It's one thing to go to a museum and enjoy a new exhibition, but it can be a thousand times better if the exhibition is paired with music and performances, right? This is why we at HuffPost Arts are such big fans of the Museum of Modern Art's PopRally series, which began in 2006 and has been going strong ever since. On January 21st, the Brooklyn-based synth duo Blondes will perform at the museum along with a DJ set by Juan MacLean, so get ready to do the robot as two dudes bombard you with lasers. Jenna Walsh, the co-chair of PopRally, told HuffPost that "Blondes' immersive soundscape will provide a truly unique atmosphere for viewing some of MoMA's contemporary exhibitions." We can't wait to see how different Fluxus Editions will be through this new lens. Blondes, the indomitable dance music duo of Zach Steinman and Sam Haar, answered a few questions about the upcoming performance below.
HuffPost Arts: How did the opportunity to perform at MoMA come about?
Blondes: In the summer of 2010 we played at MoMA PS1 Warm Up, which was such an amazing experience. After that the Pop Rally team asked if we would want to perform in the space. It's been awesome so far, as they've been really open to all the ideas we've thrown at them.
HuffPost Arts: What is the difference between a gallery setting and a stage in how you react to the audience?
Blondes: We've performed in smaller gallery settings before. Two years ago we played at Wade Guyton's Burning Bridges space, and at this place Synchronicity Space in LA. The context of a performance always informs how both the artist and audience respond to one another. For MoMA we are definitely going to "club it up" a bit. We are bringing in some high powered lasers and we're going to have Juan MacLean dj a deep techno set, as well as making a sound and video installation in the Lobby. They're really letting us take advantage of the space and bring our own aesthetic to the night.
HuffPost Arts: How do you think your music relates to the work on display at MoMA?
Blondes: We realized when we were in the space a couple weeks ago that the lasers and fog will go really well with the Brice Marden painting in the lobby, but the collection didn't really influence our idea for the night. The architecture of the space definitely has, as we're working within the space to create a site specific 8 channel sound installation which will be what people experience when the enter the party at the beginning of the night.
PopRally Presents An Evening with Blondes on Saturday, January 21, 2012 from 8:30 - 11:30 p.m. at The Museum of Modern Art in New York.