In fact, it is the most vital work of art, performance, music and film to be seen this year. It’s an experiential audio-visual assault meant to penetrate the deepest corners of your rational mind. It is a work of strange and singular genius that invites you to think deeply about history, power, progress and our part in shaping the future.
Held at the Park Avenue Armory, a massive performance space in Manhattan, Massive Attack v Adam Curtis combines surround vision with live music cues, punctuated by text and dizzying displays of light. 11 towering screens envelope the audience by displaying Curtis’ trademark montage guided by his own narration. Meanwhile, Massive Attack handle the live sound from behind the screens, playing musical cues from “The Twist” to “Karmacoma”, and songs by Jesus and Mary Chain and Leadbelly. In this way it’s more movie-like than live gig, an IMAX-esque culture jam instead of a gallery show or a performance.