Artist and photographer Wolfgang Tillmans announced his first musical project earlier this year. 30 years in the making, the EP featured slices of post-punk recorded in 1986, and two new techno-infused tracks he created this year. The record, and remixes, came out on a new label called Fragile, and Fragile is one of the acts on the bill for the second annual BOFFO Fire Island Performance Festival in New York, running from August 26-28. Wolfgang posted a snap of himself and band in rehearsal one week ago, captioned “YESTERDAY: ‘FRAGILE’ FOR THE FIRST TIME LIVE. 33 YEARS IN THE MAKING”, and which featured performers dressed up in dreamy pastel robes.
The rest of the exciting, eclectic lineup includes Brooklyn dance duo FLUCT, fashion label Telfar, and radical performance artist M. Lamar — who Orange Is the New Black fans might know as the real-life twin brother of Laverne Cox who played his pre-transition sister on the hit Netflix show. Fleshing out the bill are NYC indie acts The Blow, Eartheater, Tyler Ashley, Xavier Cha, Pearl, Frankie Sharp, SSION, and Casey Spooner of Fischerspooner.
“In keeping with BOFFO’s mission of supporting experimental art and fostering dynamic social environments, we have invited a stimulating constellation of artists to produce new and adapted works for the island’s diverse public,” say the organisers on their website. The tail end of summer is a busy time for festival lovers, but BOFFO boasts a big draw card in that all the performances are 100% free. If you’re feeling fancy, there is the option of a cocktail tour for $50 or a seated dinner with Casey Spooner for $500.
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Text Hannah Ongley