JURUTUNGO: Concrete Poetry Workshop led by Natalia Almonte

Saturday, April 6, 3-5:30 PM

Language is used to make sense of things: “sense,” a cherished value in this cerebral western society. The irony, however, is that the world’s inner workings actually seem more nonsensical than the concept of nonsense itself, with language being used to manipulate and gaslight us. Where structure and logic are needed, the more confusion exists, and where more intuition and embodiment are needed, more intellectualization exists. This collective trauma and anxiety remains stuck sitting in office chairs, keeping our brains in metaphorical cubicles. How can we heal through nonsense, through random connections, through the unexpected sequence of events? How can we relinquish control of the end and simply start at the beginning?

This workshop will explore the concept of Concrete Poetry, historically defined as an arrangement of linguistic elements in which the typographical effect is more important in conveying meaning than verbal significance. There are no rules, just interpretations. The intention is to free ourselves of what we should do, of what is expected, of what the finished product could be, and let ourselves embrace the unknown in order to discover something about ourselves that we did not know yesterday.Please bring your materials of choice.

Suggestions: writing and drawing utensils, paper or other surfaces, iPad/Tablet...

In person at EFA Project Space
323 W 39th St, New York, NY 10018
Free and open to the public.
RSVP Recommended but not required.