Artist Ivana Dama presents Echoes of Urgencies

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.

Each sound we hear begins as a subtle movement of air. In this work, artist Ivana Dama amplifies that invisible phenomenon. As perforated disks spin at high speed and pressurized air moves through their rotating holes, alternating intervals of airflow and obstruction produce a piercing, oscillating tone, reminiscent of an emergency siren. The resulting sound is both mechanical and visceral: a physical vibration that fills the space and insists on attention.

Through its disruptive resonance, the siren disk becomes more than an instrument. It is a sculptural call to action. Echoes of Urgencies confronts interruption itself, echoing our collective desire to disrupt inharmonious systems and seek clarity amid environmental and social instability.

This performance takes place in the Grand Lobby and is free and open to the public.

Stage Events - Throughout the run of the special exhibition Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers, a site-specific stage located in front of the Modern’s auditorium will host both programmed performances and spontaneous activations. An artwork in its own right, Stage, 2026, features a powder-coated steel surface bearing Johnson’s signature marks, scratched and branded into the metal, aging and burnishing over time. This platform, where others can express themselves, emphasizes the reciprocal relationship between artist and audience, a central motif in the artist’s practice.

Inspired by Johnson’s early memories of dancing and performing with friends atop Carl Andre’s Post-Minimalist floor works at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Stage is a testament to Johnson’s commitment to creating space for others. More than an invitation to engage and interact, the work fosters artistic endeavors and creativity as a collective experience.