Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Yes, That's Tilda Swinton


Song 1, artist Doug Aiken's multimedia exhibit based on a single song, recently closed at the Hirshhorn Museum on the Mall.  Aiken made use of the museum's round architecture to project his film in 360 degrees on the exterior walls, surrounding the building with speakers playing "I Only Have Eyes For You."  The film itself is non-linear and non-narrative, but, in a way, it tells the story of how music moves through our lives, whether we're singing along to the radio, keeping time with our footsteps, or beating out rhythms with the jangle of keys and the clang of spatulas. We're all connected through the music we listen to.  For the few weeks that the film ran, the Mall, which becomes a dark, empty expanse at night, had flickers of light, strains of music, and small signs of community, as most of the viewers were DC residents gathering in night-time picnics. The pictures I've included don't do it justice, but you can see more of the exhibit, as well as hear Aiken's own description of the project, in the film below. 





Monday, May 21, 2012

Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra Plays Ella

The American Museum of Art recently hosted a special "Ella at 95" concert series, featuring DC's own Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra.