11th Organ I

11th Organ I
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 | 4 PM
Rubenstein Arts Center | von der Heyden Studio Theater

A Symposium

“Without prophecy and without vision, politics is nothing. This has to begin in a rebellion that is at once intellectual and spiritual.” – Roberto Unger

You are invited to drop in and out during this six-hour experimental symposium featuring 23 Duke academics from varied disciplines. Over months of work with the 11th Organ Research Group, creator Michael Kliën has structured rules of engagement that disrupt ingrained habits of interaction, allowing participants to embark on an intimate and sometimes prophetic conversation. Kliën seeks to fundamentally reimagine our world through his innovative experimental and performative works. In this world premiere of 11th Organ I: A Symposium, Kliën is working to build a matrix of collective thought – merging leading individual academics into an oracle that can map a path towards an equitable, sustainable future.

The event is free and audience members are invited to come and go according to their schedule. Two rooms will be set up for the audience: the von der Heyden Studio Theater, where the conversation is taking place, and the Ruby Lounge, which will be set up as a reception area for audiences to discuss the experiment over refreshments.

Production Credits:

Choreographer: Michael Kliën
Concept: Michael Kliën and Alexander Strecker
Participants: Akhil Sharma, Anne-Gaëlle Saliot, Ara Wilson, Barbara Dickinson, Corina Stan, Daniel W. McShea, David Benjamin Landes, David M. Malone, David Toole, Eileen Chengyin Chow, Erika Weiberg, Felwine Sarr, Gustavo M. Silva, Jingqiu Guan, Johann Montozzi-Wood, Joseph Richard Winters II, Kay Jowers, Leah Torrey, M. Ronen Plesser, Marcia Rego, Negar Mottahedeh, Taylor Black and Quran Karriem
Core Research Group: Kate Alexandrite, Simone Barros, Barbara Dickinson, Lightsey Darst, Michael Kliën, David Malone, Marika Niko, Julia Piper and Alexander Strecker
Extended Research Group: Brooks Emanuel, Kathryn Kennedy, David Landes, Johann Montozzi-Wood and Rebecca Patterson-Markowitz

Learn more about each participant and research group member here.

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The 11th Organ was commissioned by Duke Arts at Duke University and co-sponsored the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University and the Duke Dance Program.