In Progress | Devin T. Mays

About the Event

Devin T. Mays’s performance, a ritual melding live music and found objects, is guided by a central paradox described by the artist as, “The everything and nothing of everything and nothing.” As it flows between the poles of “everything” and “nothing,” the performance—inspired by the practice of Turiyasangitananda, the Sanskrit name adopted by Alice Coltrane—meditates on states of flux: wandering, waiting, becoming.

Mays is accompanied by artists Veronica Anne Salinas, Bill Harris, and Jordan Knecht.

In Progress is a series designed to give artists, thinkers, and curators a platform for developing new works with input from audiences, and to give patrons a glimpse into the creative process. This program is organized by Nolan Jimbo, Marjorie Susman Curatorial Fellow.

About the Artist

Devin T. Mays holds a BBA in International Business and Marketing from Howard University. After receiving his degree, he worked in advertising, developing brand strategies and commercials for the better part of a decade. He returned to school to pursue an MFA in studio practice from The University of Chicago. There, he developed an interdisciplinary practice he often refers to as an exercise in wandering, a practice-in-participation, a practice-in-practice. Since then, he has exhibited at the MCA as well as DePaul Art Museum, The Driehaus Museum, The Gray Center, Regards Chicago, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography, all Chicago, IL; Lowe Art Museum, University of Florida; and Nahmad Projects, London, England; among others. He was recently awarded the CERCL Fellowship with the Visual and Dramatic Arts at Rice University. Mays currently lives and works in Chicago, IL.

Related Content

Video of Devin T. Mays’s In Progress performance.