SENSATIONAL FIX

AMATEUR FILM FACTORY by MICHEL GONDRY @ IFFR 2012

2011-09-28T15:17:00.003+02:00

I'M HAPPY TO BE INVOLVED IN THE REALISATION OF THE AMATEUR FILM FACTORY, A PROJECT BY FILMMAKER MICHEL GONDRY THAT LETS US ALL BE FILMMAKERS. IT WILL FEATURE IN THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM 2012. MORE LATER, FOR NOW, GO FOR MORE INFO ON THE PROJECT TO THIS LINK OR FACEBOOK.

RENÉ DANIËLS SURVEY EXHIBITION + NEW PUBLICATION

2011-09-28T13:52:00.005+02:00

I HAVE JUST FINISHED PROOFREADING THE BOOK 'RENÉ DANIÉLS. THE WORDS ARE NOT IN THEIR PROPER PLACE' THAT I EDITED FOR NAI PUBLISHERS. IT ACCOMPANIES THE EXHIBITION 'RENÉ DANIËLS. AN EXHIBITION IS ALWAYS PART OF A GREATER WHOLE' THAT I'M CURATING FOR MNCARS MADRID AND THE VAN ABBEMUSEUM EINDHOVEN. THE MADRID SHOW OPENS ON 20 OCTOBER 2011 AND RUNS THROUGH 26 MARCH 2012. THEN IT OPENS IN EINDHOVEN OM 12 MAY.

FOR THE EINDHOVEN VERSION OF THE EXHIBITION I'M PUTTING TOGETHER A SIDE-SHOW ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE ART AND THE MUSIC SCENE IN THIS CITY IN THE 1970s AND 1980s.

SEA URCHIN EDITIONS TO HANDLE SALES OF SENSATIONAL FIX ZINES

2010-09-11T11:28:00.002+02:00

i'm proud to announce that SEA URCHIN EDITIONS will take over the sales of the remaining SENSATIONAL FIX ZINES. please check their website for offers, prices and ordering information.

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINES - SUMMER SALES

2010-07-22T10:54:00.003+02:00

enjoying summer? need additional reads? order SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #2, 3, 4/5 now at the reduced price of 20 € including international p&p! (#1 = sold out, sorry!)

send an e-mail to: sensationalfix@yahoo.com.

payments via paypal only and upon invoicing by SENSATIONAL FIX.

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 - only 6 copies left!

2010-03-18T08:50:00.003+01:00

people,

of all the copies i currently had available of ZINE #1 'silence', there are only 6 copies left. these are available for enthousiasts who would like to buy the whole series (5 zines in 4 volumes) at 30 € per series. first come, first serve...

remember, paypal only. only pay AFTER my confirmation on your e-mail request via sensationalfix@yahoo.com and after my invoicing. wiring money without inquiring first about availability doesn't entitle you to receive the zines, but will result in cancelation of your payment.

thank you all for continuing to support the ZINE series. it was fun making them!

order now: SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #4/5

2010-01-17T12:43:00.003+01:00

the special double issue SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #4/5, the last in the series, has contributions by LEAH SINGER/LEE RANALDO (ZINE #4) & KIM GORDON/THURSTON MOORE (ZINE #5). it will be available next week.

special price for this double issue (48 pages!), p+p included:
1 copy: 8,50 €
2 copies: 16 €
3 copies: 23 €

as of now, orders could be made out to sensationalfix@yahoo.com, upon which you'll receive a paypal invoice for the amount due. payments by paypal only. don't wire to paypal immediately but wait for your invoice first. thank you!

limited availability of ZINES #1, 2 + 3.

Lecture + concert @ AKI, Enschede

2010-01-16T08:37:00.003+01:00

on wednesday 10 february 2010 roland groenenboom will talk at the AKI artschool in enschede about the exhibition SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX in a lecture titled SONIC YOUTH & THE ART OF INCLUSION.

for this event, he is teamed up with harm goslink kuiper, who will play on his homemade instruments and talk about the relation between visual art and music in his work.

