'Crossfade LAB' Explores U.S.-Mexico Border Through Collaborative Art

By Sarah Ventre
Published: Monday, May 15, 2017 - 11:48pm
Audio icon Download mp3 (12.52 MB)
(Image courtesy of CALA Alliance)
The next "Crossfade LAB" at Crescent Ballroom features multi-disciplinary artist Nao Bustamante and musician Helado Negro.

There is a long history of art being used to connect people from different places, different backgrounds, and different political ideologies. But an experimental project called "Crossfade LAB" put on through the nonprofit arts organization CALA Alliance, blends different forms of art as a way to explore the unexpected intersections in our everyday lives.

It's done by taking two artists of different mediums and putting them on stage together in a performance that is largely improvisational, featuring discussion, music, performance art, and crowd engagement. The themes tackle difficult and complex topics, like identity, immigration, and the nuances of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The moderator of "Crossfade LAB," Josh Kun, expalined what a crossfade is, and what it means in both concrete and abstract terms.

Kun is also a professor of communication in the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California and is a MacArthur fellow.

The next "Crossfade LAB" is Monday at Crescent Ballroom and features multi-disciplinary artist Nao Bustamante and musician Helado Negro.

The Show