Asher Hartman and Cliff Hengst / MATRIX 264

April 12–16, 2017

A one-man performance by Cliff Hengst, directed by Asher Hartman.

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Cliff Hengst in Mr. Akita by Asher Hartman. Emily Joyce: Sun Burn (Split) 1, 2012; acrylic screenprint on Fabriano paper mounted on panel; 54 × 54 in.; courtesy of the artist and Inman Gallery, Houston. Photo: Ian Byers-Gamber.

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Thursday, April 13, 7 PM; Friday, April 14, 6 PM; Saturday, April 15, 3 PM
Mr. Akita

Cliff Hengst performs in this one-man satire about life, sex, art, masculinity, failure, and the sublime, written and directed by Asher Hartman.

BAMPFA

Asher Hartman and Cliff Hengst / MATRIX 264

April 12–16, 2017

MATRIX 264 presents Mr. Akita, a satire about life, sex, art, masculinity, ego, expectations, failure, disillusionment, and the sublime, written and directed by Los Angeles–based artist Asher Hartman and performed by San Francisco–based artist Cliff Hengst. This one-man performance introduces a nameless middle-aged man in a black professional suit reminiscing about his past, specifically a convoluted relationship with his art school professor Mr. Akita. The professor’s character evokes the great Modernist painters—in particular Willem de Kooning, with his Dutch-American accent—even though Mr. Akita happens to be a dog. Across the gallery from the protagonist hangs a large painting with a bright white sunburst radiating from its center, Sun Burn (Split) 1 by Emily Joyce. The man engages the painting in a dialogue about his evocative journey in search of existential answers through the lens of art....

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Asher Hartman and Cliff Hengst / MATRIX 264 is organized by Lauren R. O’Connell, former curatorial associate. Mr. Akita was originally produced by Machine Projects and commissioned by the Tang Museum, Saratoga Springs, NY. The MATRIX Program is made possible by a generous endowment gift from Phyllis C. Wattis and the continued support of the BAMPFA Trustees. Additional support provided by Connect Art International.