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April 15, 2022 • Schneps Media
Gibney Center presents world
premiere of ‘up against’
BY ISABEL SONG BEER
The New York City Gibney
Agnes Varis Performing
Arts Center, located in Manhattan,
will host the premiere
of performer and artist Jennifer
Nugent’s newest dance work
‘up against’.
From April 28-30, Nugent will
perform ‘up against’, an interactive
dance performance that aims
to emphasize physical resonance
through collaboration with the artists,
the set, and the audience with
the work highlighting the mental
and physical transition dancers undergo
as performance unfolds.
Nugent will invite the audience
to participate by doing or witnessing
certain aspects of the performance,
all while keeping consent,
asking for help, listening and following
while interacting with
audience members.
A minimal set design will be
displayed during the performance,
relying heavily on classical pine
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
theater slats, designed by Adrian
W. Jones. Accompanying the performance
and enhancing the set
will be an intricately composed
soundscape of synthesized melodies,
constructed room tones and
occasional guitar – all composed
and organized by Ted Coffey.
Nugent has been performing in
NYC since 1999 and was awarded
a 2005 New York Dance and Performance
“Bessie” Awardee: “For
her physical and emotional audaciousness,
and for making abandon
look controlled and control look
abandoned, in the works of David
Dorfman Dance among others.”
This performance in particular
aims to get audience members to
be active participants in the act
of performing, while encouraging
individuals to consider the
significance of “moving forward
and backwards”. Nugent challenges
the concept of stability and
permanence while performing to
an ever-changing soundscape and
unexpected interactions with audience
members.
American Sign Language
(ASL) Interpretation will be provided
for all three performances
by Jess Ames. ‘up against’ features
video by Tori Lawrence and was
supported by Anna Wotring who
served as rehearsal director and
creative collaborator.
‘up against’ is commissioned
and presented by the Gibney Center
as part of their 2021-2022 season
curated by Eva Yaa Asantewaa.
Tickets available for purchase at
gibneydance.org.
Dance active
PROVIDED
Gibney Center presents Jennifer Nugent in world premiere of ‘up against’
Life and work of New York artist Basquiat showcased by sisters
BY ANDREW HOFSTETTER
AND ALICIA POWELL
REUTERS
The personal and professional
life of American artist Jean-
Michel Basquiat is being
shared in a new experience titled,
“Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure
in New York City.”
Over 200 never-before or rarely
seen paintings, drawings, ephemera
and artifacts by Basquiat, who
died of a drug overdose at age 27 in
1988, fill the space at the landmark
Starrett-Lehigh building in Chelsea.
Basquiat’s sisters, Jeanine Heriveaux
and Lisane Basquiat, created
the exhibit to showcase
Jean-Michel, his work and the context
of where he came from and
how he lived.
“We wanted to make sure that
we had – the passion that we’re feeling
for the project and for him and
the love that we have for him,” said
Jeanine Heriveaux.
“One of the things that we wanted
to do was to ensure that people
who appreciate Jean-Michel’s art
had a fully immersive experience,”
added Lisane Basquiat.
It took the sisters 18-19 months
to fully realize the space that was
created with ISG Productions. The
pair spent hours pouring through
his work.
The experience starts with “1960
– Introduction”, the year he was
born where his self-portrait is found
and then transitions to “Kings
County” the location where the
family grew up in Brooklyn. Other
environments include “World Famous”
and “Ideal” that showcases
his studio and track the different
periods of his life.
A replica of NYC nightclub Palladium’s
VIP – Michael Todd Room,
was also constructed to showcase
the two paintings, “Nu-Nile” and
“Untitled”, Jean-Michel created for
the club in 1985.
“It was hard because Jean-Michel,
like every one of his works, is
absolutely amazing. And then also
putting a focus on Jean-Michel’s
very strong expression of what
he felt and what he thought about
what was happening in the world
from a political and social, economic
and cultural perspective,” said
Lisane Basquiat.
There is also a focus on his
very strong expression of the
world with three galleries in the
“SoHo” section that use titles of
his work “Royalty,” “Those Who
Dress Better” and “The Irony of a
Negro Policeman.”
In 2017 Jean-Michel’s vibrant,
untitled 1982 portrait sold at auction
by Sotheby’s for $110.5 million.
At that time, it was the secondhighest
price ever for a work of
contemporary art.
All of the items displayed are
owned by the estate, which the family
says they will never sale.
The experience opened Saturday,
April 9.
SCREENSHOT VIA REUTERS
The personal and professional life of American artist Jean-Michel
Basquiat is being shared in a new experience titled, “Jean-Michel
Basquiat: King Pleasure in New York City.”
/gibneydance.org
