Damned II: A Dark Fine Art Exhibition

'Witch' by Viktor Koen

Although there are certain elements to the "Damned II: A Dark Fine Art Exhibition" that nicely complement the moods of the witching hour, please (just like we wrote last year) do NOT confuse this two-night event with a Halloween party or any of the other seasonal soirees scheduled for the week. There will be no bobbing for apples, no pumpkin carving, and no brief encounters with a chainsaw-wielding maniac of the faux variety. This danse macabre will NOT be swaying to the tune of "Monster Mash" (It was a graveyard smash?!).

What you will be seeing is an extraordinary examination of how artists touch on the dark side of the human condition - the myriad faces of desire, the fascination we all have with death, and most importantly the eternal question of what we are capable of being (and what we are prepared to have done to us) as sentient creatures. And if we scared you off with any of that, please take note: It's also going to be one hell of a fun party!
 
Thursday night begins with the art itself -- furnished by more than 140 talented people from here and around the world. The latter contingent includes Marilyn Manson and HR Giger. Among those from zip codes a tad closer to home: SLAW, Rebecca Byington, A. Owen Layne, Jerry Shirts, Xania Mulvihill, Tim Pewe, Mike Kelly, Free Press graphics guru Eric Millikin, and Patricia Izzo. Brace yourself for imagery that is unleashed and uninhibited.
 
Be braced as well for entertainment provided for the other senses. The Devil Dolls (a voluptuous baker's dozen of 'em) will be on hand, along with that fantasy feline named Miss Pussykatt; the air above you will belong to the aerialists of Detroit Fly House; more level with your line of vision (hopefully) will be Satori Circus and Warrior Girl; and your ears will prove willing victims to the stringed magic of Dixon and the melodious voice of Hayley Jane.
 
 Friday's Devil's Night menu is haute-cuisine with a hotter taste. A presentation-style dinner consisting of six courses with aphrodisaic ambitions will be followed immediately by a masquerade ball in the style of Poe or Leroux. Add songs by cabaret chanteuse Jill Tracy and you're set for a feast that very well may be the experience of your life. Oh, and then there's the Green Fairy herself and her siren call of absinthe ...

By Robert del Valle/Special to Metromix