Next Friday Vaz Oliver and ELM will unite forces in a double concert that will mix experimental pop, indietronica, improvisation and a pinch of noise. It will also be one of the last chances to see Vaz Oliver live (highly recommended) before he leaves us for the musical lands of Canada.

Friday 17 February, 10 pm at Bar Vas (Calle Mediodía Chica 12, Metro: La Latina). Entrance: 7 euros including a drink.

I am participating in the exhibition Juegos postales with Exquisito audiodiario (Exquisite audio-diary), a sound collaboration with Santiago Talavera and Peter Memmer that we worken on back in 2009 for MUFI of Oaxaca, Mexico. La Eriza, a wonderfully strange space dedicated to book-binding and sea urchins, now holds the exhibition until March 16. Calle de Colón 15, Madrid (Metro: Tribunal or Callao). I'm looking forward to repeating the experiment with more people and possibilities...

On Saturday we will present TODOS CANÍBALES, a work in progress born from Fran MM Cabeza de Vaca. The charming violinist and composer invited me to participate in a project on the subject of cannibalism a few months back. Though the work will not be complete until autumn in Mallorca, this will be a 45 minute presentation of the work we have developed until now. The idea is to test the material and contrast opinions. The entrance is free and any constructive critique will be appreciated.

Saturday 4th of February at 6:30 pm at Café Molar (Calle de la Ruda 19, Madrid. Metro: La Latina). It may be wise to warn: some of the material and subject matter may hurt certain sensitivities.

More information on the project and the complete team here.

One month ago we made an enigmatic announcement. From ¡Ja! we wished to celebrate the coming of a new year in our won fashion, apart from Christmas, taking over the city, playing with the known and the unknown, with all your help. Friends, collaborators, passersby... Together we will live a fleeting and epic action in the city we call home.

Hola 2012 will take place on 31 January 2012 at 20:12 in the Plaza del Olivo, Madrid. It will be exactly two minutes long and everyone is invited to be a prt of it. To learn how:
www.colectivo-ja.com

Asociación Musicalibre organises the XVI free improvisation festival Hurta Cordel this week in La Casa Encendida, Madrid. Once again, we will listen to invited soloists and ensembles from around the world, and FOCO orchestra in mammoth format (30 musicians this year) will be conducted by a guest director, Fred Frith on this occasion. We will play on January 28 and 29 at 9:30pm. I will also participate in wonderful Chefa Alonso's workshop, which concldes with a concert on Saturday 28 at 7pm (before the orchestra). More info and complete programme here.

Photo: Salomé Sagüillo.

Next Friday 13th, Rampa will open their new space next to Manzanares river and present their activity and workshop programme for the year. From ¡JA! we will collaborate organising musical stops for visitors to get to know the space in a special fashion, with three mini-concerts in different areas by three beautiful projects: Mancarro, Le Parody and the much awaited first concert of Hielo en Varsovia (members of the extinct 8 bits to die and Narcoléptica). We'll see you there at 8pm. More information:

www.proyectorampa.net

For the third time, the hairy pin-up calendar arrives with the turning of the year. This time around I have had the pleasure of having twelve artists from Portugal, Italy, Chile and USA contribute to the download-and-print calendar project Bears, illustrated. Twelve beautiful new artworks by Kyle Letendre, Dave Valeza, Topher McCulloch, Aaron Smith, Mathias Sielfeld, Michael C Hsiung, Julio Dolbeth (image), Johnathan Roberts, Grisser Bunny, Jason Villegas, Jason Pepping and Dronio.

Be prepared and spread the word: the 2012 calendar will go live on January 1st! Only at:
www.bears-illustrated.com

Next weekend I'll play the three musical fronts I have open, a nice coincidence.

On Saturday 17 our friends at El Forn, workshop-association specialised in engraving, book-binding and artist books, celebrate their second anniversary with concerts by Sef and ELM. At AC Mediodía Chica, calle Mediodía Chica 10, Madrid (map). Free entrance and friendly environment. Their poster to the right.

Sunday 18 at 8:30pm, conducted improv concert. This will be the last chance to see the organism that is FOCO orchestra before Hurta Cordel festival. Tickets are always sold out for the orchestra there, so come and see us now, we will be a big bunch and include some nice guests. Conducted by Chefa Alonso, Francis García, Ricardo Tejero and myself, Orquesta FOCO will be formed this time by:
Paloma Carrasco: cello, Francis García: processed mandolin, Juan Carlos Castillo: acoustic guitar, Cova Villegas: vocals, Ainara LeGardon: vocals, Christian Fernández Mirón: vocals, Chefa Alonso: soprano sax, Javier Escaned: tenor and soprano sax, Ricardo Tejero: tenor sax and clarinet, Javier Paxariño: saxos and flutes, Miguel Bestard: tuba, Maria G. Cameselle: double bass, Victor M. Vázquez: tibetan bowls.

The encounter will be at Taberna Alabanda we like so much. Calle Miguel Servet 11, Metro Embajadores / Lavapiés, Madrid (map). Entrance: 6 euros. More information on this improvisation cycle and Asociación Musicalibre here.

.

At 7:30pm today in the Auditorio Nacional, festival CoMa'11 will show five works for symphonic orchestra. Conducted by Andrés Salado, the Joven Orquesta de la Comunidad de Madrid (JORCAM) will play works by S. Blardony, V. Ruiz, JC. Cuello, A. Guijarro and E. Lorenzo. I have the pleasure of reciting in Blardony's piece, Entre dos extremos negros. Free entrance with invitation. The Asociación Madrileña de Compositores will be handing them out in the hall since one hour prior.

