by Michael Anthony Farley on November 14, 2016
Probably the most inspiring night of my life was Genesis Breyer P-Orridge’s artist talk at MICA a few years ago. I’m likely paraphrasing here, but there was anecdote along the lines of “If you told me when we were pissing in a bottle as performance art in the Sixties that we’d end up saving dolphins in the Eighties, we wouldn’t have believed it. But now, in retrospect, we see that they’re all parts of the same process.” The message I took away from this: art is important. Working out our frustrations and tears and hopes now might lead to tangible victories in the future—even if they might be considered small in the grand scheme of things.
That’s why I’m personally exceptionally proud to have Genesis speaking on Wednesday night as part of our Strange Genitals exhibition at AICAD. This is a person of extreme wisdom, compassion, and rebellious spirit—qualities the world desperately needs right now. In a strange twist of irony, two events extremely dear to AFC’s interests are competing with the talk: a discussion about DICKS at Fortnight Institute, and a performance interpreting Dennis Cooper’s GIF novels at the New Museum.
There’s plenty of more overtly politically-minded art events for the rest of the week. Thursday night, Xaviera Simmons opens a mysterious solo show at Half Gallery, and Terence Gower talks US-Cuba relations at Simon Preston Gallery, followed by an unrelated LGBT anti-Trump rally in Washington Square Park. If you’re energized from that, meet with State Committeeman Ben Yee at Arts on Site Friday for a discussion on organizing resistance ahead of the midterm elections. We’re also excited for openings at the Museum of Contemporary African Diaspora Arts and Vector Gallery, where some AFC reviews might just find their way into JJ Brine’s sculptures…
The weekend brings Pioneer Works’ conference on alternative art schools. I’d expect the conversations to be dominated by the election results rather than pure pedagogy. Saturday night, Michael St. John uses Walt Whitman to consider subjectivity in democracy at Andrea Rosen Gallery, and PS1’s Mark Leckey-centered Night at the Museum might just encourage us to dance our way through these trying times.
Don’t give up on art. You are so, so important.
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by Michael Anthony Farley and Corinna Kirsch on August 23, 2016
For years, people who make proclamations about “something being the new something” have said “Brooklyn is the new Manhattan.” Apparently that means it’s now also totally boring in August? New York’s two most over-exposed boroughs are having a slow week, with just a smattering of art events (but we are thrilled Vector Gallery is making a triumphant return to Manhattan Thursday night.) Brooklyn has a Wednesday night performance at The Park Church Co-op and a screening of the 1977 feminist classic Riddles of the Sphinx to look forward to Thursday, but really it’s the rest of Long Island that sees the most action.
LIC will be art-star-studded Thursday night for MoMA PS1’s Night At the Museum closing party. Then, the party moves out to Fire Island for BOFFO’s performance festival. All weekend, look forward to genre-bending work across the swirly disciplines of drag, dance, music, and fashion from artists such as FLUCT, SSION, M. Lamar, Pearl, and more. Seriously, we can’t recommend a trip to the beach more—there’s practically nothing to do in the city’s art scene this weekend and the Fire Island fest looks like it’s going to go be remembered as a total “had to be there”.
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