POSTERS FOR MADRID VENUE SY etc. : SF

2010-01-03T10:08:00.007+01:00

FOR THE PRESENTATION OF THE EXHIBITION AT THE CA2M MADRID, NATE YOUNG (LEFT) AND RITA ACKERMANN (RIGHT) PROVIDED US WITH THEIR FANTASTIC IMAGES FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT POSTERS FOR THIS SHOW.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE OPENING IS POSTPONED TO 2 FEBRUARY 2010. LEE RANALDO AND STEVE SHELLEY WILL BE PRESENT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE AND OPENING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A SURPRISE PERFORMANCE...

ZINE SERIES ENDS IN JANUARY WITH A SONIC BLAST...

2009-12-12T10:20:00.000+01:00

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINES #4 + #5 - the last in the series - are in the making and will be published as a special double issue with contributions by LEE RANALDO/LEAH SINGER (#4) and KIM GORDON/THURSTON MOORE (#5).

3/4 of the material is in and when all's complete, it goes off to the designer and then the printer. expected date of release: early january 2010. it will also be available later that month at the CA2M where the SENSATIONAL FIX show will open on 29 january.

SENSATIONAL FIX! Sonic Youth and the Art of Inclusion

2009-11-10T08:53:00.002+01:00

This Friday 20:20 hrs: talk by Roland Groenenboom on the exhibition SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX (language: Dutch) at TENT, Witte de Withstraat 50, Rotterdam.

Programma vrijdag 13 november, 'Het weekend van de kunstenaarsband' in TENT:
20.20 u Lezing ‘SENSATIONAL FIX! Sonic Youth and the Art of Inclusion’ van R. Groenenboom
21.30 u Pauze
21.50 u Optreden The Skills
22.30 u Documentaire ‘A Black and White Statement’ van Dick Rijneke en Mildred van Leeuwaarden – uit de reeks ‘ Groeten uit Rotterdam’ van Rotterdam Films.
Doorlopend: Videoreportage van traject ‘Kunstenaar zoekt band/ Band zoekt kunstenaar’

malmö version SENSATIONAL FIX on www.flickr.com

2009-10-07T14:41:00.002+02:00

photos from the malmö version of the exhibition are now posted as a set on www.flickr.com.

SENSATIONAL FIX show ended in malmö

2009-09-23T22:52:00.004+02:00

last week the exhibition ended in malmö. a big thank you to the 89.700 visitors who checked it out! missed it? next stop madrid, opening 28 january 2010. see you there!

sensational fix zine #3 'morley' in the shops

2009-09-16T10:01:00.002+02:00

the latest issue of the zine is now also available at van gennep (rotterdam) and la central MNCARS (madrid), who also sell #2.

copies of both issues are also still available for ordering at sensationalfix@yahoo.com.

8inch limited edition michael morley for DE PLAYER

2009-08-09T11:31:00.003+02:00

on the invitation of DE PLAYER michael morley is producing an 8inch in a limited edition of 50 copies.

the covers are all unique and handpainted, and next to the square 8inch vinyl it contains a poster, photo, a text by roland groenenboom and sensational fix zine #3 'morley' (w/ DVD). you could buy the 8inch during the event at DE PLAYER on thursday and during the opening hours of the exhibition at DE PLAYER, or you could order it through the website of DE PLAYER.

zine sales

2009-08-09T10:25:00.004+02:00

the first 106 copies of sensational fix zine #3 'morley' have been sold!

thank you all for your support to the series, which would not exist without you enthousiasts buying it! remember, all possible margin on the sales goes towards the next issues, so no profit is being made.

zine # 3 'morley' ready!

2009-08-08T22:57:00.010+02:00

sensational fix zine #3 'morley' is printed, bound, numbered, signed by michael morley (a.o. the dead c + gate), and the DVD inserted.

containing a text about his work by michael morley, 10 full colour images, and a DVD with a sound/video work by the artist, all 500 copies are hand-numbered, and signed by the artist.
to see a selection of the pages, click here.

for those who ordered it already, your paypal invoice will be sent out shortly. if you would like to order it, send your request to sensationalfix@yahoo.com.

prices including international p&p:
1 copy = 10,50 €
2 copies = 18,50 €
3 copies = 25,00 €

MICHAEL MORLEY @ DE PLAYER, ROTTERDAM

2009-08-08T09:39:00.002+02:00

Thursday 13 August 2009 DE PLAYER presents:

