#open source gallery

The Vanderbilt Republic × The People Movers proudly present The Middle Passage — a four-week performance art narrative in site-specific camera obscura at Open Source Gallery.

20-22 JANUARY Free public preview (camera obscura installation only) 28 JANUARY Elsa Waithe 4-5 FEBRUARY Dante Brown | Warehouse Dance × Jayson P. Smith 11-12 FEBRUARY Same As Sister (S.A.S.) × Intrinsic Grey 18-19 FEBRUARY Dances for Solidarity × A Theatre Genesis feat. Chee Malabar

The Middle Passage is a performance art series curated by George Del Barrio & Kate Ladenheim at Open Source, remade as a focused camera obscura with multiple projections of the world outside the gallery as surface-mapped stages — upside-down and backwards.

The Brooklyn landscape outside of Open Source has been offered to artists of color as a laboratory for this profound reinterpretation of the proscenium. Within the blacked-out gallery, these contemporary artists will fill the space with light, bringing site-specific performances to a darkened space in subtle activism. During our day to day lives, we operate within a given set of assumptions about property, race, gender and time: inside of the obscura, these rules are literally turned on their head. “The Middle Passage aims to transform shared space into an unforgettable spectacle that can allow the physics of the universe to bend in support of our artists”, said George Del Barrio. “We’re working to give our collaborators more than the opportunity to just present new versions of their work — we want to use this mechanic to reach deeply into hearts and minds.” “Every day, the theatre will fade as the light dies, offering a metaphor for resilience,” said Kate Ladenheim. “We’re very deliberately presenting artists of color within an illuminated blackout that requires patience and observation to fully discover. One act outside can be two inside; this is hopefulness — bringing light to dark spaces.”

Performances in obscura will be staged by daylight every weekend through February 19, with tickets in strictly limited supply.

In a culture where we are increasingly watching and being watched, Bassel is interested in how we perform. Using the rapt audience of a TED Talk as subject, “I Want to Hold You Close” is an immersive installation centered on a large-scale oil painting of a crowd, effectively placing the viewer on stage. As the viewer confronts the specificity and humanity of each individual’s existence within the audience, unique identities begin to stand out against the crowd. Continue reading >>

Hey everyone!

This upcoming Saturday, Barf Troop is being featured in an Exhibition, "A Vital Link"! Time, experimentation, and room for failure all important to the development of one's artistic practice. The exhibition "A Vital Link" will showcase finished works, along with drafts, notes, and objects of experimentation that have been donated by generous artists to offer insight into how specialized (or not specialized) the creative process can be. 

The exhibition is also celebrating the launch of The Creative Cycle, a non-profit that provides art supplies to public schools in New York City. ** For this reason, the artists have donated unfinished drafts, sketches, and prints to not only be exhibited, but to be sold at an affordable price range of $5-30. **

Featured artists: Michael Adno, Colvin Brothers, Judy Cuker, Felicia Douglass, Ana Karimi, Rob Kulisek, Chrissy Reilly In addition to the visual arts, the exhibition will also be selling a limited edition mix CD for a few dollars, with unfinished recording contributions from: Barf Troop, Frankie Cosmos, Krill, Palberta, Palehound, Star Rover, Summer Underground, Wilder Maker, and more... The show takes place from 6-9 pm on December 13th at The Open Source Gallery in Park Slope: 306 17th St., Brooklyn, NY 11215.

You can RSVP to the event on Facebook and find out more here!