An Evening of Performances is the annual highlight in DRAF’s programme, bringing together artists, musicians and choreographers for an evening of live artworks. Guests are invited to the private reception hosted by the collectors David Roberts and Indre Serpytyte-Roberts during an Evening of Performances. Louise O'Kelly, Founder and Director of the performance art festival Block Universe and guest curator of an Evening of Performances, will present commissions from the artists Marijke de Roover, FlucT, Kai Isaiah-Jamal, Hannah Perry, Jimmy Robert and Haroon Mirza in collaboration with GAIKA and Jack Jelfs.
In an era of increasing conservatism, the 12th Edition of DRAF's Evening of Performances looks to push boundaries through a questioning of the politics of display and censorship. Taking place alongside Frieze Art Fair, new commissions and specially adapted works will reflect upon performed identities and representations of the body within art. Through spoken word, choreography, video and sound-based practices, performances will highlight the importance of alternative subcultures in finding new forms of resistance and creating spaces for freedom of expression. Touching upon the personal and political, writer and poet Kai-Isaiah Jamal will perform a new spoken-word piece, whilst Marijke de Roover shares an excerpt of her new opera with a playful take on pop culture. Performance duo FlucT’s highly charged performance will embody imposed systems of power and control. The programme will also feature major new commissions from Jimmy Robert questioning the politics of spectatorship and Hannah Perry exploring the relationship of the body to sculpture, whilst collaborators Haroon Mirza, Jack Jelfs and GAIKA will present a new iteration of The Wave Epoch, bringing belief systems and club culture together for a performative installation.
This event will be held at the Ministry of Sound, 103 Gaunt St, London SE1 6DP. Doors open at 7.30pm and performances start at 8pm.
Image 1: Portrait of the artist Marijke de Roover at Frieze London 2014. Courtesy of the artist and Vogue UK. Photo: Mehdi Lacoste.
Image 2: Portrait of Fluct (Sigrid Lauren and Monica Mirabile's collaborative duo). Courtesy of the artists. Photo: Rita Minissi.
Image 3: Portrait of Kai-Isaiah Jamal. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Gabby Drew.
Image 4: Portrait of Hannah Perry. Courtesy of the artist and Artsy. Photo: Chantal Anderson.
Image 5: Jimmy Robert, Metallica, 2018. Garage Rotterdam, exhibition "Prosecute my Posture",“Brandstof on location” performance, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Photo: Florian Braakman. Courtesy of the artist; Tanya Leighton, Berlin; and Stigter van Doesburg, Amsterdam.
Image 6: Haroon Mirza and Jack Jelfs performing, Last Dance: The Wave Epoch, by Haroon Mirza, Jack Jelfs with Elijah and GAIKA. Commissioned by Lighthouse for Brighton Festival 2018. Photo: Xav Clarke.