Artists Space

Shahzad Ismaily

Performance
December 15, 2021, 6:30pm

11 Cortlandt Alley and online

This event is free and will take place at Artists Space as well as livestreamed online through the exhibition website here.

Photograph of three musicians in a room with a red carpet. The figure on the left is playing an upright bass, the center figure is seated behind a drum set, and the figure on the left holds a guitar with their back turned to the camera.
Milford Graves with William Parker and Shahzad Ismaily. Performance documentation, October 15, 2017, The Artists Institute, New York. Image courtesy The Artists Institute. [Photograph of three musicians in a room with a red carpet. The figure on the left is playing an upright bass, the center figure is seated behind a drum set, and the figure on the left holds a guitar with their back turned to the camera.]

Artists Space and Ars Nova Workshop present a special performance by musician, composer, and Milford Graves collaborator Shahzad Ismaily. An acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, Ismaily has performed with Graves on multiple occasions at venues such as the Artist's Institute at Hunter College (2017), Issue Project Room (2018), and Blank Forms (2019). For this special tribute performance at Artists Space, Ismaily will be joined by collaborators Destefano DeLuise and John Rossiter, who will utilize a range of instruments, vocal techniques, and movements.

Shahzad Ismaily. Performance Documentation. Wednesday, December 15, 2022, 6:30pm. Artists Space, New York. [A color video of a music performance. Three figures play various instruments, move, dance, and sing as a crowd watches on.]

Shahzad Ismaily was born in the United States to Pakistani parents who emigrated here just before his birth. Growing up in a bicultural household, he has always followed a multitude of paths and perusals. Primarily self-taught as a musician, composer, recording engineer, and producer, Ismaily plays electric bass, drums, percussion, guitar, synthesizers, and all manner of sound-makers procured in life’s travels. Ismaily has recorded and performed with a diverse crew of artMakers, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Beth Orton, Colin Stetson, Ben Frost, Bonnie Prince Billy, Damien Rice, Jolie Holland, JFDR, Secret Chiefs 3, Sam Amidon, further and further. He has been an integral member of experiences such as the People Festival (the brainchild of Bon Iver, The National, and the Michelberger), the Eau Claires festival, the Moers Festival. He has done work for dance and theater pieces, such as the film Frozen River (Oscar-nominated and Sundance award-winning), Inkboat (a butoh crew from California/Switzerland), and visual artist Laleh Khorramian. Currently based in Brooklyn and working out of the recording studio collective he founded and created, Figure 8 Recording, he has studied music extensively in Pakistan, India, Turkey, Mexico, Chile, Japan, Indonesia, Morocco, and Iceland.

By way of movement, music, and filmmaking, Destefano DeLuise's means of expression ruminate on the notions of death and impermanence, emptiness, grief, and compassion—all whilst grappling with the intricacies of what it means to exist in a human body.

John Rossiter is a guitarist, singer, gardener, and songwriter for Young Jesus.

In keeping with New York City health advisories and in the interest of the safety of our staff and visitors, we will require following:

In adherence to the Key to NYC Mandate, guests must show proof of vaccination to enter Artists Space through the NYC COVID Safe App, Excelsior Pass, CDC Vaccination Card (or photo), NYC Vaccination Record, an official immunization record from outside NYC; staff and visitors must wear a mask at all times, use the available hand sanitizer upon entry, and practice social distancing in the space.

We ask that you do not visit Artists Space if you are experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days, or have had close contact with anyone who is confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19. Visitors must make a reservation and provide contact information to aid in the City’s contact tracing efforts.

This project is made possible with funds from the NYSCA Electronic Media/Film in Partnership with Wave Farm: MAAF Forward Fund, with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

Support is provided by Lambent Foundation Fund of Tides Foundation, The Cowles Charitable Trust, The Cy Twombly Foundation, The David Teiger Foundation, The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, Imperfect Family Foundation, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation, The Willem de Kooning Foundation, The Fox Aarons Foundation, Herman Goldman Foundation, The Destina Foundation, The Luce Foundation, May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, The Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Arison Arts Foundation, The David Rockefeller Fund, The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation, The Jill and Peter Kraus Foundation, The Richard Pousette-Dart Foundation.