It is widely known among young artists as the best party in Charleston.
Ambergre Sloan of Charleston's Most Unique directory calls it "everything you could ever want all in one shot."
Photo Courtesy of Jonathon Stout. www.badjon.com
Kulture Klash 4
And you are about to know it as your Saturday night.
It is Kulture Klash.
"It is a cultural event that happened through art and music and fashion and it inspires the soul," said Gustavo Serrano from Suite Sole Sneaker Boutique. "It is taking all the elements of what people like and putting them all under one roof for the night and just letting people have at it."
Artist and curator Scott Debus agreed.
"We're immersing music, culture, art all in one thing. Everyone is coming and being a part of it. It's for people to participate in the art. All these elements are on their own things that Charleston does, but we're bringing them all together and making a cohesive clash of all these things happening."
Debus, Sloan, Serrano and Olivia Pool are the co-founders of Kulture Klash. They can collectively be held responsible for when you're still dancing in the shower the next day, as one friend of Sloan's reported after attending Kulture Klash. Pool has moved on to other art projects.
No matter what you're still doing the next day, this common leftover stimulation is a symptom of a broader energy coursing through Charleston; an energy being captured, reinvented and detonated biannually at this one event.
"We're celebrating the art renaissance that's happening here," Debus said. "It started in the '20s as this movement in Charleston and now we are moving into a groove with it."
Debus and Serrano, both from New York, along with Sloan found just how they might channel that groove. They were inspired by parties and exhibits they had experienced at P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center in New York, an extension of the Museum of Modern Art.
P.S.1 models itself as an exhibition space not for collecting art but for displaying, experimenting with and innovating art. It describes itself as "a catalyst and an advocate for new ideas, discourses and trends" and "actively pursues emerging artists, new genres and adventurous new work."
"P.S.1 has a great recipe and we weren't seeing that here in Charleston," Serrano said. "We need to all just get together and collaborate. So while we got inspiration from P.S.1, we interpreted it our own way. We want to take care of local artists."
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Taking care of artists means more to the Kulture Klash founders than just presenting them. Debus is dedicated to creating a dialogue between art and the public.
"In the art world, there is no communication. It's a lonely thing. We try to have something that everyone will take part in and have a dialogue," he said.
That's why Kulture Klash is known not only for its art, but for its interactive installments, performances, music and even the diversity and creativity of the crowd itself.
"We're showing people that art is alive and needs to be celebrated. We're saying come to this event, look at this stuff, go dance, communicate with the art and with people," Debus continued.
"I'm a firm believer that everyone is an artist, as long as you're putting your soul into it. In this event, everyone is putting their soul into it and celebrating that fact. We've got so many elements going on. It's a whirlwind of tangents."
Adding to this year's whirlwind is a putt-putt golf course designed and sculpted by local artists, a shoe gallery featuring 15 custom-created Adidas Stan Smiths and Superstars, a sewing studio hosted by Rose Knot and a tattoo lounge by Charleston Henna Body Art.
Over 60 artists with "must-see" art will be spilling out of the space at the old Lowcountry Food Bank and the visual feast will be accompanied by DJ Subdue and musical acts Stella by Starlight, Chaos in Gotham, ForthNBack with MC Femi, the Noise Band, The Spaced Invaders, Dub Island Sound System, Rocky Horror and Joycette.
With so much going on this year, attendees can come back 3-8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to view the art.
The extra time and space needed shows that the popularity of not only Kulture Klash as an event, but of those involved, of those presented and of those who attend is always growing. It is an experience that continues to evolve and become new again.
"Every time, it's bigger," Serrano said. "More art, bigger spaces, more people, newer energy. We always try to trump the last time and step it up more. We want to make sure we keep coming up with new ideas."
"That's the beauty of it," Sloan agreed. "Discover something new!"
If you go
What: Kulture Klash 4.
Where: Former Lowcountry Food Bank, 1635 Cosgrove Ave.
When: 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday.
Cost: $15 at the door, $10 before at Suite Sole, 47 1/2 Spring St., or Etix.
Web Site: kultureklashartsfestival.com.
Putt-Putt Cost: $5.
Proceeds benefit: Creative Spark, School of the Arts and Noisette Foundation.
Parking: On site
Shuttles: $10 round trip, provided by LEEP biodiesel, leaving from Charleston Museum downtown.
Beverage gardens: 21+ cash bar.
Beyond Saturday: Art and putt-putt course open to public 3-8 p.m. Monday-Wednesday.
"Be enlightened," Serrano added.
With more joining at every event, and more expectations added and exceeded at every event, the co-founders of Kulture Klash are always looking forward.
Plans are for even more expansion both artistically and geographically. Sloan, Debus and Serrano see it evolving into a regional, Southeastern experience. They continually see more people coming in from further away, but would like to take Kulture Klash on the road as well as to reach a broader audience and share that exposure with the artists.
In order to make it all happen, the three agree that building the Kulture Klash community is essential and keeping it accessible is also important.
"Sponsorship is a big part of the event," Serrano said.
"We want the big names to bring people in to discover the smaller names," Sloan explained.
"Due to sponsorships, we're able to keep prices low and step up the offerings and build a community of people that haven't had this before," Debus said. "Let's get together and let's make art. Let's show people how to celebrate art and music and life and put it together and hopefully it will just keep growing."
As the evolution of the Kulture Klash phenomenon has shown, growth will certainly not be a problem.
The worlds of art, music, fashion and culture have answered the call put out by Debus, Serrano and Sloan.
These elements have become a community more encompassing than they imagined, using innovation, creativity and communication as its current.
ECO-FRIENDLY INFO
This event is being held during Earth Day weekend, so the producers have made certain that this would be reflected in a number of ways.
--Mellow Mushroom will be using the least amount of paper products by serving hand-held pizza slices requiring no utensils and creating less waste.
--In the beverage gardens, beer and wine will be served in compostable/biodegradable corn cups. Souvenir cups also are being offered so people can take them home instead of throwing them out.
--Party guests will be encouraged to recycle their Red Bull cans and SmartWater bottles on site.
--The LEEP Biodiesel bus will be shuttling people hourly to and from Charleston Museum downtown to the event to reduce the carbon footprint and fuel consumption as well as get everyone home safely.
--The putt-putt course was made out of at least 50 percent biodegradable materials.
--And the founders said they recycled as much as they could in using this new space.
Article courtesy of The Post & Courier Preview
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