The two last musical events at Grandes y peludos before the end:

Raisa + live drawing
Wednesday 7 December, 9:30pm

Closing + Vaz Oliver
Saturday 10, starting at 8pm

You can still visit the exhibition, you will find me each day from 7-10pm at Espacio Menosuno (La Palma 28, Madrid). All paper works are for sale but the wall drawings will disappear after Saturday!

Photo by Isaac de la Pompa.

My beloved Abigail y la cosa del pantano will come to play at Grandes y peludos, the drawing exhibition I am holding every day from 7-10pm (Mon-Sat) at Espacio Menosuno.

Thursday December 1 at 9:30pm, free entrance. The kind couple have prepared a video-invitation for the evening, check it out:

For those of you who missed our last concert at El Juglar, this is the perfect occasion to recover: ELM (Experimental Little Monkey) will be playing a hybrid set that includes field recordings, improvisation and projections by Machines Désirantes Buró.

All part of Los Martes Experimentales organised by the busy Piovra collective, that have decided to invade Madrid with an avalanche of cultural proposals. Click on their flyer to the right to see it in full size.

Tuesday 29 November at 9pm. Please be on time: their idea is for these concerts to be accessible to those who go to bed early. At Pepa Tencha, calle Apodaca 3, Madrid (map). 4 euros with drink and buffet afterwards. A bargain!

Entitled Grandes y peludos (Big and hairy), my first solo exhibition will take place from 24 November to 10 December at Espacio Menosuno (La Palma 28, Madrid).

As well as works on paper and the collective project Bears, illustrated (the third edition being prepared as we speak, to open the new year!), the majority of the show will be drawings on the wall I will be making during the next two weeks. I will be at the gallery Mondays through Saturdays from 7 to 10pm. Everyone is invited to come and visit, have a cup of tea and stay a while.

Opening: Thursday 24 November at 8pm. With a mini-concert by Sef. Free entrance. There will be some wine served and something to eat, so as to keep the traditions of spanish art alive.

After the good experience in Bilbao, we once again unite forces in Madrid as part of the acoustic concert series Los martes desenchufados in the legendary venue El Juglar.

November 22 at 9:30pm,
Sef and ELM at El Juglar.
Lavapiés 37, Madrid (map)
5 euros including drink.

The next 7 and 8 of November I will participate in ¡Quietos para la foto! Diferentes contextos para el arte de acción (Stay still for the camera! Different contexts for action art) at Bizkaia Aretoa. Organised by Estíbaliz Sadaba for the University of Bilbao, the conferences will unite performances and lectures by Los Torreznos, Bestué-Vives, Maris Bustamante, Ramón Churruca, festivals like Ebent, Chámalle X or our very own Reformance.

More information here. I will give a lecture on Tuesday at 6pm, where we will talk about reinterpretation, subjectivity and other concepts related to the project.

The entrance to all events is free and I barely know people in Euskadi, so I will be thankful if you help spread the word if you know people around, so many others can enjoy this!

The five members of ELM (Experimental Little Monkey) are headed to Bilbao. Help us spread the word, we know next to no one there! We promise to do our best. Upcoming concerts:

Thursday 3 Nov, 8pm
ELM + Scum to the Leader + Melon Tree. XXIII Villa de Bilbao, Bilborock (Muelle de la Merced 1). Free entrance.

Friday 4 Nov, 9pm
Sef + ELM. Almazen (calle Zuberoa 5, Irala). 3 euros.

After the success of our first encounter with Trineo (see October 6), Sef & Abigail y la cosa del pantano meet again at La Canela, which's exotic decoration will transport everyone directly into an expedition to the Americas in search of sexy aliens, lost hairdressers, electronic swamps and tiny pianos. Prepare your salacots!

We invite you to come dressed up (explorers, natives, aztec deities, teleported lazy urbanites, anything goes). We will have a VIP zone, prizes and novelties, such as a weird cover together for the occasion. Tell everybody, we have to bring together a fantabulous environment... Mucho salacot!

Thursday 20 October at 10pm in La Canela. Calle Hileras 19, Madrid (Metro Callao/Sol/Ópera, map here). Free entrance. Be sure to have a drink though!

Sunday 16 October at 8:30 pm. In Taberna Alabanda, Miguel Servet 12, Madrid (Metro Lavapiés/Embajadores).
Entrance 6€.

Act I. Duo
Pelayo F. Arrizabalaga: alto sax
Víctor M. Vázquez: tibetan bowls and percussion

Act II. FOCO Orchestra
formed this time by
María Cameselle: el. double bass
Francis García: mandolin
Ainara LeGardon: vocals
Christian Fdez. Mirón: vocals
Graciela López: vocals
Marcos Monge: bass clarinet
Pelayo F. Arrizabalaga: alto sax
Javier Escaned: soprano sax
Javier Paxariño: saxello
Víctor M. Vázquez: tibetan bowls and percussion
Gregorio Kazaroff: objects

Photo: Orquestina Alabanda at Circo Price, by Paco Manzano.

On Thrusday Trineo will make its official presentation after one year running. Trineo is the editorial project of Stereoplástika, enthusiast of self-publishing, illustration and all thing well done. With a careful selection of international artists, Trineo has slowly crafted a synthetic and detailed style. We'll be told how the project began and what is in store.

