dallas contemporary is pleased to announce DC EMPTY, breaking backs: a solo exhibition of living portraits created by conceptual and multimedia artist and educator christian cruz. this one-day solo installation featuring three durational performances spanning seven hours is scheduled for january 13, 2024 during the museum’s open hours from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. a reception will be held immediately following the conclusion of the performance.

cruz's day-long series of performances will unfold through the efforts of three compensated performers, each engaged in acts of labor throughout the gallery space. breaking backs critically explores tools of empowerment and resistance, encompassing hybridization, juxtaposition, and integration tactics. the installation of three performances, crafted in rasquachismo style—a term commonly used in chicano and mexican art movements that characterizes aesthetics of the working class, which make the most from the least—serves as symbolic allegories for struggle, hope, and grief.breaking backs: a solo exhibition of living portraits is funded by the city of dallas office of arts & culture and the national endowment for the arts through the “culture of value” grant.

can't make it to dc during regular hours? join us on select thursdays for afterhours from 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm. free admission, complimentary drinks (21+)!

opening reception

nadya tolokonnikova: putin's ashes

friday, 08 december 2023

6.00 pm - 8.00 pm

free admission, complimentary drinks (21+)

161 glass st.

we are proud to announce the inaugural u.s museum presentation of ‘putin's ashes’, a short art film by pussy riot creator nadya tolokonnikova.

join us for the opening from 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm on friday, 08 december.

the film is the culmination of a performance that took place in august 2022 when pussy riot burned a giant portrait of russian president vladimir putin. during the performance, twelve women, mostly ukrainian, belarusian, or russian, cast spells aimed at chasing putin away from leadership. participating women were required to experience ‘acute hatred and resentment toward the russian president.’ once the portrait was reduced to ashes, these were collected and placed into vials that were later incorporated in ritualistic artworks by tolokonnikova.

artist bianca bondi + curator emily edwards in conversation

1.00 pm - 2.00 pm

161 glass st.

bianca bondi's immersive, multi-sensory installation is based on bondi’s research into the highway beautification act of 1965, passed by texan president lyndon b johnson and inspired by his wife, lady bird johnson, and her passion for the environment.

the act was intended to preserve the native plants and wildlife already under risk by the building of highway infrastructure. since its passing, open-space advocates and commercial companies have battled over the continued placement of thousands of billboards along texas roads.

as homage to the highway beautification act, bondi will construct a billboard in the gallery, displaying its carcass as a relic amongst flora and fauna inspired by the texas terrain, presenting a monumental artificial landscape representing the struggle between the natural and commercial world, compelling visitors to revisit forgotten legislation in order to recenter highly-attainable goals within political discourse.

+ the following day on saturday, 18 november for an artist + curator talk. register for free here.

book signing + conversation with steven visneau

le flâneur: paris 

thursday, 09 november 2023

6.00 pm - 8.00 pm

conversation with lucia simek

free admission, complimentary bar (21+)

161 glass st.

in le flâneur: paris, photographer steven visneau's 35mm nikon camera captures the essence of paris, with its cobblestoned streets and fashionable cafes, in a grainy, analog register that heightens the city's magic. in his commercial photography career, visneau directs and orchestrates subjects, but as a flâneur, he captures candid moments of strangers’ daily life.

join us for a conversation on the poetry of capturing street photography with visneau and dallas contemporary’s deputy director, lucia simek, who wrote the forward to the book. 

about steven visneau | hailing from new york but home in texas, steven visneau is a celebrated lifestyle, fashion and portraiture photographer. he is also a musician in varying projects and a published cultural critic, public speaker, and educator, and is known as an enthusiastic collaborator. his dedication to both craft and craftspeople, his obsession with his subjects and an exploration of form, sculpture and abstraction are evident in his work.

dallas contemporary is pleased to invite you to our popular stroller tour program on the second wednesday of each month from 10.00 am - 11.00 am.

parents and caregivers are invited to bring children up to 5 years old for an educator-led stroll through our current exhibitions, cerámica suro: a story of collaboration, production, and collecting in the contemporary arts and eduardo sarabia: this must be the place.

the stroller tour is a time in which conversation, questions, and animated babies are encouraged! tours are followed by an artfully-inspired story time or supervised, age-appropriate hands-on activity in the galleries.

coffee will be provided! + stroller tours are always free.

DC performance presents

CHRISTEENE

saturday, 04 november 2023

8.00 pm doors open. 9.00 pm performance

$25 admission

complimentary drinks (21+)

161 glass st.

mature audiences. limited seating is available.

