Feast: Radical Hospitality in Contemporary Art defines an important new category of contemporary artistic practice — the artist-orchestrated meal. Feast surveys this practice for the first time, assessing its roots in early 20th century European avant-garde art, its development over the past five decades within Western art and its current global ubiquity. Originally organized by the Smart Museum of Art at the University of Chicago, the presentation at Blaffer Art Museum has been expanded to include artists of relevance to the local context.
Feast in Houston features more than 30 artists and artist collectives through two interrelated components: A gallery presentation and participatory, performative projects. Feast includes art, documentary materials and new public projects by Marina Abramović and Ulay, Sonja Alhäuser, Miguel Amat, Mary Ellen Carroll, Mary Evans, Fallen Fruit, Theaster Gates, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, InCUBATE, The Italian Futurists, Mella Jaarsma, Alison Knowles, Suzanne Lacy, Gabriel Martinez, Lynne McCabe, Lee Mingwei, Laura Letinsky, Tom Marioni, Gordon Matta-Clark, Mildred’s Lane, Julio César Morales and Max La Rivière-Hedrick, motiroti, National Bitter Melon Council, Ana Prvacki, Sudsiri Pui-Ock, Michael Rakowitz, Ayman Ramadan, Red76, David Robbins, Allen Ruppersberg, Bonnie Sherk, Barbara T. Smith, Daniel Spoerri and Rirkrit Tiravanija.
This exhibition includes a series of dinners, performances and events that are free and open to the public.
Sept. 6, Oct. 3 and Nov. 7 - Tom Marioni "The Act of Drinking Beer with Friends is the Highest Form of Art"
Held regularly since 1970, Marioni's famous beer salon will be held in a bar-like installation in Blaffer's galleries. The Art Guys will kick off the series as celebrity bartenders for opening night. Future guest bartenders include Claudia Schmuckli (Oct. 3) and Toby Kamps (Nov. 7).
Sept. 14, Oct. 19 and Nov. 16 - Gabriel Martinez "Untitled (territory)"
Join the artist on a two-hour trip to Houston's ethnically diverse taquerias, enjoy a taco or two and participate in discussion about the city's complex history of urban planning. Attendees will meet at Blaffer Art Museum and depart with the artist, space is limited. Sign up at the front desk in person or by calling 713-743-9521.
Sept. 21, Oct. 26 and Nov. 23 - Lynne McCabe "Vexations in the Kitchen"
Watch a live broadcast of Vexations in the Kitchen, a work exploring the gendered dynamics of durational performance and hospitality when performed over years and subsumed into the rhythms of the domestic everyday. Live broadcast can be viewed at the museum or online.