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There’s a growing catalog of artists in residence proving that Miami is not only where you show your best contemporary art, it’s also where you create it. Video artist Ryan Trecartin filmed his seven-movie epic “Any Ever” in Miami during a residency. It’s now on display at Miami’s MOCA and at MOMA’s PS1 in NYC, inspiring critics to fall to their knees in rabid praise.
Then there’s Xavier Cha. This performance artist, high on our list for orchestrating marathon make-out sessions in public and dressing as a giant giant shrimp to booty dance outside a sushi bar, also filmed new work during her residency at De La Cruz. The New York Times‘ arts blog just premiered the work, which was performed and recorded at the Second Saturday Art Walk in May.
As it’s coveted material, we can’t embed the video in this post so click right
here to view it.
According to the parameters of the audition and our
subsequent interview with Cha, the clips shows three local thespians
cycling through a series of classic emotions: questioning, doubt, fear,
and searching.
The auditions asked the actors to view the surrounding De La
Cruz gallery feeling deeply disturbed, alienated, confused, maybe
terrified. They were also asked to meet the gaze of another person with a
hollow but reserved disappointment.
Cha told us she was interested in “the real space versus the unseen
filmic space,” and the discrepancy between all the technology and
manpower required to capture even the subtlest and briefest of on-screen
emotion.
Auditions, this De La Cruz collection performance, served as a precursor
for Cha’s first solo museum show, “Body Drama,” which just opened in the Whitney
Museum in NYC.
Here again she instructs an actor to respond to a
terrifying environment while a bodycam is strapped to his head. Gallery
patrons witness the experience in two ways: the live performance of a
camera-strapped actor as well a video projection from the point-of-the
camera.
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