Figures in Air is a performance that transforms invisible gestures into sound.

Using analog synthesizers, artist Ivana Dama creates an atmospheric and ambient soundscape shaped by custom-made capacitive sensors developed in collaboration with the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms, alongside Neil Gershenfeld and Quentin Bolsee. Sensitive to proximity and subtle movement, these instruments allow her to activate sound by appearing to touch nothing at all, composing in space, as if shaping air itself.

Echoes of Urgencies is a live performance built around the raw acoustic force of rotating siren disks, mechanical instruments that generate sound through rapid fluctuations in air pressure.

At the heart of Rashid Johnson’s installation work, Antoine’s Organ, 2016/2026, is the piano, which will be played by musicians at scheduled times throughout the exhibition. When activated through performance, the piano underscores music’s life-giving capacity to convey narrative and communal connection, particularly within Black communities. 

Performance in Galleries
Performances take place on the last weekend of each month
Fridays 5:30–7:30 pm*
Sundays noon–2 pm
Included with gallery admission
 

In partnership with the Thank You Darlin’ Foundation, Voices 2 Youth Poetry Slam Living the Dream provides a platform for students ranging from third to twelfth grade to showcase their talents. This poetry slam encourages young artists to reflect on their dreams, lived experiences, cultural roots, and resilience. Presenting their own original poetry helps students build confidence, strengthen literacy, and learn to use their voice with power and purpose, transforming personal stories into powerful performances.