WHY FUSEBOX FESTIVAL IS UNIQUELY AUSTIN
Fusebox Festival covers many moods.
Fusebox Festival is an arts celebration that feels uniquely Austin. The fest gathers a variety of innovative creators at more than 20 venues around the city to explore contemporary life and culture. Dance, music, gallery exhibitions, zines, performance art and immersive experiences — Fusebox has it all, and more.
And it’s all free. Here’s a look at some of what you could see at Fusebox. “All the Sex I’ve Ever Had.” Get ready for frank and funny talk about love, sex and self-discovery from a group of Austinties who are older than 65. The performance project is the brainchild of Darren O’Donnell; he’s collaborated with local seniors in other cities including Portland, Ore.; Singapore; and Prague. (7 p.m. April 19-21. AFS Event Hall, 6406 N. Interstate 35 frontage road, No. 3100.)
“As Far as My Fingertips Take
Me.” Tania El Khoury’s work pairs an audience member and a refugee, separated by a wall, for a conversation about border discrimination. (2 to 4 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. April 20-21 and 1 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. April 22. Prizer Gallery, 2023 E. Cesar Chavez St.) “Carrion: Episode 1.” In this performance piece, Justin Shoulder portrays Carrion, described on the Fusebox website as “a cyborg, a mythic creature, a spec-
ter of the post human … a chimera that asks us to rethink our understanding of human, of identity, and of nature.” (11 p.m. April 20. Fusebox Festival Hub, 1500 E. Fourth St.)
“The Cold Record.” Kirk Lynn’s mixtape play is part of a series of portable projects from the Rude Mechs. It’s described as “the story of a 12-year-old boy who tries to set the record for the most days leaving school sick
with a fever and in the process falls in love with the school nurse and learns to appreciate punk rock.” (8 p.m. April 18, 9 p.m. April 19, 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. April 20-21, 3 p.m. April 22. Museum of Human Achievement, 3600 Lyons Road.)
“Grackle Call.” This audiovisual walking tour from Steve Parker celebrates Austin’s ubiquitous great-tailed grackle. Participants are taken on a birding adventure that involves dance, installation, poetry and sound. Audience members should bring their own headphones and smartphones for audio; binoculars and a small number of MP3 players will be available to borrow. (7 p.m. April 19-21. Patterson Park, 4200 Brookview Road.)
“In Many Hands.” Kate McIntosh’s immersive work is “part laboratory, part expedition, part meditation.” Audience members are i nvited to take part, using their senses to experiment and experience. (5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. April 18, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. April 19. Rollins Theater,
the Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive.)
“Race Cards.” Selina Thompson has written 1,000 questions about race on note cards — “Why do people assume that racism will just passively die out if we wait long enough?” “Who is more problematic — famous racist Nigel Farage, or the liberal journalist politely asking him questions?” “When does it all end?” — to encourage conversation and critical thinking about our assumptions and beliefs. (Installation hours 5 to 9 p.m. April 18, 1 to 8 p.m. April 19-21, 1 to 5 p.m. April 22; reading of all 1,000 questions 2 p.m. April 21. The Mastrogeorge Theater, 130 Pedernales St., Suite 318B.) “(Re)Current Unrest.” Charles Anderson’s multimedia dance piece is built on the music of Steve Reich and examines black art and protest — as well as how those works are sampled, portrayed and erased. (7 p.m. April 19-20, 3 p.m. April 21. Blue Genie Art Bazaar, 6100 Airport Blvd.)