Between talk and store (I recommend coming with some money, there are treasures), there will be miniconcerts by Abigail y la cosa del pantano and me, Sef.

Thursday 6 October, starting 8pm. At Studio Banana. Free entry.

¡Ja! presents the fifth edition of their equally intimate and collective concerts.

Featuring the music of:
Salto de Cama
Le Porc Épic
Variedades Azafrán
and
Animateddog

Sunday 2 October at Mediodía Chica. C/ Mediodía Chica 10. Metro: La Latina / Puerta de Toledo (Madrid).

Important: the doors will be open from 5 to 6 pm. From that moment on they will be closed (or once the venue is full). If you wish to guarantee a spot, come early. You can bring whoever you wish but remember the nature of the experiment: enjoying live music at close volumes in a friendly all-age environment. We ask that you collaborate bringing a cushion to sit on the floor and something to add to the collective snack-dinner. We're not looking for consumers, we dream of accomplices. Come with whoever you want and tell anyone you want, but remember: arrive from 5 to 6 pm!

More information on the project and the previous editions at www.colectivo-ja.com

A new project in the shape of a blog. I will collect photos of my walks throughout the city, now that I have a nice camera-phone, and invite friends and type enthusiasts to collaborate. Graffitis, signs, posters... The only rule is that each snapshot carry it's location and be copyright-free. Walking is finding. This image says "I want/love you with me".

ciudadyletras.tumblr.com

This weekend we are having another one of our free improvisation cycles with local and guest musicians. Luo Chao Yun, specialist in pipa, is also coming from Taiwan to play.

Friday and Saturday will host solos, duos and trios/quartets where musicians will add themselves to the mix at each step. On Sunday FOCO orchestra will be conducted by several members: Chefa Alonso, Bárbara Meyer, Ged Barry and myself.

September 16, 17 and 18 at Alabanda (Miguel Servet 15, Metro Lavapiés/Embajadores). Entrance 6 euros per day. Organised by Chefa at Musicalibre. Click on the image to see the full programme in detail.

Last week and holding a limited audience due to the size of the fantastic terrace that hosted us (thanks Luis and Jorge), the fourth edition of Conciertos mínimos took place. The concert series organised by ¡Ja! presented Julia Cristina Monge, Sef and Laurelin Kruse from Colorado. Between songs, some food and chat with friendly people. But above all, many plants. Soon there will be more, visit the website to be informed! Photos, texts and memories of Lemon beebrush at www.colectivo-ja.com

Barbería Nocturna will collect a fistful of performances, delicate or delicious, but always hairy:

Melancolepsia will tell a tale of true love: Introducción a la felicidad.

Sef will come from Madrid with his ukulele and baby piano to sing, among other things, about hairdressers and commitment.

The evening will be crowned by our hostess and DJ, Tábata, who amongst coplas will cut the hair and trim the beards of volunteers in her famous Barbería Nocturna, as well as playing music and hairy porn after midnight.

Thursday 21 July at 10pm, at bar O'Alfaiate: Rúa San Xoán 7 (next to Plaza España), A Coruña. Facebook event here.

Saturday 16th I'll be playing a concert at Espacio Práctico at vermouth time (12am), as part of the IN_Romería route that La Poderosa organises along with several spaces of Barcelona.

The complete programme of the romería here. The entrance to each space costs 3 euros. There are 10 euro credits for access to all spaces and the closing party at La Poderosa. If you are interested in this option let me know, as the credits are limited. The rest can just drop by, it will be a pleasure seeing new faces and old friends from the city.

I'm illustrating this with one of my latest concerts as Sef, at midnight and lighted only by the lanterns of the audience in a forest in the Sierra de Gredos (thank you Artón!).

9, a project on contemporary drawing reaches its end with the ninth exhibition, a collection of anonymous drawings put together in the Sala de Arte Joven (Avenida de América, Madrid) urn along with results of the workshops and actions that have taken place during these past seven months. All thanks to the multi-function curator Roberto Vidal, who has given so much on a creative, professional and human level with his project 9.

On Tuesday 12, starting at 7:30pm there will be actions by Aitor Saraiba, Eva Solano and one final Anonymous Musical Action to accompany the inauguration of this last exhibition, sampling and reappropriating those miscellaneous orphan drawings.

There are rumours that some art collective is behind this...

The next in the series of concerts we organise at ¡Ja!...

Unususal places, above all claiming the respectful and creative use of our city, and wonderful musicians that delight us with their songs. We are still looking for an accomplice audience... what will their task be this time?

More clues at
www.colectivo-ja.com

Until May 23. Info at fernandezmiron.com/reformance (english button in menu)

Claremi and I are very proud of the results of Reformance last year. Fantastic collaborators, receptive audiences, nice weather that helped us... What more can one ask for?

Enmarcarlo en un contexto institucional sería interesante. Al tratarse de un proyecto que plantea preguntas y alternativas sobre la llamada propiedad intelectual, además de trabajar sobre el arte del pasado y moldear el del futuro, me apetece muchísimo trabajar en colaboración con museos o centros de arte que estén interesados en este potencial.

