Get ready for Performa, the premier biennial for performance art, as it presents 'If It Moves: Art and Performance After Cinema', a groundbreaking program exploring cinema's influence on live performance through immersive screenings, performances, and expert discussions.
Performa returns to New York City from November 1-23, 2025, marking its 20th anniversary with a dynamic lineup emphasizing cinema's profound influence on contemporary performance art. Performa 2025 includes eight new commissions from acclaimed artists, notably featuring Aria Dean, Camille Henrot, and Ayoung Kim, whose innovative projects prominently incorporate cinematic techniques and narratives.
Central to this edition of the biennial is the historical anchor program "If It Moves: Art and Performance After Cinema," celebrating the centennial of the "talkies"—films that first integrated synchronized sound. This thematic program examines cinema’s lasting impact on live performance through a compelling series of screenings, performances, and discussions at the Performa Hub, thoughtfully bridging historical cinematic practices with contemporary artistic approaches.
Aria Dean, known for her critical exploration of realism and Black modernist aesthetics, premieres a theatrical work inspired by a 1923 meeting between philosopher Alain Locke and poet Claude McKay in Berlin’s Tiergarten. Dean’s performance incorporates live film production, real-time projections, and meticulously crafted virtual recreations of historical Berlin, questioning the ability of realism to authentically represent Black experiences. Her project skillfully combines early cinematic traditions with contemporary technological innovation, creating a deeply immersive and thought-provoking experience.
Camille Henrot presents her first live performance, drawing upon the visual humor and narrative structures characteristic of cinematic comedy classics, notably those of Buster Keaton and early Disney animations. Collaborating closely with arts writer Estelle Hoy and costume artist Sandra Berrebi, Henrot recontextualizes commedia dell'arte characters within contemporary New York City, addressing the ongoing housing crisis. Utilizing absurdity and physical comedy, Henrot’s work critiques socio-political conditions, echoing cinema's historical power as a platform for subversive commentary.
South Korean artist Ayoung Kim integrates martial arts choreography and advanced game engine technology into her performance, exploring complex themes of geopolitical power dynamics and intimate personal relationships. Drawing inspiration from the manga genre "Girls' Love," Kim employs physical combat as a nuanced metaphor for interpersonal relationships among women. Her piece uniquely blurs virtual and physical boundaries, reflecting New York City’s longstanding role as a nexus of cinematic and technological experimentation.
Founded in 2004 by esteemed art historian and curator RoseLee Goldberg, Performa is an internationally acclaimed biennial dedicated exclusively to interdisciplinary live performance by visual artists. Over two decades, Performa has commissioned and showcased groundbreaking work from more than 850 artists, significantly shaping contemporary performance art's evolution and public reception.
For further details and the complete 2025 program, please visit the Performa official site.