Hot New York art duo Mike and Claire have gathered a who’s who of young performance art stars for their new short film, Perform. Actress, model and art chameleon Hari Nef appears alongside Chez Deep collective’s Colin Self in the colorful and surreal filmic musing on identity and gender.
Recalling Charles Atlas films starring Leigh Bowery, Perform features dance, singing and lots of painted faces. In an interview with All Day Digest, where the film premieres, Mike says he was inspired Bowery’s statement that “embarrassment is the least explored human emotion.” Claire adds that they are interested in “Exploring embarrassment and anxiety and then turning that on the viewer – exposing emotions that they choose to turn off – and then making them explore that.”
Also taking inspiration from John Waters and Kembra Pfahler, the film opens with a dance piece by Colin Self, moving on to a sausage tree picnic with Mimi, and Hari Nef in butt-cut jeans reciting Chekhov.
Credits
Perform by Mike and Claire.