¡Y empezamos! Esta segunda edición de Reformance tendrá lugar el jueves 9 de junio en el Centro de Arte 2 de Mayo CA2M (uno de mis lugares favoritos, si estais en Madrid no dejeis de visitarlo). Formaremos parte de las magníficas Picnic Sessions comisariadas por José Salas y José Luis Villalobos. Es un gran honor y estoy seguro de que va a ser inolvidable. ¡Ahora a participar, corramos la voz!

Bases y documentación de la primera edición -puede inspirarte o empujarte a plantear algo diferente- en fernandezmiron.com/reformance

After quite a pause, ¡jA! are back to organise more concerts. Under the moniker A# (La sharp) and with the beautiful music of:
Narcoléptica, Marcus Doo & the Secret Family, Coro de Mujeres del Molino, En busca del pasto, The Secret Society and Experimental Little Monkey. Studio Banana lends us their space for the experiment on May 12. Bring your cushion!

Documenta Madrid called me to sing in their opening (photo, next to the hostess Rosa María Mateo) and closing as Sef. The closing gala will take place on Saturday in Sala Berlanga. The opening was in the colossal Teatro Fernán Gómez, I was able to sing a cappella to seven hundred people!

I'll also be playing as a member of FOCO orchestra on Sunday at Alabanda (Miguel Servet 15, Madrid) at 8:30 PM, entrance is 5 euros. Conductions by Chefa Alonso and Gregorio Kazaroff, and before two very vocal concerts: Graciela López and the debut of Archi Piel, Ainara Legardón's new duo with Álvaro Barriuso.

Llega la segunda edición del festival organizado por La Colectivo. Tres días en torno a la autoedición, el DIY o hazlo-tú-mismo, la apropiación como motor creativo y un montón de música, creación y diversión constructiva. Yo colaboraré con:

Taller zine-SMS de ¡JA!
Descarga contenido será una excusa para hacer fancines sobre lo que guardamos en el móvil.
Sábado 16, 17h. ¡Más info!

Concierto de Sef al aire libre
En Matadero tras On Your Bike y Maud the moth. Domingo 17, 14h.
¡Más info sobre Sef!

Charla-coloquio:
Reformance y el apropiaconismo
Un charla-debate a partir de Reformance, festival de performance reciclada. Se mostrarán ejemplos de la primera edición (Los artistas del barrio, 2010), así como una llamada para la convocatoria actual (la segunda edición se celebrará este verano en el CA2M). Veremos cuestiones inherentes al proyecto como el concepto de propiedad, la reinterpretación, la ética y los modelos creativos en la precariedad.
Domingo 17, 17h. ¡Más info!

Eva Solano invited me to work together on a workshop for March 26 in the Sala de Arte Joven (Madrid). It will be a part of 9, a Project on Contemporary Drawing, a collection of exhibitions, activities and actions curated by Roberto Vidal. There are many interesting collaborators and a colourful program these months, all surrounding the act of drawing.

If you are between 12 and 30 years old (approximately) you can sign up for this workshop at no cost, here.

www.proyecto9.es
Image: Eva Solano

Upcoming Sef concerts! Open to suggestions and comissions.

Madrid
15 April, 8pm at GLORIA
Weird International Collage Show
+ Info here

17 April, 2pm at Matadero Madrid
DFest (Central de Diseño)
+ Info here

12 March (Sat) 7pm
At Medialab-Prado
AVLAB: Folclore and modernity:
Sef, Barrunto Bellota, Fee Reega
Information here

New York
14 March (Mon) 9pm
At Zebulon Café Concert
Sef + Datalog
Information here

Photo: Pablo Serret de Ena,
Cañon acústico

Tomorrow I'll participate in a challenge as an experiment, an exquisite corpse in which 9 performers will link the beginning and end of our interventions through improvisation, in a true feat of concentration and empathy. We will be: Enrique Coslado, Isabel León, Sofía Misma, Analía Beltrán i Janés, Fernando Baena, Antonio Ramírez Stabivo, Christian Fernández Mirón and Violeta Nicolás.

Organised by the unstoppable Ana Matey and Paco Nogales from Artón. More info through the link or clicking on the image.

I'll play a concert as Sef tonight during the opening of Riesgo infinito, an ephemeral exhibition featuring five surprise artists. The entrance is free with an invitation. To obtain one, write to riesgoinfinito@gmail.com

The exhibition opens at 7pm and my concert begins at 10pm.

Photo: Olmo González (concert in Espacio Menosuno with Fancie).

Another year, another hot n' hairy calendar! The collective project Bears, illustrated now has a second edition for the shiny new 2011, and you can discover it in the website I just finished, available in spanish and english:

www.bears-illustrated.com

If you like what you see, tell people about it! Let all bear lovers know so they can print and hang it on their wall.

You can now see the results sent in for Étrécissement.

The current excercise is called Christmas lights and to participate you only have to record some seconds worth of video featuring the lights of a tree, a façade, decorations, stars, santaclauses, magickings, reflections, fireworks or any of the other milestones that surround us in the year's end. Find complete instructions and previous results at The Cloud Society. If you like it, spread the word and participate!

In a couple of days Living Room Festival will begin in Madrid and Berlin. Performances, music and experiences in houses and sitting rooms. Interesting proposals in intimate format, very recommendable! Visit their blog to make your reservation, it's free and the seats quite limited. It's all explained here. I'll be playing as Sef on Dec 21, along with María Jerez and her El caso del espectador.

I'll play a concert as Sef this Thursday in an old boxing ring in Valencia, pow! My last time in the city was a couple of years ago, also playing after Matthew Herbert picked me as finalist in the music competition Heineken Greenspace.

