Pitchfork

Many artists take on many projects at once (A kazoo band! With body paint hugs! And dinosaur street art!) but few follow everything through. Michael H. Shamberg is one of the few, and he's damn good at it.

There's his work with a couple little bands called Joy Divison and New Order and his collaborations with conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner. If these examples don't jazz you, try this next one: now, Shamberg is turning into a turtle.

TURTLE is the name of his newest project, an "anarchic salon" inspired by such nonconformist deities as Juan Munoz and Abbie Hoffman. Since June 27 and through August 5, over 150 artists will present "readings, rantings, artworks, texts, performances, and screenings" at several venues (a.k.a. "turtles") throughout London. Musical participants include Gavin Bryars (John Cage, Tom Waits), Markus Acher (Lali Puna, the Notwist), and Pitchfork staffer Mia Lily Clarke (Electrelane).

Tonight, Ana de Silva, a founding member of seminal British postpunk band the Raincoats, is performing at 43 South Molton Street (7pm). (Fellow former Raincoat Gina Birch is also participating in TURTLE.) Remember the liner notes to Insecteside, when Kurdt rambled passionately about this goddess he met on a London streetcorner? Yeah. That was de Silva.

What's the connection between amphibians and punk? While traveling for his current project, a film set in post-war Beirut, he was inspired by a Lebanese turtle sanctuary. At one point, the Mediterranean sea turtle was near-extinction. But because of the isolation forced by war, the little dudes were able to have lots of turtle sex, eat lots of turtle food, and thrive. "There is something good that came out of war," wrote Shamberg, who recently spent three months battling serious illness. "I have gone through my own corporeal civil war, and TURTLE is my sanctuary and celebration."

A little self-centered? Perhaps. But anytime "celebration" means "Ana de Silva is playing," we'll be there with party hats and squeeze cheese. Well, if we were in England, we'd be there. But still.