Art

A Ceremony Invites You to Trade Objects and Learn About Cooperation

On July 20–22, Iván Navarro and Courtney Smith will choreograph a trio of performances with 24 to 40 volunteers at the Garey Building.

Matt Stromberg

July 18, 2017 — 2 min read

Iván Navarro and Courtney Smith, “The Ring” (image courtesy the artists)

Since 2014, artists Iván Navarro and Courtney Smith have been collaborating on a series of works that blend sculpture and performance. Chilean-born Navarro is known for his works of neon and fluorescent lights that confront traumatic political histories, such as the legacy of Augusto Pinochet. Earlier in her career, Paris-born Smith made hybrid objects made from deconstructed pieces of furniture. The duo’s projects have included nonfunctional benches made of steel and neon, and the “Yungay Quadrille,” a performance staged in a sculptural installation, during which participants had to speak with and get to know one other attendee for a prescribed amount of time.

The artists’ latest collaboration is “The Ring,” a trio of performances that explores systems of cooperation and sharing. Organized by Los Angeles Nomadic Division (LAND), the performance is part of Exchange Value, a multi-site series of events intended to activate spaces throughout Downtown LA. Each 26-minute performance will feature between 24 and 40 volunteers whose interactions will be based on a set of guidelines. Inside the Garey Building — a massive, new mixed-use complex across from Hauser & Wirth — volunteers will trade symbolic objects in a loosely choreographed ceremony set in a ring of concentric squares, which will remain on view after the performances. Slots for volunteer participants (who must be 21+) are almost full, but spectators are welcome.