An on-going collaborative project by New York-based artists Chelsea Knight and Mark Tribe, Posse Comitatus examines the socio-cultural dynamics of paramilitary groups and the representation of their political ideologies through performative gestures and movement. The title refers to a loose network of citizen militias who have co-opted the name of a Reconstruction-era law that limited federal power, and who espouse survivalist methods as a means to defend individual liberty.

For their project, Knight and Tribe recorded a militia group's activities, from the mundane interactions of everyday life to live fire field training exercises, which became the source material for their extended multi-disciplinary exploration of structures of power, politics and government.

At DiverseWorks, Knight and Tribe will present the final iteration of this three-year project, which includes a video installation, photographs and a reading series — together speaking to issues of protection and preparedness, concepts that have particular resonance in Texas (once a sovereign nation) and to American society at large.

In addition to the collaborative project Posse Comitatus, DiverseWorks, in collaboration with The Menil Collection, Aurora Picture Show, and 14 Pews, will present screenings of individual works by Knight and Tribe.

On view through Jan. 10, 2015.