Sights & Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene. Dance artist Rulan Tangen told KALW’s Jen Chien about three great events happening around the Bay this weekend.
- Échame Aguas at Galería de la Raza through April 30
- CATEGORY IS...RUNWAY at Elbo Room on March 25
- The Blessing of the Beds Opening Ritual of Black Women Dreaming from House/Full of Blackwomen at Chapter 510 on March 26
Échame Aguas is an exhibition that centers on water as the source of all life at Galería de la Raza in San Francisco. The exhibition examines water as it connects to the political, spiritual, and physical realms within our society. “Échame aguas” translates to “keep a lookout for me” as a gesture of solidarity for all communities being affected by water-related issues that threaten the well-being and existence of our earth. The exhibit will be open through April 30.
TANGEN: I've been deep in water issues since 2006, when that was what intertribal elders asked me to direct my work towards ... I feel like the water is speaking; we are connected to water.
House of Prolific is a vogue and performance group of multicultural dance & performing artists. They'll be hosting a party at the Elbo Room in San Francisco called CATEGORY IS...RUNWAY. The party will have a runway walk competition, music, dancing, and proceeds will be donated to Planned Parenthood Action.
TANGEN: I also love this idea of creativity and joy as a defiant act of resistance, so I think they'll be giving a lot on Saturday.
https://vimeo.com/172766839">House/Full of Blackwomen episode: "Now You See Me"
The Blessing of the Beds is the opening event for this project’s episode Black Women Dreaming. Black Women Dreaming is a portion of a two-year, multi-site, episodic performance project – House/Full of Blackwomen –addressing the displacement, well-being, and sex trafficking of black women and girls in Oakland. “Black Women Dreaming” will be a ritual of black women sleeping, resting, and dreaming over seven consecutive days and nights in a house in Oakland. Black women can sign up to participate. The opening ritual will take place at Chapter 510 in Oakland on March 26 to send these women off to their rest.
TANGEN: These true conjurers are bringing the medicine, the good medicine of what is, you know, the alternate reality ... I remember thinking years ago, 'Oh my goodness, someone needs to make a production or write a grant for people just to take naps. Beautiful, lovely, safe naps.'
