The third iteration of performance biennial Performa was dedicated to futurism, marking the movement’s 100th anniversary. The biennial included Guy Ben-Ner’s new video work Drop the Monkey, a “live film” that captures an ongoing phone conversation between the artist and himself as he flies to and fro between Berlin and Tel Aviv, the respective locations of his girlfriend and his family, never leaving the camera over a twelve-month period. Omer Fast presentedTalk Show, based on the television format and performed as a game of “telephone.” In a theatrical setting, invited guests recounted personal memories with direct links to current global events and the projection of power and freedom. Also on view were Anat Pick’s performance Tongues and Levers, a composition for voice and Futurist intoners that premiered at Performa, and Keren Cytter’s The Secret Diaries of Linda Schultz, a theatrical production combining dance, video, and music.

Guy Ben Ner and Omer Fast’s contributions were co-commissioned by Artis and Performa on the occasion of Performa 09. Organized by Performa Director and Curatorial Seminar alum Roselee Goldberg.