On 9 July 2022, John Sanborn’s works will be presented at the exhibition Between Order and Entropy at the ZKM, Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe. It will be the artist’s largest solo exhibition in Europe. 

Since John Sanborn stood in the vanguard of the early stage of video arts in the 1970s, the artist has been employing digital media extensively and creating multifaceted practices from MTV music videos to interactive art, digital media art and complex media installation. Sanborn's latest collection released on Sedition, Petite Indifferent Shards, digital self-portraits using photogrammetry scanning; giving himself permission to experiment wildly with new technology and expressions.

A Still from No Coffee by John Sanborn

Between Order and Entropy will showcase a wide range of Sanborn’s works covering early works to recent creations including commissioned works a dog dreams (of god), and The Friend VR. God in Three Persons, a live video/theatre piece, will be also presented as a part of the show at ZKM on September 9 and 10, 2022. God in Three Persons is a theatrical adaptation of the album 'God in 3 Persons' by Avant-garde music legends Residents in collaboration with Sanborn. 

God in Three Persons performed at LA The Alex Theatre

Sanborn adapted the legendary LP by The Residents, released in 1988, for the stage and designed dynamically hallucinogenic settings that question the nature of evil and how an unreliable narrator is driven to self-destruction. The Residents’ anonymous lead singer performs as disgraced preacher Mr X, who tells an improbable tale of encounters with a pair of ambiguously gendered conjoined twins, who might be miracle workers.

God in Three Persons confronts audiences with the horrors of losing your soul while attempting to attain perfection. This version will contain all of the songs from the album for the first time, making it the definitive version of the show. The Residents provide live accompaniment, performing here as a six-piece musical ensemble with a featured vocalist. Renowned gender queer porn star Jiz Lee portrays the twins, seen only on screen. Travis Chamberlain directs the work for the stage with musical direction by Joshua Raoul Brody, sound design by Jake Rodriguez, and puppet and props design by Leigh Barbier. Steve Saporito produces.

Having received its World Premiere at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in January 2020, the piece was performed in SanFrancisco at the Presidio Theatre and then in Los Angeles at The Alex Theatre.

Between Order and Entropy will open from 9 July to 30 October 2022. Following with two Artist Tour on 9 and 10 July.

Between Order and Entropy © ZKM | Centre for Art and Media

The ZKM, Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe is a cultural institution stating its mission of ‘continuing the classical arts into the digital age’. It showcases all media and genres from historical art movements to arts with blockchain technology. 



You can see Sanborn’s recent release, Petite Indifferent Shards on Sedition

Read more for more information about John Sanborn : The first Virtual Reality, The Friend VR