Miles Greenberg: TRUTH
May 19, 2023 4:00 PM
—
9:00 pm
In his world debut of TRUTH at Powerhouse Arts, Miles Greenberg creates a portal into an alternate reality through which viewers are encouraged to leave the real world behind as they experience a utopic, watery landscape, populated by mysterious, silent avatars. This piece is the first in a trilogy, titled TRUTH, CANDOUR, and HONESTY, named after a scene in the novel Orlando, by Virginia Woolf. In Woolf’s text, these words are repeated over the course of a supernatural transformation that takes place when the leading character, the poet Orlando, morphs from man to woman.
“But here, alas, Truth, Candour, and Honesty, the austere Gods who keep watch and ward by the inkpot of the biographer, cry No! Putting their silver trumpets to their lips they demand in one blast, Truth! And again they cry Truth! and sounding yet a third time in concert they peal forth, The Truth and nothing but the Truth!
At which - Heaven be praised! for it affords us a breathing space the doors gently open, as if a breath of the gentlest and holiest zephyr had wafted them apart, and three figures enter.
[…] ‘Truth come not out from your horrid den. Hide deeper, fearful Truth. For you flaunt in the brutal gaze of the sun things that were better unknown and undone; you unveil the shameful; the dark you make clear, Hide! Hide! Hide!' Here they make as if to cover Orlando with their draperies. The trumpets, meanwhile, still blare forth, 'The Truth and nothing but the Truth.'
[…] We are, therefore, now left entirely alone in the room with the sleeping Orlando and the trumpeters. The trumpeters, ranging themselves side by side in order, blow one terrific blast: ‘THE TRUTH!'
at which Orlando woke.
He stretched himself. He rose. He stood upright in complete nakedness before us, and while the trumpets pealed Truth! Truth! Truth! we have no choice left but confess–he was a woman.”
Greenberg views his installations as spaces for meditation and therapeutic release, for both performer and viewer alike. Once inside, the viewer is engaged in an abstract poem whose meaning develops through its extended duration.
TRUTH borrows the form of an epic battle, at once violent and balletic, unfolding over many hours. Greenberg likens his work to an extended sensation of ecstasy or an unending convulsion. Viewers feel as though they have arrived on another planet, newly unfamiliar with their own senses. The audience may be incited to rediscover their own bodies in relation to this novel environment, a vantage point through which they may more deeply access their own psychic landscapes.
All movement is improvised and autonomic within a shared visual language. Once engaged, the performers use their own memories as prompts, choosing how to ambulate and react, ultimately disappearing into their own bodies in a trance. Greenberg confides that performance is the only space in which his worldly fears of death, fragility, anxiety, and his own health fully disappear. In this ‘avatar state,’ he can exercise a kind of relinquishment. Imbued in studies of ritual, the performative act is utilized as a tool beyond expression–it serves as a source of power, a means of protection, and a pathway to bodily transcendence.
more at PHA
Crafternoons: Crafting a Miniature Museum
Inspired by the immersive virtual reality exhibition Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, we’ll paint and sculpt small-scale artworks to fill our museum diorama. Part of our series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages.
Morning Dew: Cyanotypes and Natural Toners with Mickey Aloisio
Explore the rich possibilities of cyanotypes,as well as alternative photographic printing using organic materials such asgreen tea, coffee, and wine.
Anchoring Sight: Figure Drawing with Kiara Ocasio
Strengthen the connection between observation and gesture in live model figure drawing, through this session led and supported by an instructor.
Ripple & Rip: Marbling & Collage with Nazli Efe
In two sessions, experiment with the traditional art of marbling and then create expressive collages using the marbled designs.
Powerhouse Arts 2026 Staff Art Show
Presented in dialogue with Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, the Staff Art Show will showcase a range of artistic practices while exploring the broader ecosystem of influence within the arts. Each participating artist will identify an artwork from art history that has shaped their practice, revealing networks of inspiration that connect artists across generations and offering a glimpse into the creative lives of the people who make Powerhouse Arts run.