🚨 DC members get in free! existing members, RSVP to rsvp@dallascontemporary.org.
not a member? register for a DC membership starting at $35 linked here.

about CHRISTEENE | CHRISTEENE is a raw spirit of ferocious music, unabashed sexuality, and fiery intimate stank. reports from live shows describe raw and intimate exchanges, distressed choreography, macabre scenes involving butt plugs tied to bouquets of balloons being released from the singer’s ass, wardrobes styled from the forgotten scraps of society, and heated sermons on the state of the world as we know it. the artist has collaborated with, as well as performed with, numerous acclaimed musicians, including faith no more, peaches, fever ray, john grant, kembra pfahler, suicide, roddy bottum, tribe 8, narcissister, marc almond, bronski beat, and justin vivian bond. longtime collaborators include award winning filmmaker pj raval, along with iconic fashion designer rick owens and artist michèle lamy. CHRISTEENE has been photographed by juergen teller, katerina jebb, matt lambert and wolfgang tillmans, and featured in magazines such as another, noisey, dazed, artforum, spin, vice, numero, the new yorker, interview, man about town.

image: CHRISTEENE, photo by danielle levitt

DC performance | matty davis + ben gould: carriage bearance severance

friday, 20 october 2023

7.00 pm - 8.00 pm + reception to follow

$10 admission

complimentary drinks (for 21+ only)

161 glass st.

called “an extraordinary, riveting performance that viscerally explores the limits of physical endurance and mutual cooperation” by curator and critic dan cameron, carriage bearance severance constitutes a trilogy of extremely physical, provocative performances by matty davis and ben gould created between 2015 and the present, and marks the trajectory of a relationship forged by shifting need, desire, and growth.

about matty davis | over the last decade, matty’s work has been presented by various institutions in the us and abroad, in addition to many intentional site-specific locations integral to the meaning of a given work, from mountains to hurricane-churned shorelines, living rooms to the gritty concrete of new york city. institutionally, his work has been presented by the art institute of chicago, the museum of contemporary art chicago, the momentary (bentonville, ar), the ica miller at carnegie mellon university (pittsburgh, pa), the fine arts center at the university of arkansas, the anderson at virginia commonwealth university, kanal centre pompidou (brussels), bozar (brussels), the palais de tokyo (paris), the arts arena (paris), the max ernst museum (brühl), pioneer works (nyc), steppenwolf theater (chicago), among others. he is the author of six books, and since 2021 has been trailblazing a new form, “performance arranged for print,” with long-standing publishing collaborator matt wolff. as part of his collaborative practice, he has worked with artists including hito steyerl, writers will arbery and chloé cooper jones, and many other folks across the vocational spectrum: surgeons, carpenters, aviators, athletes, environmentalists. he loves to teach and work with people of all ages and ability levels, and has done so at many different colleges, universities, schools, and organizations. 

about ben gould | gould has exhibited work and performed site-specific projects throughout the country, from varied landscapes to institutional spaces - such as a hydroelectric power plant in new york, a quarry in illinois, a limestone mine in kansas city, a bunker in the marin headlands, and a moving vessel on the chicago river. gould received his bfa from the kansas city art institute in 2015, apprenticed with master craftsmen in california, and was a 2015 ox-bow fellow. he was an artist in residence at queenslab in new york city in 2018, a foundation for contemporary arts emergency grant recipient, a 2019 haystack open studio resident, a 2020 lighton international artists exchange program grant recipient, and a 2021 nyfa fellow in interdisciplinary work. most recently, gould has been presented by and shown new works and performances at kanal centre pompidou (brussels, belgium), liberal arts roxbury (ny), bozar (brussels, belgium), and the center for craft (asheville, nc), palais de tokyo (paris, france), the tarble arts center (charleston, il), and lyles & king (nyc).

carriage bearance severance is made possible with the generous support of dr. rodger kobes + michael keller.

image: ben gould and matty davis performing carriage bearance severance. photo by colin delfosse.

third thursday after hours + logen cure reading

thursday, 19 october

6.00 pm - 7.00 pm reading

7.00 pm - 8.00 pm reception

(free) admission + complimentary drinks

161 glass st.

join us on select third thursdays for extended hours of 6.00 pm - 8.00 pm. on 19 october, as an ancillary program with dallas contemporary's upcoming exhibition chloe chiasson: keep left at the fork, logen cure's welcome to midland, shares thematic similarities in the exploration of nonconforming sexualities and identities within the context of conservative small-town texas.

welcome to midland is a queer coming-of-age narrative in verse set against the backdrop of conservative small-town texas. these linked poems explore the cultural and natural history of west texas (from the horned lizard to dirt storms to laura bush’s car accident), connecting events and movements from across eras to create a tenuous yet strong sense of place. giving voice to secrets and silence, welcome to midland considers identity, community, family, and legend.

logen cure is a queer poet and educator. she curates inner moonlight, the monthly reading series and podcast for the wild detectives in dallas. she earned her mfa in creative writing from the university of north carolina at greensboro. her debut full-length poetry collection, welcome to midland (deep vellum publishing 2021), was shortlisted for the reading the west book awards.

learn more at www.logencure.com