A video docudrama from multimedia artists and musicians Tei Blow and Sean McElroy (Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble) follows two men who must confront the precarious nature of art-making in an apocalyptic near-future. As they gain awareness of their own privilege in a reforming world, the duo embarks on a vision quest to craft the perfect apology, inspired by the infamous apologists of the #MeToo era.
Sprezzatura is an Italian word coined in the 16th century by Castiglione in The Book of the Courtier. It is defined as “a form of defensive irony: the ability to disguise what one really desires, feels, thinks, and means or intends behind a mask of apparent reticence and nonchalance." It is this irony, the mask of the courtier, that The Sprezzaturameron seeks to reveal. But what lies behind this mask?
Written and Performed by Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble
Company: Tei Blow, Sean McElroy
Music: Royal Osiris Karaoke Ensemble
Digital Architect: John Blalock
Aesthetic Consultant: Julian Shapiro-Barnum
Location: Partially filmed at BAC’s Jerome Robbins Theater
bacnyc.org/performances/performance/tei-blow
Presented by Baryshnikov Arts Center, 2021
HD Video, Stereo Sound. Digital Presentation