8 INCH #2 – MICHAEL MORLEY (a.o. The Dead C + GATE)

limited edition vinyl release + New Zealand artist MICHAEL MORLEY’s first European solo exhibition + video screening + artist-curator conversation + presentation first monographic publication on MORLEY’s work + live program with first ever performance in the Netherlands of GATE / MICHAEL MORLEY– featuring special guests...

opening exhibition: 20:00 hrs. (free)
video screening + conversation: 21:00 (free – limited space, no entry after the screening and talk have started)
live performances: 22:00 (6 euro – limited space, no entry after the performances have started)

The EXHIBITION will remain open for the public on 14, 15, 20, 21 & 22 august 13:00-17:00 hrs.

location: DE PLAYER, Hillelaan 49 D, Rotterdam, The Netherlands next to metro Rijnhaven, free parking, good for bikes

This event is organised by DE PLAYER in collaboration with Roland Groenenboom (curator exhibition + editor monographic publication)

order now - sensational fix zine #3 'morley'

2009-07-27T08:35:00.006+02:00

with its expected launch on 13 august 2009, you could already pre-order the third issue of the zine, dedicated in its entirity to the art of michael morley (of DEAD C and GATE fame).

the zine has 24 pages, of which 12 in full colour. next to a text about his art by the artist himself, and illustrations of his work, the zine contains a DVD with morley's video/sound work ‘the black album’. edition: 500 signed and numbered copies.

you can order your copies now by sending an e-mail with your request to sensationalfix@yahoo.com. you will be invoiced through paypal upon receipt of your order and according to availability. below prices include international p&p.

1 copy = 10,50 €
2 copies = 16,50 €
3 copies = 23,50 €

important: don't make out money to paypal immediately. order copies via e-mail and you will be invoiced when your order is available and ready to ship!

SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX: critics' pick in ARTFORUM

2009-07-26T18:29:00.002+02:00

the exhibition at the malmö konsthall has been reviewed in ARTFORUM as one of the critics' picks!

sold out SENSATIONAL FIX publication goes into reprint

2009-07-13T14:15:00.005+02:00

the award-winning, sold out publication SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX will be reprinted in the next months in an edition of 2000 copies in english, with two 7" records on coloured vinyl included. currently we are making some corrections and credit additions. please keep an eye on the publisher's website for more details.

future zines

2009-07-11T09:25:00.002+02:00

with sensational fix zine #3 'morley' in the making, it's time to plan numbers 4 + 5.

number 4 is thought of as another compilation zine with contributions by a selection of artists from the show, to be published in october 2009.

number 5 - for the moment the last of this series - is planned to be released in november 2009 and will be a special split-issue with on the one hand collaborations of kim gordon and thurston moore, and on the other by lee ranaldo and leah singer. i just received their confirmation and when back from their US tour we will start working on it.

the upcoming issue, dedicated to michael morley's art, will include a DVD with michael's film 'the black album', and will be presented on 13 august 2009 at de player to coincide with the opening of his exhibition there. michael will also perform solo as GATE and the 8" limited edition that the player is producing with michael will also be presented that evening.

UK venue for SENSATIONAL FIX art show falls through

2009-07-10T08:54:00.004+02:00

due to the impossibility to re-arrange the existing program and finances the UK venue for the show that was recently under discussion will unfortunately not take place. we are looking for a venue for fall this year to fill the gap between the presentation in malmö and the planned one in madrid for january 2010. more later...

sensational fix #3 'morley'

2009-06-29T11:25:00.005+02:00

with the first issue sold out and the second nearly sold out, the third issue of sensational fix zine will be dedicated in its entirety to the work of the new zealand artist and experimental musician michael morley (a.o. known from dead c and gate). the edition will contain a text by michael as well as reproductions of a selection of his art in colour. we are currently discussing whether a CD with unissued sound or a DVD with a video/sound work by michael will be included in the booklet.

the publication is planned for release on 13 august 2009 to coincide with the opening of michael's art exhibition that i organise with him and DE PLAYER at their premises in rotterdam. DE PLAYER will issue a limited edition square 8 inch record with unissued sound by michael that will be presented the same date and will be available there exclusively (for the moment). michael will furthermore perform that night and there will be some surprise acts. his film 'the black album' will be screened that night as well.

keep an eye on this blog and the website of DE PLAYER for more details.

history of how SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX wins 1er Prix du Livre Rock 2009

2009-06-14T14:56:00.001+02:00

here you find photos and a video of it.

