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A Glitch Night’s Dream: Mux Blank and JOKERJOKERtv Take Over ATHICA for June Residency

For the past three years—153 weeks to be exact—the virtual variety show JOKERJOKERtv has live-streamed weekly showcases of innovative content from independent and underground artists, performers and makers from Athens and beyond. Spearheaded by local self-taught artist and performer Mux Blank, each episode is a flurry of music videos, short films, skits, animations, interviews, live performances and other creative segments. 

With a soft spot for the weird and abstract, Blank has a long and illustrious history of promoting experimental art forms and organizing off-the-wall events. In addition to Rat Babies, a doom noise metal duo established in 2005 with drummer T. Chodd, he’s also been performing since the ‘90s as Mr Blank, a solo noise theater project that incorporates toy sound makers, circuit bend devices, homemade instruments and effect pedals. In the past, he’s busked as a street performer named TVHeadGuy, and even traveled the Southeast in a school bus home doing sideshow performances—think human blockhead, pierced lifter, glass walker, fire breather—as Mr Blank’s Weird & Wandering Sideshow and as the troupe leader of Mr Blank’s Carnivale of Black Hearts.

JOKERJOKERtv emerged during the pandemic as an extension of JOKERJOKER Gallery, a DIY space based in Athens that invites eclectic creators from both near and far to share their music, art, hobbies and special interests. Over the past several years, the gallery has grown into an underground hub for independent artists through house shows, an outdoor art installation trail, and events such as the Weirdo Yardsale, A**fest and Athens VHS Fest. 

“JOKERJOKER Gallery started as a house my band rented as a practice space for $400/month, but as soon as we had the place we started organizing events,” says Blank. “Even before we had the power turned on, we sort of christened the gallery with the first Battery Powered Noise Fest because we wanted to open the space to challenging art forms. Soon after that, we started doing alt gallery shows showing off unknown 2-D artists and would create full-room installations that people had to walk through to see.”

At the pandemic’s onset, Blank was in the middle of booking a tour for Rat Babies in support of a new album that had just been recorded out in Joshua Tree. With canceled plans but a desire to continue working with other artists, Blank and his bandmate began reaching out to people they knew from their years of touring across the U.S. to collect video submissions that could be compiled into a virtual showcase. 

“JOKERJOKERtv became the gallery, and it allowed us to do even more in helping unknown and underground artists survive through the pandemic,” says Blank. 

Eventually, as the pandemic subsided, Blank opened the gallery back up and began inviting artists into the studio to interview and perform on the livestream. Since then, the channel has been consistently churning out episodes full of innovative, unusual material and helping artists tap into an international audience. 

“We see JOKERJOKERtv like a cross between what MTV, public access TV, magazines like Flagpole and galleries all do for artists, but it’s controlled by the artists, especially the underground artists, because that’s what I’ve always been,” says Blank.

Throughout the month of June, the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art will host Blank as the gallery’s featured Artist-in-ATHICA. During his residency entitled “A Glitch Night’s Dream,” the multi-disciplinary artist will present a visual exhibition as well as a series of events in conjunction with JOKERJOKERtv. 

As his first major solo show held in a traditional gallery, the exhibition serves as a nearly 30-year retrospective of selected works, some of which even date back to his teenage years. Reflecting his wide range of creative approaches, the show will include mixed media pieces, two-dimensional paintings, and three-dimensional prototypes of toy sculptures. During open studio hours, Blank will demonstrate how he sculpts, molds and casts these resin figurines, and will work on finishing a sculpture series of animated characters who have appeared on JOKERJOKERtv over the years. 

On June 10 at 8 p.m., ATHICA will host a noise and theater set by Mr Blank and absurdist puppetry by New Orleans artist Poose the Puppet. On June 16–17 from 8 p.m.–12 a.m., Friends of JOKERJOKERtv will join Blank for two nights of art films, sound art and projected visuals, with artists including Josh Anderssen, Bad Straples, Chase Merritt, Dain Marx, Scott Bailey, New Orleans puppeteer Playdoh, Italian filmmaking duo AnimaeNoctis and others. 

In celebration of the 25th annual AthFest Music & Arts Festival, JOKERJOKERtv will host a three-day livestream featuring interviews, music videos and live clips of this year’s performers. The livestream will be held June 23 from 5–10 p.m., June 24 from 12–10 p.m. and June 25 from 12:30–8 p.m. VIP tickets to be in the live studio audience at ATHICA are available in advance, and all remaining seating will be open to anyone with an AthFest wristband.

The JOKERJOKERtv livestream airs every Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. on YouTube (@JOKERJOKERtvofficial). Currently, the team is in the process of developing the infrastructure to launch its own Roku channel to further support and showcase artists. For future announcements, stay tuned to jokerjokertv.com.

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