Jeremiah Day: If It’s For The People, It Needs To Be Beautiful, She Said / Rory Pilgrim: The Undercurrent

Jeremiah Day: If It’s For The People, It Needs To Be Beautiful, She Said 
What kind of culture can a multiracial democracy have? Who are the people, and how do they (we) describe, reflect, commemorate and speculate on their (our) circumstances and what might need to be changed or governed differently? Do pictures and words (or exhibitions and performances) have anything to contribute to such discussions? In an exhibition and extensive live-program, the artist Jeremiah Day bears on these questions. A number of current works are premiered, which the artist combines in a new installation under the title The Opposite of Fatalism. This installation addresses moments of (political/civic) action in diverse societal settings, and considers possibilities for generating a sense of home within the sheer complexity of contemporary political reality. Another key element of the project is a series of performance-workshops, live performances and round tables. Day’s performance-workshops are consistent with Allan Kaprow’s plea for a “non-theatrical performance,” and are accompanied by guest teachers showcasing teaching experiences and deliberations related to the implementation of a pluralist performance model. The project is a collaboration with the centre d’art Le Lait in Albi, the M – Museum Leuven and the Villa Romana in Florence. A joint publication will be published (designed by Will Holder). 

Rory Pilgrim: The Undercurrent
Badischer Kunstverein presents The Undercurrent, a solo show by British artist Rory Pilgrim. The title comes from the central 50 minute film that was recently awarded the Prix de Rome and is now shown for the first time in Germany. A hand-painted series of posters, photographs, drawings and paintings are also included in the exhibition. In an age of increasing technological interaction, Pilgrim creates connections between activism, spirituality, music and how we form community locally and globally from both beyond and behind our screens. Filmed in Boise, Idaho in the US, the film The Undercurrent was produced in collaboration with ten young climate activists from Boise and the surrounding area. The artist integrates narratives that highlight urgent contemporary issues with music and elements of cinematographic style to form a unified Gesamtkunstwerk. The film is a powerful statement about how our personal lives intersect with the global consequences of climate change. In the context of the exhibition, Pilgrim hosts a special event with songs and contributions from the collaborators of The Undercurrent as well as youth activists in Karlsruhe. Singer Declan Rowe John and artist/singer Ezra Hampikian from Boise will premiere the music from the film in Germany. A record will be released in the context of the exhibition. 

Curated by Anja Casser

Program of Events 

February 6, 2020
8pm: Performance by Jeremiah Day
Nach Hause gehen - Entlang des Carl und Margarethe Schurz Weges

February 8, 2020
1–3:30pm: Performance-Workshop 
with Jeremiah Day 
Special guest: Hilla Steinert 

February 21, 2020 
7pm: Performance by Jeremiah Day 
To A Person Sitting in Darkness, 2014–2016
Music and dramaturgy: Bart de Kroon

February 22, 2020
1–3:30pm: Performance-Workshop 
with Jeremiah Day 

March 25, 2020 
5–9pm: Performance-Workshop 
with Jeremiah Day
Session 1

March 26, 2020 
5–9pm: Performance-Workshop 
with Jeremiah Day
Special Guest: João da Silva 
Session 2

March 27, 2020
10am–1pm: Performance-Workshop 
with Jeremiah Day 
Session 3 

2–6pm: Workshop
How far can a voice carry? 
Public workshop with Rory Pilgrim for Youth Climate Activists

7:30pm: MAXIMUM CRISIS! MAXIMUM CALM! 
Rory Pilgrim presents an evening of songs and dialogues with Youth Climate Activists.
Featuring Declan Rowe John and Ezra Hampikian performing music from The Undercurrent

March 28, 2020
11am–2pm: Performance-Workshop 
with Jeremiah Day
Session 4 

4–6:30pm: Connecting the Dots – Forum on Climate Emergency, drawn from the intersections between Pilgrim and Day’s projects.

March 29, 2020 
12pm: Collaborative ensemble-performance with participants from the workshops. 
Organized by Jeremiah Day

More information on www.badischer-kunstverein.de