Autumn Knight

"In Burke’s paintings, and in many of the works in the show, a structure had to be invented to carry out the work of the subject. For Autumn Knight that structure is time-based. Known for staging absurdist and experimental performances using didactic lesson, talk show, or drama therapy as delivery system, Knight mingles playful, uncertain situations with exploratory movement and cultural references via language. Moments of engagement don’t get carried to typical ends; actions are clipped, flipped, abandoned, or repeated. Nothing is put into a movement that isn’t felt in that moment. Nothing should happen. Nothing is pushed towards a tidy or specific end. Structure to Knight could be riffing off the objects left behind in a space; doing a live zoom performance, giving out her number, and taking calls; toggling between multiple camera points-of-view; or interacting with the audience to engage the race, gender, and power dynamics present. Knight sees that things have always been collapsing around us, but she makes the future feel like a thrill we can alternately rage into and take cozy little naps through."

— Bridget Mullen