Out There 20: Claude Wampler

Claude Wampler is going to take the stage at Walker Art Center, and yes, there will be a performance, even though that concept is stricken from the title, but that's about all we know for sure. It's a rock show, an art installation, and an event in which the audience may be just as unpredictable as the artist herself. Polar bears and smoke are part of the proceedings, as is video interplay, cardboard sculpture, and a now-you-see-her, now-you-don't relationship with Wampler. This is controlled chaos, to be certain, but also the type of hot mess you want to engage in, that you wish would unfold during the more mundane moments of your life. In M.C. Escher-like fashion, it's a performance with the purpose of undermining the very notion of performance itself. And in the process, Wampler challenges you to consider your role in, even your responsibility for, the situation. The payoff? A cathartic rock 'n' roll fantasy come to life.
Jan. 25-26, 7 & 9:30 p.m., 2008