Is an African-American man selling snowballs on the streets of New York a fraud or an alchemist . . . ? How many people at the time realized that this was a performance titled Bliz-aard Ball Sale (1983) by David Hammons, an artist who would later become a legend? Phat Free (1995), which begins with several minutes of darkness overlaid with only the echoes of an irregular and disturbing metallic sound, is said to be Hammons’ only video work. The sounds echoing through the city at night are like alarm bells or the rhythms of an improvisational jazz session. Breaking away from museums, galleries and other authoritative spaces of art, Hammons’ performances use familiar materials and simple ideas to critique historical and social realities along with racism tied to privileged ideas and institutions, seeking freedom from them. The screening program will also include the Japan premiere of Hammons’ documentary film The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art and Times of David Hammons.