Composer Lia Kohl and visual artist Jess Bass announce Swans, a free and open-to-the-public performance on the water in Milwaukee’s Veterans Park Lagoon on August 30th, utilizing swan paddle boats as a stage.
In a spirit of play, curiosity, and wonder, Swans is suitable for all ages, and aims to bring art and performance to people in an accessible and non-institutional setting. Six boats will move around the lagoon in choreographed formations, each holding dancers waving wing sculptures, and saxophones playing from the back of each boat. The music is inspired by the calls of trumpeter swans and informed by the unique acoustics of music across water. The choreography draws from swans’ flight and swimming patterns, creating a gliding processional parade across Veterans Park Lagoon. Audiences can view the performance from any point around the lagoon.
Performers include dancers and musicians from Milwaukee and Chicago, including: (dancers:) Amanda Maraist, Angela Frederick, Ayako Kato, Graciela Gonzalez, Hattie Grimm, Maggie Seer, Nicole Spence, Saoirse Ahumada Furin, Tuli Bera, Zoe Mei Glise, (musicians:) Gerrit Hatcher, Fred Jackson Jr., Molly Jones, Luc Mosley, Sen Morimoto, Mai Sugimoto.
Swans is presented by Out There Series, a Milwaukee-based experimental performance organization dedicated to fostering deep listening, artistic exploration, through outdoor performances in Milwaukee’s green spaces. The performance is made possible through the collaboration of Milwaukee Public Parks and the Milwaukee Art Museum, supported by funding from the Reva and David Logan Foundation for the Arts.
Lia Kohl is a composer and sound artist based in Chicago. Her wide-ranging practice includes composition and performance, installation, improvisation, and collaboration. Her work centers curiosity and patience, an exploration of the mundane and profound possibilities of sound. Her work has been presented nationally and internationally. Her performances have been presented internationally at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, The Renaissance Society, Mattress Factory, CNMAT at UC Berkeley, The Royal College of Music (Stockholm), Cooper Hewitt, Union Station Chicago, Eckhart Park Pool, and Big Ears Festival. Kohl’ work has been featured in Pitchfork, SPIN, Art Forum, The Chicago Tribune, The Wire Magazine, and Downbeat Magazine, and on NPR, NTS Radio, Kunstradio, BBC Radio 6, Dublab, and WFMU. She has releases on Drag City, International Anthem, Moon Glyph, Longform Editions, and American Dreams Records.
Jess Bass is a multimedia artist in Chicago, using play as both a process
and aesthetic to create mimetic installations and performances. Her work has been exhibited at the Arts Club of Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, National Museum of Mexican Art, The Franklin, Chicago Humanities Festival, Chicago Public Library, Mayfield, Comfort Station, SPRING/BREAK Art Show, PLAY/GROUND, Terrain Biennial, SITE Gallery, and Detroit Art Week; and her work has been featured in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, ArtNews, PASTE, Fader and MTV. Bass holds an MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.