Sonic Sound Sculpture, Light Installation Mark Iconic Building’s First Decade
Kansas City, MO. Aug. 18, 2017–A free, one-of-a-kind outdoor event featuring Quixotic, an innovative performance art collective, will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bloch Building at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City Friday, Sept. 8 from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Surfaces: 10 Years of Illumination, a Nelson-Atkins/ Quixotic partnership, will employ projection, choreography and musical composition to honor Bloch Building architect Steven Holl.
“We are delighted that the Nelson-Atkins is teaming up once again with Quixotic for the auspicious occasion of celebrating our iconic Bloch Building,” said Julián Zugazagoitia, Menefee D. and Mary Louise Blackwell CEO & Director of the Nelson-Atkins. “For 10 years, the Bloch Building has been a physical manifestation of the forward-thinking leaders who championed it, and utilizing a group of talented artists to mark this anniversary is fitting.”
An evening is planned to delight the audience on the north side of the Nelson-Atkins, featuring pop-up performances with music and dance. At dusk, a magical light installation with a projection mapping experience will light up the spectacular Bloch Building. Food trucks will also be on hand, and coffee and wine will be available for purchase.
“We are excited for the opportunity to create a one of a kind audio and visual performance installation in honor of the Bloch Building,” said Anthony Magliano, Quixotic Founder and Creative Director.
In case of rain, the event will be held Sunday, Sept. 10.
In 2013, Quixotic and the Nelson-Atkins teamed up to present Surfaces, an illuminated retrospective that used the museum’s south façade as a backdrop for airborne, dancing performers, moving projection art and aerialists performing while suspended in mid-air.
Original Bloch Building image credit: Tim Hursley
Quixotic
Based in Kansas City, Quixotic was given Silicon Valley’s unofficial stamp of genius when they were invited to perform at the global TED Conference in 2012. A unique blend of projection mapping, artistic dance, aerialists, musicians and specialty acts, Quixotic fuses all these elements into what the New York Times branded an “innovative circus ensemble,” and Men’s Journal declared “one of the best contemporary [cirque] acts.” They have performed for audiences worldwide and have helped launch brand products for companies such as IBM, HP, Smithsonian, Emirates Airlines and Bulgari.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins in Kansas City is recognized nationally and internationally as one of America’s finest art museums. The museum, which strives to be the place where the power of art engages the spirit of community, opens its doors free of charge to people of all backgrounds. The museum is an institution that both challenges and comforts, that both inspires and soothes, and it is a destination for inspiration, reflection and connecting with others.
The Nelson-Atkins serves the community by providing access to its renowned collection of nearly 40,000 art objects and is best known for its Asian art, European and American paintings, photography, modern sculpture, and new American Indian and Egyptian galleries. Housing a major art research library and the Ford Learning Center, the Museum is a key educational resource for the region. In 2017, the Nelson-Atkins celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the Bloch Building, a critically acclaimed addition to the original 1933 Nelson-Atkins Building.
The Nelson-Atkins is located at 45th and Oak Streets, Kansas City, MO. Hours are Wednesday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Thursday/Friday, 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission to the museum is free to everyone. For museum information, phone 816.751.1ART (1278) or visit nelson-atkins.org.
For media interested in receiving further information, please contact:
Kathleen Leighton, Manager, Media Relations and Video Production
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
816.751.1321
kleighton@nelson-atkins.org