Art and Music Fall Picks

My gallery picks for the fall – shamefully they are all men!

Shaun El C. Leonardo & Clifford Owens
September 5 through October 6, 2008
Reception: Friday, September 5, 7-9 pm (but make sure you go on September 20th)
Momenta Art

Monsters
Curated by Robert Longo
September 7 - October 5, 2008
Rental Gallery

Rirkrit Tiravanija: Demonstration Drawings
September 12 – November 6, 2008
Opening Reception: Thursday, September 11, 6-8 pm
Drawing Center

Christian Marclay
September 4 - October 11, 2008
Paula Cooper (521 West 21st)

Chris Johanson, Totalities
September 4 - October 18, 2008
Deitch Projects (18 Wooster St) Soho

WHITE BOX’S NEW SPACE!
Opens election season a big show called Sedition curated by the feistiest duo since Batman and Robin – Dread Scott and Kyle Goen with Hajarah Abdus-Sabur
October - November, 2008
Check their website for details

Another political show and series of performances Political HQ curated by Larry Litt and Eleanor Heartney at Pratt opens September 26th and goes through the election.

Some outer borough stuff

Martin Boyce and Ugo Rondinone
We Burn, We Shiver.
September 7–November 30, 2008
SculptureCenter

A Performance
Mattin + Bernard Gal
Thursday September 25th
Issue Project Room

A New Biennial!
RSDI Alumni Biennial
The Old American Can Factory
September 11 - September 28, 2008
http://www.xoprojects.com/risd.html

I am still waiting for something really monumental to happen that will change DUMBO from being a sleepy little mini-Dayton Ohio into the raging cultural scene. In the meantime we have the Annual DUMBO Art Under the Bridge Festival from Sept. 26 to 28 which is often not too terrible AND the newly minty and waterier Galapagos Arts Space.

Galapagos has teamed up with The Field, which I find to be an interesting development because they are actually presenting something that looks and smells like arts advocacy.
The Field Panel Discussion
Starving Artist: Fact or Fiction: Non-Profit Doesn’t = No Money
Tuesday, September 16th, 7:30pm, reception to follow
Galapagos Art Space

New Venues to check out for music and performance – all run by reputable and interesting folks.
Le Poussin Rouge
Santo’s Party House
Light Industry in Brooklyn

If you are in London
Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard
5 September - 12 October 2008
Kate MacGarry Gallery

If you are in Shanghai
Christian Marclay: Screen Play
e-arts Festival
Featuring performances by Elliott Sharp with Wu Na, Wang Li Chuan, Ben Houge with Yan Jun and Bruce Gremo and Top Floor Circus

If you are a kind and wonderful soul who want to help Performa
THE METAL BALL
A Performa Benefit
November 15th
7pm – Midnight
Tickets and Information call us or click here!

If you are not at the Metal Ball in NYC with us then you want to be in New Haven:
Yvonne Rainer: RoS Indexical (2007) & Spiraling Down (2008)
Yale International Dance Festival
November 14th – November 15th

Posted by Esa | Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008 | 2 comments

The Forgotten Kitchen

Ann Liv Young's Snow White (2005)

How could I have forgotten to include The Kitchen in my list of fall dance picks yesterday? My apologies–especially because their fall lineup is incredibly strong.

Un-missables include:

Radiohole, ANGER/NATION, Sep 11-27

RoseAnn Spradlin, Blue Liz, Oct 23-25

Beth Gill, What Do You See?, Nov 20-22

Posted by Lana | Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 | 0 comments

Upcoming Lecture by Art-historian Briony Fer

Annual Hilla Rebay Lecture: The Life of Things: Eva Hesse’s Studiowork at the Guggenheim, Sep 9

Briony Fer, Professor of Art History, University College, London

Briony Fer is a remarkable lecturer. Erudite and a classically trained art-historian, she is an inventive thinker and brings wonderful language to her live presentations.

Category Visual Art

Posted by RoseLee Goldberg | Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 | 1 comments

Fall for Dance

Performa alumni Marten Spangberg, to be featured in the Movement Research Fall Festival

The Chocolate Factory’s website mysteriously has no information about the next installment of this popular bimonthly program of short works, but its curators, Andrew Dinwiddie and Jeff Larson, always seem to put together a terrific show.

(Another “don’t miss” is Andrew Dinwiddie’s upcoming solo show at the Ontological-Hysteric Theater, The Accursed Items, running Sep 3-6)


Trajal Harrell at Dance Theater Workshop, Oct 15-18

Trajal Harrell’s last New York presentation, Showpony (2007), had a lot of interesting content, and this new work promises even more–it’s inspired by composer Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, which he wrote from a Nazi prison camp during World War II.

