1. I is for Institute: Local Context
Wednesday, February 22, 6:30 pm
What is it?
This year, the Institute of Contemporary Art has sought to self–reflect – asking questions about its past, what it means in the present and where it might go in the future. On Wednesday, the ICA will welcome a range of voices from various Philadelphia contemporary art spaces for a roundtable discussion to help answer these questions. Participants will discuss the work of their respective organizations and speak to what contemporary art means right now and what its responsibilities are – all while looking at the cultural fabric of Philadelphia in general. Participants will include Vox Populi, Philadelphia Contemporary, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and more. Curator Alex Klein and curatorial fellow Gee Wesley will moderate the discussion.
Who’s it for?
The activist, the visual studies major with an urban education minor, the sophomore with a yearlong internship at a nonprofit in Center City, the “well–meaning” art bro and anyone who just wants to understand the current cultural climate of Philly.
2. Revolutionary noise: music as struggle and healing
Saturday, February 25, 6 pm
What is it?
What is the process of making music? What do musicians need in order to create? How do they see the world? The ICA, in collaboration with the Leeway Foundation and Girls Rock Philly, will provide a platform to answer these questions. The program "revolutionary noise: music as struggle and healing" is part of the ICA’s Gather series and will feature DJ Precolumbian (Chaska Sofia), Moor Mother (Camae Ayewa) and LaTreice Branson. These three local Philadelphia artists are renowned for their individual work as well as their collaborations. The program fits well in the museum’s current show The Freedom Principle, which seeks to look (among other things) at the process of music making and improvisation. The night will feature performances and conversations and seeks to “disrupt the conventional ways in which we most often interact with and experience music and musicians.”
Who’s it for?
This program promises to be incredible so really—it’s for anyone.
3. Taisha Paggett at the ICA
March 4 and 5, 12 pm
What is it?
This past year, the ICA has been a platform for various artists as part of Endless Shout, a performance project exploring collectivity and improvisation. The project is a series of performances by five participants: Raul de Nieves, Danielle Goldman, George Lewis, The Otolith Group and, coming early March, Taisha Paggett. Known for her integration of dance and the visual arts, Paggett’s work questions the representation of black bodies in dance. She is an Assistant Professor at UC Riverside, and her work has been shown extensively, including at the Philadelphia gallery Vox Populi and during the 2014 Whitney Biennial.
Who’s it for?
For anyone who’s spent any time at Platt (or knows what Platt is), does more than tap their foot at that sticky–floor basement party and cares about the current state of contemporary art and wants to know where it’s going.
4. Wadada Leo Smith and Pheeroan akLaff
March 18, 3 pm
What is it?
In the back–gallery space of the ICA is a series of works by Wadada Leo Smith, a trumpeter/composer and early member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians—an organization focused on in The Freedom Principle. The works are of abstract musical scores and show Wadada Leo Smith as a pioneer of the avant–garde in jazz. On March 18, he will be joined by Pheeron akLaff, a bandleader, American drum set master and recording artist for a night of performance paying homage to legendary drummer Ed Blackwell.
Who’s it for?
The rare music major, the trumpeter in the Penn Band, the wannabe cool–kid, the real cool–kid, the person who thinks they should be writing for the Music section of Street and the babe who’s always "interested" on Facebook in that obscure concert happening somewhere in Philly.
All events are free and open to the public.
