MINNEAPOLIS: Radical Presence - Black Performance in Contemporary Art

Senga Nengudi, RSVP, 1975-77. Maren Hassinger performance at Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, November 17, 2012.
Photo: Max Fields. Image via walkerart.org.

July 24, 2014 – January 4, 2015

WALKER ART CENTER

1750 Hennepin Avenue

Minneapolis, MN

From walkerart.org:

This groundbreaking exhibition is the first comprehensive survey of performance art by black artists working from the perspective of the visual arts from the 1960s to the present. While black performance has been largely contextualized as an extension of theater, visual artists have integrated performance into their work for more than five decades, generating an important history that has gone largely unrecognized until now.

Presenting a rich and complex look at this important facet of contemporary art, the exhibition chronicles the emergence and development of black performance art across three generations, beginning with Fluxus and conceptual art in the early 1960s through present-day practices. Featuring more than 100 works by some 36 artists, Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art includes video and photo documentation of performances, scores and installations, interactive works, and artworks created as a result of performative actions. A dynamic range of performances, actions, and discussions will accompany the exhibition’s run at the Walker. Catalogue available.

Organized by Valerie Cassel Oliver, Senior Curator, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH).

Radical Presence Press Release

Exhibit Link

PERFORMANCE: Clifford Owens

Clifford Owens, still from performance of Tell Me What To Do With Myself, 2005 via whitney-white.com.

Five Days’ Worth

Curated by Adrienne Edwards

November 18 – 22, 2013

THIRD STREAMING

10 Greene Street, 2^nd Floor

New York, NY

In conjunction with the traveling exhibition Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art, Performa13, and Third Streaming, Clifford Owens will present Five Days’ Worth, a new performance art project for which he will create a unique performance each day for five consecutive days; November 18 – November 22, 2013.

While conceived as one art work, Five Days’ Worth is structured in five parts, each of which is realized on a different day over the course of a week: In the Dark, Waiting for David (Hammons), Letters from My Lovers, Dad, and Come to Me. The project is a point of departure for the artist as it will be realized outside of the white cube space of a gallery or museum, as is typically the context for Owens’ performances. Instead, the artist will respond to Third Streaming’s intimate loft setting. Five Days’ Worth is also Owens’ most personal work to date as he creates distinct yet related performances which explore various personal themes of emotional, inspirational, and artistically influential importance. Throughout the project, Owens activates objects, and stages conflicts and resolutions, which accumulate and crescendo in the culminating performance through a series of participatory actions with the audience. As in previous bodies of work, such as Photographs with an Audience (2008-) and Anthology (2011-2012), Owens will use the occasion and context of the project as the basis for a new series of photographs, videos, and sound works.

Performances are free to the public but RSVP is required; please send to info@thirdstreaming.com

Performance titles and dates:

In the Dark

Monday, November 18 2013, 8:00PM-10PM

Waiting for David (Hammons)

Tuesday, November 19, 12:00AM-2:00AM
Note: This event is not open to the public.

Letters from my Lovers

Wednesday, November 20, 7:30PM-8:30PM

Dad

Thursday, November 21, 7:30PM-8:30PM

Come to Me

Friday, November 22, 7:30PM-9:30PM
Note: For admission to Come to Me, attendees are required to bring an object, a text, or an instruction for Owens to perform.

Performance Link