The Tech is Not the Territory with Kim Reinhardt
Taking a software-agnostic* point of view, useboth subscription-based and open-source digital tools to create expressivecollage, patterns, texture and graphic language.
Art Where You Are: Preserving Technique and Artistry with Stained Glass Studio
With support from Stained Glass Studio founders Bryane and Jenny Fleming, attendees will learn the fundamentals of stained glass techniques while creating their own glass artwork inspired by the masterpieces featured in Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado.
Mosaics with Viktoriya Basina
Explore various mosaic techniques through hands-on making and create an individual artwork.
Mood and Matter: Multidimensional Collage with Ye Qin Zhu
Move beyond traditional flat collage andexperiment with the layering of mixed media materials at the intersection ofpainting and sculpture.
Crafternoons: Designing Puppets of Earthly Delights
Inspired by the immersive virtual reality exhibition Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, we’ll design puppets inspired by Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights. Part of our series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages.
Memory Mini Comics with Lara Antal
Learn evocative and sensory storytelling techniques to create a mini comic exploring memories as sights, sounds, feelings, and moods.
Watercolor Figure Drawing with Henry Hung Chang
Using watercolor to create an observational illustration of a live model, experiment with shapes, structures, lines and colors in brush work.
Storytelling Through Cloth: Freeform Sashiko Patchwork Quilting with Megumi Shauna Arai
Create narrative textile works using the Japanese embroidery technique of Sashiko and patchwork techniques rooted in the compositional elements of Boro.
Crafternoons: Building Tunnel Book Worlds
Inspired by the immersive virtual reality exhibition Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado, we’ll bring 2D artworks to life as we transform them into pop-up tunnel books. Part of our series of free, drop-in art workshops for families, kids, and neighbors of all ages.
Making & Using Terra Sigillatas with Rhonda Willers
Explore the ancient art of fine clay slips, from raw clay to layered, colorful surfaces.
Digital Fabrication for Artists with Austin McInnis
Learn to design and transform a digital image into a physical object using Rhinoceros3D software, mold-making, and casting methods.
Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado
An immersive virtual reality exhibition developed by ACCIONA Cultura in exclusive collaboration with Madrid’s Museo Nacional del Prado, Masterpieces invites visitors into a multi-sensory reimagining of one of the world’s greatest museums, including fantastical, in-depth explorations of its most celebrated, and rarely traveled, masterpieces.
Art Where You Are: Creating Emerging Worlds at Abolitionist Place
Participants are invited to create their own paper world inspired by Masterpieces: A Virtual Experience of the Museo del Prado's immersive themes. With support from Powerhouse Arts staff, attendees will craft either a pop-up paper scene that recreates the feeling of moving through virtual space or that captures the sensation of stepping inside a painting. Through folding, layering, and storytelling, participants will experiment with paper engineering to bring imagined masterpieces to life.
Istria Napoli pop-up at the PHA Store
A pop-up to celebrate the launch of Istria Napoli, a jewelry line founded by Laura Raicovich. Istria Napoli's signature style is inspired by Raicovich's Italian heritage, family heirlooms, and her own travels, where she sources materials serendipitously.
PHA Artist Salon: Jean Shin
PHA Advocates members and above ($1,500+) are invited to an intimate salon-style reception with artist Jean Shin and PHA Printshop Director Luther Davis. Hosted in the PHA Printshop, the evening will feature an in-depth conversation about their creative process and collaboration on Tidal Reflections, the inaugural PHA Benefit Collector Edition.
Mold-Making and Casting for Ceramicists with Livia Miller
Delve into casting and ornamenting through your own plaster molds in this foundational hands-on course.
Figures of Speech: Abstract Figurative Sculpture with Peloloca
Explore the body as a site of myth, memory, and meaning through abstract ceramic figuration.
Intermediate Wheel: Raised & Refined with Camila Lim-Hing
Height. Precision. Refinement. Take your throwing skills to the next level in 10 weeks.