Please note that our galleries will be closed from December 25 until January 2, 2025.

Basement Performances: Curated by John Zorn

Fridays and Saturdays in late January and early February, The Drawing Center will presentBasement Performances curated by renowned composer and performer John Zorn. The six cutting edge multi-media performances in our Lab will bring together improvised music with expanded cinema and feature some of Downtown New York’s most adventurous musicians and visual artists including: Okkyung Lee and Andrew Lampert; Raha Raissnia and Panagiotis Mavridis; Bill Laswell; Kenny Wollesen and Julia Elsas; Ela Troyano and Uzi Parnes; and Ikue Mori.

The Basement Performances are produced by Brett Littman, Executive Director.

Friday, January 29 at 7:30pm

$10 tickets -limited availability at door

Okkyung Lee (composer, cellist) and Andrew Lampert (artist, film archivist)

Performing a site-specific piece with multiple projections and live music

Saturday, January 30 at 7:30pm

Raha Raissnia (artist) and Panagiotis Mavridis (artist, musical instrument maker)

Performing with multiple looped 35 and 16 mm film projections and installation with live music

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Friday, February 5 at 7:30pm

$20 tickets -limited availability at door

Bill Laswell (record producer, bassist)

Performing to Godfrey Reggio'sKoyaanisqatsi

Saturday, February 6 at 7:30pm

$10 -limited availability at door

Kenny Wollesen (percussionist) and Julia Elsas (artist)

Kenny Wollesen and Julia Elsas will create an intimate sonic and visual performance with handmade instruments and an object-based installation.

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Friday, February 12 at 7:30pm

$10 at BrownPaperTickets.com

Ela Troyano (filmmaker, actress) and Uzi Parnes (photographer, performer)

Parnes and Troyano will work environmentally, presenting two works –The Silence of Marcel Duchamp with John Zorn’sBeuysBlock as a soundtrack and a live film version ofBubble People featuring legendary filmmaker Jack Smith along with Parnes and Polly Bradfield. Bradfield, one of downtown’s earliest improvisers, can be seen and heard on violin and record player.Bubble People Troyano’s first film was shot at Parnes' loft Performances Staged and includes his environments and artworks.

Saturday, February 13 at 7:30pm

$10 -limited availability at door

Ikue Mori (improviser, composer)

Performing a new live visual and sound piece based on the Nathaniel Hawthorne tale “Pomegranate Seeds”