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Performa Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary With a Live Art Telethon and Limited-Edition Homewares

The groundbreaking New York performance art venue Performa is hosting a telethon and homewares sale to celebrate its 15th anniversary….

“I wanted to think about each of the artist’s work in a new way, by asking them to produce usable art, in the form of homewares or apparel—to make something they would not usually make,” explains Kathy Noble, Performa’s senior curator who spearheaded the editions series and has been working closely with the artists to realize them. “This idea reflects Performa’s ethos of blending art and everyday life; and making art objects to use each day is a form of performance in itself.” On whether there any particular standout pieces, Noble is diplomatic. “They are all my babies, and so I can’t have a favorite child,” she laughs.

The eclectic line-up of pieces includes a glazed porcelain vase designed by Barbara Kruger with “culture” emblazoned on one side in black and “nature” on the other in baby blue; elsewhere, there’s a hand-held mirror by Cindy Sherman printed with a digitally warped avatar of the artist’s face, in the style of those she regularly posts to her Instagram account. Anyone who picks up one of the limited run of funhouse-inspired mirrors will be able to look into its depths and see themselves essentially superimposed onto Sherman; in her own words, Sherman notes that she is “trying to make other people recognize something of themselves rather than me.”

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Barbara Kruger, Untitled (Vase), 2020

Photo: Alistair Matthews

Performa Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary With a Live Art Telethon and LimitedEdition Homewares
Photo: Alistair Matthews

This sense of playfulness and creative freedom across the editions neatly reflects Performa’s curatorial approach more broadly, something artist Kia LaBeija—who staged her first large-scale performance work, Untitled (The Black Act), at last year’s Performa Biennial—was intentionally trying to capture in the T-shirts she created for the telethon. “My commission for the Performa Biennial changed my body’s chemistry,” says LaBeija. “It gave me the opportunity to explore what it feels like to use every artistic discipline I love in one moment. It pushed me to work the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life and to bring people into my world in the most immersive way possible.”

The T-shirts, which feature LaBeija’s photographs alongside text advocating for Black individuals and people of color working in the art industry, speak to the exuberant outfits featured across LaBeija’s background in the New York ballroom scene, as well as the Bauhaus-inspired costumes she crafted in collaboration with stylist Kyle Luu for her Performa commission. “Costuming has always played a major role in my work,” LaBeija adds. “I’m interested in how we present ourselves to the world. I decided that I wanted to do shirts as my edition because of how key it is to how and why I make portraiture and performance. I wanted to dedicate one of the editions to the work I did with Performa and to the pieces Kyle and I dreamed up. For this image, I embodied a dressed down, remixed version of the spiral costume she created for me dripping with Swarovski crystals.”

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Kia LaBeija, Untitled (The Spirals that lead to Nowhere), 2020

Photo: Alistair Matthews

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Kia LaBeija, December 1st, 2020

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Photo: Alistair Matthews

For the artists involved in the live performances throughout the afternoon, the opportunity to participate feels especially significant at a time when many institutions are struggling financially—in particular, those like Performa that loyally support more esoteric, yet essential, corners of the art world like performance art. “I’ve always believed performance art must blur the lines between the mediated experience and live-action,” says artist Jacolby Satterwhite, whose piece for the telethon, titled Moments of Silence, pays tribute to figures including Paik, his mother, and the legendary choreographer Merce Cunningham, a member of whose company appears in the piece. “My practice thrives on using the archived digital performance as a material to thread together a visceral sculptural viewing experience in mediums like virtual reality, gaming, video art, and sculpture.”

For Goldberg, too, this mix of the live and the digitally augmented feels like a watershed moment for Performa, with the increasing intermingling of technology and performance art opening a wealth of new possibilities that will inevitably define Performa’s future. “We have long considered the screen, the laptop, the phone, as an exhibition space, and have been using our Radical Broadcast channel for museum-quality exhibitions curated specifically for this medium for some time,” Goldberg says. “Performa is a highly flexible organization, we are always responding to the times, and work with artists to find the most innovative and inspiring ways to produce and present their work.” What that might look like in another 15 years is still anyone’s guess—but for Goldberg, that’s exactly where the excitement lies.

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Nike Zoom Hyperflight “Safari” Official Images Reveal Bold Print Ahead of Holiday Release

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The Nike Zoom Hyperflight is getting a bold new look, with the “Safari” colorway coming soon. We have official photos of the unique design for a closer look. The sneaker sports bright orange accents and a translucent outsold, and is expected to arrive during the holiday season at a retail price of $190.

