LIVE PERFORMANCE
PAST SHOWS
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THE GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM
NEW YORK CITY
ROMANTIC SONGS OF THE PATRIARCHY
by Ragnar Kjartansson
July 2–5, 2021
ODESSA joined a group of talented women in this performance helmed by acclaimed Icelandic Artist RAGNAR KJARTANSSON
TICKETS: https://www.guggenheim.org/ragnar-kjartansson-romantic-songs-of-the-patriarchy
In Ragnar Kjartansson’s Romantic Songs of the Patriarchy, women singer-guitarists stationed throughout the Guggenheim play popular love songs by some of the world’s greatest songwriters. However, visitors to this durational and immersive performance discover that it harbors a dark side: mostly written by men about women, the featured songs gently—and not so gently—reveal a culture shaped by chauvinism, objectification, and gender violence.
Performing each song on repeat for hours at a time, each musician must personally confront the emotional and physical burden of its content. Yet she also joins in a collective ritual that imagines new possibilities for endurance, reclamation, and even joy. At once a live mash-up celebrating pop music and a charged environment of critique, Romantic Songs of the Patriarchy creates a space where contradictions—between individual and group, oppression and liberation, rhythm and chaos—exist together within a community of collaboration and mutual support.
Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson draws on the entire arc of art in his performative practice. The history of film, music, theatre, visual culture and literature find their way into his video installations, durational performances, drawing and painting. Pretending and staging become key tools in the artist's attempt to convey sincere emotion and offer a genuine experience to the audience.
SAN FRANCISCO
WOMEN’S BUILDING
ROMANTIC SONGS OF THE PATRIARCHY
Nov. 9, 2018 6–10pm // Nov. 10, 1–9pm // November 11, 1–9pm
by Ragnar Kjartansson
ODESSA will be joining a group of talented women in this performance helmed by Icelandic Artist RAGNAR KJARTANSSON
Romantic Songs of the Patriarchy, by Ragnar Kjartansson, is a 3 day durational musical performance that extends throughout the weekend of November 9th with 1 ½ hour timed viewing slots available to our visitors. Hours are: Nov. 9, 6–10pm; Nov. 10, 1–9pm; and November 11, 1–9pm.
The live performance will take place at The Women’s Building in San Francisco’s Mission District, and will feature women singing familiar and what at first seem to be innocuous love songs, but when listened to more carefully reveal more complex attitudes towards women. It is a humorous, poetic reflection on the state of our culture in the midst of the great turbulence called our times.
Ragnar Kjartansson draws on the entire arc of art in his performative practice. The history of film, music, theatre, visual culture and literature find their way into his video installations, durational performances, drawing and painting. Pretending and staging become key tools in the artist's attempt to convey sincere emotion and offer a genuine experience to the audience.
TICKETS https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ragnar-kjartansson-romantic-songs-of-the-patriarchy-tickets-49557841839
I’m a bit of a recluse. In recent years I’ve been focusing more on developing myself as a songwriter and less on live performance. I hope you’ll join me for those rare times when I do leave the house and venture out into the night with my guitar. Sometimes I’ll be playing solo, sometimes with a band, and very occassionally with a string ensemble.