Connecting at the Basecamp

By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 1, 2006 9:43PM

That tangle of threads is the “Taxonomy of the Chicago Art Community,” an ambitious project hatched by the Bad At Sports podcasters to connect local and out-of-town artists, institutions, and media producers. Last weekend we dropped by the BAS All-Media Pancake Breakfast and Tea at the ThreeWalls gallery where we meeted 'n greeted and added a few strings to the tapestry.

“Taxonomy” works along the six degrees of separation principle: we’re all connected if we look deep enough. As the BAS team and guests unspooled and wove the thread around various hubs, we were reminded of those late-night discussions, typically held in a dorm room and fueled by alcohol, concerning who kissed whom, who dated whom, who slept with whom, and how many people our friends "have in common." This project’s less salacious (for the most part), but it’s still fun to see who’s connected, however tenuously, to Susan Sontag and Mies van der Rohe.

Founded to provide “everyone in Chicago with their 15 minutes of shame,” Bad At Sports serves up weekly news, discussions, reviews, and smart-ass remarks about the arts world in Chicago and beyond. Through November 25, the Bad At Sports Basecamp invites the public to take part in these discussions and witness the magic of podcasting. They’re throwing the doors open for two more interviews with gallery owner Rhona Hoffman (Nov. 7) and MCA Senior Curator Francesco Bonami (Nov. 21). On November 10 they host a salon about Chicago’s place in the art world (BYO crumpets). The following week is the inaugural BAS Book Club meeting, with a final party held the week after that.

ThreeWalls is at 119 N. Peoria Ave., #2A. More information and the Basecamp schedule at www.three-walls.org.