The new version is inspired by the Safari print that is familiar from the Air Safari. That pattern covers most of the Hyperflight’s soft, molded upper, giving the basketball shoe a unique look compared with some of the model’s other recent colorways. Together, the unusual texture and pattern make the silhouette feel especially suited to the adventurous design.

The primary contrast across the shoe is orange, used in the trim and other details. The bright color pops against the speckled base without being overwhelming. Black is also present in the design, on the glossy support structure around the midfoot and the soft leather collar. The look is topped off with a see-through outsole that adds another visual element to the overall color scheme.

The sneaker will drop with style code IZ2573-010 and is expected in men’s sizing. With a retail price tag of $190, Nike, Foot Locker, and Sheikh are among the expected retailers. As for when you can expect it, it’s likely to be the holiday season, though we don’t have a solid release date.

The “Safari” colorway comes amid a busy period for the Zoom Hyperflight. This year, Nike has revived the model in several colors, bringing a new wave of attention to the silhouette through a series of releases. Another forthcoming option is the vibrant “Green Apple” pair, also scheduled for a holiday season release.

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The Hyperflight’s history also provides context for the latest return. Jason Williams wore the model in the early 2000s, linking it to a memorable era for the sneaker. That association also helps explain why new colorways can generate excitement beyond the shoe’s look, especially for those who remember it from its previous run.

The Safari design is a definitive statement that does not change the characteristic shape of the Hyperflight. Instead, it uses the familiar silhouette as a canvas for a pattern that has already become recognizable through another Nike model. The orange accents provide a bright contrast, while the black midfoot structure and collar balance it out.

Now that official images have surfaced, sneaker fans have a clearer idea of what to expect from the holiday release. The $190 price, style code, and expected retail partners have also been identified, but a specific launch date has not been confirmed.

For Nike, the “Safari” is another way to bring attention back to the Zoom Hyperflight. One of its more distinctive new looks is this returning model, featuring speckled print, orange trim, black support details, and an icy-looking translucent outsole.

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Lil Yachty Previews Another Nike Air Force 1 Mid, This Time With Blue and Orange Stitching

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Lil Yachty has added another eye-catching design to his ever-growing collection of Nike US Force 1 Mids, this time going for a cleaner white look accented by blue and orange stitching. The rapper’s latest take on the shoe keeps the familiar silhouette. Still, it uses contrasting details to give the shoe its own identity, something the artist is known for, showing off a steady run of variations on the silhouette.

 

Dubbed the “White Contrast Stitch,” the pair features white leather across most of the upper. Rather than altering the classic Air Force 1 Mid profile or incorporating a strange material, the design uses stitching to separate the design visually. Blue stitching embellishes the leather panels, and each side of the shoe’s Swoosh is lined with orange.

 

The combo adds a subtle but noticeable splash of color to the mostly white sneaker. It’s a more muted take than some of the more adventurous pairs Yachty has shown recently, so this version feels like the more no-nonsense option in his growing collection.

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The new design adds to the long list of Air Force 1 Mid looks associated with the rapper this year. Earlier previews have featured a stars-and-stripes pair, an orange version with black stars, and a yellow colorway tied to ComplexCon. Each has put a different spin on the familiar silhouette, helping make Yachty’s run of designs a continuing talking point among sneaker watchers.

 

Earlier this year, another pair of the shoes, this time with blue and red detailing and thick white stitching, was also teased. That version is expected to launch around the holidays, but the details provided don’t confirm whether it will launch alongside the recently unveiled white one.

 

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Some questions remain unanswered about the “White Contrast Stitch” design. Nike has not confirmed any price, style code, or even whether the sneaker will be released to the public. The design has drawn attention through its online appearance and Yachty’s preview, but neither sets a launch date nor guarantees consumers can buy it.

 

That anticipation makes the latest reveal more of a first look than a proper release announcement. The white leather upper and blue-and-orange stitching are on display, but key retail details remain unknown. For now, there is no confirmed timeline for when the pair might hit stores, or if it will be offered beyond the preview.

 

Still, the design adds another variation to a collection that has featured a wide variety of colors and details. The white base makes this one more subtle, while the contrast stitching keeps it from being a straight-up all-white release.

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Yachty’s latest preview continues his ongoing relationship with the silhouette, with several other Air Force 1 Mid designs already shown this year. It’s not clear if the “White Contrast Stitch” pair will ever make it to the light of day, but it’s definitely added another distinct look to his growing collection.

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