Photos from a concert in De Tank Gallery, Brugge, 2017
Bad Research: Two Many Flew Over Cuckoo Nest (Rokkenrollers - Unpracticed Knowledge), a live performance of an original rock opera, a radio show, vinyl record, installation, and a video projection).
The work was commissioned for Mined Mind - a group exhibition, De Tank Gallery, Brugge, Belgium, November 2017
Documentation of the performance - HERE
Trailer for the exhibition - HERE
Curator: Laurens Marien
"This projects by Ari-Pekka Leinonen and Dan Allon (aka Bad Research) is a site-specific multi-disciplinary performance. The work evokes questions regarding the nature of artistic research, the relationship between war and humor, and interweaving the history of conflicts with the history of rock music. This work consists of a rock opera, alongside with a musical release entitles “ROKKENROLLERS – Unpracticed knowledge,” and multi-layer video works, some stand for video-clips for the songs. All material was created under a disguise of a multitude of characters, mainly those of two obscured generals who came to Brugges to overcome a trauma through making music. The performance, video, and album, which all to be featured on a unique website, combine the history of rock and war, which was initially contradictory, in a hilarious dialog.
The exhibition would suggest three ways to experience the episode:
• A live performance, including psychotherapy sessions, and a concert of 11 songs, accompanied by animation videos.
• A "listening room" for an in-depth listening experience of the rock opera.
• A “Bad Research library", in which the spectators can go through the story on the website. In addition, a small numbered edition of the album for sale.
In addition, the project as aired 4 times on Villa Bota Radio, and was printed in signed and numbered (30 total) vinyl records (for sale).
Please Visit Bad Research website for more information, and the dedicated website of the project, which can be found here.
Special thanks: Mariana and Leo Zanetti, Laurens Marien, Het Entrpot, Bert Jacobs
Photos: Viktor Van Hoof
Video: Febe Demey
Photos from a concert in Circle1 Gallery, Berlin, 2019, courtesy of Ilan Katin
Music, production, drums and drawings: Dan Allon
Music, lyrics, guitar, bass, vocals, mixing and animation / videos: Ari-Pekka Leinonen