Art & Exhibitions
An Unexpected Opera Performance at the CalArts Benefit in New York
The event was attended by Tony Oursler, Josephine Meckseper, and Jill Kraus.
The event was attended by Tony Oursler, Josephine Meckseper, and Jill Kraus.
Cait Munro ShareShare This Article
The New York iteration of the CalArts Benefit Exhibition and Sale took place on Saturday at both Metro Pictures and Paula Cooper Gallery. Helping to bridge the gap between the two spaces was performance art collective My Barbarian (which you may recognize from its turn in the 2014 Whitney Biennial), who guided the crowd through the streets of Chelsea as part of their Broke Baroque Festive Operetta, a strange and comic experience involving, as you might imagine, a lot of opera singing, but also wigs, silver cloaks, and iPad screens.
There was a breadth of art donated by former students and faculty on display in both spaces. Several of the exhibiting artists were in attendance, including Tony Oursler, Rita McBride, Josephine Meckseper, Malik Gaines, Pieter Schoolwerth, and Lyle Ashton Harris, which served as an impressive showcase of the program’s talented and committed alumni.
The benefit will conclude on on May 14, with an auction of more than 30 works by artists including John Baldessari and Ed Ruscha at Christie’s.