Press

HowlRound: Complex Movements' Beware of the Dandelions

Posted on November 19, 2015

Author and scholar Jeff Chang covered Beware of the Dandelions in HowlRound. In the piece he gives an in-depth account of the performance from a participant's perspective, and weaves in context from members of the Complex Movements advisory circle, such as Patrisse Marie Cullors, Walidah Imarisha, Adrienne Maree Brown, Charity Hicks, and Grace Lee Boggs.

He writes, "...one way to describe Beware of the Dandelions is that it is a performance piece that becomes an engine for much more, including activities that build networks of solidarity within the community beyond the art space. It is a narrative, concert, visual installation, architectural piece, and convening space to distribute revolutionary ideas and activate creative ecosystems and economies of change."

Read the full article here.

Complex: Complex Movements Is a Detroit Artist Collective That You Need to Know

Posted on November 19, 2015

Complex covered Complex Movements' residency in Dallas earlier this week:

"Complex Movements is a rising artist collective out of Detroit that's making major noise right now. The group consists of the very talented Invincible, Waajeed, Wes Taylor, Carlos Garcia, and additional contributions from Sage Crump and Aaron Jones. As one, the group brings together their communities through multimedia interactive performances that explore the connections of social injustice and complex science."

Read the full article here.

Theater Jones: Complex Like That

Posted on November 19, 2015

Theater Jones recently published an in-depth interview with three members of Complex Movements, Sage, ill, and Waajeed. In the article, the team discusses some of the principles and philosophy underlying the Beware of the Dandelions project, as well as the emergent connections between Dallas and Detroit that they have encountered.

"One of the things we appreciate about this project is how layered it is. In the midst of talking about getting to the real stories of a place and what is happening there, we had no idea of Dallas until this project. It has been amazing to learn about the history of activism in Dallas and to establish connections with people."

Read the full article here.

SMU Meadows School of the Arts: "Complex Movements, 2015 SMU Meadows Prize Winner, to Present Free Interactive Performances"

Posted on November 10, 2015

SMU Meadows School of the Arts recently published an article exploring the work of Complex Movements in anticipation of the art collective’s upcoming residency in Dallas. Check out the article for a great introduction to Complex Movements’ approach to interactive performance installation and community engagement.

“The work of Complex Movements exemplifies an interdisciplinary approach to art-making, alongside placing community at the core of their practice. We are interested in presenting various models to our students and to the city at large of work that reflects these myriad artistic forms and events,” said Clyde Valentín, director of the Meadows School’s Ignite/Arts Dallas initiative, which oversees the Meadows Prize.

Read the full article here.

Invincible named 2015 United States Artist Fellow

Posted on November 10, 2015

Emergence Media artist Invincible has been named a 2015 United States Artist Fellow. Fellowship winners in nine disciplines will be receiving fifty-thousand-dollar unrestricted grants. Thirty-seven recipients in total were chosen from over 400 nominated artists living in the United States and US Territories. Congratulations to Invincible and Complex Movements for their hard work!

The Stranger: "The Politicized Theater of Detroit-Based Collective Complex Movements"

Posted on April 26, 2015

The Stranger, Seattle’s alternative weekly newspaper, offers a deep dive into Complex Movements on the occasion of the collective’s ongoing month-long residency presented by the performing arts organization, On The Boards.

"Complex Movements," The Stranger writes, "certainly lives up to its name." The article, "The Politicized Theater of Detroit-Based Collective Complex Movements," explores the expansive politics and vision of Complex Movements and shares a synopsis of the Beware of the Dandelions multimedia installation, performance, and organizing project. It includes a full interview with the collective on the philosophical origins of the project, the project’s relationship to Detroit, and the connections cultivated with each of the communities in which the work is presented.

Explore the full schedule of performances and community events in Seattle.

Read the full article and interview at The Stranger.

Colorlines: "Facing Race Spotlight: Detroit Artist Collective Complex Movements"

Posted on January 18, 2015

Complex Movements at Facing Race 2014

Colorlines interviewed Complex Movements at the recent Facing Race conference. The interview explores the artist collective's interdisciplinary media-based organizing model.

After nearly two decades of rapping around the world, Detroit MC invincible ill weaver* had grown bored with the standard format of hip-hop shows where there’s a rapper who is backed by a DJ or a band and separated from the audience by the steel curtain of a stage. Other members of the Detroit-based artist collective invincible belongs to, Complex Movements, felt the same way. “We were really just sick and tired of the old ways we were doing things,” invincible says of their* co-members, music producer/filmmaker Waajeed, technologist Carlos “L05” Garcia and visual artist Wesley Taylor.

Out of that restlessness came “Beware of the Dandelions,” Complex Movements’ traveling installation that fuses interactive hip-hop performance, visual arts and video projection mapping with community organizing. In each city “Beware of the Dandelions” visits, invincible ill weaver and their crew make connections with local activists and students. The premise, according to its web site, is that “change occurs through critical connections rather than critical mass.” The work of Grace Lee Boggs is a major influence for the project.

Colorlines caught up with the Complex Movements as they were gearing up for a Nov. 14 event in Dallas at Facing Race, the biennial conference held by Colorlines publisher Race Forward. Complex Movements members and “Beware of the Dandelions” producer Sage talked about connecting people, self-expression and art with a purpose.

Read the full interview here.