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #2 ‘noise’ - just 80 copies left

2009-06-08T17:14:00.001+02:00

sensational fix just has 80 copies left of the zine #2. it's still available from the malmö konsthall bookhop and soon from the SY webstore.

first prize for SENSATIONAL FIX publication

2009-06-08T12:25:00.003+02:00

the book, published on the occasion of the exhibition SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX, just won the first prize in the best rock book of 2008 competition organised by l'arbre à lettres, paris.

OPEN NOW AT THE MALMÖ KONSTHALL

2009-06-08T09:33:00.003+02:00

SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX opened at the MALMÖ KONSTHALL on 29 may 2009 and will be on view there till 20 september this year. there are images of this and the other venues on flickr.com and i just uploaded the video walkthrough part 1 and part 2 to youtube.

right now we are negotiating a spanish venue for the exhibition for january-april 2010. this means that the exhibition is available from october 2009 to january 2010 for what most likely would be the last european venue of the tour.

sensational fix zine #2 - order now

2009-06-02T14:40:00.003+02:00

sensational fix zine #2 is out now! buy at the malmö konsthall (6 euro per copy if picked up there) or order your copies through sensationalfix@yahoo.com (8,50 euro per copy, international p&p included - paypal only). PLEASE DON'T WIRE MONEY DIRECTLY, BUT ORDER YOUR COPIES VIA E-MAIL AND YOU'LL BE SENT AN INVOICE VIA PAYPAL)

from artnet.com

2009-05-20T07:44:00.000+02:00

SONIC YOUTH: THE MUSEUM SHOW
No rock band can be completely fulfilled without an art museum show, and the groundbreaking No Wave band Sonic Youth is getting a blow-out exhibition this summer. “Sonic Youth etc.: Sensational Fix,” May 30-Sept. 20, 2009, at the Malmö Konsthall in Malmö, Sweden, features album covers, flyers, fanzines, posters, and writings by band members, as well as photos of the band by artists such as Sofia Coppola, Richard Kern and James Welling. “Sensational Fix” includes works by numerous artists connected in one way or another to the band, ranging from Beats like Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs to West Coast artists such as Mike Kelley and Raymond Pettibon to New York artists including Vito Acconci, Rita Ackermann, Cindy Sherman and Reena Spaulings. The show also includes a pavilion designed by Dan Graham, presenting Sonic Youth’s complete audio output along with recordings of other bands. The show is organized by Dutch curator Roland Groenenboom in collaboration with Sonic Youth, and was produced by LiFE in St. Nazaire, and the Museion in Bolzano, in collaboration with Kunsthalle Düsseldorf.

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 ‘silence’ - SOLD OUT

2009-05-17T11:36:00.002+02:00

the first issue of the zine series is sold out at the publishers, which means that copies are only available from the malmö konsthall bookshop from 29 may onwards, when the exhibition SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX opens there. further copies are available from the sonic youth webstore.

the second issue is about to be printed and will be sold through the malmö konsthall bookshop from 29 may onwards as well. further ordering info will appear on this blog at the beginning of june.

visitor SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX düsseldorf

2009-05-14T11:27:00.005+02:00

the exhibition in düsseldorf, which finished last sunday, had 16454 visitors for the part at the KIT and 21191 at the kunsthalle. next stop malmö!

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #2 ‘noise’ - maquette finished

2009-05-11T11:29:00.008+02:00

just finished the mock up for the second volume of the zine series. tonight the final design gets done and hopefully it will be printed and ready to go by next week. the contributions are by: marco fusinato//david markey//savage pencil//mike watt//kim gordon//marnie weber//christian marclay//john olson//roberto opalio + my cat is an alien//barbara ess//sam crack.

paul thek @ mncars, madrid

2009-05-07T13:14:00.002+02:00

the exhibition 'paul thek' that i curated for the museo nacional centro de arte reina sofía generated 152.964 visitors in 10 weeks. my best-visited show ever!

SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX tour

2009-04-30T07:49:00.003+02:00

with just 10 days to go at the kunsthalle and KIT in düsseldorf, the exhibition will open at the malmö konsthall on 29 may 2009.

after malmö another european venue is being discussed right now for january 2010. if this happens, we'll look for a european venue from october to january to fill the gap.

zine #2 contributions in - ready to print soon!

2009-04-23T09:57:00.005+02:00

Kim Gordon, Marnie Weber, Marco Fusinato, MCIAA – Roberto Opalio, Barbara Ess, Christian Marclay, David Markey, Mike Watt, Sam Crack, John Olson and Savage Pencil. Raymond Pettibon is working on it...

zine #2 update

2009-04-15T00:07:00.002+02:00

got the following contributions in for zine #2: kim gordon, marnie weber, marco fusinato, roberto opalio & MCIAA, barbara ess, christian marclay, david markey and mike watt. some more expected soon. looks promising? subscribe now: sensationalfix@yahoo.com

MCIAA/ponzini/morley/ranaldo @ SENSATIONAL FIX

2009-04-08T08:25:00.006+02:00

just got word from the opalio bros that they "just received today the proofs of the artwork for the LP jacket of the Morley/MCIAA/Ponzini/Ranaldo vinyl on Starlight Furniture Co.; you'll find pics attached -- As you'll see, we curated the whole artwork, using some of the polaroids that Roberto shot on stage in St. Nazaire, plus a very special 'collage' which should look familiar to you. hope you'll appreciate 'our efforts' in doing it ;-) Also, the record, in a limited edition of 450, is scheduled for August/Sept 2009"

zine #1 - 125 copies left!

2009-04-07T08:16:00.003+02:00

just sent out up till number 375/500 of the SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1. copies are still available through sensationalfix@yahoo.com and will be avialable soon from the sonic youth store.

confirmations for zine #2: christian marclay, marco fusinato, david markey, kim gordon, marnie weber, MCIAA, edwin pouncey (aka savage pencil), john olson, sam crack and barbara ess.

2009-04-01T16:01:00.001+02:00

Profiel van Roland Groenenboom | Maak je eigen badge aan

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #2 ‘noise’

2009-03-30T00:06:00.008+02:00

while continuing work with michael morley on his zine in the series - planned for july 2009, to coincide with his european solo tour as GATE - i just invited a next group of thirteen artists from the SENSATIONAL FIX exhibition to contribute a double page to a second compilation zine titled: SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #2 ‘noise’.

until they confirm their participation i cannot tell you the names, but i got the first confirmations in from marco fusinato, john olsen, my cat is an alien, and christian marclay.

now that i'm seriously continuing the series - 4 more issues are planned, roughly between may and november - i think it's fair that you could subscribe to it. as of now i cannot fix the prices for all zines to the same as for #1, as it depends on the number of pages, colour vs black and white, if it contains a DVD (as planned for morley's) etc. how much it should go for to cover production cost and continue the series. but i could guarantee the lowest possible prices as - again - we're not innit for the money.

thanks for your continuous support. subscribe now to sensationalfix@yahoo.com and be assured to receive your future copies of SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE! (subscriptions for up to 3 copies per person)

kool things

2009-03-28T08:54:00.003+01:00

now that the zine is out and getting good response, i thought it would be good that you also know about other cool stuff and info available on the artists who collaborated on it.

michael morley just opened an exhibition with new work in dunedin. congratulations michael! yesterday he wrote me the following: "It is a crazy weekend here in Port Chalmers, we are hosting an experimental music festival "Lines of Flight", a whole bunch of friends from around NZ all converging on our sleepy little port town to play at a local pub for three days and nights, The Dead C play tonight." wow, wish i were there!

alivia zivich told me that she and nate young are working on new editions, soon available from their website. thurston always offers new stuff on his ecstatic peace site, among others a new t-shirt by dennis tyfus, who, like zeloot, and maya miller has a cool site about his work. check out chris habib's for info on his activities. then there's a site that offers the last copies of editions by cameron jamie, and for more info about john miller, richard kern or tony oursler, and news about their exhibitions visit their websites.

