Opening Reception | Emergence & MultiPlanetary Garden

Celebrate the opening of Emergence at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center! Emergence is singular among PST ART exhibitions for its presentation of living biological artworks and projects created in collaboration with a global cohort of synthetic biologists and medical researchers. Visitors will encounter human bones grown from synthetic mother-of-pearl; objects dyed with bioengineered indigo pigment; and living, microscopic human tear glands that cry.

On October 12th, from 6-9pm, Emergence will be open for viewing during the reception, featuring family-friendly science activities and special performances from artists Henry Tan and the AfroRithm Futures Group.

AfroRithm Futures Group will be debuting their MultiPlanetary Garden performance on the opening night of Emergence: Art from Life! MultiPlanetary Garden imagines a future where synthetic biological advancements have helped create an egalitarian, multiplanetary society. Abundance is the rule rather than the exception, and life of all kinds flourishes across the galaxy. A series of choreographed dances will form a story cycle, depicting the planting of gardens through the celebration of the harvest. The performance will begin with individual dancers and culminate in communal movement.

As artist Ahmed Best says of the work: “This is not life as we know it, but life as we learn it.” The performance features LA-based dancers and choreographers Raquel Horsford, Malaya, and Oguri, projection artist Jesse Gilbert, and is in collaboration with Dr. Drew Endy. The AfroRithm Futures Group is a storytelling collective led by Ahmed Best, Dr. Lonny Brooks, and Jade Fabello, founded on the idea that play can be radical and the future is for everybody.

Presented in conjunction with Fathomers at Japanese American Cultural & Community Center's PST ART: Art & Science Collide exhibition Emergence.