Davis and Kouri will perform as part of the closing event of Temple Of at Roots & Culture on Saturday, June 3. Their shared interest in various improvisational concepts, opening musical portals into the unknown, and homemade sound makers will twist, turn and swirl into an hour-long sound exploration utilizing hand chimes, little instruments, various hand percussion, tenor saxophone, and drums. The duo presentation celebrates their weekly commitment to studying, exploring, and playing together in The Basement—Davis’s home base rehearsal and study space for many important Chicago-based jazz musicians over the past two decades.

About the Exhibition

There is something spiritual about the act of visiting works of art. Trips to museums, music venues, and performance halls become day-long pilgrimages leaving us curious, hungry, and enlightened. Like visiting places of worship, there is an unspoken expectation that a transformation of the self will occur. “Temple Of” emphasizes this expectation, leaning into the idea that experiencing works of art can be ethereal and possibly even divine. Julia Arredondo and Chad Kouri transform the gallery into an alternative space for worship, rest, communion, and spiritual expression, infusing ritual with play while making room for intimate looking and listening. The exhibition includes individual and collaborative works from Arredondo and Kouri that promote the idea of divine objects and experiences, including but not limited to in-person programming, performances, paintings, sculpture, instruments, sounds, smells, and more.

Throughout the run of the exhibition, Arredondo and Kouri will present offerings and various opportunities for the community to gather, learn, listen, and be together.

May 10, May 20, and June 2 Katia Perez Fuentes will provide astrological readings and hypnosis in the space by appointment on a sliding scale fee structure. Click here to book your time.

Saturday, May 13 at 12pm Sarah and Joseph Belknap will provide free seedlings for pick up in the gallery as a part of their ongoing effort to grow and share plants with the general public every Spring. Herbs, fruits, vegetables, flowers, and more will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Sunday, May 21, from 1-4pm, we provide an Ambient Service by All Handy Andy Hall as an alternative to the Sunday Church ritual. MASKS ARE REQUIRED for this offering. Please bring your own yoga mat or blanket to sit down, spread out, close your eyes and drift off into a blissful rhythmic soundscape.

Saturday, June 3rd, from 2-5pm is the closing event of Temple Of, including a musical performance by Vincent Davis and Chad Kouri. Their shared interest in various improvisational concepts, opening musical portals into the unknown, and homemade sound makers will twist, turn and swirl into an hour-long sound exploration utilizing hand chimes, little instruments, various hand percussion, tenor saxophone, and drums. The duo presentation celebrates their weekly commitment to studying, exploring, and playing together in The Basement—Davis’s home base rehearsal and study space for many important Chicago-based jazz musicians over the past two decades.

Under the title of Occult Americana, Julia Arredondo’s personal artmaking practice explores the manufacturing of talismans, amuletic prints and the process of assigning metaphysical value to handmade objects. This work is heavily influenced by botánica culture and the syncretic spirituality of South Texas. Julia’s latest explorations focus on the similarities of visual language in spaces of retail and worship. Visual merchandising and altar building share similarities in creating space to invoke desire or wish fulfillment through object placement.

Chad Kouri is a Chicago-based working artist and musician investigating the healing powers of color, sound, and abstraction. His mixed-race identity is mirrored by his multidisciplinary studio practice focusing broadly on visual Art, performance, and community engagement while considering theories based in minimalism, color theory, mutual aid, semiotics, Creative Improvised Music, and radical joy. Utilizing a wide range of skill sets and strategies, his paintings, performances, installations, and other projects remind us to stay curious and make time for play, rest, and introspection, inspiring a slower pace in our day-to-day lives as a form of self-care, personal grounding, and acceptance. He is a student of Isaiah Collier and Vincent Davis, studying saxophone performance and improvisational strategies and concepts.

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Tags: Chad Kouri, Chicago, Julia Arredondo, Roots & Culture, Temple Of, West Town