exist182, on the last weekend of the Venice Biennale – a glittering art exhibition held every other year in the historic Italian city – Solange Knowles is gearing up to stage the latest in a series of ambitious, site-specific performances in spectacular settings, including the Herzog and de Meuron-designed Elbe Philharmonic in Hamburg and the Los Angeles Cover at Sunset Tee Center. In Venice, she was preparing to perform Students of the Past and Smiles
Through the medium of voice, movement and clothing, Past students and smiles Above all, a work about conservation—both self-preservation and the act of protecting those around you—and among Knowles’ tight-knit group of collaborators, when they adjust at the last minute This bond becomes even tighter as they work to adapt to their new environment. If anything, the intensity of the experience made the final product feel more emotionally intense, whether it was courtesy of a “gatekeeper” – a group of young black women from across Europe were invited to participate, their movements choreographed to reflect The community spirit of the work – or the melodies of free jazz and contemporary classical music written, written and arranged by Knowles and led by drummer John Key, served as the soundtrack to the performance.
