On the closing day of Barbara T. Smith: Proof, the ICA LA and Active Cultures celebrate Smith’s kaleidoscopic practice with “In Close,” a gathering of food and performance. The afternoon features a new performance by artist Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs, with musicians Rachel Beetz, April Dawn Guthrie, and Heidi Alexander, alongside a furl of squash orchestrated by artist and cook Eden Batki. 

In an ode to the year of Barbara, to the squash and the seasons, to feeding and being fed, Pennypacker Riggs orchestrates a blend of sound, song, sculpture, and ritual action. Weaving together music, symbolism, and personal narrative with “universal” truths, Riggs offers an exploration of personhood.

Her performance I C U invites audiences into a realm that transcends traditional boundaries, unfolding as a melodic journey that is part concert, featuring bass flute (Rachel Beetz), cello (April Dawn Guthrie), a surprise electric guitar (Heidi Alexander); part hidden chorus (Jess Basta, Sarah Blank, Arlene Deradoorian, Hilda Rasula, and Stacy Wood); magic show; mythological theater; and a timestamp for transition. Per Pennypacker Riggs, I C U is not merely a spectacle: it is a reflection of the artist’s ongoing exploration of midlife and its complexities—a psychological odyssey that defies conventional notions of “crisis.”

The performance culminates in a moment of vulnerability as Riggs, saddled by her young child, crawls the length of Smith’s exhibition on her hands and knees: a solemn and silly bow to Smith that smudges the lines between public performer and private person.

Watch the full performance here!