Guillermo Galindo: Nexo Organico/Organic Nexus

Galindo's artistic endeavors have garnered international acclaim, with his works being featured in prominent venues and exhibitions worldwide. One of Galindo's notable collaborations was with renowned photographer Richard Misrach on the Border Cantos series, which featured Misrach's evocative photographs of the U.S./Mexico border alongside Galindo's sonic devices and graphic musical scores created from objects left behind by immigrants and border patrol agents. This project shed light on the complexities of immigration and border politics, sparking critical discourse on these pressing issues.

Galindo's commitment to addressing socio-political concerns extends to his commissioned works, such as Remote Control for the Kronos Quartet Fifty for the Future project. This audience-interactive string quartet brings awareness to the dehumanizing effects of violence and the militarization of virtual reality, showcasing Galindo's dedication to using art as a catalyst for social change.

In response to the Pacific Standard Time biennale's Visual Voyages exhibit, Galindo created the Sonic Botany series, exploring the dangers of commodifying natural resources and the corporate appropriation of genetic code from flora and fauna. This ethno-futurist project challenges perceptions of nature and human intervention, prompting reflection on humanity's relationship with the environment.

Galindo's ongoing exploration of environmental themes has led to new projects like Sonic Biogenesis, Genomics and Mutant Jungles, which envisions a post-human world inhabited by mutant beings. Collaborations with artists like Cristobal Martinez on Let Us Speak Frog further delve into the urgency of addressing climate change and environmental decay.

Beyond his artistic pursuits, Galindo shares his expertise as a teacher at the California College of Arts and has been recognized as a Mohr Visiting Artist at Stanford University and a Thomas P. Johnson Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Rollins Cornell Arts Museum. His contributions to the arts have earned him prestigious accolades, including the Fleishhacker Foundation Eureka Grant.

In summary, Guillermo Galindo's groundbreaking work transcends artistic boundaries, challenging perceptions and provoking thought on pressing social and environmental issues. Through his innovative compositions and interdisciplinary collaborations, Galindo continues to push the boundaries of art and activism, leaving a lasting impact on the contemporary cultural landscape.

Guillermo Galindo's photo by Zen Cohen

William Winant, "one of the best avant-garde percussionists working today" according to music critic Mark Swed (Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal), has performed with some of the most innovative and creative musicians of our time, including John Cage, Iannis Xenakis, Keith Jarrett, Anthony Braxton, James Tenney, Cecil Taylor, George Lewis, Steve Reich and Musicians, Jean-Philippe Collard, Frederic Rzewski, Ursula Oppens, Joan LaBarbara, Oingo Boingo, and the Kronos String Quartet. He is principal percussionist with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and the John Zorn Chamber Ensemble. Since 1995 he has been the percussionist with the avant-rock band Mr. Bungle, has made two recordings ("Disco Volante" and "California" on Warner Brothers), and has toured throughout the world with the group. In March of 1997 he participated in the world premiere of Lou Harrison's quintet "Rhymes with Silver" featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the Mark Morris Dance Group, and has toured the piece throughout the United States and Great Britain. In the fall of 2003, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Mr. Winant, along with composers Takehisa Kosugi and Christian Wolff, created music for a series of eight special "Events" staged by Merce Cunningham and Dancers at London's Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern. He has made over 130 recordings, covering a wide variety of genres, including music by Earle Brown, John Zorn, Pauline Oliveros, Luc Ferrari, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Danny Elfman ("Batman Returns"), Souxie and the Banshees, The Ex, Han Bennink, White Out with Jim O’Rourke, Thurston Moore, and Mike Patton. His recording of Lou Harrison's "La Koro Sutro" (which he produced for New Albion Records) was the New York Times Critic's Choice for best contemporary recording of 1988. In 1999 he produced a recording of 20th-century avant-garde composers with the influential rock band Sonic Youth; "Goodbye 20th-Century" (SYR4) was hailed by both The Los Angeles Times and New York's Village Voice as one of the best compendiums of this type of music ever recorded. Many composers have written works for him, including John Cage, Lou Harrison, John Zorn, Peter Garland, Alvin Curran, Chris Brown, David Rosenboom, Larry Polansky, Gordon Mumma, Alvin Lucier, Terry Riley, Fred Frith, Somei Satoh, and Wadada Leo Smith. Mr. Winant has been featured as a guest artist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (under the direction of Pierre Boulez), the San Francisco Symphony, and the Berkeley Symphony, as well as at Cabrillo Festival, Ravinia Festival, Salzburg Festival, Holland Festival, Ojai Festival, All Tomorrow’s Parties, Taklos, Other Minds, Lincoln Center, Royal Festival Hall, Library of Congress, The Barbican, and Brooklyn Academy of Music. For ten years he was principal percussionist with the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra (Dennis Russell Davies, director), and timpanist with the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra 1985-1989 (Nicholas McGegan, director). He is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and teaches at Mills College and the University of California at Berkeley. For eight years Mr. Winant was Artist-in-Residence at Mills College with the critically acclaimed Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio. Formed in 1984, the ASW Trio has premiered over 25 new works for violin, piano, and percussion at major festivals and recitals throughout the world. Their recordings can be heard on the New Albion, Tzadik, and CRI/New World labels.