July 29 through August 2, 10am–6pm
Presented by Gas
Free
Gas, a gallery inside a truck, will be parked at WCCW for a one week pop up exhibition of TWAH (These Worlds Are Here), an exhibition of work by Helsinki-based performance and visual artist Ana Teo Ala-Ruona.
Ana Teo Ala-Ruona is interested in generating new forms of collectivity, interdependence and futurities in artistic practice, while creating space for silenced, unheard or non-normative, queer and trans narratives and experiences. Drawing from techniques found in the fields of feminist pedagogy, contemporary performance and theater, activism, and literature, they create collaborative strategies for feminist speculative fiction in lived practice. Creating a context for collective sensitivities, affects and formations to perform, their work takes the form of speech performances, performative installations, workshops, a free school and various types of open events, often produced in partnership with fellow artists and working groups.
As part of their residency at Gas, Ala-Ruona will run a writing workshop titled TWAH (=These Worlds Are Here) for trans, nonbinary, queer people and women that will culminate in an intimate audio installation within the gallery. Developed at NAVEL, Ala-Ruona’s workshop allows participants to LARP (live action role play) queer worlds as they write, asking them to experience and embody these imagined worlds at the moment of writing. Ala-Ruona says, “Writing is a political tool for naming, re-naming, making visible, audible and felt the dreams that we care for. Writing is also a vehicle—it moves, touches, orientates and re-orients us.” A chorus of words, both written and spoken, by workshop attendees will be the basis of the exhibition in Gas’s truck gallery.
Ana Ala-Ruona is a Helsinki based artist and art educator working in the interface of performance, visual art and pedagogy with an emphasis on queer-feminism and queer speculative fiction (=SF) as well as feminist pedagogies. Currently they operate mostly with embodied-SF-writing and various participatory practices in forms of speech performances, performative installations, workshops, free school and various types of open events. They usually work in collaboration with other artists in working groups or duo-settings. Durability, processuality and collectivity are some of the leading characteristics of their working. The artist will be in residence in Los Angeles for the month of July, producing a writing workshop, an exhibition and a performance at various locations. More information on Ala-Ruona residency & all related programming. Instagram: @anateoalaruona
Gas is a mobile, autonomous, experimental and networked platform for contemporary art. Located in a truck gallery parked around Los Angeles and online, Gas collaborates closely with artists to create experiences that foster community and connection while imagining alternative forms of cultural and critical production. The space’s inherently itinerant format reflects the fluidity of twenty-first century culture and art practice, while also allowing considerable independence and creative freedom in terms of concept, site, format, audience, and engagement. Gas offers an opportunity to rethink why, where and how we view art, whether the encounter happens while surfing the web or driving around Los Angeles, a city defined by its sprawl and car culture. Each season, Gas presents one thematic exhibition that includes works in the gallery and online. Instagram: @gasdotgallery
Accessibility information for this event: Gas has a foldable wheelchair ramp on site for handicapped access to the truck gallery. Open hours are free and all ages. WCCW has a 36” wide ramp at our front entrance and a stairway with 8 steps and a rail. There are 2 gender neutral restrooms. One restroom is wheelchair accessible, with a handrail. We provide scent free soaps and encourage guests to attend our events scent free. If you require ASL interpretation, CART, interpretation for a language other than English, supervised childcare, or have any other access needs or questions, please contact [email protected] at least two weeks in advance. It is our practice to do everything we can to create a safe and accessible space.