Radical Velocity: The Power of the Body to Move through Place
September 28, 2018 - June 15, 2019
What does it mean to occupy space? To hold space?
What does it mean to move through space in unexpected ways?
Who has access to what spaces….under what circumstances….and with whose permission?
Radical Velocity explores the power of the human body to not only move through space, but also to impact (even transform) our sense of place. Through images of protest, performance, and physicality we see how social space, boundaries, and expectations are negotiated, and changed, by movement or stillness.
Radical Velocity is an invitation to consider moments of history and more recent events when everyday citizens and artists have taken to the streets and other public settings to use their bodies, their presence, their movement as a means to affect change. In some cases, the change is related to equity, reconciliation, and social justice, other times perception or imagination. And some works simply celebrate the possibilities of exuberant, unexpected movement, and the individuals who are pushing boundaries both physical and social.
Radical Velocity is presented as part of the New Terrains: Mobility and Migration initiative presented throughout Silicon Valley from spring 2018 through spring 2019:
Through New Terrains: Mobility and Migration, South Bay arts organizations band together to present a series of cross-disciplinary exhibitions, programs and experiences that explore how bodies move through spaces—social, political, literal, and figurative. Projects address timely topics such as transportation and urban planning, navigation and orientation, public protest, immigration and migration, and mobility in its many forms.
With expanding partnerships New Terrains will embrace multidisciplinary thinkers and cultural producers through a growing range of events. Collaboratively presented through spring of 2019 by organizations of all sizes and types — from museums and artist residencies to community centers and civic think tanks — events and programs will take place across the greater Silicon Valley. You can learn about exhibitions, programs, and events at https://sjmusart.org/new-terrains.
New Terrains was developed collaboratively by Art Ark Gallery, San José; San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), the de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University; History San José, MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultural Latino Americana), San José; Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga; Palo Alto Art Center, San José Museum of Art, San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, The Tech Museum of Innovation, San José; Institute of the Arts and Sciences of the University of California Santa Cruz Arts Division, and ZERO1.
Additional partners include Chamber Music Silicon Valley, Children’s Discovery Museum, Chopsticks Alley Art, City Lights Theatre Company, Consulado General de Mexico en San José, Pajaro Valley Arts, San Jose Jazz, Sangam Arts, SETI Institute, and Teatro Vision.
Image: Lawrence Halprin, Blank Placard Dance, San Francisco, 1967, black and white photograph documenting performance by Anna Halprin and the San Francisco Dancers Workshop. Image Courtesy of Anna Halprin.