P R E S S
R E L E A S E S 2004
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August 5, 2004
Laurie Anderson Offers Work-in-Progress At MASS MoCA
(North Adams, Mass.) -- On Monday and Tuesday, September 13 and 14, at 7:30 P.M., Laurie Anderson will perform a new solo work-in-progress, The End of the Moon, at MASS MoCA. This new piece will also feature a blend of stories, songs, and instrumental music; and will be a provocative look at contemporary American culture. The End of the Moon is designed as a companion to her recent solo work Happiness, and was inspired in part by her experiences as first ever Artist-in-Residence for NASA.
"After using a lot of technology for years, I'm trying to work with as little equipment as possible," Anderson explained. "Also I've been experimenting with putting myself in unfamiliar and awkward situations so this piece will include a kind of report of these experiences." In the past, Anderson has used MASS MoCA to perfect some of her experimental work -- in two sold-out performances in December 2002, Anderson largely abandoned the electronica for which she had become famous, and incorporated storytelling and acoustic music. Laurie Anderson's O Superman launched her recording career, rising to number two on the British pop charts and subsequently appearing on Big Science, the first of seven albums for Warner Bros., including Mister Heartbreak, United States live, Strange Angels, Bright Red, and the soundtrack to the feature film Home of the Brave. Anderson has toured the world numerous times with shows ranging from simple spoken word performances to elaborate multimedia events. Anderson's work as a visual artist has been exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Prada Gallery in Milan and throughout Europe and the United States. Anderson has created numerous videos and films, and she has contributed music to films by Wim Wenders and Jonathan Demme and dance pieces by Bill T. Jones, Trisha Brown, Melissa Fenley and others. She has created pieces for National Public Radio, BBC, and Expo 92 in Seville. Recognized worldwide as a leader in the pathbreaking use of technology in the arts, Anderson continues to devise new creative tools. Laurie Anderson's showing is part of MASS MoCA's MASS Manufacturing series. In its role as a laboratory for contemporary art, MASS MoCA established MASS Manufacturing artist residencies to provide performing artists, theatrical innovators, dancers, visual artists, and musicians the opportunity to develop and explore new works. Each MASS Manufacturing residency culminates in a public work-in-progress showing. The artists use the showings to try out new ideas and gauge audience reaction to the work and have often welcomed questions and feedback after the performance. Artists who have participated in MASS Manufacturing residencies include Shirin Neshat, David Dorfman, Lee Breuer and Basil Twist with Mabou Mines, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar of Urban Bush Women, among others. MASS MoCA serves as a testing ground for works that explore new territory, and employ new media and materials. The institution shares the behind-the-scenes process of creation with visitors and artists alike, often challenging the conventional distinctions between artistic disciplines and forms. The Laurie Anderson work-in-progress performance is sponsored by Berkshire Gas and funded in part by a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts and Meet the Composer, Inc., with additional support from ASCAP, the Virgil Thomson Fund, and with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies and the National Endowment for the Arts. Tickets for Laurie Anderson's Work-In-Progress showing of The End of the Moon are $15 for adults or $10 for students. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office located off Marshall Street in North Adams from 10 A.M. until 6 P.M. every day. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or purchased anytime at www.massmoca.org.MASS MoCA, the largest center for contemporary visual and performing arts in the United States, is located off Marshall St. in North Adams on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Myers
(413) 664-4481 x8113
katherine@massmoca.org
MASS MoCA 87 Marshall Street North Adams, Mass. 01247 413.MOCA.111