Billed as a "young wave festival," the fourth annual CultureMart arrives Jan. 2, 1999 at NYC's HERE theatre. Curator Kristin Marting says of the fest, "In this age of consumerism, the idea behind CultureMart is art consumerism. We welcome audiences to shop, so to speak, and sample and browse through the wide variety of unusual artistic offerings, the way one might in any marketplace."

This year, works include Il Barone Rampante a solo dance piece based on Italo Calvino's novel, "The Baron in the Trees," about a young nobleman who defies his family by living his life with never touching the ground.

Eye Sling Shots Lions -- Elliot Peter Earls' one-man show blends interactive digital construction, CD-ROM, projections, sound fragments and spoken word poetry into a theatrical environment. The Walter Thompson Orchestra will return after last year's stint at CultureMart to continue their exploration into a improvisational gesture-based musical language, dubbed "Sound Paintings."

All these shows and more play in rep Jan. 2-24, 1999, with most tickets priced at $12. As can be seen from the above descriptions, the idea behind CultureMart shows is to cross two artistic disciplines, be it theatre with dance, music with poetry, or visual installation with spoken word.

For information on the fourth annual CultureMart festival call HERE, 145 6th Ave., at (212) 647-0202. -- By Sean McGrath