I know you are not supposed to post something on the internet that is more than a day old, and this came out way back at Thanksgiving but it makes me so incredibly happy and I thought I might share the love. Again. Cause it’s that good. I never really understood why everyone loved Florence and the Machine so much until I saw this and now I am a total convert. She kills it out of her mind. Hard. So hard, in fact, that she goes crossed eyed for a second towards the end of the video. The crazy thing is this song has been covered so many times- it was originally sung by Bobby Bland, then Gil Scott-Heron, then Jamie xx re-mixed Scott-Heron’s which Drake picked up with Rihanna, which is what is covered here by Florence. Still with me? I included the original version by Bobby Bland and the Jamie xx remixed version just for fun. If you haven’t heard the Drake version, I’m sorry but you live under a rock and you should watch this.

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid I clipped things out of magazines and stuck them to the wall. I remember vividly having Jodeci, Milla Jovovich and Marilyn Monroe in close proximity. The fact that everything these days is viral and that this might date me makes me slightly sad. I was also sad when the day came to tear down these seemingly un-saveable collage projects from the wall. I implored my mother to briefly save a door once, but eventually it too got thrown away.

Willie Alexander, best known as the keyboardist for the Velvet Underground, also really liked to tape things to his wall. Apparently, he never stopped. Since he was 13 years old, he has been taping and collaging found images together from magazines, newspapers and everyday life. Even while on tour with The Velvet Underground he would obsessively collect daily ephemera and paste it in journals, cataloging his experiences. Back at home, he would stay up at nights tacking images to every possible surface -including the ceilings- perfecting a system with packing tape where once he was done, he could peel the wall (or ceiling) off in its entirety like wallpaper. This week, Esopus, one of my favorite publications who does only amazingly cool, head-spinning things, is displaying these collages for the first time ever. The exhibit goes up on Thursday, but Alexander himself will be on hand next week to meet with people like me who who are excited about this special art form typically relegated to the teenage bedroom. I’ve already started a new wall.

Willie Alexander’s show, Wall Works, is up February 9 – March 13 at Esopus Space, 64 W. 3 St., NYC. There will be an artist’s reception on February 15 from 6-8pm. The space is open to the public Mondays from 12 to 8pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 to 6pm, and by appointment other times.

Image: Willie Alexander/Esopus Space

Caris Reid is one of the most creative people around. She creates, curates, writes, dances, sings, sends coded messages and does all sorts of cool things (including contribute to Dossier.) When we put on an week-long party during fashion week and asked everyone to host an event, Caris was one of the first to respond by offering up a guided Reiki session with Randi Ditman-Ibrahim. Oh, and she also curated an art show based on hypnosis. So it came as no surprise to me to find out that Caris is now teaching a collage class, or two collage classes; one for children and one for adults. This week, participants will cut, paste, and pass in the tradition of the surrealist parlor game, Exquisite Corpse. Expect wine, scissors, and stacks of vivid imagery. You are welcome and encouraged to bring some of your own inspirations, but it’s not necessary. To add to the fun, all of this takes place at The Oracle Club, a members-only throwback to surrealist literary salons, which got a nice write-up in the Times. The room the class takes place in has beautiful lighting, tall ceilings, huge plants, and is the perfect backdrop for creativity. And if you are feeling like you have no creativity, don’t worry. I am sure Caris will let you borrow some of hers.

The class for adults is every Tuesday at 7:30 pm. The classes for children is every Saturday from 9:30am-10:30am for ages 6-8, and 11am-12pm for ages 9-10. All classes are $20 per person, and are located at The Oracle Club, 10-41 47th Ave in Long Island City. To reserve a spot, email: theoracleclub@gmail.com

Image: Collage made by students in Caris Reid’s class

Starting today, the Abrons Art Center is hosting a ten-day long festival of contemporary performance called American Realness. Combining many different aspects of experimental performance art including dance, traditional theater, drag shows and concerts, the festival has over 46 performances of 20 productions. There is also a bookstore and a pop-up cafe to provide respite for those hunkering down for the daily marathon of performance art.

Although all of the artists look like they will prove to be amazing, especially on my radar is The Heather Lang Show by Eleanor Bauer and Vice Versa, which is being billed as a “double one-woman show,” that somehow incorporates QVC, spirituality and drag. Did I mention there is voguing? I am imagining stand up comedy meets Paris is Burning meets Jerry Springer. Let me explain, Heather Lang, by trade is a professional dancer working in tons of the top Broadway shows, who also happens to be one of funniest people I have ever met. She is super pretty but isn’t afraid to get ugly and pour milk on her face to make you laugh. I’ve seen her do this. The press release says to expect talk shows, critiques on cultural identity and of course, drag. I’d put my money on this being a pretty awesome and entertaining show.

Performances are January 5 at 10pm, January 8 at 6pm, January 11 at 11pm and January 15 at 9pm at The Abrons Arts Center, Underground Theater, 466 Grand Street, NYC. Tickets are available here.

