Bassist and composer James Ilgenfritz (2011 AIR) returns to ISSUE, joined by Joe McPhee and AC Diamond for their first performance as a trio. This event marks a new shared context for three artists deeply invested in improvisation as a mode of inquiry.
ISSUE presents the premiere of three audiovisual compositions by Matt Mottel (2010 AIR). These works bring Mottel’s distinct artistic sensibility into dialogue with formative figures in his life and in New York’s avant-garde, tracing a lineage that is both deeply personal and central to ISSUE’s history.
Monarch Butterfly by rocío sánchez (2026 AIR) features Melissa Almaguer (tap dance and percussion) and Kenneth Jiménez (double bass). Together, the trio explores the elusive monarch’s migratory journey through sound and movement, with each instrument articulating distinct states of motion.
Isabella Thorpe-Woods presents "Envelop/e," her second program as ISSUE’s 2026 Suzanne Fiol Curatorial Fellow. Bringing together choreographers Jade Manns and Ella Dawn W-S for site-specific duets, they navigate presence and absence, repetition and rupture, and the tension between inherited geometries and shifting landscapes.
"Spiriting Off" is a new solo work by luthier Webb Crawford (2026 AIR) for electric guitar, tenor banjo, and five-string banjo.
ISSUE closes the summer season with the return of Matana Roberts (2009 AIR). Opening the evening, Ben Vida (2013 AIR) will perform music from his 2026 release, "Oblivion Seekers" with vocalist Sara Magenheimer.
ISSUE Online
ISSUE Online – Celebrating David Behrman launches with the first in a series of exclusive recorded conversations leading up to ISSUE’s 2025 Gala. This debut release features a dialogue between pioneering composers David Behrman and Terry Riley, moderated by archivist Tom Welsh.
ISSUE and The Emily Harvey Foundation are honored to present a rare public appearance by artist, philosopher, and composer Henry Flynt, in conjunction with the 2025 Brooklyn Book Festival. In this special engagement, Flynt will revisit his seminal 1961 Concept Art work, Transformations.
Artists-In-Residence 2025
Working at the intersection of sculpture and sound, 2025 ISSUE Artist-In-Residence Jackson-Pratt continues his ongoing exploration of visual art as audio object—and vice versa—through a new durational performance featuring a microphonic sculpture.
ISSUE Project Room launches the Fall 2025 season in its 22 Boerum Pl. home theater with a program that pushes the boundaries of movement, sound, and perception. The evening features Ash Fure’s ANIMAL and work by the new artist duo Aavar. Join as a Member during the 2025 Summer Membership Campaign and receive a free ticket!
At 2pm, ISSUE hosts a free public town hall organized by sound conceptualist & 2009 ISSUE Artist-In-Residence Matana Roberts–the first in a nationwide series of gatherings.
ISSUE Project Room is honored to present a special recording session by composer, poet, and 2021 Artist-In-Residence JJJJJerome Ellis, joined by longtime collaborator S T A R R busby. This intimate event gives unique access to ISSUE Members and launches the 2025 summer membership campaign.
ISSUE Project Room hosts a free limited engagement for up to 10 ISSUE Members with RSVP with Thomas Ankersmit on his artistic practice with the Serge Modular analog synthesizer, his main instrument since 2006.
