Exclusives
Damien Echols, menton3, & David Stoupakis Unveil Intense New Art Show & Book: SALEM
Monday around noon EST, artists menton3, David Stoupakis, and Damien Echols unveiled their first Kickstarter, SALEM, under their art collective name The Hand. This Kickstarter doubled its funding goal in less than two hours, and by the end of the night, had tripled it and then some.
This interview is not about the Kickstarter, but about the men behind it, the philosophies that go into the art and especially this specific project SALEM, and without sounding overly idealistic, it’s about making some changes.
I had the insane pleasure of chatting with one of the three members of The Hand, menton3, a man whose mind is genuinely as inspirational and deep as his art. We spoke about this new art collective and its place within 44Flood, bond with Damien Echols and David Stoupakis through menton3’s deep appreciation for his partners in art. And learn more about the gallery show and book that will open up the Salem Witch Trials for all of us on both a literal and abstract level of consciousness through several forms of art.
Check out this exclusive audio interview below.
From the SALEM Kickstarter: SALEM will be a three-man gallery show by Damien Echols, David Stoupakis, and menton3 scheduled to open March 19, 2016 at CoproGallery in Santa Monica, California.
The SALEM book will be written by Damien Echols and will be a 9×13.5″ hardcover book at 72 pages. The book will feature the artworks Damien, David, and menton3 created for the gallery show along with discussions on the pieces, as well as stories and new perspectives on the events leading up to, and during, the Salem witch trials.
*Photos courtesy of SALEM Kickstarter
Exclusives
‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ Exclusive Clip Trains Scare Actors For Historic Haunt in Tribeca Doc
The past and present collide in haunting, poignant ways in the genre documentary The Haunting of Pennhurst, which sees a Halloween haunt serve as a reclamation of true historic horrors.
Ahead of its world premiere at the 25th Tribeca Film Festival, we have an exclusive clip that sees scare actors in training for the Halloween season. The catch? This haunt is opening at the historic Pennhurst State School & Hospital site, a facility that caused immense harm to its disabled patients over decades of its operation.
In the documentary, “For over seventy years, Pennhurst State School & Hospital was called a place of care. What happened inside killed over half its population. It closed in 1987, leaving behind unmarked graves and an unresolved history. Today, on those same grounds, disabled performers – many living with the same conditions that once sent people to Pennhurst – put on their makeup, pull on their costumes, and prepare to scare people for a living.
“Through grit, compassion, and buckets of blood, the eclectic performers of the Pennhurst Asylum haunted attraction are wrestling with a space that is at once a lucrative business and a gravesite.”
The upcoming documentary hails from directing trio Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak, who explore their socially-relevant subject through archival footage, first-hand accounts, and an immersive verité.
“Pennhurst has haunted us since we first passed through its dragon-tooth gates; the horrors of the institution echo through the site today. We are so grateful to bring this film to the Tribeca Festival, particularly the Escape from Tribeca section, which feels right for a story where past and present bleed together. We hope audiences leave unnerved and asking the same uncomfortable questions we did,” Attie, Stenberg, and Poljak said in a statement.
Watch the clip below that sees disabled and neurodivergent scare actors learning the ropes of a Halloween haunt, reclaiming the site’s grim history in the process.
Tribeca Screenings:
- Public 1 (Premiere) Screening – Friday, June 5 at 9:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 2 Screening – Sunday, June 7 at 3:15PM at Village East by Angelika
- Public 3 Screening – Tuesday, June 9 at 6:15PM at Village East by Angelika
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