This time around I'm coming thanks to the very nice collective Desayuno con viandantes, who organise open meals in public spaces, questioning and claiming their use. They invited me to play in the celebration of their second anniversary, among other activities. The party will take place in Sporting Club Russafa (C/ Sevilla 5, Russafa, Valencia) on Thursday 16 starting at 21h.

Click on the poster to the right to see full-size with details.

Tomorrow is the start of Red Bull Local Art, a project by Red Bull who have comissioned me to curate a series of artistic and cultural events in the neighbourhood of La Latina, Madrid.

I'll repear The Kiss as part of VIHvO, art and culture festival against the stigma of HIV where artists like Julio Falagán, Mar Cuervo, Nicolás Santos or myself are participating, among others.

Tomorrow I'll be at gallery 6mas1 (San Vicente Ferrer 23, metro Tribunal, Madrid) from 21 to 23h to kiss whomever desires to participate by activating the piece, or simply coming to look at other kisses. My lips will be waiting!

More info about The kiss, here.

The results for Run from your camera are posted! Check out the similarities with artist extraordinaire Jan von Holleben and his series You count 10, I run.

The new challenge, Étrécissement, consists of a Surrealist technique that is fun and easy to experiment with. Instructions and everything else at The Cloud Society. Spread the word and do participate!

Saturday we will host the exhibition Reformance:post, a collection of audiovisual documentation and physical residues from the recycled performance festival I organised with Claudia this past spring.

We'll use the opportunity to invite the audience to some wine and meet the artists, project the videos that summarize the 9 works and show the fully updated Reformance website (updated after the show). Saturday 23 October, 19-23h at Mediodía Chica (map).

And on Sunday I'll be singing with the improvisers of FOCO orchestra under the directions of the lovely Barbara Meyer and Chefa Alonso (who also plays on Friday with her trio Uz, click on the image to the right to see the full programme). We'll play in Alabanda (map) starting at 20:30h. See you there!

After a long pause, The Cloud Society is back with a new design and a new approach. Starting with October's excercise: Run from your camera. Spread the word! Follow the link above to learn how to participate.

Also the results for Tribute to Jacko are finally published, with many Michael Jackson song covers and some surprises.

I will slowly translate the full website to english.

Miradas al cuerpo is an international festival of emerging contemporary dance. Starting this Thursday (2 September) in teatro Lagrada, Madrid. Ercilla street 20, metro Embajadores or Acacias, with different weekly pieces until October 3 including open encounters with the audience on Sundays.

I was comissioned to design the posters and plan to be amongst the audience throughout the month. I am addicted since the first edition two years ago (Crap Girls, wow!). It is a humble festival curated by Maite Larrañeta that offers some very interesting proposals. Spread the word so that the project can continue! You can find the programme, calendar, etc. here.

A new artistic space is rising in Los Santos de Maimona, Badajoz. Collective Conceptuarte have organised the Jornadas on Architecture and Public Art and several artists and collective will show their work, among them Santiago Cirugeda, Elgatoconmoscas, Todo por la Praxis, Basurama and myself (Saturday 25th). Photo: Conceptuarte.

See full Reciclarte project.

Arritmia have invited me to participate in their audiovisual improvisation set at More Art Alla festival in Murcia. We'll play inside the well/dungeon of the Torre del Homenaje in Moratalla castle on Saturday 28 August at 9 PM, mixing enamel, ink, paint, projections, electronic and acoustic music.

I've uploaded some videos of concerts to Youtube, you can see them here.

De zines, an exhibition on the influence of fanzines curated by Roberto Vidal and Óscar Martín will be on display from 29 June to 29 August. In the vitrine seen in the center of the photo (by Mercedes Marín) you will find the Fast Gallery KIT I contributed to with a poetic audioguide (audio-CD, instruction booklet, mysterious envelope and expansive box). 400 international publications, from self-published zines to magazines. I recommend going through these beauties, it's a rare opportunity to enjoy such a rich collection. At La Casa Encendida, Madrid.

Members of FOCO orchestra, Omega and Entenguerengue will meet this weekend in Madrid for a series of concerts in small ensembles and two orchestras with dancers. A total of 33 musicians combined on Friday 16, Saturday 17 and Sunday 18, always at 20:30 at Alabanda (C/ Miguel Servet 15, Metro Lavapiés o Embajadores). The entrance is 5 € per day, with at least 3 concerts, so cheap! Chefa Alonso has organised it and will be directing both orchestras. To see the instruments and ensembles click on the image on the right.

Thursday 1 July, 20h
My new band! I'll play in Experimetal Little Monkey at Autoplacer, Picnic Sessions at CA2M. Our debut as a band.

Friday 2 July, 19:30-22:30h
Acoustic Sunset Blitz in the gardens of the Templo de Debod, Madrid. I'll sing in an improv ensemble with percussion, cello, soprano sax, tuba and double bass.

Saturday 3 July, 14:30h
Sef at the charity sale of the Indonesian embassy. Gamelan concert at 12:00, food and sale all morning, Sef at 14:30 and Wayang shadow puppets at 16:00.

Sunday 4 July, 13-15h
Closing of A través del cuerpo and presentation of the publication I made documenting The Kiss in Mediodía Chica.

Video: Autoplacer, Picnic Sessions at CA2M.

