This weekend (March 15-17), REDCAT in downtown Los Angeles presents the West Coast premiere of NOTHING#31: a bar, a bluff from artist Autumn Knight. Through her innovative approach to performance art, Knight challenges conventional perceptions of race, gender, and authority, offering a unique lens through which to explore complex societal issues.
At the heart of Knight’s artistic exploration lies her NOTHING#31 series, an in-depth investigation into the Italian concept of “dolce far niente,” or the sweetness of doing nothing. This series serves as the foundation for her upcoming performances at REDCAT, where audiences will have the opportunity to engage with Knight’s thought-provoking work firsthand.
Taking place on Friday, March 15 and Saturday, March 16, the first part of Knight’s presentation, titled a bar, transforms the traditional theater space into a host club. Guided by Knight, participants embark on a social experiment aimed at fostering temporary yet meaningful connections with their fellow audience members. Through interactive activities and guided prompts, Knight encourages attendees to explore the nuances of companionship, desire, and human connection in a space intentionally designed for collective exploration.
Continuing the exploration on Sunday, March 17, Knight will present a bluff, the second part of her performance. A trained improviser, Knight will be alone on stage responding spontaneously to the environment, audience interactions, and the architectural elements of the space. Relying on her creativity and adaptability, Knight navigates the potentialities of nothingness, embracing both its sweetness and desolation.
Knight, a New York based-interdisciplinary artist, works with performance, installation, video, and text. Her video and performance work has been presented by various institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Kitchen (New York), and Performance Space New York. She is the recipient of the Nancy B. Negley Rome Prize in Visual Arts and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
