On October 13th the New Arts Foundation will open Air Conditioning, a group art exhibition, performance, and screening series at the historic Great Hall complex in West Hollywood
Air Conditioning is New Arts’ most ambitious presentation to date, featuring work from over twenty-five artists from seven countries, with programs spread throughout the weekend. The show is curated by Greg Jenkins – whose boundary-bending work has drawn comparisons to ART CLUB2000 and Bernadette Corporation – and is funded in part by an arts development grant from the City of West Hollywood. Additionally, proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to The Trevor Project, a West Hollywood-based mental health organization for LGBTQ youth.
As a whole, “Air Conditioning” explores how worldbuilding can reformulate (and work with/in) the “real” to encourage a sense of collective agency. How can imagination spark an alternative to the dominant regime, especially when it’s informed and purposeful?
Of note for the film community is the Friday night screening, the night before the exhibition opens. It'll take place under the stars in the Great Hall courtyard, and will feature never-before-seen experimental films made specifically for “Air Conditioning.” Makers include Seokyoung Yang, Linx Fong Selby, Rob Rice, abbi page, Manaka Nagai & Kaori Takahashi, and Gavati. The screening is programmed by Advik Beni -- a recent Sundance Ignite Fellow -- and produced by Greg Jenkins. Further, at the Saturday opening, attendees will be able to see two video installations -- one by Yanbin Zhao, and the other by Max Harper.
Saturday’s opening features immersive performance, large-scale sculpture, painting, video, and installation from artists including Ross Edward Doyle, Sienna Foster-Soltis, ann haeyoung, Max Harper, Vanessa Holyoak & Antoine Chesnais, Christine Yerie Lee, Catherine Menard, Antonio Okun, Liz Quezada-Lee, malavika rao, Punitive Worm (directed by Nikki Ochoa), and Yanbin Zhao.
New Arts is a nonprofit art project and persona known for its controversial, boundary-pushing shows that challenge art market institutions and norms.
More information can be found at www.new-arts.us/aircon and on Instagram at @na_foundation.