Five Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Otto Piene, Electronic Light Ballet, from The Medium Is the Medium, WGBH, 1969. / Image Provided

Note: Also check out a bunch of Martin Luther King Jr. Day events happening this weekend.

Classical
“Rite of Spring” Dance Party

Ain’t no party like a Boston Philharmonic Orchestra party, ’cause a BPO party encourages you to dance to…Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”? As part of their “New Directions” initiative, the Boston Philharmonic will host a performance this weekend that encourages listeners to stand up, let loose, and move to the rhythm of this classical work, conducted by James Blachly.

$15, Sunday, January 18, 8 p.m., Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, 41 Berkeley St., Boston, bostonphil.org.

Sports
Red Sox Ping Pong (Pre-)Tournament

Prior to their Winter Weekend extravaganza later this month, the Red Sox are hosting a ping pong pre-tournament at Blazing Paddles. Eight winners will receive free passes to Winter Weekend, where they will then face off against Red Sox personalities. First-place winner gets two Green Monster tickets, second place also wins two tickets.

$15 registration for pre-tournament includes one drink ticket at Blazing Paddles, Saturday, January 17, 3-7 p.m., Game On Fenway, 82 Lansdowne St., Boston, boston.redsox.mlb.com.

Third Thursday
Midwinter Tropics and Berklee Latin All-Stars at the Gardner

Those looking for a winter oasis, look no more. This Third Thursday at the Gardner, the theme is “Midwinter Tropics” and the evening features the Berklee Latin All-Stars. The group will perform Latin rhythms that—along with other tropical activities—will transport you to warmer climes. Plus: sunny cocktails, a leafy art project, and DJ Adam Gibbons.

$15, Thursday, January 15, 5:30-9 p.m., 25 Evans Way, Boston, 617-278-5156, gardnermuseum.org.

Art
Otto Piene & Electronic Art in New England

This look back at Otto Piene’s role in shaping art and science in the region is a comprehensive look at his work in the area from 1967 to 2014. Piene, who died in July, worked at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies (CAVS) at MIT, creating and collaborating with others to make interactive works that bridged art with science, such as inflatable sculptures, videos, projections, and more.

Free, Fridays-Sundays through February 15, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Boston Cyberarts Gallery, 141 Green St., Jamaica Plain, 617-522-6710, bostoncyberarts.org.

Last Chance
5000 Moving Parts

This weekend will be your last chance to check out “5000 Moving Parts” at the MIT Museum, a wonderful exhibit of kinetic art. Each piece inspires wonder, as inanimate objects casually walk, turn, swing, and “breathe.” The collection features work by Anne Lilly, John Douglas Powers, Takis, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, and Arthur Ganson in collaboration with sound artist Christina Campanella.

$10, through Monday, January 19, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 265 Massachusetts Ave., Building N51, Cambridge, 617-253-5927, mit.edu.