Second Sundays
INTERCOURSE 3, your bi-annual admixture of prose, poetry, memoir, conversation and artwork, is launching November 9th. This thermal wearing, company-keeping, soul-warming winter edition is like philosophy without the jargon, Internet without the boredom, solipsism without the self, handcuffs without the cops.
Ben Lerner discusses Wallace Stevens, his newest book 10:04, and visions of the future. Astrophysicist Janna Levin and science writer James Gleick rap about time—is it a carpet or a hill and what is it like to walk through bread? Hip Hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy remembers when he first discovered kung-fu films. Poet Andrew Durbin deconstructs the “Bro.�? And Adam Green talks to Weyes Blood about the scourge of likeability and normcore.
All that, plus a roundtable with Dorothea Rockburne, Ron Gorchov, and Trueman MacHenry a retrospective portfolio of the late, great, Dan Asher; improvisational music and the Civil Rights Movement; the way we bury the homeless; Paul Laffoley watching Andy Warhol’s TV; and the first video sharing collective, Radical Software. And more.
It’s only $12.
EXHIBITION OPENING:
SEND BLANK TAPE
Radical Software magazine and early video distribution networks
“Since only the user is in a position to know what is relevant for him and how he wants to access relevance and information, exchange must include the user from the beginning.�? -Paul Ryan, “InfomorphOne: Organization of Ignorance�? Radical Software 1(3)
This installation mines Radical Software, the first periodical devoted to video, to present a survey of some of the very earliest video art in existence. In the earliest days of video, the lines between art, documentation, journalism, and experimentation were either not yet existent or intentionally blurry.
The community of exchange that Radical Software facilitated was notable for the unusual intersection of hybrid practices and ideologies including radical pedagogy, feminism, left activism, gonzo journalism, experimental art, and erotica.
The installation is in the spirit of the early 70s Friday-night video screening parties held in the Prince Street SoHo loft inhabited by members of the video art collective Videofreex. Included are works by the aforementioned Videofreex, as well as individuals and collectives such as Raindance, TVTV, Ant Farm, John Reilly, People’s Video Theater, and Ladies Home Journal.
LIVE MUSIC:
CHANCES WITH WOLVES
Well-known for their long-running show on the now-defunct EVR Radio, they spin classic soul, 90s hip hop, and 50s throwback, among other unclassifiable sounds.
CHOP AND QUENCH
“The Fela! Band�?, is comprised of members of the cast and band of FELA! the musical. The musicians are some of the finest in New York, having performed with The Roots, India Arie, Elvis Costello, and many others. Lead singer Sahr Ngaujah was nominated for a TONY Award for his performance in the Broadway show and has been featured on film and television. As a unit, the band has gotten to accompany performers such as Beyonce, Femi Kuti, and Angelique Kidjo. Known for their straightforward performances of classic Fela Kuti compositions, they have branched out, bringing their own original music to the stage. After performing around the world, they recently performed at the Sundance Film Festival in conjunction with the premier of Alex Gibney’s film “Finding Fela�?. They are working on their first recording since the Fela! Broadway cast recording.
is the mysterious ghost folk project of Natalie Mering, (former member of Jackie-O Motherfucker, Axolotl). Weaving sound textures with delicate folk songs, Weyes Blood is truly bridge music, combining the sonic influences of tape experimentation with the ancient art of song. Her voice is singular and timeless, unadorned yet soulful and penetrating. She has provided her pipes on Ariel Pink’s new record Mature Themes, singing back up on the song Early Birds of Babylon. She also accompanied the haunted graffiti live on an east coast tour in Sept 2012. Aside from small run releases such as the self-released “Strange Chalices of Seeing�? (2007), and a 7″ entitled Liquor Castle (Smoker’s Gifts, UK, 2008) Weyes Blood released her first full length in March 2011 on the Not Not Fun label entitled The Outside Room.
Second Sundays is a monthly series of open studios, live music, and site-specific interventions presented by Pioneer Works the second Sunday of every month. The series showcases artists in residence along with musical performances and DJs, curated in collaboration with Olivier Conan of Barbès.
OPEN STUDIOS:
Dorit Chrysler, David Horvitz, Micah Ganske, Brett Swenson, Alex Verhaest, Ian Trask, Science Lab demos, and Young New Yorkers
CLOCKTOWER RADIO
will stream artist interviews and the live music during the Second Sunday activities on November 9 at clocktower.org/listen. Visitors are welcome to visit the station’s 3rd floor studio suite at Pioneer Works during the broadcasts.
ISN’T OURS
Mike Sheffield will be performing for Clocktower Radio under the guise of his solo project Isn’t Ours. A musician and writer living in Brooklyn, Sheffield additionally plays in Heaven’s Gate, Alan Watts, and Weed Hounds. He has described his Isn’t Ours EP, White Floods, as an experimental, open-ended exploration of ambient sound. Isn’t Ours’s music consists of everything from techno, “dusty” house, and beautiful, succinct experimental sounds. In addition to performing music, Mike throws conceptual art events as She Was Freaks, and writes creative nonfiction, short stories, and poetry. He lives at the Silent Barn, an all-ages music venue and art space in Bushwick.