A week ago Jeanne-Salomé and myself attended to a gig where Francis and the Lights were playing. The show was good. Here is my favourite song of theirs. I freaked out they wouldn’t play it at all until came the encore…

and an other day in NY…

Tomorrow is the unique chance to preview new work by Daniel Arsham, Harrison Atelier and Jonah Bokaer at their space for collaboration on the Hudson River.

Arsham will preview studies for his upcoming solo exhibition with Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin Miami scheduled to open during Art Basel/ Miami Beach 2010, and a selection from the ANCHISES (images of the rehearsals below) will be previewed.

ANCHISES, a collaboration between choreographer Jonah Bokaer and the design firm Harrison Atelier, gives visual and physical expression to the themes of aging, use and reuse of materials, and the role of space in determining the body’s range and potential. Featuring an inter-generational cast of five, ANCHISES stages new choreography by Bokaer in original stage designs by Harrison Atelier. The 70-minute work is set to a commissioned score by Loren Dempster, and performed by a multi-generational cast featuring Valda Setterfield, Meg Harper, Catherine Miller, James McGinn and Jonah Bokaer. With lighting by Aaron Copp and costumes by Christophe de Menil, the production receives its world premiere on October 6 in Bournemouth, UK at the newly opened Pavilion Dance, which commissioned the work and its US premiere in New York at the Henry Street Settlement’s Abrons Art Center on November 17. A selection from the ANCHISES will be previewed.

Bus from Union Square North at 2pm, opening at 4pm, performance at 5pm.

Drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served!

BE THERE and RSVP to shayna@susangrantlewin.com

Images taken by Maxime Büchi, © Harrison Atelier and Jonah Bokaer

(for William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Brion Gysin and some others)

Once upon a time,
these friends loved each other very much,
and they made a vow to stay together until they all attained Enlightenment,
and lifetime after lifetime,
and endless re-births,
and doing practice,
they all realized the absolute empty true nature of mind.

They were so happy and overjoyed,
they started dancing,
and dancing,
and danced and danced,
they were so happy,
in the shocked recognition of emptiness and compassion,
they kept on dancing,
dancing and dancing,
and they danced away all their flesh and skin,
until there was nothing left but their bones,
and they kept dancing in their bones,
dancing skeltons dancing skeltons.

Smooth skulls and speeding fingers,
smiling teeth and wide eyed holes,
sliding phymas and cracking shins,
spinning and sparkling spinal chords,
shouting ribs and singing jaws,
sqwirming pelvises,
shivering bones and shaking bones,
I want to jump into your heart,
I’m gonna come in your heart from here.

When it gets too hot for comfort and you can’t get ice cream cones,
taint no sin,
to take off your skin and dance around in your bones,
taint no sin,
to take off your skin and dance around in your bones.

You generated enough compassion to fill the world,
and now,
all of you,
resting in great equanimity,
have accomplished great clarity and great bliss,
and the vast empty expanse of Primordially pure Wisdom Mind.

But our friends were not totally,
not completely Englightened beings,
and sometimes a hundred thousand years in one of the fabulous god worlds or highest heavens,
is one year here or a couple of years here in ours,
so much for that.

Now,
at this very moment,
their consciousnesses are terrorized,
the bells of hell,
the bells of hell,
the bells of hell,
they have cut off your head,
and are shitting down your throat,
the worst is at this moment happening,
the very worst,
is happening now,
life goes on.

John Giorno, Demon in the details.

Moyra Davey, 32 Photographs from Paris (detail, 2009)

When I heard that London lo-fi dance band IS TROPICAL had matching Cheryl Cole leg tattoos I immediately thought of rose and barbed wire garters. The reality is more understated, but far easier to create with stick-and-poke. Rumoured to be signing with Kitsuné, and doing the festival circuit this summer. Playing KOKO on August 14 too if you’re up for a grimy night out in Camden Town.

The legend of John Charles Fare (or Faré) is the story of a man who slowly destroyed his own body.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>http://www.john-fare.com/

Not only did Thom Browne fulfill my wildest desires for delirious theatrics, but he also presented an amazingly chic and creative collection. The décor reminded of both a Thomas Demand photograph and a Matthew Barney movie. A highlight.

words & images ©Maxime Büchi

Before I post more fashion week stuff, check out this performer’s tattoo. She was part of Vaginal “Vag” Davis’ performance (see title of this post). It was pretty striking in reality and had a background pattern tattooed in white. Very subtle and graceful. The whole Vaginal Davis show was pretty amazing anyway. It took place a while back but I haven’t had the time to blog it yet. But I will. I initially attended as a support demonstration for Sacrlett Rouge—who was showing a movie during the performance, but it ended up being a whole lot more!

If anyone knows more about the tattoo and/or her (not her astrological sign or phone number, something art related, you know what I mean…), please share!

words & images ©Maxime Büchi