DAVID BYRNE: REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
Photo by Jody Rogac
Fondazione Prada will host at its Milan Cinema a special presentation of David Byrne’s Reasons to Be Cheerful, an ongoing series of hopeful writings, photos, music and lectures curated by Byrne himself. The project is linked to his forthcoming new solo record American Utopia, to be released on 9 March 2018 on Todomundo/Nonesuch Records.
Over the last year, renowned musician and artist David Byrne has been collecting stories, ideas, news and other items that all either embody or identify examples of things that inspire optimism, such as a tech breakthrough, a musical act, or a new idea in urban planning or transportation – something seen, heard or tested. This research is now being collected in the Reasons to Be Cheerful project.
Byrne explains: “I began to look for encouraging things that are happening anywhere, and if they have been tested, if they have been proven to work, if they can be transferred and adopted in other places, if they can scale up, then let’s hold them up for consideration, and let’s invite others to add to this project. There are actually a lot of encouraging things going on around the world—they’ve given me hope, and I’d like to share them”.
This event is part of an ongoing research activated by Fondazione Prada to contribute to our understanding of present times and to present culture as an attractive and engaging experience, creating an in-depth dialectic between different languages and disciplines. By investigating areas in which visual arts, music, technology and thought converge, Reasons to Be Cheerful is therefore perfectly integrated in Fondazione Prada’s program.
Byrne’s forthcoming American Utopia, his first solo album since 2004, was written and recorded while he was collecting such material and is therefore informed by his vision for the series. Just as the record questions the current state of society while offering solace through song, the content of Reasons to Be Cheerful recognizes the darkness and complexity of today while showcasing alternatives to the despair that threatens us.
The talk will start at 7pm and will be followed by a Q&A with David Byrne.
Entry to the event is free. The tickets will be available on Friday 26 January 2018 from 5pm at Fondazione Prada’s ticket desk (max 2 tickets per person).
Seats are allocated on a first-come first-served basis and subject to capacity.
