Film Screenings / Programs / Series
ABC NO RIO: A CULTURE OF OPPOSITION
May 11 – May 13
May 11-13
In conjunction with the exhibition “ABC No Rio 45 Years”, taking place in April at the Emily Harvey Foundation, this series presents film and video output spanning several eras of the alternative art space ABC No Rio, offering a window into the creative and political practice that has sustained the space for 45 years. As their new building at 156 Rivington Street approaches completion, ABC No Rio’s legacy as a catalyst for oppositional culture provides a vital source of inspiration for expanding the political imaginary of the speculative, hyper-gentrified city we find ourselves in today.
ABC No Rio is a collectively-run center for art and activism that emerged in 1980 out of the “Real Estate Show”, an occupation-as-exhibition of a vacant, city-owned building led by artists associated with the collective Collaborative Projects (Colab). Though quickly shut down, the action drew citywide attention and media pressure, causing the city to offer the artists a month-to-month lease for a storefront in a nearby tenement building at 156 Rivington Street. The storefront quickly developed into an artist-run space taking the name ABC No Rio from a dilapidated business sign that had once read “Abogado Notario”.
The collective’s future was tenuous from the beginning: it faced numerous eviction attempts into the 1990s before it was able to secure the title to the building in 2006. After structural weaknesses required the demolition of 156 Rivington Street in 2016, ABC No Rio entered a new period “in exile”. The collective remained active and, under the leadership of Steven Englander, succeeded in breaking ground on a new building this past July. Through each era, ABC No Rio has been an important hub for alternative creative and political practice – “The Culture of Opposition Since 1980” proclaimed a plaque on the now-demolished building – and a sanctuary for artists, activists, and musicians in New York City and beyond.
For 30 years, Steven Englander worked to secure a place for ABC No Rio in an increasingly unaffordable city. While his passing in December represents a great loss, construction on the new building continues. Englander’s work can be honored by contributing to the Steven Englander Memorial Fundraiser, with funds going directly towards the building’s completion. Learn more about donating or supporting ABC No Rio at www.abcnorio.org/.
All programs will be preceded by a 3-minute-long trailer. Talkbacks and featured speakers TBA.
This series is guest-programmed by Claudia Acosta, Peter Cramer, Marco Lanier, Gavin Marcus, Jack Waters, and Scout Zabel.
Upcoming Screenings
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ABC NO RIO, PGM 1: THE EARLY YEARS
May 11 at 7:30 PM
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ABC NO RIO, PGM 2: PERFORMANCE, FILM, AND EXPRESSION
May 12 at 7:00 PM
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ABC NO RIO, PGM 3: HARDCORE AND COLLECTIVE OPPOSITION
May 13 at 7:00 PM
