Independent Festival of Downtown Culture

September 2001

On August 16 & 17 Ben Robinson hosted

THE INDEPENDENT FESTIVAL

of DOWNTOWN CULTURE

IN CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITY

AT THE NAUMBURG BANDSHELL

Two free concerts of experimental and avant garde music at the historic Naumburg bandshell in Central Park -- New York City. Thousands of New Yorkers and tourists from all over heard the sounds of Vision into Art, Rebecca Moore & Prevention of Blindness, Elliott Sharp, Rinde Eckert, Calla and Christian Marclay's DJ Trio with DJ Olive and Toshio Kajiwara. The festival was produced by Christina Campanella at The Culture Project.

Ben Robinson performed sideshow illusions, told synchronicity stories, scaled cards hundreds of feet, made a 10-foot tall magic wand appear and performed in concert with Rebecca Moore and band.

Left:

Rebecca Moore enthusiastically joined up to participate in Robinson's guillotine illusion after her starring performance on August 16th, which received thunderous applause and cheers for her theatricality and music.

Right:

August 17, another illusion with Ms. Moore designed to introduce modern audiences to an ancient mystery.

A glass of water floats while the band plays.

Robinson opens the show with a big wand.

Robinson performs the masterpiece he originated on stage in 1987, cutting his arm into three pieces. Thanks to the inventor, Larry White.

Regaling the audience with a story from his CD.

Robinson performing a sequence of animations while the nine-piece electric orchestra Pevention of Blindness plays.

Edgy downtown culture metaphorized by the magician burying a knife in his arm.