Plus, in DTW’s new “10 Questions” section (in which they ask the same 10 questions of every choreographer they’re presenting), Trajal gives the best answer I’ve seen yet:

9. Who would win in a fight between Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor?
Martha Graham

So true.


Dada Von Bzdulow Dance Theater at Danspace Project, Oct 2-4

“Who are they,” you might say, “And why are they a pick?”

a) They’re from Poland, a country due to experience a massive cultural renaissance any day now, following in the wake of fellow hip Eastern European nations the Czech Republic and Romania.

b) The title of their piece, Factor T., refers to “Polish novelist, philosopher, and poet Stefan Themerson’s theory of the eternal tragedy”–pretty funny!

c) How often does Danspace actually show dance theater? It’s worth going out to if only to support this breath of diversity in their programming.

The Movement Research Fall Festival at Danspace Project, Dec 4-6 & 11-16

Featuring an all-star list of downtown dance luminaries as well as several Performa alumni: Mårten Spångberg, Jennifer Walshe, and, as curatorial adviser for the festival alongside Jennifer Monson, Zeena Parkins! The first week of the festival “showcases nine contemporary artists who will develop scores in response to conversations and game playing with the renowned Steve Paxton. This performance investigation, which explores conceptual and spatial thinking, takes it cue from Paxton’s daily Chinese Checkers game with his neighbor, during which the players continually rearrange the pattern of the board to keep their strategies alive and spontaneous.”

An entire festival dedicated to Steve Paxton’s daily Chinese Checkers game–what’s not to love?

During the second week of the festival, a special “don’t miss” for what I think might be the long overdue US debut (please correct me if I’m wrong here) of Portugese choreographer Vera Mantero.


Also of note:


Bebe Miller & Company at Dance Theater Workshop, Nov 11-15


Sally Gross & Company at Joyce SoHo, Nov 13-16


Limon Dance Company at the Joyce, Dec 2-7

This year’s season will include two masterpieces–Anna Sokolow’s Rooms (1955) and Jose Limon’s The Traitor (1954), a gripping condemnation of McCarthyism. But then again–you can’t beat the stunning black-and-white cinematography in the film version of The Traitor, and tickets to the Joyce are like $200!

Posted by Lana | Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 | 1 comments

E.A.T. Films at MoMA August 18th!

Museum of Modern Art Film Program
*Monday, August 18, 2008*
6:00 p.m.
*9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering*

Growing interest in the new technologies generated by the rapid developments of the early 1960s led several artists to collaborate with Billy Klüver and his fellow engineers at Bell Laboratories. In1966 Klüver and Robert Rauschenberg initiated a project in which ten invited artists—John Cage, Lucinda Childs, & Oyvind Fahlström, Alex Hay, Deborah Hay, Steve Paxton, Yvonne Rainer, Robert Rauschenberg, David Tudor, and Robert Whitman—worked for ten months in collaboration with thirty Bell Laboratories engineers and scientists to develop custom technical equipment that was integrated into the artists works in in a series of performances, 9 Evenings: Theatre & Engineering presented in October 1966 at New York City’s 69th Regiment Armory. This program presents two
of the live events, which were faithfully reconstructed through original documentary film and sound materials. These films and reconstructions of the remaining seven 9 Evenings performances will be shown in October 2 and 3.

*9 Evenings: Variations VII by John Cage. *2008 USA. Directed by Barbro
Schultz Lundestam 41 min.
*9 Evenings: Bandoneon!**[Bandoneon Factorial] by David Tudor *2008
USA. Directed by Barbro Schultz Lundestam 12 min.

Posted by Esa | Friday, August 15th, 2008 | 1 comments

Rhys Chatham’s 200 Guitars at Lincoln Center 8/15

Rhys Chatham’s A Crimson Grail for 200 Guitars
@Lincoln Center’s Out Of Doors festival
Free! - Fri. Aug. 15th, 7:30 p.m.

Composer Rhys Chatham and section leaders John King, Ned Sublette, David Daniell, and Seth Olinsky (Akron/Family) lead an oversized orchestra of 200 volunteer guitarists and electric bassists in the world premiere of A Crimson Grail for 200 Electric Guitars (Outdoor Version) performed not on the Bandshell stage but along the sides of the audience at Damrosch Park, to heighten the work’s polyphonic effect. The work, originally composed for Paris’ famed Sacré-Coeur, has been extensively revised to suit the dynamics of the Park’s outdoor acoustic.

Directions:
By subway: Take the 1 train to 66th Street/Lincoln Center Station or
the 1, A, B, C, D to 59th Street/Columbus Circle and proceed towards
62nd Street on Columbus Avenue.

