Maria Hassabi

STAGED? (2016) _ undressed

4–4:30 pm · Main Entrance, outside
(can also be viewed from Annenberg Court)
6:45–7:15 pm · West Terrace, Main Floor

“Titles are always appropriate and ... usually very important. ...They become a metaphor, part of the image of the piece,” claimed Robert Whitman, referring to his 1966 performance Prune Flat.

Maria Hassabi’s works take their time, and ask the viewer to do the same. Hassabi relates the body to the still image and the sculptural object, addressing the separation between the spectacular and the mundane, between subject and object. In STAGED? (2016), her intent to stillness and slowness is pursued through the formation of a live sculpture amongst four performers. STAGED? (2016), is the first part of a performative diptych, along with STAGING (2017).

Performers: Jessie Gold, Hristoula Harakas, Maria Hassabi, Oisín Monaghan
Outfits: Victoria Bartlett

STAGED? (2016), was a co-production of Dance4 (Nottingham, UK); FIAF’s Crossing the Line Festival (New York, NY); High Line Art (New York, NY); The Keir Foundation with support from Dancehouse, Melbourne (Melbourne, AUS); The Kitchen (New York, NY); kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels, BE); Onassis Cultural Center (Athens, GR); Summer Stages Dance @ ICA/Boston (MA); and supported through residencies at Live Arts Bard at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College (Annandale on Hudson, NY); Camargo Foundation with funding from the Jerome Foundation (Cassis, FR); and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (Captiva Island, FL). STAGED? was supported, in part, with contributions from Randi & Jeff Levine, and Leo Koenig & Maggie Clinton.

Photo: Mattias Givell