A VOYAGE OF GROWTH AND DISCOVERY To Be Presented At Redcat 7/12

After the success of the installation first presented at SculptureCenter in Long Island City, and now visible in its definitive West of Rome, Los Angeles incarnation at The Farley Building through August 26th; A Voyage of Growth and Discovery, the feature length film, written and directed by Mike Kelley an Michael Smith, debuts in single-channel format at REDCAT. Like the installation currently on view through August 26, 2010 in Los Angeles--the first exhibition in LA for both artists in nearly ten years--the film follows the existential journey of Baby IKKI over several days at a festival of "radical self-expression," famous for its presentations of large-scale displays of fire, held in the remote Black Rock Desert of Nevada. A Voyage of Growth and Discovery will be screened at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater on Monday, July 12, 2010 at 8:30 pm.

Written, directed and produced by Mike Kelley and Michael Smith, A Voyage of Growth and Discovery follows Baby IKKI, a pre-lingual character of ambiguous age that artist Michael Smith has been performing for over thirty years. IKKI, alone in his journey, despite being surrounded by thousands of revelers, negotiates the rave-like festival environment while also exploring the primal natural elements of fire, water, earth, and wind. Described by Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times as "An exceptional collaboration... Rarely is satire so marvelous and bug-eyed," this monumental work is an immersive two-and-a-half hour six-channel video, sound and sculptural installation.

The screening at REDCAT premieres the hour-and-a-half hour long film version of A Voyage of Growth and Discovery which mirrors the annual event: four days and nights of festival, proceeded by an introductory travel section, and followed by a post-festival day. The festival itself is a carnivalesque event where IKKI is subsumed in raves, faced with erotic encounters, and surrounded by multitudes of costumed partygoers--many dressed in childish attire (though none as infantile as IKKI). The culmination of the event is the spectacular public "burn" after which the Baby is left alone to ponder his "voyage."

A Q&A with artists, Mike Kelley and Michael Smith, will follow the premiere.

A Voyage of Growth and Discovery will be screened at REDCAT on Monday, July 12, 2010 at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $9 and are available at www.redcat.org or by calling 213 237-2800. REDCAT is located at the corner of W. 2nd and Hope Streets, inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex (631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

LINKS
West of Rome Public Art | www.westofrome.org

ABOUT WEST OF ROME PUBLIC ART
West of Rome Public Art (WoR) is a nonprofit art organization dedicated to the realization of artists' projects, exhibitions, and public interventions in unusual or under-recognized locations in Los Angeles that engage the public in experiences unique to the city. West of Rome was founded in 2005 by its director, Emi Fontana, and received 501(c)(3) status in 2009.

ABOUT REDCAT
Opened by CalArts in 2003, REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) introduces diverse audiences, students and artists to the most influential developments in the arts from around the world, and gives artists in this region the creative support they need to achieve national and international stature. REDCAT is the newest partner in an international network of adventurous art and performance centers, which together are playing a vital role in the evolution of contemporary culture. REDCAT is a center for experimentation, discovery and lively civic discourse. For more information, visit www.redcat.org.

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