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Lagartijas Tiradas al Sol at TBA 2012

Time-Based Art (TBA) Festival

The Time-Based Art Festival shatters barriers between artist and audience.

1 min read

Eric Gold

Editor's Pick

When

Sept. 4–14, 2025

Daily

Where

OR
Various Locations

Called “the best contemporary summer festival in the country” by The New York Times, Portland’s Time-Based Art Festival (TBA) returns every September with boundary-pushing performances, visual art and projects that defy categorization. Expect an eclectic array of artists, both local and from across the globe, including from far-flung locales like New Zealand, Ontario and the UK.

Modeled after international contemporary arts festivals in cities like Edinburgh and Adelaide, TBA is orchestrated by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA). Installations and performances take over Portland’s theaters, galleries, warehouses and public spaces, while workshops and talks keep the arts going almost nonstop. Together, these works effectively obliterate the barriers between artists and their audiences.

2025 marks the 30th year for the Time-Based Art Festival and takes the ten days to look back on festivals of the past while leaning towards the future. This year’s festival will start with a thoughtfully curated Opening Night Dinner, as well as the world premiere of Omni Rail, a surround-sound instrument designed from the stairwells, railings and cable system of Portland’s historic 511 Building that houses the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Expect an exciting program that features a wide range of remarkable performances, from experimental operas to droning soundscapes, from multimodal poetry to performance lectures.

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