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In Progress | Micah Schippa: Negative Ecstasies

February 24, 202410:00 am - 5:00 pm

This performance is free with museum admission.

Image of silver trumpet inside a plastic case.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

About the Event

Negative Ecstasies is a sculptural composition for six vocalists by Chicago-based artist Micah Schippa. The work is built around motifs of labor, despair, capitalism, and the way these systems stress the subjects they encounter. Configured in response to the interior floor plan of the MCA, the score is based on the history and architecture of The Midland Building (“The Great Central Market”), the suicidal poetry of Foxconn factory worker Xu Lizhi, and historic coal mining labor songs. Spanning the full duration of museum hours (10 am–5 pm), the performance takes place across the museum’s public spaces, including the restrooms, stairwells, elevators, Kovler Atrium, and fourth-floor lobby.

This performance is part of the museum’s In Progress series and is organized by Iris Colburn, Curatorial Associate, and Jack Schneider, Assistant Curator.

About the Artist

Photo of Micah Schippa.

Photo courtesy of the artist.

Micah Schippa is an artist, writer, and musician based in Chicago. They have recently shown their work at Murmurs, Los Angeles; Pina, Vienna; and Salzburger Kunstverein, Salzburg; with upcoming solo exhibitions at Romance, Pittsburgh; and Pinacoteca, Vienna.

Funding

In Progress is supported by the New Works Initiative which puts the creative process at the heart of the MCA’s relationship with Chicago by supporting the development of new performances and creative projects.

Lead support for the New Works Initiative is provided by Elizabeth A. Liebman.