Through the Tall Grass (2023)
Installation, Performance, 15 minutes per

Nalen (previously called the National palace) is a concert venue primarily associated with the golden age of jazz in Sweden, often referred to as Stockholm’s “Harlem” It was the epicenter of Stockholm’s nightlife with concerts, jazz, and underground burlesque shows from the 1930’s-1960’s.

Through the tall grass (2023) is a piece of silent theatre, a shadow play, a craftsman's strip tease elevating the mundane and repetitive task of an individual dressing/undressing, while investigating notions of body, background, and in-betweenness. In the exhibition Into the Long Night this performance is used to illuminate Nalen's bar and back rooms which retain their piccaninny murals from the 1930's, and activate a historical space of exotification while inserting my own body into Nalen's long tradition of burlesque and performances. The performance is accompanied with a letter titled Dear Joséphine Baker, an acknowledgment of the complexities of performing the “exotic” which was handed out to the audience members individually when they exited the venue.