Come by Mercury Lounge tonight, November 15, and check out the band The Daylights, in from Los Angeles. Part of the growing indie rock scene in LA, this band is fronted by twin brothers Ran and Ricky (yup) and backed by drummer Svend. Twins and a Svend! I mean, really – what more could you want? If you want more, you can read about thier new album and all that other stuff on their website. Randomly enough, they even open for Katy Perry sometimes- who happens to be in town. Their website says special guests may abound. Do they mean special guests in latex Smurf dresses?

The Daylights will be playing at Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston, NYC on November 15. Doors open at at 6:30pm, show starts at 8:00pm. Get tickets here.

SightUnseen, the online magazine devoted to all things design-y, has just launched their latest project, a shop featuring wearable art objects handmade from unusual materials such as copper, rope, powder coated steel, cork, silk, leather, and on and on. So far the artists are mostly known for other endeavors, like Iacoli & McAllister who make high end lamps and furniture, or Confetti System, who adorn shops such as Creatures of Confort and J. Crew with their pinatas and fun decorations. The site is exquisitely curated by SightUnseen founders and former I.D. editors Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer. Just in time to get holiday gifts you really can’t find anywhere else.

top image: Iacoli & McAllister necklace No. Ultra
bottom image: Confetti System rope necklace

The online art gallery It’s Our Playground was built with the idea that exhibitions could live in virtual galleries as well as in brick and mortar spaces. This week, art critic and Dossier contributor Timothee Chaillou curated a customizable triptych featuring an insanely long list of artists including Roe Ethridge, Andrew Kuo, Lizzi Bougatsos, Klara Liden, Anne Collier and Nina Childress. The show, which officially opens today is called: No Color In Your Cheeks Unless The Wind Lashes Your Face. Go to an art show in your pajamas. Why not? BYOB.

Top Image: Nina Childress, Les Blondes III, 1997

If you are in LA this weekend, please stop by The Pulse Art Fair and say hi to us. Dossier is pleased to be participating by curating a video series exclusively for Pulse titled Industry of Fetish that centers around the fetishization of celebrity culture in Los Angeles featuring artists Rafael Rozendaal, Carabello/Farman and Rex Bruce. For this installation we worked with Elizabeth Kabler of Skylight Projects, who is also at Pulse exhibiting work by the ever diverse Alex Massouras in a section called Impulse that displays work by a singular artist. In addition, Grey Area is also here with a tent full of fun stuff and a concrete ping pong table to boot. And, still assuming that you are in LA and you like art, then you would want to check out all of the other events going on including the Getty’s massive citywide Pacific Standard Time, a big art initiative focused on the art scene in sunny Los Angeles. There’s also Art Platform at LA Mart and Fountain Fair. A helpful tool to navigate all of this is LA-based Fabrik Magazine’s Art Conceirge App for your Iphone with a handy guide to all of the fairs, parties and other stuff and things.

Pulse Art Fair is taking place Friday, September 30 from 2pm-8pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 11am- 7pm, and Monday from 1am- 5pm. The address is 1005 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles. Dossier can be found at booth P-7

Image by Alex Massouras, courtesy of Skylight Projects

A few years ago, Rita Ackermann curated the first Perfect Man Show featuring mostly female artists such as Lizzi Bougatsos, Agathe Snow and Hanna Linden. Tonight, she is back with The Perfect Man Show II this time amping up the testosterone by co-curating with creative director Parinaz Mogadassi. The show features a slew of artists including Richard Serra, Dan Graham, The Bernadette Corporation and Kai Althoff. An exciting highlight on the lineup is Rammellzee, the late vocalist and performance artist who helped revolutionize the early stylings of hip-hop, well known from both the incredible NYC classics Style Wars and Wild Style. The press release has this quote by way of explanation for the perfect man theme: “Perfect man can kill a tarantula with a broom in a businesslike manner, half-afraid. Perfect man is the tarantula and the broom.” I couldn’t agree more. In the works are a whole series of events, including readings, film screenings and a book launch to accompany the exhibition, with details to be announced shortly.

The Perfect Man II, opens Friday September 9 from 6-9 pm at White Columns, 320 W.13 St, NYC.

Above image: Markus Lüpertz, “Man in Suit – Dithyrambic I,” 1976, Courtesy Michael Werner Gallery, New York.

A few weeks ago I participated in something called Unseen Performances by artist Georgia Wall. Basically, you show up at a certain time and place to experience a performance created just for you. I was expecting the artist to greet me and shake my hand and dance or something but instead, the whole thing is kind of a spooky scavenger hunt as you follow instructions left on cards throughout an empty building at night- the performances don’t start until after 10pm and you see no one but the artist- slightly akin to a more singular, personal version of Sleep No More. The only record of the performance is the video account given by the participants- afterwards you sit down in an empty room in front of an already running video camera and relay what you have seen. Georgia herself remains somewhat of an enigma, hard to google, barely glimpsed- for example, I only saw her through a window. I don’t want to say too much about what I saw, because if you want to know you can go to Skylight Projects next week, where the exhibit will feature material culled from the last round of these adventures. They plan to do more unseen performances throughout the year a part of an on-going project.

Georgia Wall: Unseen Performances will be opening at Skylight Projects, 551 W.21 St. NYC, on September 15 from 6-9pm.