after SENSATIONAL FIX the exhibition comes THE ETERNAL the album

2009-03-26T10:23:00.005+01:00

the youth are back – and very inspired, i must say!

leaving geffen records – basically because the major label was not beneficial nor harmful for the band – to record their first album for indie landmark label matador might have been debit to the freedom with which sonic youth attack the material on ‘the eternal’. there’s a teaser of the record made for newsweek that condenses the 56’34” album in 2'34" of sonic sound, which in itself is a great collage in the spirit of likes such as john cage, but doesn’t give you a real clue about the album’s content. receiving my promo copy yesterday unravelled the mystery of the teaser for me. here’s a first reaction to what my ears fed my brain listening to the album in its entirety.

the first song, ‘sacred trickster’, opens with atonal sonic chord strokes that go over in an up-tempo rocking song with kim chanting as a first line “i want you to levitate me...”. what a start! it’s straightforwardness in just 2’11” is contrasted by the following song, 'anti-orgasm' (6’08”), which already showcases new developments in the band’s sound explored on the album: the focus on the use of vocals and vocal harmonies combined with the bass back up that mark ibold provides. kim and thurston or kim, lee and thurston sing verses and/or choruses together or phrases in answer to each other on much of the album, and the three vocalists are further present with back up vox and harmonies. this may sound scary to hardcore SY fans, but it really adds great richness to the songs and opens up the possibilities first explored in 1987 in ‘cotton crown’.

beautiful dual-guitar sonic soundscapes are poured out over us in songs such as ‘antenna’ (6’13”), ‘malibu gas station’ (5’39”), lee’s ‘walkin blue’ (5’21”), or the 9’43” end song ‘massage the history’. ‘thunderclap for bobby pyn’ is a punky thurston sung 2’39” elegy for darby crash (aka bobby pyn), co-founder of the germs, who committed suicide in 1980. lee’s ‘what we know’ (3’54”) last phrase is: ‘that’s what we know about us’. Well, they know, but for the fans there’s a whole lot to explore and get to know about SY on ‘the eternal’!

it would be my democratic belief that each and everyone of you should be able to listen to this great album right now as well, but unfortunately that is not yet possible. why not post it online? well, it’s also my belief that artists should get paid for their work, so in nowadays download culture i’d buy the official download offer from matador, already available on 28 april instead of 9 june, the release date for the double vinyl or cd.

zine interest

2009-03-24T23:14:00.005+01:00

i can't complain about the interest in SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 so far. thank you all for making future zines possible with your donations (see earlier entry about the philosophy behind the zine series).

i got a taste for it for sure. i'm currently talking to michael morley - of dead c and gate fame, if he needs any introduction - for a follow up on ZINE #1. he wrote a thesis on his work in relation to silence and painting. a different cup of tea than number 1 of the series, but maybe not that different. the idea is to include a DVD with a videowork by michael in a limited edition.

next to more theory-oriented zines i will continue to edit the good old compilations with great artists from the SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX exhibition. so stay tuned for more sensational publications!

order SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 now

2009-03-23T13:39:00.008+01:00

ZINE #1 could now be ordered by sending an e-mail with your name and address and the number of copies requested (max. 3 per person) to sensationalfix@yahoo.com.

the zine is a non-commercial venture. minimum donations are as follows (package and worldwide postage included):
1 copy = 8,50 €
2 copies = 15,00 €
3 copies = 22,00 €

the edition is limited to 500 hand-numbered copies and requests are handled on a 'first come first serve' basis. the order will be reserved upon receiving your e-mail order and sent upon receiving the donation (exclusively via paypal and in euros).

if you wish to sell the zine through your store, requests for copies could also be sent to this e-mail address.

next to the kunsthalle düsseldorf, the zine is momentarily exclusively available from the van gennep bookshop in rotterdam.

SENSATIONAL FIX exhibition on Flickr.com

2009-03-23T10:39:00.002+01:00

i just posted images of the presentation of the düsseldorf version of the exhibition on my flickr.com page. the exhibition is still on at the kusthalle and KIT until 10 may 2009. don't miss it!

OUT NOW!

