024
The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) present
GENERATIONAL TRACES:
FILM PERFORMANCE WITH VISITING ARTIST PAOLA FERNANDA GUZMÁN FIGUEROA
Join us in experiencing a live 16mm film performance by Visiting Artist Paola Fernanda Guzmán Figueroa, in collaboration with Sound Artist Magda Arturo. This performance complements her residency as the fifth resident in the residency program for alumni of the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of the Arts Helsinki. This residency at the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT), which started in 2019 as a partnership between the Academy and the Saastamoinen Foundation, is designed to provide international opportunities for alumni in the form of residency grants to prestigious residencies in New York, Maastricht, London and Toronto.
During her residency at LIFT, Paola has been creating a body of work related to the four generations of women in her family and their connection despite the physical distances keeping them apart. In her work, 16mm film is literally entangled, as she explores the process of producing photograms on analogue film using her own hair. These abstract explorations are intercut with performance documentation that she shot with the four generations of women in her family, as well as with self-shot footage in Lake Ontario and Niagara Falls. The waterways exist as a connecting element between the filmed performances and allude to the way water and oceans have played a part in her family’s travels and migrations.
Paola’s explorations on 16mm film have been developed using LIFT’s Oxberry 1700, an optical printing machine that has been a key element for her work here in Canada.
Throughout her residency, Paola has connected with part of the Colombian community in Toronto. This connection has been an important aspect of her practice, especially since she is based in Finland. For this piece, she collaborates with Colombian Sound Artist Magda Arturo, drawing inspiration from Colombian landscapes, traditional sounds, women’s voices, and blending these with the electric sounds of Toronto’s urban environment.
Friday, February 28, 2025
Starts at 8:00pm
Doors open at 7:30pm
CineCycle
129 Spadina Avenue (down the alley)
Admission:
Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) for Non-members ($5.00 suggested)
Free for LIFT Members
CASH ONLY payment at the door
Join us after the performance for a short Q&A with the filmmaker.
Paola Fernanda Guzmán Figueroa is a visual artist and filmmaker. Her work is often based on the narratives and the lived realities of her family members and the geographical distance among them. Paola’s art dissolves frontiers and connects the past with the present by evoking situations, stories, and elements that are placed in constant motion and in dialogue with each other. She has a BA and MA degree from The University of the Arts Helsinki and a BA in Visual Arts from Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. Her work has been exhibited in numerous venues such as Governors Island, New York City (2023), CICA Museum, South Korea (2022), Doclisboa International Film Festival (2023), Cultural Centre Gabriel García Márquez, Bogotá (2022) and Oodi Helsinki Central Library (2023). Paola has recently participated in residencies at Saari Residence, Finland, and Residency Unlimited, New York, supported by The Finnish Cultural Institute. https://www.paolafernanda.com
This event is part of Guzmán Figueroa’s visit which is made possible by the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of the Arts Helsinki in partnership with the Saastamoinen Foundation.
Academy of Fine Arts of the University of the Arts Helsinki is Finland’s only university-level educational institution in its field. They lead the way in contemporary art education, while fostering the dialogue between teaching in fine arts and the international art community. They train artists and professionals of fine arts who learn their own strengths and expression methods in a world where artists take on multi-faceted roles and profiles. The Academy of Fine Arts has offered artistic education since 1848, and it is at the vanguard of artistic research. They have approximately 280 students and 15 professors.
https://www.uniarts.fi/en/units/academy-of-fine-arts
Saastamoinen Foundation is a global partner to Art and Science, supporting artists and researchers on a long-term basis and promote their networks around the world. The foundation holds one of the most notable collections of modern art in Finland, which is displayed in EMMA – Espoo Museum of Modern Art. The Foundation is also active in other fields, strongly supporting projects aimed at Finnish youth, such as the Yrityskylä societal learning environment and peace-building programme Gutsy Go. Long-term collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland and Aalto university on the ensure the foundation’s positive impact on research. The foundation has a close relationship with Uniarts Helsinki and supports their internationalisation programme and art pedagogy research in Fine Arts.
https://saastamoinenfoundation.fi/en
The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is Canada’s foremost artist-run production and education organization dedicated to celebrating excellence in the moving image. LIFT exists to provide support and encouragement for independent filmmakers and artists through affordable access to production, post-production and exhibition equipment; professional and creative development; workshops and courses; commissioning and exhibitions; artist residencies; and a variety of other services.
http://lift.ca
LIFT is supported by self-generated revenue as well as the following year-round funders: the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA), the Ontario Arts Council (OAC), Ontario Arts Foundation, the Government of Ontario and the Toronto Arts Council (TAC).
As a charitable organization, LIFT graciously accepts donations via our CanadaHelps page. If you would like to support our filmmaking community, please visit https://lift.ca/donate
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For additional information on the event, please visit https://lift.ca or e-mail LIFT Executive Director Chris Kennedy at director@lift.ca
Friday 28 February 2025, 19:30 to 22:00
Non-members: Pay-What-You-Can (PWYC) for Non-members ($5.00 suggested)
Members: Free for LIFT Members
Location:
CineCycle
129 Spadina Avenue (down the alley)
Toronto Ontario