The Kitchen Presents Miho Hatori: SALON MONDIALITE

The Kitchen presents Miho Hatori: Salon Mondialité, an imaginary, experimental TV talk show, inspired by Martinique-born poet and thinker Edouard Glissant's words. Instead of conversations, Hatori creates sound stories through improvisation and ambient chanting, with guest musicians Smokey Hormel and Patrick Higgins. The Salon features a video installation by the artist and an appearance from special guest performer Melvin "Grave" Guzman. Curated by Tim Griffin.

Glissant proposed globality (mondialité)-a global connectedness that does not, like colonialism or globalization (mondialisation), bulldoze difference for the sake of capital or dominance. His theory resonates deeply with Hatori, expressing in writing something she has long found herself seeking through sound. The Salon takes the form of a "weird TV show" hosted by Hatori, combining an expression of love for Glissant's Caribbean ideascapes as they intersect with her own faded memories of and musical references from post-War Japan before the era of globalization. Hatori, who moved from Tokyo to New York (where she co-founded the band Cibo Matto) in the 1990s, similarly recalls the sense of globality she found here at the time, and fears that in neoliberalism's drastic reshaping of the city, much of that energy has been lost.

Though Hatori's improvised soundscapes may be layered with distant recollection and an opaque, dreamlike atmosphere, there's often warmth beneath their surface, and an attitude of optimism comes through as Hatori seeks to establish an emotional relationship with each night's audience.

Hatori says, "I'm not from the Caribbean, but the idea of 'mondialité' also resonated with my background, as well as from living in New York society. The word 'mondialité' connects so many different pieces of what I've been doing in my music and art, and has been a very powerful inspiration."

Miho Hatori: Salon Mondialité will take place Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23 at 8pm at The Kitchen, 512 W 19th St, New York. Tickets ($25 General / $20 Members) are available online at thekitchen.org; by phone at 212.255.5793 x11; and in person at The Kitchen, Tuesdays-Saturdays, 2:00-6:00pm.

The Kitchen is one of New York City's most forward-looking nonprofit spaces, showing innovative work by emerging and established artists across disciplines. Our programs range from dance, music, performance, and theater to video, film, and art, in addition to literary events, artists' talks, and lecture series. Since its inception in 1971, The Kitchen has been a powerful force in shaping the cultural landscape of this country, and has helped launch the careers of many artists who have gone on to worldwide prominence.