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Naama Tsabar / MATRIX 189
Melodies of Certain Damage (Opus 6)
June 3 – September 11, 2022
Spanning sculpture, photography, performance, and sound, Naama Tsabar creates objects that function as both artworks and musical instruments. New works from Tsabar’s “Melody of Certain Damage” series are on view in the MATRIX gallery where Tsabar installed site-specific works comprised of broken then restrung electric guitars. The Wadsworth’s dedicated video gallery features two single-channel videos by Tsabar: Untitled (Babies) (2008) and Stranger (2017).
Tsabar’s project marks a return of performance art to the MATRIX program. Over more than four decades, the program has featured notable performance artists, including Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Laurie Anderson, Andrea Fraser, Janine Antoni, and now Tsabar.
Events and talks will be hosted at the museum throughout the exhibition, including a talk between Tsabar and Laurie Anderson. The exhibition culminates in a closing weekend performance of Melodies of Certain Damage (Opus 6) where Tsabar will be joined by local women and gender-nonconforming musicians from the Greater Hartford community. Like the art world, the music field is traditionally gendered male and through her feminist, political, and urgent work, Tsabar confronts these equality issues.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
June 2 | Artist Talk
July 21 | Curator Talk with Patricia Hickson
August 4 | MATRIX Past & Present: Naama Tsabar and Laurie Anderson in Conversation
August 13 | Second Saturdays for Families: Sight and Sound
August 27 | Sound Walk
Closing Weekend Performances
Free with admission. Space is limited, registration is required. Select a link below to sign up.
Masks are required for visitors attending this performance. Musicians not required to wear a mask.
September 10; 2pm | Performance: Melodies of Certain Damage (Opus 6)
September 10; 4pm | Performance: Melodies of Certain Damage (Opus 6)
September 11; 2pm | Performance: Melodies of Certain Damage (Opus 6)
September 11; 4pm | Performance: Melodies of Certain Damage (Opus 6)
Composed and performed in collaboration with Christie Echols, Jillian Emerson, Maya Perry, Sarah Strauss, MorganEve Swain, and Naama Tsabar
Images: Melodies of Certain Damage, 2019. Performance view in Dedicated, Kasmin Gallery, New York. Composed and performed in collaboration with Rose Blanshei, Rosana Caban, Taja Cheek, Frederique Gnaman and Sarah Strauss. Photo: Christopher Stach. Image courtesy of Kasmin Gallery; Melody of Certain Damage #14, 2021 (detail). Broken electric guitar, strings, microphone, screws. Photo: Zaire Kaczmarski. Image courtesy of the artist.
Sustaining support for the Wadsworth Atheneum provided by the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s United Arts Campaign with support from the Department of Economic and Community Development, Connecticut Office of the Arts.