Summer Happenings at the Broad Returns with Nico, Basquiat & Murakami

This summer, the Broad. in Los Angeles is bringing back Summer Happenings with a fresh lineup of artists and curators. The late-night summer series showcases contemporary artists through music and performance, fluctuating between happenings, salons and concerts. The series revolves around the current exhibition, Oracle.

Occupying various spaces throughout the museum, artists will perform thematic pieces inspired by Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Taking place one Saturday a month between June and September, the immersive artistic experience is one of the summer's must-see cultural gatherings.

Warhol Icon
Saturday, June 24
8:30 pm
Tickets are $25 at The Broad

Inspired by Warhol superstar and model/actress/singer, Nico, the program covers a range of her career's work, from performing with Velvet Underground to her neo-folk approaches and synth collaborations. Curated by Bradford Nordeen and Brandon Stosuy, Warhol Icon features performances evoking Nico's experimental style, from Jenny Hval, Kembra Pfahler, Rose McDowall, Tiny Vipers and Geneva Jacuzzi. Vaginal Davis gives a performance framed by a rare screening of Philippe Garrel's film, The Inner Star, starring Nico and Pierre Clementi. The film's theatrics are present in a video installation by Nao Bustamante, playing in the museum's lobby.

Strange Forest
Saturday, July 29
8:30 pm
Tickets are $25 at The Broad

This installation takes inspiration from the works of Takashi Murakami, who's found influence in the collaged cultures of Japan at the end of the Tokugawa period of isolation. Curated by Ryu Takahashi and Brandon Stosuy, it features artists of similar traditional and Western influences. Tokiko Ihara opens the evening, playing the Sho, a meditative traditional woodwind instrument. Afrirampo, Oorutaichi, Ikue Mori, Miho Hatori, Devendra Banhart and Dustin Wong in collaboration with Takako Minekawa

Oracle
Saturday, August 26
8:30 pm
Tickets are $25 at The Broad

Inspired by themes of globalization, surveillance and underlying systems and forces of the world, this installation explores the current exhibition. Curated by Ron Athey and James Spooner, Oracle features performances from musicians Gabie Strong, Paulie Gloss and David Harrow, as well as poets Raquel Gutierrez, Elliot Reed and Lisa Teasley. Performance artist Linda Mary Montano offers healings and blessings, and A Place to Bury Strangers performs what's considered a soundtrack to the apocalypse.

Basquiat
Saturday, September 23
8:30 pm
Tickets are $25 at The Broad

Summer Happenings at the Broad culminates with a tribute to Jean-Michel Basquiat. The installation explores the intersections of punk and hip hop, gay and straight, black and white, downtown party meets uptown art, all the themes that went into the artist's work. Curated by James Spooner, Basquiat features a musical clash of punk and hip hop from Zebra Katz and Downtown Boys with a downtown dance party at the Oculus by DJ Rashida and Michael Stock. Shani Crowe gives a performance based on cultural coiffure and beauty rituals of the diasporic African.