Exhibition opening, Performances, Lectures, Film Screenings
Benjamin Patterson Invocations
– On, Of, For, With Ben Patterson
Exhibition opening with performances, lectures and film screenings
Benjamin Patterson, Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden © Christian Lauer
On the occasion of the opening the Benjamin Patterson retrospective at SAVVY Contemporary, artists, curators and companions of Patterson’s respond to the artist’s work in the form of performances, concerts, lectures and film screenings.
Amidst the uncertainties, clamancies and nebulosity of our times, we must still find space to intro- and retrospect. Or is it to intro-audite and retro-audite? Indeed, we must find space and time to listen in and listen back. This project is a deliberation on and celebration of the seminal work of African-American artist Benjamin Patterson (1934–2016). It is an attempt to unsilence, re-enact and re-interpret the extensive body of work of one of the founding members of the Fluxus movement. It is a possibility to listen at ear level.
Six years after he transitioned to the greater beyond, it is time to take stock and time to commemorate Benjamin Patterson with a first comprehensive solo exhibition in Berlin. This exhibition will bring together original scores, texts, artworks, objects, videos, compositions and other archival material by Benjamin Patterson.
For the public INVOCATIONS programme, SAVVY Contemporary together with the Patterson Estate and MaerzMusik invites artists, curators, scholars and co-travellers to reflect and revive Patterson’s work of five decades. While being based on a multi-disciplinary curatorial approach that stems from Patterson’s worlds, this project wants to move beyond Fluxus, historically and artistically – a play on and with time, an archive in action.
This is a long term research by SAVVY Contemporary, which brings together works from five decades by Benjamin Patterson, including “When Elephants Fight, It Is the Frogs That Suffer (2016–17)”, commissioned for documenta14 (Athens and Kassel, 2017).
In collaboration with Barbro Patterson (Estate of Benjamin Patterson) and Elke Gruhn (Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden). This project is the sixth collaboration between SAVVY Contemporary and MaerzMusik – Festival for Time Issues, with works commissioned by Deutschlandfunk Kultur.
With Benjamin Patterson, The String Archestra with Giuseppe Bottiglieri, Daniele G. Daude, Anthony R. Green and Jessie Montgomery; Maria Marta Colusi, Lucrecia Dalt, Maulwerker with Ariane Jeßulat, Christian Kesten, Tilmann Walzer and Steffi Weismann; George Lewis, Valerie Cassel Oliver, Tsitsi Ella Jaji, Linda-Philomène Tsoungui, Christopher Williams
Programme
SAVVY Contemporary, together with the Patterson Estate and MaerzMusik – Festival for Time Issues, invites artists, curators, scholars and co-travellers to reflect and revive Patterson’s work of five decades. While being based on a multi-disciplinary curatorial approach that stems from Patterson’s worlds, this project wants to move beyond Fluxus, historically and artistically – a play on and with time, an archive in action.
Curated by: Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Kamila Metwaly and Berno Odo Polzer.
In collaboration with Barbro Patterson (Estate of Benjamin Patterson) and Elke Gruhn (Nassauischer Kunstverein Wiesbaden
With
Benjamin Patterson, The String Archestra mit Giuseppe Bottiglieri, Daniele G. Daude, Anthony R. Green und Jessie Montgomery; Maria Marta Colusi, Lucrecia Dalt, Maulwerker mit Ariane Jeßulat, Christian Kesten, Tilmann Walzer und Steffi Weismann; George Lewis, Valerie Cassel Oliver, Tsitsi Ella Jaji, Linda-Philomène Tsoungui, Christopher Williams
Detailed Programme
Venue: SAVVY Contemporary
15:00
„I am glad you asked me this question” (introduction)
with Berno Odo Polzer and Kamila Metwaly
15:10
A Word (introduction)
Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung
15:20
Born in the State of FLUX/us lecture (lecture)
with Valerie Cassel Oliver
15:45
“enter open or closed space/…” (performance)
with Maulwerker
15:55
Callaloo - Ten Years Since (poetry interlude)
with Tsitsi Ella Jaji
16:10
Ben Patterson: An interplay (concert)
“Music for Violin and Cello” (Ben Patterson score, 1988)
with The String Archestra
16:20 - break -
16:45
Paper Pushing (poetry interlude)
with Tsitsi Ella Jaji
16:55
Variations for Double-Bass (performance)
with Christopher Williams
17:25
A Word (interlude)
Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung
17:35
Solo for Dancer (dance interlude)
Maria Colusi
17:50
A Very Lawful Dance A Very Lawful Dance (1962)
„enter open or closed space/ …“ (procession)
with Maulwerker
18:10 - break & shift to the Betonhalle -
Venue: Betonhalle at silent green
19:00
Variations over Paper Piece (performance)
with Linda-Philomène Tsoungui
19:45
Benjamin Patterson’s Spiritual Exercises (lecture)
with George Lewis
20:15
Ben Patterson: An interplay with the String Archestra (concert performances)
Music for Violin and Cello (Ben Patterson, score, 1988)
Bolero (Ben Patterson, score 1994)
with The String Archestra
20:50
Drip Music (dance interlude)
Maria Colusi
21:00 - break -
21:30
Performing works of Benjamin Patterson
Ants (1960)
A Letter To Margaret Leng Tan (2009)
Septet from Lemons (1961)
Die Cookie-Oper (2005)
Air Graffiti (2011)
with Maulwerker
22:10
Therapeutics (poetry interlude)
with Tsitsi Ella Jaji
22:15 - Break -
22:30
A Word (interlude)
Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung
22:40
A Simple Opera (Ben Patterson, score 1996/99) (performance)
with Maulwerker and guests
22:55
Child´s Play (interlude)
Tsitsi Ella Jaji
23:00
Paper Piece (Ben Patterson, score 1961) (performance)
with Maulwerker and guests
23:15
Thank you note by curators and team
23:30
Lucrecia Dalt (music performance)
Team
Team
Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung – artistic direction
Dr. Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung, Kamila Metwaly,
Berno Odo Polzer – curation
Billy Fowo, Nancy Naser Al Deen – curatorial & production team exhibition
Lili Somogyi, Manuela Garcia Aldana
and Sonia Lescène – curatorial & production team Invocations
Lema Sikod – general management
Lynhan Balatbat-Helbock – project management
Anna Jäger – communications
Boiling Head – live streaming
The project is funded by Deutschlandfunk Kultur.