Kulture Klash 4, though a valiant effort, amounted to little more than a replay of the previous three KKs. The new expansive location was touted as a huge step up, yet there was no noticeable increase in the amount or types of artwork featured. After stumbling upon a room that featured musicians performing next to a slideshow of images, it became clear that this was as close to “mixed-media” as KK4 was going to get. There were, however, some notable exceptions. Karin Olah’s collage paintings beautifully merged a traditional medium with antique textiles. The Rose Knot offered the most attendee-interactive feature of the event as savvy seamstresses transformed swatches of fabric into clutches and headbands. The devastating apex to the night occurred around midnight when Rocky Horror’s speakers blew out during his performance in a room glowing with black lights and neon paint. Seeing one of the city’s most innovative DJs silenced was something of a wake-up call. Kulture Klash debuted as a challenge to Charleston’s art status quo, but one event alone cannot hold a cultural crown. Innovation demands competition. If we don’t challenge ourselves, mediocrity will become a Charleston staple. It’s not all Kulture Klash’s fault — if we want to pat ourselves on the back for having such a vibrant arts community, then we need to support it more than just twice a year. —Angela Hanyak
Check out more photos here. Also see Jon Stout’s great collection here.
Help keep the City Paper free.
No paywalls.
No newspaper subscription cost.
Free delivery at 800 locations from downtown to North Charleston to Johns Island to Summerville to Mount Pleasant.
Help support independent journalism by donating today.