2009-03-18T21:29:00.003+01:00

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 ‘silence’ is out now!
contributions by chris habib; cameron jamie; richard kern; john miller; maya miller; thurston moore; michael morley; tony oursler; lee ranaldo; leah singer; dennis tyfus; nate young & alivia zivich; and zeloot.

i got the first 33 copies delivered this afternoon, fresh from the printers. those copies will be numbers 176/500 to 208/500 and available at the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf by the end of this week.

in the near future, copies will also be offered through the Malmö Konsthall and the webshop of Sonic Youth. ordering details from SENSATIONAL FIX will follow in a later entry on this blog, so stay tuned!

david byrne on SENSATIONAL FIX show

2009-03-13T23:51:00.010+01:00

in his journal david byrne concludes that:

"The exhibit posits Sonic Youth more as an art/media collective than simply as a band — which is probably accurate, though most people know them through their more accessible recordings, of course. But this is closer to how they must see themselves — as the hyphenate legacy of both the Beat and performance art worlds, and the wacky fringes of pop culture — death metal, freaky cults, underground comics, vinyl junkies and the dark side of Madonna and Karen Carpenter. What’s nice about it is the thread that ties together the art world with the pop music world with the Beat poets and a million others — and it stretches through time, backwards, forwards and sideways. It’s also a world of fandom — in a way, Sonic Youth are impresarios presenting the work of others that they love.

I might be imagining it, but it seems to me that in Europe, the mixing of pop culture and high art — as evidenced in this show, put on in a big, state-run museum, as opposed to an alternative art space — is more accepted as an idea than in the US. It could explain why the show originated here, and might only reach the US after traveling elsewhere for a while. Here, it seems that Sonic Youth can be perceived as an arts collective that happens to occasionally make accessible recordings, rather than as a pop band that dabbles in art."

perhaps he's right, as despite our efforts we still didn't find a US museum to take the show accross the ocean to the band's homeland. we keep on trying and bring you the news whenever there is news.

SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX on youtube

2009-03-09T12:59:00.004+01:00

to escape the 90 seconds video limit of flickr.com i started posting videomaterial of the exhibition on youtube as well. the first one, of the exhibition at LiFE, is available now. there are also some fellow youtubers who posted material on the show that surfaces through the searchmachine on youtube, among which the program ARTE TRACKS made for the show in düsseldorf (with interviews with kim and lee). keep your eyes on the band's website as well as lee ranaldo is about to post video material on the show these days.

images on flickr.com

2009-03-08T17:34:00.001+01:00

photos of the exhibition SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX at LiFE, saint-nazaire, france, are now available on www.flickr.com/people/sensationalfix, as are jpeg movies of excerpts from some of the performances held on te occasion of the exhibition. both sunburned hand of the man and my cat is an alien were joined by michael morley and lee ranaldo, while thurston moore and steve shelley also joined the sunburned performance's grand finale. furthermore, lee ranaldo and sister iodine are seen performing together in an intense sonic outburst. click on the slideshow to be linked to flickr.com. the quality is jpeg movie from a simple still camera and flickr has a 90 seconds limit per video, but still, enjoy!

SONIC YOUTH etc. : SENSATIONAL FIX

2009-03-06T08:22:00.001+01:00

This exhibition focuses on the multidisciplinary activities of the groundbreaking experimental guitar band Sonic Youth since its formation in 1981. From day one, Sonic Youth has been exploring and mapping unknown cultural territories through their activities as a band and as four individual musicians, visual artists or cultural entrepreneurs, each member with his or her specific ties to and within the international cultural scene. The exhibition features the band’s collaborations with visual artists, filmmakers, designers and musicians, as well as a choice of other works selected by the band. Through the multidisciplinary output of Sonic Youth and related works by other artists in the exhibition, an alternative history of contemporary culture is being told, in which issues are explored such as teenage rebellion, adolescent wanderlust, gender, fame, fashion, sexuality, and religion.

The exhibition departs from an ample selection of Sonic Youth paraphernalia that illustrates their comprehensive heterogeneous output and collaborations with other artists, while at the same time it already introduces themes that are explored in depth in further sections of the exhibition. Among the materials exhibited are: artwork for Sonic Youth album covers, a selection of early flyers, fanzines, posters, and writings by the band members, as well as photos of the band by artists such as James Welling, Sofia Coppola, and Richard Kern.

