Illuminating Corridors

Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions performed at Williamsburg Music Hall a little while back. I’m not a person to be writing a review, I am blogging about other things, plus both the NYC shows were covered here. She doesn’t do a lot onstage. I haven’t made up my mind on what I think of this statement she's making -- the band is lit, but Hope is not. She stands in complete darkness. If you’re not making out, you’re going to spend a lot of time watching the movies being projected behind her.

Here’s what I am talking about, as depicted by her official photographer, Luz Gallardo. Luz herself is a lush artist, like Sandoval. She manufactures dreams in her portraits, see here: luzgallardo.com.

and...

Spencer Bewley at Hope Sandoval show, photo by Luz Gallardo

Sandoval’s "vj", Spencer Bewley, mixed together clips from a variety of old 16mm strips. He grooved to the music, pulling out 1 ½ foot strips, looping them, switching the lamps on and off. Sometimes he leaned forward and taped gels on the lenses, always he bounced around with the beat. Altogether it looked like exhausting but fun work.

His performance reminded me of The Illuminated Corridor. This project is run by San Francisco-based musician and curator Suki O’Kane and consists of phantom groups of artists taking back the city from the businesspeople and the criminals. An Illuminated Corridor consists of a one-night, site-specific performance by groups of artists who project visuals, sound and build installations into alleys, buildings, onto cars, street corners, trees and planters, whatever necessary. Urban structures are reinvented into the setting of a chaotic, visual block party. At its best, the Corridor will disorient, realigning the viewer’s experience of public space. All cities should succumb at least once.


Illuminated Corridor, NYC, 2008, photo from http://www.dyemark.net/

The last performance in NYC was in 2008 but they occur more regularly for those lucky West Coasters, taking place every six months or so. Check out their website. I did participate in the New York one, with my collaborator, sound artist Jean-Luc Sinclair. Thanks very much to everyone who came out for that.