Tomorrow will be the opening of A través del cuerpo in Mediodía Chica , a collective exhibition on the subject of the body.

I will arrive at 21:14 to share a kiss with anybody who wishes to take part in the performance, until the closing of the opening which will be around midnight.

More information and a beautiful teaser text by Juan Pazos, here.

Thursday 17 June, 21h
Sef at Sofa Underground IV, free with invitation.

Sunday 20 June, 12h
Dancer in the tap dance school Contaptoe's show. Teatro de Casa de Vacas, Parque del Retiro. Entrance 5 euros.

Friday 25 June, 20h
The Kiss, intimate-public performance during the opening of A través del cuerpo, a collective exhibition in Mediodía Chica.

Photo: Diego Barrero.

To the museum! The Centro de Arte 2 de mayo of Móstoles (CA2M) will hold the third edition of Conducciones, an interactive conducted improvisation event. With the help of my friends from FOCO orchestra and more, we will invite the audience to direct the orchestra through a selection of signs I will show.

It's all free and there is plenty of space for you, your friends and families on the splendid terrace. Picnic sessions is the summer festival we will be aprt of, this year with loads of amazing activities in it's programme. The date: Thursday 10 June, from 21:00 (after the presentation of HTM).

Photo: Studio Banana (Conducciones I, 2008).

After the wonders of Reformance and everything we experienced, I feel different and prepared somehow. Tomorrow I will perform my first performance, Artist with puzzle, at Off Limits (map) inside the exhibition 6 euros: prácticas artísticas y precariedad, the same one as the piñata (see April fourteen). Núria Güell's piece consists in renting her own exhibition space and I will occupy it Saturday 15 May from 12:00 to 14:00, the full opening time of the gallery on the weekend, putting together a puzzle with whomever wants to help.

When night falls we will launch Mortland at Mediodía Chica, where it can be purchased. It is a collective comic book put together by Puño and friends from Ultrarradio who, following some funny premises, invited over twenty illustrators to collaborate, me included. I Sef will play some songs and there will be drinks, a friendly reunion.

These lovely figures were arranged by my friend Puño.

My dear friend Claudia and I have organised a small and ambitious festival combining two of our greatest passions: performance art and creative recycling. After opening a call for submissions at the end of March, we have programmed a selection of nine pieces including reinterpretations of works (ranging from the faithful to the subjectively modified) by Gaston Bachelard, Isidoro Valcárcel Medina, Steve Reich, Yoko Ono, Valie Export, Hannah Wilke, Yves Klein and Gilbert & George. As it is free and open to any person who wants to live the experience, I will be grateful if you help spread the word. I think it is going to be beautiful. See you around the neighbourhood then!

View the project and full programme here. It's only in spanish for now, as the festival will take place in Madrid. In eight weeks we'll update the site with the results in both english too.

Triple audiovisual concert with Sef (me), Fancie, impossible californian in Berlin and Takosuke, mysterious link that unites us!

Thursday 6 of May at 9:15pm in Espacio Menosuno (La Palma st. 28: map), one of my favourite galleries in Madrid that has kindly offered to host this unique, rare and necessary meeting (thank you Mario!), for those who have not been in contact with the art of Fancie. I am still jaw-droppingly digesting her combinations of castanets, deep voices, synthesizers and yellow lamborghinis.

Some weeks ago she sent me an e-mail asking if I could help her find a concert here in Madrid. Fascinated by her melodies and aesthetic universe, I searched like crazy for a way of getting her to play in the city and this triple concert is the result: some acoustic music by myself, electric and electronic music along with video projections by the two bizarre characters I will introduce.

There will be an entrance-donation fee of 3 to X euros depending on one's capacity and musical satisfaction.

Two nice dates for next week: a concert and a group exhibition.

On Tuesday (20 April) I'll play a small concert at 20h in Espacio F, an art space in the middle of commercial area Mercado de Fuencarral. The address is Fuencarral 45, local 4 planta sótano. Later Dosjotas will participate and I'm being told cocktails will be served...

Then Thursday (22 April) at 20h: collective exhibition 6 euros at Off Limits opens. I participate with Claudia as Miranda & Mirón: our mother's surnames are short and go suspiciously well together. Our piece, selected by curators Cabello/Carceller from over a hundred submissions, is an action-installation titled Contra fortuna no vale arte. It takes place during the opening so be sure to come and bring a euro!

Chefa Alonso, one of the persons I have learnt the most from in improvisation, will be directing Musicalibre's FOCO orchestra this weekend. I'll be singing and moving around as usual.

Friday 26 - 21:30 h
Trio: Ricardo Tejero / Jorge Frias / Julián Bonequi;
FOCO orchestra
La Casa de los Jacintos
(C/ Arganzuela 11).
Entrance: 3 euros

Sunday 28 - 20:00 h
FOCO orchestra
Alabanda (C/ Miguel Servet 15).
Entrance: 5 euros.

Musicalibre's blog.

Celebrating the international week of women, I was invited to play a concert at NUDO Encuentro de creadores. I wanted to do something appropriate so as well as my own songs, I will be performing some originally written or played by great women that have touched my life. I don't want to spoil the surprise, but the covers will range from Billie Holiday to Björk, among others.

This will be my first concert without dear Nathan since he left, so it could be interesting to see what happens as Sef, solo again, after what we learned.

The info: Thursday 11 at NUDO (Palma st. 18, metro Tribunal), 22:30. Punctuality is important for there will be a performance by Paco Nogales later in the same place, and I want to sing something important to you!

