The Time-Based Art Festival is inspired by the Edinburgh International Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Adelaide Festival of Arts. It was founded in 2003 by Kristy Edmunds, the founder of PICA who served as the Institute’s artistic director at the time.
The inaugural TBA Festival was held from September 12–21, 2003. It featured events in diverse venues across Portland. The program included an opening night dance by Japanese performance duo Eiko & Koma, as well as performances by Bill Shannon, Miranda July, and Tere O’Connor.
The first Time-Based Art Festival was a great success, so it was decided to hold it annually. Edmunds served as its artistic director until 2005, when she left PICA to direct the Melbourne International Arts Festival. From 2006 onward, the TBA Festival has been curated by guest artistic directors invited by PICA.
The TBA Festival lasts for 10 days filled with live performances, exhibitions, visual art installations, workshops, lectures, talks, screenings happenings, salons, and other events. Its program encompasses various kinds and genres of contemporary art, including theatre, music, dance, new media, visual arts, and more. For visitors’ convenience, it is divided into several main sections: Performance, Performance + Visual, Film, The Works, Institute, and Workshops. Performances and other events are held at multiple venues in downtown Portland.
The festivals welcomes participants from around the world, striving to discover, support and promote artists who are not afraid to experiment, challenge forms and works across mediums. One of its main goals is to bring artists and audiences closer together, and to expose audiences to artists from various countries and regions. The festival offers a unique experience you don't want to miss!
Photo: Nawal Alaoui
