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Press Release: March 18, 2008 Press Contacts: Anne Scher/Alex Wittenberg The Jewish Museum 212.423.3271 pressoffice@thejm.org
OFF THE WALL: ARTISTS AT WORK CLOSING NIGHT EVENT ON MARCH 27 AT THE JEWISH MUSEUM FEATURES LEVI OKUNOV FASHION SHOW WITH VIDEO PROJECTIONS BY MELISSA SHIFF AND LIVE MUSIC BY DIWON, SMADAR, AND Y-LOVE NEW YORK, NY – Fashion designer Levi Okunov will highlight the final evening of Off the Wall: Artists at Work at The Jewish Museum, comprised of a fashion show and closing night party, on Thursday, March 27 from 9 pm to midnight. The fashion show culminates a week-long residency by Okunov, from March 23-27, when he will be sewing, fitting, and showing original designs. Pieces from his new Fall 2008 line, some which have been inspired by The Jewish Museum’s renowned Hanukkah lamp and Torah art collections, will be premiered in the fashion show along with video projections by Melissa Shiff and a live mix by Diwon. Other musical guests that evening include Smadar and Y-Love. There will be an open vodka bar (21+) generously sponsored by Christiania Vodka. Due to capacity limitations, there may be a wait at the door. Hasidic-born fashion designer Levi Okunov is one of the fashion industry’s rising stars. His Fall 2008 line incorporates materials such as velvet and parchment to suggest textures and forms associated with traditional ritual art. The lining of several pieces features stenciled and painted texts by the 13th century Persian poet Rumi translated into English, Arabic, and Yiddish. These passages represent Okunov’s wish for religious tolerance and cultural co-existence. His collaborators on the project include hair stylist Almog, fabric designer Sharon Ascher, crown designer Käthe Wenzel, makeup artist Linda Mason, and painter Rita Ackermann. Born in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Levi Okunov began sewing at the age of 15 and presented his first collection at 19. A former apprentice to Marc Jacobs, Okunov’s work has been featured in Women’s Wear Daily and The New York Times. Okunov’s Hassidic upbringing is a source for his rebelliousness and equally measured reverence towards tradition. His Spring/Summer 2007 line incorporated fabric used for the production of prayer shawls. Each of Okunov’s six collections tells a different story and reveals the broad range of the designer’s interests. Melissa Shiff is a video, performance, and installation artist whose work has been shown at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television (UK), Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Museum of Jewish Heritage, and other venues. Her work is in The Jewish Museum’s permanent collection. In collaboration with Okunov, Melissa Shiff will project JAMS: The Jewish Animated Mandala Series using the Hebrew God’s seven names and imagery from the Museum’s ritual art collection. JAMS is a hybrid of traditional calligraphic mizrachs, Jewish ritual objects that orient the worshipper towards Jerusalem, and Tibetan mandalas, symbols of the universe that aid in meditation. Diwon is a multicultural maestro who produces a mix of Yemenite and Sephardic music blended with electro/hip-hop beats. The artist’s stage name refers to the Yemenite diwan, a book of devotional songs recited on the Sabbath and at Jewish life cycle events. He frequently collaborates with non-electronic musicians, fusing live and recorded sound. He has performed with Lou Reed, Anthony Coleman, Daniel Carter, DJ Spooky, Matisyahu, MC Paul Barman, Idan Raichel, and others. In addition to providing a live mix to Okunov’s fashion show, Diwon will premiere a new composition created during his Off the Wall residency entitled “That Yemenite Kid.” An exciting new voice emerging from the NYC world music scene, Smadar is an Israeli-Moroccan singer whose craft is best described as pan-Mediterranean music peppered with a gypsy sound. Smadar sings original and creative renditions of traditional tunes in Hebrew, Arabic, and Ladino. Describing his style as “global hip hop,” Y-Love seamlessly intertwines English, Arabic, Hebrew, Latin and ancient Aramaic. He combines ethereal scripture with gritty social consciousness, reflecting his own life-changing conversion to Hasidism. He has graced the stage with luminaries as varied and respected as Lou Reed, DJ Spooky, Hadag Nachash, Matisyahu, Steinski, and Immortal Technique. Off the Wall: Artists at Work is an open-studio project featuring eleven artists working and performing in the galleries of The Jewish Museum for two weeks, from March 16 through 27, 2008. Experimental work in performance art, video, fashion and music is being featured. Off the Wall’s diverse offerings include artists at work, impromptu discussions, concerts, DJ sets, salons, a poetry slam, a fashion show, and a Purim party. Visitors can see a group of emerging artists, all 40 and under, who utilize irony and pop culture in thought provoking and entertaining ways, draw inspiration from spiritual and liturgical sources, and sometimes combine both. There are also opportunities for visitors to talk with artists, and in some cases, be part of the creative process. Off the Wall consists of two, five-day residencies with half of the artists participating in each session: March 16-20, 2008 and March 23-27, 2008. One regular Museum admission gets Off the Wall attendees in for multiple visits during the same week to follow the progress of the artists’ work, attend events, and more. The Jewish Museum is located at Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street, Manhattan, and can be reached by taking the Lexington Avenue subway (4, 5, or 6 trains) to 86th Street. A complete Off the Wall schedule and advance tickets can be obtained online at www.thejewishmuseum.org. Museum admission is $12.00 for adults, $7.50 for students. Off the Wall: Artists at Work was organized by Andrew Ingall, Assistant Curator (National Jewish Archive of Broadcasting and Media) at The Jewish Museum, with assistance from Emily Casden, Curatorial Program Assistant, and Joanna Montoya, Curatorial Program Coordinator. Off the Wall: Artists at Work is sponsored by Bloomberg, with additional support from the Melva Bucksbaum Fund for Contemporary Art and Altria Group, Inc. Jewcy has provided media support. # # #
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