My brother Gustavo Fernández took this photo and little Bessie is showing me the way. Oh and the concert will be free. Bring everyone you know.

These upcoming weeks we want to play as many concerts as we can to say goodbye: excellent musican and sweetest person Nathaniel Robin Mann (Dead Rat Orchestra) is leaving town. I will post the dates below as they come up. Photo: Mad is Mad.

Nathan & Sef, upcoming concerts:
• FRIDAY 8 JAN - 20,00
  La Fresh gallery. Supercolor, Bubi Canal exhibition opening.
• WEDNESDAY 13 JAN- 18,00
  Centro Cultural Galileo, as part of the Gamelan orchestra
• THURSDAY 14 JAN - 23,15
  Freeway Bar, opening act for Sparkling Cuchillo slices up Cosmic Pizza.
• THURSDAY 21 JAN - 20,00
  Bar Futura's Bar Talk nº2, a talk and a concert. Limited seats!
• FRIDAY 29 JAN - 21,30
  La casa de los jacintos, in the free improvisation orchestra.
• FRIDAY 12 FEB - 20:00+
  Mediodía Chica: the Ignacio Chávarri exhibition opening.
• THURSDAY 18 FEB - 22:30
  NUDO. Exhibition opening of Bonus-extra's Tableau Vivant.
• SATURDAY 20 FEB - 20:00
  Secret concert (shh): the opening of Gran Derby Records.

We are looking for more gigs soon, let me know if you think of something (e-mail above)!

María at Glück, niños con suerte (it means Lucky kids) invited me to play a gig at her shop. This will be my first concert for kids (though grownups are not excluded of course). I've prepared a new song for the occasion, Oda a los cinco sentidos (Ode to the five senses). Glück is on Velarde street 12, Madrid (metro Tribunal). Saturday 20 at six.

My dear friend Rocío Ballesteros prepared this nice flyer and will be drawing on the chalkboard wall while Nathan and I sing away.

I will sing in FOCO orchestra during Hurta Cordel, the annual improvisation festival in Madrid. Every year the orchestra invites a different director from around the world to come and work with us, 2010's being Keith Tippett. This photo with me yelling to the left is from 2009 with William Parker directing and Patricia Nicholson's choreography. A great experience! You can see the program and get tickets to the festival for just 3 euros at La Casa Encendida.

Happy new year! A good way of starting it is hanging a beautiful illustration of a beautiful man on the wall, no? The Bears, illustrated collective calendar project (featuring some very fine illustrators from around the world) is now online and ready for you to download for free at it's own website I just finished (thanks for the code help Reif).

Remember to visit the website throughout the year. Coming up next, I will upload the sketches for all twelve illustrations...

www.bears-illustrated.com

Once in a lifetime concert! We are ending our Childhood dreams workshop (what did you want to be when you grew up? Me, a magician) with a polyphonic explosion. Our restless students will perform a brief composition of three movements inside the central courtyard of the IED Madrid on thursday the 17th and you are all invited!

Pablo Serret asked Nathaniel Mann and myself to teach an eight week experimental workshop for the entire first course of IED Madrid Fashion Lab 2009, something that would unite and excite them in their first year as fashion design students. It has been an AMAZING experience and I am sad it comes to an end but joyful for everything we have done. Teaching is my new addiction and future profession I hope!

"Mamá pagas por esto" means "Mom, this is what you pay for", it is the title our students chose for their concert when we asked them to name it. They are a lot of thugs but we love them!

The concert shall being at 6 PM sharp in the beautiful Altamira Palace. IED Madrid, C/ Flor Alta 8. Metro station: Callao. It can also be seen live through streaming here, but nothing can even compare to the raw sound of dozens of voices singing around you, that and a few surprises...

The very kind Fast Gallery people invited me to participate along with four other artists in their new project: Para llevar ("To go"). An edition of 50 kits containing five hand-made art objects. An honour and a chance to experiment with something new! My contribution is a bag that includes: CD, booklet of instructions, closed envelope and a little box. The kits are a hand-signed edition of 50 made with sweat and joy, available for purchase (and more info on the other artists) here.

They will be shown in Fast Gallery's own stand at ESTAMPA 09: International Print and Contemporary Art Editions Fair from October 28 to November 1, when Nathan (Dead Rat Orchestra) and I will be playing a warm Sunday concert bearing ukuleles, mbira, cane and baby piano. Do come and say hello! Kit photo by Eduardo B. Muñoz.

Just returned from a great trip to Belgrade. As one of the five memebers of the spanish team of illustrators, I spent ten days drawing collective comics with people from Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia through Strip-it, a youth exchange put together by Platform Spartak. A wonderful experience and my return to comics!

There will be a published book with all the results in early 2010, which I can't wait to see. Now to keep the comics coming with this good rhythm...

I was invited by Mediodía Chica to participate in "Caucho, tela y otras pieles", a collective exhibition of toys and dolls. Artists from around the country and beyond have made a toy of some sort. I'm afraid I won't be able to go, for I am travelling to Serbia (a fascinating new project coming up!). If you go and take pictures, please send!

Friday 18 to Sunday 20 at Mediodía Chica, 10. Metro: La Latina or Puerta de Toledo. If you come upon my piece, a big head with rotating elements, remember to go ahead and play around with it's face.

