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visual arts by John Soboi Li a glance, photography and performance art appear to be mutually exclusive. Photograph) is asynchronous--out of time--permanently fixing a passing moment on film, while performance art thrives in the moment, gaining power from its very transience. And yet. in two important exhibitions at Presentation House Gallery (PHG). photography and performance art will be presented as complementary forms, each extending the formal possibilities of the other and casting light on the creative process. From September 14 to October 27. PHG presents Action / Performance and the Photograph, a major exhibition of over 50 photographic images of historic "happenings" and performance art events. Among the many acclaimed artists represented in the exhibition are Robert Rauschenberg. Marcel Duchamp. Carolee Schneeman and Chris Burden. In the words of Los Angelesbased curator Craig Krull. "Beginning with Happenings in the late 50s, this exhibition traces the evolving role of the photograph through Fluxus events, Aktions. performance art, and other forms of conceptual or staged activities produced for photographic dissemination." PHG has commissioned a second exhibition to be shown alongside Action / Performance and the Photograph, called Transient Moments: Vancouver and the Performance Photograph. Local independent curator Ann Pollock, says Transient Moments will examine photographic documentation of the vital history of performance art in Vancouver, focussing on local artists of significance as well as visiting artists (Gathie Falk. Tom Graff, Mr. Peanut. Paul Wong. Hank Bull and Laurie Anderson and the Kipper Kids, to name a few). Transient Moments will also feature a film program at the Pacific Cinematheque. Films by David Rimmer, Penelope Is it Live, o r is it a Photograph? A, Leap Into the Void, (960 Yves Klein, photograph by l i B ^ ; 5 , f Harry Shunk. From the exhibition, Action/Performance and the Photograph which runs at Presentation October 27. House Gallery September / 4-- Buitenhuis and Judy Radul. General Idea. Chris Gallagher and others will be shown on September 26. at 7:30 p.m. Several other special events are planned to coincide with the photographic exhibitions, notably a pair of major performances at the Western Front. The first performance in this series will feature Mexican interdisciplinary artists Guillermo Gómez-Peña and Roberto Sifuentes on Wednesday, September 18. at 8 p.m. Gómez-Pefta's work has received enormous international recognition over the past decade; he was awarded a prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship in 1994. Gómez-Peña describes his performance 77ic Dangerous Border Game as "an end of the century freak show type extravaganza combining performance art, radical humour and multilingual poetry." The second special event at the Western Front will feature Canadian performance artist Colette Urban. She will perform new works. Augur and Pretend Not To See Me. on Wednesday. October 16, at 8 p.m. Additional events include artist talks. a panel discussion on performance art, and a talk by Western Front artist Hank Bull. Full details are available by calling Presentation House Gallery at 986-1351. At the centre of the many satellite performance events, however, are the photographic exhibitions. Action / Performance and the Photograph and Transient Moments will contextualize the broad spectrum of local and international, contemporary and historical performance art. The arresting and inspiring images will provoke theoretical questions about the nature of photography, documentation, art and spectating. The public is invited to the opening reception at PHG on September 14, at 2 p.m. Both curators will give brief talks and answer questions. If you can't make the opening, be sure to find time to visit the gallery to sample some of the extraordinary artistic performances that have informed our collective imaginations over the past 50 years. ~~ John Sobol is a writer and the tion co-ordinator at PHG. educa-