[note: many, if not most, of these links may no longer be working, but such is the nature of the digital. hopefully, the url and context are enough to help you find any further information you want. if not, feel free to contact me, and i’ll try to help.]
diciembre 2013
¡hola, difus@s!
november was, indeed, the best of times, the worst of times. the worst of the month and the fall season was undoubtedly 21c lieberabend, op 3 at BAM (at least the saturday half that i attended). had i noticed that the show was produced by beth morrison projects, i’d have thought twice, but the benefit of suffering through that dreadful evening is that i no longer have any reservations about recommending AGAINST anything bearing her imprimatur. hers is not the golden hand of midas but rather the leaden foot of middle-brow, deadening so much potentially great material (maya beiser and david lang were the previous two victims i’d seen her sacrifice on the altar of mediocre overproduction at BAM).
the best of the month, though, was the best of the season so far and, arguably, far beyond. jerome bel’s disabled theater was extraordinary, undoubtedly one of the best pieces of art (of any kind) i’ve ever, ever been graced with the chance to see. the work was formally elegant, trenchantly political, and deeply, compassionately human. to be any one of those three would be a success, but to be all three—and to be so as fully as it was—is a triumph. whether you were able to see the work or not, his interview with timeout is a must-read; his rigor and integrity are astonishing.
one of the few artists who shares (and shows) bel’s rigor and integrity, daniel kitson, is back in brooklyn. his analog.ue is another triumph and continues through december 21 at st. ann’s. i’ve seen it twice already (sitting next to david byrne through an eleemosynary twist of fate my first night) and will see it at least three more times before it ends. yes, i adore him, but his work merits—almost requires—multiple viewings since his stories are much more subtle, nuanced than they might immediately appear. this work, in particular, has a strong material component that is integral, even constitutive, in ways that recall sokurov’s russian ark and robert morris’ box with the sound of its own making, both works that are indissociable from their production and render that production ever present for the viewer. for that reason, i’d argue that this new work moves beyond performance and into sculpture, a deft artistic move, but the real significance of the piece lies in its moving meditation on memory, media, materiality, their dispersed nature and the ways in which that very dispersion makes us, paradoxically, whole.
while kitson is my number one recommendation for the month, there’s much else worth seeing when you need a break from the hectic holiday grind:
performance & theater: the biggest event (in many ways) is robert wilson’s the life and death of marina ambramovic at the park avenue armory. although i’ve begun praying for the latter half of that title (like shannon dougherty in heathers) and find wilson’s budding bff-ship with lady gaga entirely dubious, i’m excited for this production; seeing how artists engage that space is always interesting. bodycast at BAM looks very promising, though i may just be partial to both artist talks and frances macdormand. another fantastic actress, fiona shaw, graces BAM’s harvey stage in the rime of the ancient mariner. for a bit of comic relief, i’ll be checking out the roundabout’s bad jews. also continuing into this month are some of the highlights from earlier in the season: the good person of szechwan, fun home, and a midsummer night’s dream. oh, and the skirball center presents cirkopolis, and i love me some circus (especially during the holidays when everything already feels like a circus).
dance: i’m not much for nutcrackers, so the only dance event on my calendar this month is tere o’connor’s bleed at BAM. i’ve seen him three times before, and his shows are always poetic (and, yes, somewhat elusive, ineffable). this recent interview is an excellent place to start if you’re interested in seeing his work and, more broadly, exploring more contemporary dance.
music: for the adventurous, the scott walker tribute at le poisson rouge should be quite an evening. if you’re not familiar with him, you’ll want to do some research beforehand, as his work varies tremendously(and the recent stuff is excruciatingly dark). the JACK quartet is playing again this month at subculture; since it’s a release party for ken thomson’s new album, the ambience should be pretty terrific (because i love how they gather communities of friends and fans). for the holiday-inclined, the morgan library and museum has caroling throughout its premises on december 13, 15, 20, and 22. even if you don’t want to join in singing, the space is wonderful and well worth a visit.
art: janet cardiff’s “forty part motet” leaves the closers on december 8. don’t miss it. the ad reinhardt show at david zwirner is top of my list this month, but that’s largely because i’m behind on the shows i recommended last month (the sophie calle was beautiful, but i honestly think her work is better when presented as actual documents—particularly books—rather than installation). the first week of december is a GREAT time to go to the galleries, as most of the new york art world will have decamped to miami. other shows i want to see (thanks to artforum’s discerning eye) include isaac julien at metro pictures, martin creed at both hauser & wirth and gavin brown, rosemarie trockel at gladstone, and roni horn at hauser & wirth.
abrazos,
pablo