I have just updated The Cloud Society with "The fall", the new and first really collective excercise and the proposals recieved for last month's tribute to Nagi Noda.

This is a still from the video I prepared with the help of my friends Julia, Rakichipum and Rocío who bared with me and my choreographic fever. Also thanks to Mediodía Chica for lending us their back yard. You can see this video and the rest on the Society's projects page.

Remember you can participate: current call is now open!

I'll be showing my drawings of men for the first time. What took me so long is a mystery even to me.

This weekend I will be participating in a DIY (do it yourself) festival in Madrid named Dfest '09. I will be showing some illustrations made with photocopies on coloured paper and selling some smiley tote bags and my very first zine! 50 copies in different colours also showcasing my love and admiration for big guys.

Dfest '09 will take place in Central del diseño / Matadero Madrid from Friday 19th to Sunday 20th. Paseo de la Chopera 14, Metro Legazpi. See map.

Lots of info on their blog:
dfest-09.blogspot.com

My next gig with the improvisers orchestra will be this Sunday 14th at 21:00 o'clock. As usual, at La casa de los jacintos on Arganzuela street number 11. Metro stations Puerta de Toledo and La latina. The entrance costs 3 euros, and the new policy says you may bring your own tasty beverages.

Here's a map.

I'm playing with the improvisers orchestra after a few month hiatus on Friday at nine, in La casa de los jacintos (Arganzuela street 11, metro Puerta de Toledo or La latina).

Also very honoured to say I have been invited to participate in a group show for the first time. It will take place this weekend at the brilliant Mediodía Chica's venue. They are a group of creative people sharing a common space in Madrid. For this special occasion (we were asked to do something with or about vinyl records), I destroyed a Brahms concert with all due respect and imitation of it's epic and romantic values. This is of course a sort of tribute, sorry Johannes!

The show will take place on Mediodía Chica street, number 10. Metro station La Latina or Puerta de Toledo. Here is a map. The show starts at eight on Friday 29 (I will be playing a couple of streets away) and continues at seven on Saturday 30 (I'll be there!). There will be live music and things to drink, plus an array of interesting and varied artists I myself have yet to discover, yeah!

I just updated The Cloud Society with the recieved proposals for Whole lotta colour, last month's creative excercise. This here is my own interpretation of the premise, which was to take a picture of a group of elements of the same colour. I looked around my tiny flat for everything orange and placed it on the table for a monochrome still life. I did the same with yellow, pink and red but this is the nicest.

The current excercise is a homage to late japanese artist Nagi Noda, a genius to me! You can collaborate with a piece inspired by her work until the end of May. For more details on this and to see all the colour frenzies... visit the site.

Second and last part of ¡JA!'s April blitzkrieg.

Last week it was the Spontaneous exhibition (see below), this week we will have the Minimum concerts. This means musical encounters stripped to the most basic of amplifications, instruments and number of musicians. We will host seven small concerts of different styles. With hardly any amplification (none, in most cases) and in an intimate format, as if it were my living room. All vocals will be heard without microphones, musicians and audience will be separated by only centimeters and the intimacy of live sound and music that we so rarely experience will be the goal that drives us through the afternoon. Yes this is Madrid, we tend to talk in concerts, we have a hard time staying put. This is an experiment and as such I invite you (the entrance will be free) with one suggestion to bear in mind: come with an equally experimental attitude and think that with everyone sitting down and enjoying the quiet, it will be an unforgettable experience. Because it will. Without any specific order, these are the names of the amazing bands:

Wild Honey, 12 0' clock Shadow (brand new project of Eye), Carasueño, Sacramento, Pozo, Juanita y los feos and Thinguma*jigSaw straight from Norway.

Calle Monteleón 26 (map), metro stations Bilbao / San Bernardo / Tribunal. Sunday 26th of Abril from 18:30 until the last string is plucked.

Organized by ¡JA! thanks to Hielo, creative space of Barfutura. ¡See you there!

Next saturday the 18th of April from twelve to seven I have the pleasure of inviting you to visit ¡JA!'s spontaneous exhibition at Hielo, creative space of Barfutura.

Calle Monteleón 26, Madrid. Very close to the plaza Dos de mayo. Metro stations are Bilbao, San Bernardo and Tribunal (map).

¡JA! is a creative collective with an open roster and in this case some of the creators that will be a part with their projects and presence shall be Alex Gutwil, Ana Bustelo, La Camorra, Blanca Helga, Stereoplastika, Abel Cuevas, Bonus-extra, Pablo Pino, Paloma Checa Gismero, Luis Díaz Díaz and some last minute surprise. Illustration, photography, installations, posters and even an in-situ workshop. We will be there all day long (might go out for some air or sandwiches) and we would be delighted to have you around.

Friday we set up, saturday is the show, sunday we clean up. Sometimes something fast is more fun. Hurry and come by!

I am currently looking for all kinds of people (the more different the better -this counts for both bodies and personalities-). This project started as an article about sexual habits for the spanish magazine ARTO! with an interview and a nude portrait, both anonymous, of different men and women. As I collected more and more material, I realised I was fascinated by the contradictions and richness of the sexual realm and the people who live in it, so I have decided to continue throughout 2009. The project will possibly end in a book.

If you are interested in participating, don't hesitate to contact me (my details are in the upper right corner of this page). Remember it's anonymous, fun and a nice experience. I live in Madrid but sometimes travel so it's not compulsory to be here.