EXHIBITIONS

PopRally Presents: BEYONSENSE: An Evening with Dr. John Perry, Hosted by Slavs and Tatars

Join PopRally as we celebrate Projects 98: Slavs and Tatars with an introduction to Beyonsense, an installation created especially for the exhibition by the artist collective Slavs and Tatars. The artists are joined by Dr. John Perry, a renowned expert on Persian linguistics and language history and the cultural history of Iran and the Middle East, for a presentation on the pre-modern migration of myths and memes involving birds from India and Iran to Europe and beyond, where they invaded genres from mystical poetry and moral homilies to dirty jokes and Monty Python. Following the presentation guests will enjoy a reception featuring music by Tiffany Malakooti (Bidoun) and have exclusive access to MoMA’s contemporary galleries, including Projects 98: Slavs and Tatars.

Slavs and Tatars' installations, performance lectures, publications, and artist’s multiples reflect upon intercultural relations and the perceived differences between Slavs, Caucasians and Central Asians. For Projects 98, the collective’s first solo museum presentation in the United States, Slavs and Tatars have realized a new installation titled Beyonsense, which takes its name from a translation of zaum—Russian Futurist experiments with transrational language and poetry.

Dr. John Perry’s early research focused on the history of 18th-century Iran and adjacent regions. He currently concentrates on the history of the Persian language, and in particular the incorporation of Arabic vocabulary into Persian and its dissemination into other languages of the region. Other interests include Iranian folklore and vernacular culture, and the language and cultural history of Tajikistan.

Conversation begins promptly at 8:30 p.m., with reception following.

Attendees of this event will receive a limited-edition print by Slavs and Tatars.

Admission includes conversation, exhibition viewing, and cocktail reception.