Break the Hinges!
Felt so fortunate to be invited to Materia Abierta an independent program on theory, art, and technology based in Mexico City that focuses on the study of the social, political and philosophical. The inaugrural edition of Materia Abierta, Novo Pan Klub curated by Natalie Zuluaga and developed with the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico UNAM in coordination with Cultura UNAM, the programa de Arte, Ciencia y Tecnologias (ACT), and Catedra Max Aub held at Casa Universitaria del Libro(CASUL) and Casa del Lago Juan Jose Arreola. The faculty consisted of Yasnaya Elena Aguilar Gil, Ramon Amaro, Macarena Gomez Barris, Bethany Johns, Gean Moreno & Ernesto Oroza, Reza Negarestani and the wonderful Susana Vargas Cervantes who I met before through Jose Munoz when we were invited in 2008 to McGill University in Montreal. Ms. Cervantes gave a magnificent presentation called Pigmentocracy and Performativity: Intersections with Criminality and Visual Culture. Her talk featured her research on the Mexican Mujercitos and the tabloid publication Alarma which I remember use to be sold at every liquor store in South Central LA. I can’t wait to read Susana’s book The Little Old Lady Killer: The Sensationalized Crimes of Mexico’s First Female Serial Killer.
The Materia Abierta team included patrician Federico Perez Villoro who gave me a copy of his fetching tome Printer Prosthetic: Futura on Printed Matter Press.
Assisting me in Mexico City was my dear old turkey of a friend Hector Martinez, the only Swedish man born of two Mexican parents. Picking us up from the aeroport was that knockout tag team of Ana Rivera and Eva Posas, two of the most gorgeous girls in all of Latin America. Another stunning member of the Materia Abierta team was luscious Cinthya Garcia Leyva and that macho’s macho Edwardo Makoszay who was taking care of all my technical needs. The program will continue until December and is one of the most well crafted art specialty educational congresses I have ever been a part of. Because of the high demand of young international artists to work with me my workshop was divided into two parts.
The exercises Chingaso Fight Club and What’s Your Damage?---really stimulated the talented participants. I gave an SRO artist talk with the creme de la of Mexican society in attendance including Diego Luna, Augusto Aguilera, and Sebastian Yatra.
I was worried that my recent operation would cause me problems in Mexico City, but other then a little bleeding I was fine. Thank goddess that it’s the rainy season in Mexico and the weather was quite cool. Prepping in Los Angeles was a different story altogether. It was quite hot and humid during the day with a nice cooling off in the evening. Was able to meet with the lovely main curators of the Hammer Museum who took me to a fab luncheon in their restaurant. The food was most excellent and so was the company. Was reading the Hammer Summer Guide and was delighted to find out that Curt Shepard is a new board member. Curt use to work with me at UCLA at the Placement and Career Planning Center. Mr. Shepard became a trophy wife marrying a wealthy conglomerist and is now part of the Nuevo art philanthrocracy.
While in El Lay I was pretty much on the downlow staying at Hector’s guest cottage in Plato Del Lago in Edendale’s Silverlake Hills. Hector did throw me a tiny little soiree with Ron Athey, Jamie Stewart, Lisa Teasley, Paula Cronan, Andrew Gould, and Norman Ghoulsen von Holtzendorf in attendance. Later I was able to spend some quality time with Craig Roose, Marlou DeLuna&Hal Marinus, Glen Meadmore, Kimberly Kim of North Korea and Emmy Award winning TV producer Meesh Mills who took me to the Slauson Super Mall in Funkytown. We also got down and dirty doing the pie puppy chow at Dupar’s.
Returning to Berlin was difficult because of the infernal heat waves which caused my feet to swell making walking difficult if not impossible. As Quentin Crisp would say, "Getting old isn’t for sissies".
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Those who are visiting Berlin you may want to scurry to Wedding on Sept 8th 6pm to the art salon Casabaubou at Seestr 107 off the U6 subway line. Experimental film gura Wilhelm Hein and his art photog girlfriend Annette Frick are hosting a Dada evening called Dada Lebt – Das Grosse und das Kleine Tohuwabohu von Wilhelm Hein that includes skulpturen – objecte –der 80er jahre bis heute. With Annette Frick, Shirin Barthel und Ruvi Simmons, Kurze Filme – Lesungen and performances von Sissi Tax, Thorsten Fleisch, Guy Parker and gasten.
Oh and September 10th at 8pm is the latest Contemporary Vinegar Syndrome this time at Vollguter Gemeinschaftsgarten Werbellinstr 50 in Berlin Neukolln on the grounds of the former Kindl Brewery. We are showing four 16 mm films from Brazil. Lets hope it doesn´t rain as its an open air cinema.