HOST: CELESTE PRESENTS CONTENER, A MONTHLY SERIES INSPIRED BY CELESTE, FEATURING SAAKRED
Visit the Jones Center during our extended evening hours on August 9 (Wed) and join us for the last contener event, a monthly performance series held within the HOST gallery space. Inspired by the sense of community created by our current HOST exhibition, Celeste, the event will feature multidisciplinary artist, Saakred.
Doors open at 6P, and the performance will begin at 6:30P. This event is FREE.
TEXAS MUSICIAN SAAKRED MAKES CROSS-OVER AS CONTEMPORARY ARTIST with Solo Exhibition “Sin Nombre, Sin Cuerpo” at UT Austin’s Visual Art Center, September 20 – October 18, 2019
[Austin, Texas, October 10, 2019] Described as "one of the most original and intense performers in SA" (SA Current) Saakred gained the reigns as one of the most controversial artists in South Texas through dynamic and often confrontational performances, pushing sound, corporeality and political imagery to the boundaries. Living up to their enigmatic persona, Saakred has maintained a private life since moving to Austin appearing only to open for Devendra Banhart at Emo’s in February 2017.
Saakred returns, post-transition and working in new forms including fashion and auto-body design. Ushering in a new chapter as a Latinx contempoary artist, Saakred continues to push boundaries with their new exhibition “Sin Nombre, Sin Cuerpo” on view at the University of Texas at Austin’s Visual Arts Center. Saakred’s work offers a dynamic perspective on visibility and livability in Austin for Latino trans men while vulnerably grappling with their own relationship to Latino masculinity.
Saakred: Sin Nombre, Sin Cuerpo is organized by Christine Gwillim, PhD candidate in Performance as Public Practice and member of Block Party Collective, with Center Space Project.This exhibition is supported in part by the Center for Mexican American Studies and the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies, the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Gender and Sexuality Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
A three month engineering exploration diving further into MIDI production via Ableton Live. Set before, between and after body reconstruction, Saakred works to sonically demonstrate the intensity of dysphoria, paranoia, surgery, drugs and nitelife while remembering to stay playful (F.O.M.O/H.O.M.O). Themes explored: psychological isolation via physical displacement, narcissism in the digital age and the potentiality of genuine relationships with artificial technology in the loneliest of nights. The album opens with “Say Siri”, a live recording of a genuine conversation with Siri documenting a surprising emotional connection to what seems to be an empathetic robot. The minimal production heard is in part an attempt at baring a personal vulnerability to the audience through sonic minimalism. Criminal is a direct response to the criminalization of Latinos under recent U.S. government and can be specifically heard in the album’s most direct track, "The Criminal, The Wetback, The Giver". STREAM FULL ALBUM
Saakred joins Artist Committee at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas in collaboration with several Texas based artist in preparation for Summer 2019 exhibition.
More soon...
Saakred to perform at the award-winning series SoundSpace, Sunday, January 28, 2pm The Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas ft. Grammy award-winning producer Adrien Quesada, Guggenheim recipient Gene Coleman and more. >>> bit.ly/2mQLsnW
Saakred Performance 🕰 : 2:40 & 3:45 pm Second Floor, Modern & Contemporary, Minimalism
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ABOUT:
Saakred : Bajo Tus Pies
Saakred, a transdisciplinary artist with a focus in sound and live performance will be curating their original work in relation to their experience as both museum patron and employee. Using the concept of a museum as a microcosm for class, race and power inequities in the unchanging American landscape, Saakred discusses issues of security, visibility, access, facades of freedom, aristocracy and the role of art . Saakred will present four new works wedged between the all white work of minimalists Louis Nevelson and Mary Corse. All compositions are written, recorded, produced and performed by Saakred with a focus in MIDI production via Ableton 9 and Reason with additional live instrumentation for this one time performance.