By the early 1980s, an alternative scene emerged in downtown New York City in which music and visual art were tightly connected. Both the raw and rebellious attitude of punk and the atonal, violent guitar music of no wave inspired artists like Richard Prince, Lee Ranaldo and Kim Gordon to play in bands. Since that time, Sonic Youth has successfully combined the rebellious attitude of punk with experimental music and concept art. Works by artists who were active in the New York art scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s are combined in the show with works by succeeding generations of artists who are closely connected to the band. These artists include Dan Graham, Vito Acconci, Tony Oursler, Cindy Sherman, John Miller, Christian Marclay, Jutta Koether, Isa Genzken, Tony Conrad, Reena Spaulings, Maya Miller, and Rita Ackermann.

In the early 1980s, Sonic Youth performed for the first time on the West Coast, where they met and acquainted both musicians and visual artists. West Coast society of the late 1960s is an important point of departure for the creative work of many of these West coast artists like Mike Kelley, Todd Haynes, Dave Markey, Marnie Weber, Raymond Pettibon, and Cameron Jamie, who are in their work informed by the contrast of the glamorous world of Hollywood, radical subjects like Charles Manson and the aggressive Californian hardcore punk of the early 1980s.

The band’s interest in counterculture movements like the Beats and subsequent underground poetry movements resulted in Thurston Moore collecting broadsheets and visual art by poets and other alternative poetry publications. In the exhibition, works by Allen GInsberg, William Burroughs and Ira Cohen are shown next to those by D.A. Levy, Joe Brainard, Gregory Corso, and George Schneeman.

Finally, in a pavilion especially designed for the exhibition by Dan Graham, Sonic Youth’s complete audio output, live recordings of late 1970 and early 1980’s bands recorded by Graham, and rare videos of Sonic Youth and bands from the era are presented.

The exhibition is presented jointly by the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf and KIT – Kunst in Tunnel (until 10 May 2009) and has been organised by Dutch curator Roland Groenenboom in close collaboration with Sonic Youth. It was produced by LiFE in St. Nazaire and the Museion in Bozen, where it was presented before Düsseldorf. From 29 May to 20 September 2009 it will be shown at the Malmö Konsthal (Sweden).

An ample publication has been edited by Roland Groenenboom in collaboration with Sonic Youth and has been published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walter König, Museion and LiFE. It is available in German, Italian, French, and English. In addition to interviews, catalogue texts, and archival material, the catalogue includes two vinyl singles. Each of the four sides is devoted to the work of one member of the band.

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 ‘silence’

2009-03-05T10:57:00.002+01:00

the first publication of SENSATIONAL FIX will be the zine SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 ‘silence’ to which thirteen of the artists who participate in the exhibition SONIC YOUTH etc: SENSATIONAL FIX contributed a double page each. these artists are: chris habib; cameron jamie; richard kern; john miller; maya miller; thurston moore; michael morley; tony oursler; lee ranaldo; leah singer; dennis tyfus; nate young & alivia zivich; and zeloot.

being the first of a series, SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 ‘silence’ sets the standard for the following volumes: its size is 148 x 148 mm and the edition 500 numbered copies in offset print. the first zine will be printed in black and white, and has 28 pages (cover included). it’s about to go to press these days and you’ll read about its birth in this blog.

the idea behind the series of zines is that they pay for their own production by their sales without any of the participants – including the organiser – making any profits. the small margin – if any – on the sales of the first volume goes towards the production of the next one, and so forth and so on. this will keep prices low, which guarantees distribution, (fairly) frequent new volumes and happy customers, while nobody pays taxes!

SENSATIONAL FIX ZINE #1 ‘silence’ will initially be sold at the kunsthalle/KIT düsseldorf, where the exhibition is on show right now, and the malmö konsthall, where the exhibition will travel next, opening 29 may 2009. possibly also through the sonic youth webstore. right now SENSATIONAL FIX is studying the feasibility of further online distribution of the zines. read all about it and about future volumes in a next blog issue.

p.s. sonic youth will perform in respectively april and may on the locations of the exhibition.