Posted by Esa | Wednesday, August 13th, 2008 | 0 comments

Upcoming at Light Industry - good stuff!

Now there are two great reasons to trek to Sunset Park Brooklyn Light Industry and Diapason Gallery - stop whining about how far away it is- take the N or D train express - just a few stops from Union Square.

Cory Archangel
Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 8pm
Content Producer

At long last Cory has finally learned all of the glockenspiel parts from the entire Born to Run album by Bruce Springsteen and will perform it LIVE on a real live instrument. One will have to see it to believe it but be there to cheer him on. Performa was fortunate to present a section of this ongoing musical at the Hudson theater last February - it was a private party so we forgive Cory for not mentioning this.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 8pm
PUBLIC OPINION LABORATORY presents:
All Magic Sands: Reels 1 + 2
Featuring the return of LAMP/LICHT: Andrew Lampert and Alan Licht

You can’t go wrong with these two - or maybe you can but I bet that you won’t be able to tell. Hopefully Light Industry was able to secure Belgian Trappist ale, the projectionist from England and raise the $4,300 that LAMP/LICHT need to do this show… oh wait - I think they decided to do something simpler. Go anyway.

Light Industry
Events take place in Industry City
55 33rd Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenue), 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11232
http://www.lightindustry.org/

Posted by Esa | Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 | 0 comments

A Reason to Go to New Jersey

Aside from the fabulous ongoing repertory series at the Landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre (a bonafide movie palace in Jersey City; read more about it–including how you can help clean up the theater at its adorable annual “Dumpsterthon”–here), and the upcoming Magnetic Fields show at the same theater this October 23, there aren’t many reasons, for city-dwelling art fans, to trek out to New Jersey.

But the biggest reason of all might be Peak Performances, the criminally under-publicized performance series at Montclair State University, which just announced its powerhouse 2008-2009 season. Artists and companies to be featured include Jan Fabre, Dumb Type, and DV8 Physical Theatre, making its first US appearance in 15 years with the premiere of To Be Straight With You.

One of the most unexpected inclusions in the season is a double performance by geeky alt rock band They Might Be Giants (pictured), who will play a “children’s matinee” followed by a show for adults (at which, the press release promises, the band will play “its 1990 classic “Birdhouse in Your Soul,” among other hits”) on January 27. You don’t want to miss out on such great programming–so get on the cheap charter bus to Montclair and check it out!

Posted by Lana | Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 | 0 comments

Chris Burden @ Gagosian 21st Street

Dropped by Gagosian’s summer group show (21st Street location) today and found the performance documentation for Chris Burden’s most notorious performances from the early 70’s - a must see for any performance buff.

Also next door Eyebeam has an entertaining group show up worth seeing - the kids will love it…

Posted by Esa | Thursday, July 31st, 2008 | 0 comments

Tonight in DUMBO John Zorn + Theremin Society

Music At The Bridge Welcomes ISSUE Project Room
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2008
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Issue Project Room

An evening of live music and video art curated by ISSUE Project Room (IPR). All FREE!

IPR is a raw exhibition space showcasing innovative performances and exhibitions in Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood. Join them in the park under the tent in the historic Tobacco Warehouse. This week IPR comes to the Park and brings the infamous John Zorn, Theremin Society, and Jonathan Kane.

Set times:
John Zorn/Cobra 6:45pm
Theremin Society 7:45pm
Jonathan Kane/February 8:45pm

John Zorn’s Cobra
Composer and saxophone player, John Zorn is hard to fit into just one genre. He blurs the lines between numerous influences of jazz ensembles, rock, and symphony orchestras, while creating a unique experimental sound all his own. Written and premiered in 1984, Cobra is a classic in the circles of new music, having been performed innumerable times. In fact, composer and “prompter” John Zorn says it is his most-often-performed composition — no mean feat considering his prolific output. It is no wonder, though: There is a mischievous, cartoonish quality to the sound of Cobra that epitomizes Zorn’s style but also makes for continually fascinating listening. Based on the composer’s secretive “game pieces,” Cobra is “a fun-filled, mystical, blindfolded ride down a dark alley that circles back every few yards.” – Steve Loewy, All Music Guide. Read more about John Zorn’s Cobra at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Zorn

Jim Staley/trombone
Sylvie Courvoisier/piano
David Weinstein/keyboard
Annie Gosfield/keyboard
Anthony Coleman/keyboard
Eyal Maoz/guitar
Mark Fekdman/violin
Okkyung Lee/cello
Shanir Blumenkranz/bass
Ikue Mori/electronics
Cyro Baptista/percussion
Kenny Wollesen/drums
John Zorn/prompter

Posted by Esa | Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 | 0 comments