The musical program “I WANT TO LIKE YOU BUT I FIND IT DIFFICULT”, curated by Craig Richards, will be held at Fondazione Prada In Milan on Friday 8 June and on Friday 28 September 2018, from 7pm to midnight. Conceived as a three-part series, the project was initiated on 19 April 2018 with a special event featuring Ricardo Villalobos and Richards.
With this new program, Fondazione Prada expands its activities incorporating musical experimentations into its cultural offer, creating unexpected resonances between disciplines. “I WANT TO LIKE YOU BUT I FIND IT DIFFICULT” is an attempt to explore a wide range of genres and languages, from electronic music to Ethio-jazz, from minimal to Afrobeat, hosting international performers, such as Tony Allen, Mulatu Astatke, E/Tape, Burnt Friedman, Nicolas Lutz, Monolake Live Surround, Joy Orbison, Craig Richards and Midori Takada.
Starting from a personal perspective, developed by acclaimed British artist Craig Richards, the constellation of acts included in the two line-ups aims to engage a plurality of audiences with Fondazione Prada’s mission, proving that culture can be as entertaining and attractive as it is useful and necessary.
As stated by Craig Richards, “the concept of my curation revolves around the notion that music when juxtaposed can be challenging, confrontational and even awkward. As a music collector and lover, this is an area of realization and understanding I have always been fascinated by. My role as a curator here is simply to present my musical discoveries, old and new, in an order which creates inspiration, enjoyment, intrigue and potential discomfort. It is the contrast within these choices which represent the statement itself. The fundamental aim is to recognize a common thread which runs through the music and somehow stitches it together. The idea that ‘liking’ music is not always easy but with perseverance the rewards are potentially great”.
The DJ-sets and the live performances will take place in different locations in the external spaces of Fondazione Prada’s Milan premises. The public is invited to move freely among the different set-up environments in the courtyard, experiencing new ways to confront the foundation’s architectural project and thus widening its spatial potentialities.
On 8 June, the line-up will include Ethopian jazz musician Mulatu Astatke, the father of Ethio jazz, accompanied by his nine-piece ensemble, and Japanese percussionist Midori Takada performing a spellbinding solo display of minimalism. These two live performances will be complimented by two DJs renowned for operating on the outskirts of dance floor culture: Nicolas Lutz, E/Tape.
On 28 September, performing artists include legendary Nigerian drummer and composer Tony Allen, a pioneer of the Afrobeat sound; Berlin-based techno artist Monolake Live Surround; German multi-instrumentalist electronic musician Burnt Friedman; and English electronic musician Joy Orbison. Both events will also feature Craig Richards as a performer.