Critical Art Ensemble

Coming to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art:

March 15:
ARTIST TALK: Critical Art Ensemble/Steve Kurtz
With Steve Kurtz, artist and professor of art, State University of New York, Buffalo. 6:30 p.m., Phyllis Wattis Theater

As a member of the pioneering performance art collective Critical Art Ensemble, Steve Kurtz uses art to investigate the social impact and implications of science and technology. The group has investigated topics that range from genetically modified foods to the Human Genome Project, assessing the attendant ethical and political ramifications. Join Kurtz for a discussion of the group’s most recent projects at this special program, conceived by SECA awardee and California College of the Arts alumna, Mitzi Pederson. A screening of excerpts from Lynn Hershman Leeson’s new film about Kurtz follows. Free with Museum admission. Limited seating.

SCREENING AND DISCUSSION: Strange Culture
With Lynn Hershman Leeson, artist and filmmaker; Steve Kurtz, artist; Josh Kornbluth, actor & host of The Josh Kornbluth Show. 8:30 p.m., Phyllis Wattis Theater

In the wake of his wife’s death in 2004, Steve Kurtz found himself embroiled in a major political and legal controversy. The discovery of bioscience paraphernalia in his home—used in his art practice—led to his arrest on terrorism charges, prompting an outpouring of protests from artists, academics, and others. Hershman Leeson’s new film, Strange Culture, explores Kurtz’s story and its implications for cultural and intellectual life in the United States post-9/11. This program includes a screening of extended excerpts from the film as well as a unique opportunity to see additional footage that further illuminates the details of the case. It concludes with a Q&A.
Free with Museum admission. Limited seating.

TART.