Watch: Reverb live sessions on Theaster Gates’ stage in VF exhibition

Highlights from performances by Azekel & Anaiis, Jamilah Barry and Ragz Originale.In a new commission for The Vinyl Factory and 180 Studios, Theaster Gates has created a versatile stage using the hallmark materials of his practice: rubber torch down, tar, light, and wood. The stage, titled Amplified, is a home for dialogue, music and other performance experiences throughout The Vinyl Factory: Reverb exhibition at 180 Studios."I've always wanted to create stages for artists and spaces where people can release, embody their whole selves, and engage in exchange and transmutation with audiences,” Gates explains. “The stage is an altar, a pulpit, a sacred zone and an amplifier. Amplified is my gift back to sound."So far, Amplified has been graced by a series of performances curated by COURTESY OF and Virgil Abloh-founded organisation alaska___alaska. All of these performances will be pressed direct-to-vinyl on The Vinyl Factory lathe and will soon be available from the VF store.[caption id="attachment_221935" align="alignnone" width="1000"]

The Vinyl Factory portable lathe[/caption]Watch below to see highlights from sets by singer-songwriters Azekel & Anaiis, London-based artist Jamilah Barry and singer and producer Ragz Originale.