Project 04: Pop-Up Event
The complete HECHA / 做 collection was viewable at Refuge Arts from June 20 - June 23rd during our pop-up event that hosted vendors, visual art, live music and movement performances, workshops, a panel discussion, and more.
The multi-day, multi-disciplinary “conference” allowed us to utilize the space as a blank canvas to be painted and filled with context; inviting friends and peers to participate in a flexible and open format.
All of our events were free to attend and live-streamed for accessibility and transparency.
Images by Ting Ding
Flyer art by Selwa Abd (@3dbergsonist)
Drinks by White Label Mate
DAY 1: Group Exhibition Opening
The four day pop-up opened with a group exhibition featuring 6 participants showing a selection of their work in a variety of mediums, live fabric painting by Luz Angélica Fernández, and a DJ set by Kiddo (@pureimmanencedj)
The HECHA / 做 collection plus a selection of limited edition accessories were on view and available to try on between the hours of 12pm - 7pm.
EXHIBITED:
“for this hecha / 做 fun time, i leave you with scraps of words, plastic, postcards, and stickers and layers but mostly #geminiszn and maybe i'll be there live for a few seconds but also #vpss”
"Lucy will be showing patchwork pieces along with her handmade scarves constructed of 100% silk, cotton, and velvet, featuring hand beading and embroidery."
“I’ve been making work about breaking down the cartoon to a more minimal form in order to evoke memories of childhood and nostalgia”
“A visual exploration through the intersection of Queerness & Race”
(@ry_arne)
“Brooklyn based artist with a focus on drawing faces, forms, and figures. Interested in capturing character and movement through a distorted lens, leading to an interpretive, spontaneous portrait of a moment...{let me draw your face}“
“I am constantly coinciding with the overlooked aspects of life juxtaposing my personal histories with the innocence of habitual adolescence. In this work I am examining themes of black culture, community, sexuality, flawed aesthetics, and social practices.”
DAY 2: Live Sets
After retail and gallery hours in the afternoon, we hosted an evening of experimental sounds by local talents, recorded live and compiled here:
LIVE PERFORMANCES BY:
“naano tani vs baitong.systemes is a Thai∞French ‘trial’ symbiosis, proposing alternative thoughts and techniques on folklore through new media practices. It will be showcasing “หนัง humide “, a post-thesis sound study re-mapping topographies of animism, humidity and pitch.”
“Chicanx producer/multimedia artist based in Brooklyn. Their live experimental Club music influences range from cholos to techno 🕊”
Speaker Music (ft. Ariel Valdez & Catalina Cavelight)
“On Bloodthirst and Jungle Fever is an (a)formance towards a cultural ritual featuring spoken intercession and ecstatic movement from philosopher Ariel Valdez and artist Catalina Cavelight. Acting as a mediating conductor and source of simmering and sullied rage, Speaker Music will explore through digital audio and rhythmic production what Valdez calls a “porous self“ amongst a collection of equally open selves as they are all interwoven into a singular vibrational ontology as a means of evoking a coming outside of oneself within a shared sphere of intimacy.”
“ ‘da, da, da’ is a choreographed performance for electronics, voice, oil lamps, and ankle bells by lalit kilaya aka vveiss. hecha / 做 nyc presents the debut of the artist’s hard drone and movement composition synthesized from various systems of internal alchemy.“
DAY 3: Clothing Swap/Workshop & ALKHEMY Night
In addition to the HECHA / 做 collection, Day 3 featured items from Junior Company & Lynn and Lucy Cruz, as well as a tattoo booth, an upcycling workshop, a garment customization service, and a clothing donation drop box during our afternoon retail and gallery hours.
The day ended with DJ sets by the local collective ALKHEMY.
VENDORS:
Apparel by Junior Company & Lynn
“Junior is an open company for producing t-shirt ideas. Lynn is an international artist collective that occasionally produces objects and hosts events. As Lynn Junior, we will each present garments that explore speculative and collaborative branding.”
"Lucy will be showing patchwork pieces along with her handmade scarves constructed of 100% silk, cotton, and velvet, featuring hand beading and embroidery."
Flash Tattoos by Duri4n aka Clarissa Liu
UPCYCLING WORKSHOP & CUSTOMIZATION:
“Leading a Clothing Revamping workshop featuring a sustainable clothing and jewelry and swap/trade with thrift gods from The Raga Closet.”
"Customize your favorite garments by choosing your favorite studs. 100% of profits will be donated to the ACLU for abortion rights."
MUSIC:
A L K H E M Y DJs
“The Brooklyn based all-POC collective, which focuses on highlighting diversity within the realm of techno.”
Day 4: Discussions
The last day of the pop-up hosted a community panel discussion moderated by DisCakes including a harm reduction training and free kits, and ended with a performance by lily bo shapiro, and a closing DJ set by dime.
SPEAKERS:
DisCakes Panel
(Moderators: Pauli Cakes & Marley Marl)
“On Artistic Autonomy in NYC” DisCakes joined HECHA / 做 at Refuge Arts space to curate a 4 hour long panel on topics pertaining to the underground music scene, nightlife, our artistic community, how we could divest from overground institutions and other prevalent topics. We invited several influential creators from our community to touch base on these important topics:
• DeForrest Brown Jr.
• dime (HARDCORSET) aka Tyler Jones
• Homosinner
• Lust sick puppy
• Nina Posner
• Shanita Bump
(and more)
⛑ Discussions were followed by a *free* narcan training workshop + *free* fentanyl testing kits sponsored by Tino Fuentes, Harm Reduction Consultant ⛑
PERFORMANCE & MUSIC:
“Born, raised, and still living as an uninvited resident in Lenapehoking, lily bo shapiro’s curiosities include archive, diasporic living and dying, adaptive hybridity, undying root systems, and the labors of playing and loving on this
DJ dime (HARDCORSET) aka Tyler Jones
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THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS:
