A digital artwork produced in response to the Media Archeology Lab at the University of Colorado, Boulder’s open call for works produced with Kid Pix software. By Ben Sisto, 2022.
Dear Reader
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan by Seze Devres for Ace Hotel New York
After starting Ace Hotel’s AIR program in 2014, I thought to do one specifically for authors. I got introduced to Alexander Chee who, fresh off a residency with a train company, was having similar ideas. We created Dear Reader, a program that would come to last for at least 4 years and host some truly great talents. Kelly from Ace described it to Fast Company this way:
“Each month this year, a writer will spend a night at Ace Hotel exploring its edges and insides,” explains Kelly Sawdon, partner and chief brand officer of Ace Hotel. “During their stay, they’ll craft an open letter to an imagined audience of hotel guests. On a surprise date the following month, the letters will be laid bedside in each room–hand-stamped and numbered.” … a cross between a Dear John letter and a limited edition object that 300 lucky guests will receive each month.”
Letters existed in-print only and, only in the hotel rooms. There was also an annual Dear Reader, Live event where authors (or special guests) read their letters and other works in person. These were always packed.
There were a bunch of short 5-questions style interviews with authors up on the blog but Ace seems to have taken their old Tumblr down; not sure where/if they got archived.
Guest Curators:
Year One: Alexander Chee
Year Two: Alexander Chee
Year Three: Tin House Magazine
Year Four: Tin House Magazine
Authors:
Atticus Lish
Saeed Jones
Chelsea Hodson
Dale Peck
Sigrid Nunez
Lucas Mann
Kiese Laymon
Catherine Chung
Chinelo Okparanta
DarkMatter
Daniel José Older
Elif Batuman
Morgan Parker
Alexander Chee
Kaitlyn Greenidge
Tommy Pico
Wo Chan
Natalie Diaz
Alice Sola Kim
Ioannis Pappos
Jami Attenberg
Tyehimba Jess
Tracy O'Neill
Porochista Khakpour
Garnette Cadogan
Jenny Zhang
Claire Fuller
Jia Tolentino
Christopher Soto
Claire Vaye Watkins
Alexandra Kleeman
Leslie Jamison
Mia Alvar
Carmen Machado
Danez Smith
Kaveh Akbar
Morgan Jerkins
Joshua Jelly-Shapiro
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
Naomi Jackson
Rosalie Knecht
Michelle Tea
Ocean Vuong
Tayari Jones
Jamel Brinkley
Fatimah Asghar
Michael Arceneaux
Hieu Minh Nguyen
Dual 56k
In 2009, Dual 56k (Matt Boch and Ben Sisto) were commissioned by Mass MoCA in North Adams, MA to create a DJ / VJ performance for one of their outdoor program afterparties. At that time, a new series of Sol LeWitt works had just been installed so we thought to use them in our video. Wearing chroma-key suits, we spent a few hours recording video of “performance art like movements” in front of LeWitt pieces, much to the confusion and amusement of unsuspecting museum guests. Later, I DJ’d and Matt worked our clips into a video montage projected above the dance floor. Maybe not a critical moment in high-art discourse, but it was a super fun, playful day.
Some of these photos / video were shot by Natalie LaChall. The song playing in the video’s by U.V. Protection.
Dynasty
A silk-screened poster for Dynasty w/ Boyskout by Gunsho.
Dynasty was an indie dance party I threw over the span of maybe two years in the early 2000s. It started as a one-off party at The Milky Way with DJs Joseph Colbourne and John Anderson and had decorations from the Dearraindrop collective. The Dynasty logo is a modification of type on the cover of Janet Jackson’s Nasty 12”. Over it’s run there were a handfull of DJs: Andrew Gaspar, Comfortable Matt, Just Luke and some guests like Tommy and Knife from Marinate. Bands included Chromeo, Boyskout, UV Protection, Squids, Chinese Stars, Noxagt, Mahi Mahi, SPF Alot and San Serac. It was super freeform with DJs going from boogie to indie to Aftobeat to garage rock to Italo – but all from the 70s and 80s.
Above: Some of Dynasty’s photocopy handbills and newspaper ads.
Above: Some more silk-screen posters. Local artists would often ask to make artwork for the night.
From top left: DJ Andrew G, Laurel the Baton Twirler, DJ Comfortable Matt, Mahi Mahi, a turntable, Squids, DJ Joseph Colbourne and partygoer Evan, SPF ALOT and a shot from a NYE party: