Summer is ready when you are

Stock up on the caffeine because we’ve got a particularly exhaustive weekend of art coming up. I’m really glad I chose to focus this blog on performance-related events, because otherwise I’d be having a serious case of ADD/OCD/OMG/WTF right about now…

Thursday, June 24, 7:30-9:30pm: X-TRA Summer Launch Party. The new issue of X-TRA Quarterly gets launched in style tonight at Human Resources. Artist Brandon LaBelle will dialogue with writer Benjamin Lord. LaBelle will also present a performative reading of his new book, Acoustic Territories: Sound Culture and Everyday Life.

Friday, June 25, 8-10pm: Closing Reception and Performance for Body Capture, Head Mount. Nevada artist J. Damron closes his exhibition at San Pedro’s Project Room G3 space with a reception and performance (latter begins at 9pm). According to their press release, “The central object in the exhibit, a large projector (lantern) built out of cedar, metal and fabric, will be an intermediary between a ‘velvet corral jump’ and the resulting image residues of those actions.”

Saturday, June 26, 7am-8pm: Micol Hebron’s Going-Away Walk Across LA. Micol Hebron, artist and longtime fixture on the LA scene, is sadly taking her leave of this city in August. To commemorate the occasion, she will walk the length of iconic Wilshire Boulevard, from its inception downtown all the way to the beach in Santa Monica. “Because nobody walks in LA!” Hebron calls this a “collaborative, community performance” and invites you to join her at whatever point you can.

Saturday, June 26, 12-5pm: VOLUME presents Presence. Torrance Art Museum continues its impressive programming streak with ZOOM, three Saturdays of experimental sound, performance, and light/video projects. The curatorial group VOLUME kicks things off this Saturday with Presence, an afternoon of immersive sound, video, and durational performance work. Lots of good artists are involved; check the invite for a complete schedule.

Saturday, June 26, 6:30pm: Closing Party Performances at 533. Can’t find details on this, but the always-reliable Five Thirty Three is having a closing party for their current exhibition, Tumbleweeds and Other Histories, and there will be performances.

Saturday, June 26, 7pm: Alex Segade does The Other Boys (& Other Stories). Alex Segade of My Barbarian fame presents “a program of videos and performances from an alternate universe in the future world we hate.” The piece was created in residency at the nifty Pieter PASD space, and will be presented there as well.

Saturday, June 26, 8-11pm: LA Freewaves presents VIDEO ON THE LOOSE. I’m including this one since performance and video/new media often overlap, and because anything Freewaves does should simply not be missed. The beloved new media programmer turns 20 this year and celebrates by hijacking the grounds of LACMA with what promises to be a sprawling, fantastic spectacle of experimental video works.