Ben Caldwell, “I & I: An African Allegory,” 1979 (still). Digital video, transferred from 16mm, color, 32 min. Courtesy the artist
KAOS THEORY: The Afrokosmic Media Arts of Ben Caldwell
October 12, 2024 – March 8, 2025
In Collaboration With California African American Museum
Opening Celebration and Program: October 15, 2024, 5:00–7:00 p.m. (celebration), 7:00–8:00 p.m. (In Conversation: Ben Caldwell, Robeson Taj Frazier and Jheanelle Brown)
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Meet Ben Caldwell. The dreamer from the desert who spent his youth gazing at the sky and watching his grandfather project films at a local movie theater. The young artist and soldier in Vietnam that shed his gun for a camera. The student who came of age within the LA Rebellion film movement of the 1960s to 1980s and who envisioned cinema as an instrument that could heal and emancipate. The community-minded filmmaker, educator, and cultural producer who in 1984 opened KAOS Network, the intergenerational media arts hub that has helped steward Leimert Park Village’s traditions of Black artistry, fellowship, and love.
Inspired by the award-winning book, KAOS Theory: The Afrokosmic Ark of Ben Caldwell, this retrospective multimedia exhibition celebrates Caldwell’s archive and the vibrant creative life and communities of KAOS Network. Journey across time, geography, history, and memory with Caldwell’s varied practices of photography, film, video, music, performance, community-based design, and interactive media. Open up your spirit on this fantastic voyage into the lifeworlds of KAOS.
KAOS Theory: The Afrokosmic Media Arts of Ben Caldwell is curated by Jheanelle Brown, independent, curator, writer, and faculty of film/video at California Institute of the Arts, and Robeson Taj Frazier, author, producer, and professor of communication at the University of Southern California. This exhibition is co-presented by the California African American Museum (CAAM) and Art + Practice (A+P) as part of CAAM at A+P, a five-year collaboration.
Ben Caldwell on the set of “I-Fresh,” 1987. Photograph. Courtesy the artist
Ben Caldwell, “Loving Lights,” 1984 (still). Video, 30 min. Courtesy the artist
Ben Caldwell, “AMKA Series,” ca. 1970s. Photograph. Courtesy the artist
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A+P’s education program welcomes teachers, students and art enthusiasts to explore and engage with A+P’s museum-curated exhibitions. Interested in bringing your group to A+P? Free guided tours are available to schedule Tuesday–Friday, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.