For their first durational museum presentation, the avant-garde musical ensemble Standing on the Corner (American, est. 2016), led by Gio Escobar, will create a sonic, multimedia installation that brings together spiritual objects, modified instruments, and moving images. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a large-scale installation consisting of seven pianos distinctly presented and prepared, with symbolic objects inserted into their strings to create apparitional interventions. Forging connections between New York City, Puerto Rico, and Africa—reflecting Escobar’s own ancestral ties—the project imagines how spiritual and natural forces intersect with and bewitch our objects and environment. The installation makes visible the inner workings of the pianos, as well as the artists’ intercession into the strings, through cameras installed inside of the instruments, with footage projected in real time. This work bridges Standing on the Corner’s interest in the urban modifications of ancient devotional practices of the Caribbean and Africa and proposes the destruction of Western musical traditions. The installation will be activated during concerts that harness the altered acoustics of each piano to summon the mysterious powers that possess them.
Established in 2016, Standing on the Corner is led by Gio Escobar. They have performed at MoMA PS1’s Warm Up music series in 2018 and venues such as the Serpentine, London; Bourse de Commerce–Pinault Collection, Paris; Blank Forms, New York; Performance Space New York; and Gavin Brown’s Enterprise, New York. Their albums include Function OST (2021), Red Burns (2017), and Standing on the Corner (2016). They have collaborated with musicians such as Danny Brown (2021), Solange (2019), Earl Sweatshirt (2018), and MIKE (2018, 2017).
Organized by Ruba Katrib, Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, MoMA PS1.