Earlier this year I had the good fortune to be asked to participate in session I of Explosive Time, a three part performance series at Space4Art down in the East Village. At the event, I dragged a small boat through the gallery crowd and then sat in it under a blue flood light to recite a surreal blend of Bionic Woman, Buster Keaton and Jean Genet memories. Meanwhile, a drunken sailor friend dragged an anchor around. Sounds like fun, right?
Well, Explosive Time, Session II happens Thursday at 7 p.m. and the curators, UCSD Visual Arts students Kate Clark and Matt Savitsky have another treat in store. This time they have organized a set of artists working across performance, poetry and video. Farrah Emami, Lindsay Beebe and Elmira Mohebali will be articulating the surprising and strange ways our irrational unconscious appears on a collective scale. The three artists will create emotive, political and historic spaces that stem from recurring dreams and cultural myths. Each artist rehabilitates fragments from their personal histories that open upon broader cultural sensibilities. sdspace4art.org.
Something tamer will be taking place downtown at the Civic Center Plaza Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., even though it’s an event that was inspired by the numerous revolutions of 2011. The day-long festivities that the tireless folks of Women Occupy San Diego (WOSD) have been arranging for some time is finally here. WOSD will be sharing another side of the Occupy Movement, one focused on the creative arts and culture that aims to bring the families of the 99 percent together. The atmosphere of this officially permitted event will be festive, fun, creative, interactive and inclusive of many art forms. This is an all-day event with two stages featuring diverse performances of music, dance, street theater, acrobats, comedy and spoken word. Families will enjoy many interactive opportunities in the Children’s Peace Garden of Creative Arts including music, dance, ecological projects, face painting, creating arts and crafts, a special children’s parade and many more surprises. Toward the end of the day, from 4-6 p.m. there will be workshops and discussions. womenoccupysandiego.org.
